It’s finally here! The R3 bundle from Moza Racing bundle has gone from “soon available” to “in stock” on the brand’s website and many other online merchants!

For months now, the small, entry-level R3 bundle has been promoted by the Chinese brand as its first to be compatible with Microsoft’s Xbox consoles. And it has to be said that the wait has been long for many runners who are in the American brand’s ecosystem.

As you know, sim-racing isn’t just limited to PCs. We have numerous racing titles, mainly sim-arcade, available on Xbox and Playstation. Two popular examples are none other than Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport. The former is strictly compatible with Sony consoles, and the latter is available on both PC and Xbox.

However, many gamers prefer the simplicity, and design too, of consoles. And let’s face it: it’s a lot easier to have an Xbox in your living room than a PC, as well as being a lot cheaper in the end. Admittedly, on consoles you can miss out on a far more realistic experience in terms of graphics and versatility too, but then again, a good proportion of game players are just looking for some fun after a long day’s work, and consoles are perfect for that.

Back to the Moza R3 bundle. It’s made up of the R3 Direct Drive baseplate, which develops just under 4nm of peak torque, the ES steering wheel for Xbox, the SR-P Lite 2-pedal crankset and the Chinese brand’s Table Clamp. The whole package retails for around €400, with availability varying widely (some merchants carry it, while others have marked it out of stock).

In terms of feel, the little R3 base isn’t one of the most powerful in the industry, but it’s good enough for Sunday drivers looking to have fun and improve their times on Forza Motorsport, for example. What’s more, the SR-P Lite crankset is customizable and can be switched to Load Cell if you wish, just like Fanatec.

The DD engine is fairly linear, and provides a fairly good reproduction of the game’s effects. Admittedly, it’s not on the same level as an R5, for example, but it’s not far off either. With a little time spent setting up the R3, you’ll get a good feel for sim-racing.

As far as I’m concerned, the R3 bundle is very good for racers who want to immerse themselves in Moza Racing’s Direct Drive universe, without blowing their bank account or having the skills of racing drivers.