MOZA R3 Bundle for PC and Xbox – Review

MOZA R3 Bundle for PC and Xbox – Review

Simracing-PC, as the name indicates, is focused on simracing hardware for the PC. For the console, on the other hand, simracing hardware was mainly a gimmick for a long time. It wasn’t until Fanatec that the first serious products appeared on the market and now you can even use direct drive wheelbases directly on the console. With the R3 Bundle from MOZA Racing for Xbox, another manufacturer for officially supported Direct Drive Bases enters the console market. MOZA sends a 3.9 Newton meter strong base in combination with a relatively small round steering wheel and a 2-pedal set into the race.

Order and shipping

As usual with MOZA Racing, the bundle will be available directly from the Chinese manufacturer’s own store. There the bundle is listed at the following prices

$ 399.00 / 439.00 € / £ 399.00 / AUD 689.00 / JPY 58,800.00

The prices do not include shipping costs, local taxes and customs duties. Alternatively, the bundle can also be purchased from various third-party retailers. In Germany, for example, the retailer Sim-Motion sells the bundle for €439 plus shipping. VAT and customs are already included in the price here.

According to Moza, the official launch is planned for the fourth quarter of 2023.

The product tested here was provided by the manufacturer. No influence was exerted on this review at any time.

Scope of delivery

MOZA sells the R3 bundle “ready to go”. Besides the base and steering wheel as well as the pedals, the box also contains a table clamp and mounting material including tools. The manufacturer also includes two anti-slip pads for the pedals and all necessary cables in the package.

Technical data

Below are the technical specifications of the bundle directly from MOZA Racing. The maximum force of the wheelbase of 3.9 Newton meters as well as the size (280 millimeter diameter) of the steering wheel should be particularly interesting.

R3 Base

ES Wheel

SR-P Lite Pedals

Compatibility

Software

With the R3 bundle, MOZA finally fulfills an often expressed wish of the simracing community around the manufacturer. For the first time, the hardware can be operated directly on a Microsoft console. This is ensured by the official support through the included steering wheel, which also features the buttons known from the Xbox controllers.

MOZA offers compatibility with a larger selection of Xbox games at the bundle’s launch. Due to the official compatibility with Microsoft’s console, it can be assumed that upcoming games will also be supported in the future. On the PC side, the usual pattern is seen: All common relevant simulations are supported by the software:

Hardware

On the hardware side, the Wheelbase provides the interface for connecting compatible MOZA hardware. On the back of the Wheelbase are connectors for the included pedals as well as for additionally available components such as handbrake, shifter, dashboards and the Emergency Stop from MOZA. Likewise, other compatible steering wheels from the manufacturer can also be used directly via the QR used.

Mounting

The bundle, like the R5 bundle, is designed for both permanent rigs and desktop mounting. To enable the latter, MOZA includes a massive desk mount that is tilted at 15 degrees. This has a cushioned guard on the underside to prevent scratching the desk top and is attached with two screws. It only takes a few seconds to set up and take down. When not in use, it can be easily pushed to the side and fixed there. The pedals can simply be placed on the floor. Ideally, the supplied pads are then installed to prevent slipping.

For mounting on a rig, MOZA relies on four M6 threads on the bottom of the Wheelbase, two of which match Fanatec’s hole pattern. Thus, the base can be attached to almost any rig with two screws. The pedals, which are based on the hole pattern of Fanatec’s CSL pedals, can also be screwed directly to most rigs, but if in doubt, you should expect additional drilling here as usual.

Wheel base

The R3 Base has an aluminum case (according to MOZA, it is aviation-grade aluminum) that has an X-shaped design to match the Xbox compatibility. The ports on the back are covered with a plastic cover, which also houses the button to turn the base on and off, as well as the port for the power supply and the connection to the PC.

The ultra-compact dimensions of about 10 (length to start QR) x 13.5 (width) x 12 centimeters (height) make the Base probably the smallest on the market at the moment, allowing it to be positioned more freely than any other. The build quality is on a very high level.

Force-Feedback

The most important aspect of the base is of course the force feedback. Here, 3.9 Newton meters are available on paper, which roughly corresponds to the force of a T300 Wheelbase. Unlike Thrustmaster’s popular entry-level base, however, the base relies on the now prevalent Direct Drive technology and thus does no longer use gears or belts to transmit the motor’s power. As a result, track details and feedback from the vehicle are reproduced much more directly, while at the same time being much quieter.

The 3.9 Newton meters in combination with the 280 millimeter steering wheel are more than sufficient for desk use in many cases. Especially beginners shouldn’t be disappointed here. However, the base reaches its limits in the upper range. The lack of power compared to the R5 (5.5Nm) and especially the R9 (9Nm) is noticeable and the base sometimes ends up in the FFB clipping area (the base can no longer reproduce the FFB peaks and the effects are “cut off”).

Steering wheel (ES Steering Wheel)

For experts of the MOZA ecosystem, the steering wheel should be no unknown, it is a revised ES Steering Wheel with Xbox branding. Due to its low weight of approx. 1285g incl. Quick Release with a diameter of 280mm, it is predestined for use on a wheelbase with limited output.

The steering wheel is also the connection to the Xbox and is therefore also mandatory to operate the bundle on the console. MOZA plans to bring more Xbox-compatible steering wheels to market here in the future. On the other hand, the ES Steering Wheel can also be used on other wheelbases. To ensure full Xbox compatibility, however, the base must each have a pedal port. This is not only the case for the R3 Base, but also for the current versions of the R5 and R12 Base. Power and data transfer is handled by MOZA’s excellent metal QR, which connects to the Base with almost no flex and can be operated in a split second.

Overall, the workmanship of the steering wheel is very good and feels very high-quality, especially due to the solid metal steering wheel rim.

The steering wheel has a total of 22 function keys as well as the shift paddles:

• 18 buttons: The steering wheel has a total of 18 buttons in different sizes and shapes. Of course, the familiar Xbox buttons with the corresponding branding are particularly noticeable. The buttons also feel like controller buttons in terms of their pressure point, and no erroneous inputs were made at any time during the review.
• Control pad: Somewhat unusually for a simracing steering wheel, there is a control pad on the left side of the steering wheel, which is reminiscent of that of a controller. This is especially handy for navigating through the Xbox menu and then the in-game menus.
• Shift paddles: The two aluminum shift paddles are relatively smooth, but also very quiet, especially compared to magnetic shift paddles. Again, there were no incorrect inputs in the test.

Pedals (SR-P Lite Pedals)

Like the steering wheel, the pedals are already known from MOZA Racing’s R5 bundle. They are made of metal and the inputs are measured via Hall sensors.

Since the resistance is only realized via springs, the pedals are relatively easy to push through. While this is ideal for desk use, it doesn’t come close to Loadcell pedals. The optional Performance Kit remedies this somewhat by significantly increasing the resistance of the brake pedal. Also available as an upgrade is the SR-P Lite Clutch Pedal, which adds a clutch pedal to the set.

A slightly more detailed look at the pedals with additional pictures can be found in our review of the R5 bundle: MOZA R5 Bundle – Review

Software

While the software from MOZA (Pit House) was a bit behind in the beginning, the manufacturer has clearly caught up in this area. The software (for the PC) now offers countless adjustment options and seems much cleaner.

FFB settings can be made here as well as setting pedal curves or fine-tuning certain in-game effects via the MOZA-exclusive equalizer. The latter helps especially with the relatively weak R3 base to emphasize certain effects a bit without slipping directly into clipping with others. Likewise, updates to the firmware of the individual components can be performed in the software with just a few clicks.

Note: To switch the base to Xbox or PC mode, you have to hold down the S1 and S2 buttons for three seconds. The bundle is shipped in Xbox mode. If the bundle is not recognized on the PC, you should first make sure that the base is in the correct mode.

Driving impression

– soon –

Conclusion

The R3 bundle redefines the point of entry into the world of direct drive bases for Xbox gamers. The price point is now under 450 Euros and includes a very versatile 280 millimeter diameter steering wheel, an entry-level pedal set, and a table mount in addition to the 3.9 Newton meter wheelbase.

Apart from the initially somewhat limited selection of compatible console games (all important ones are covered, though) and steering wheels, the bundle offers an excellent gaming experience and very good force feedback up to the clipping limit, especially for beginners. Furthermore, the bundle scores with MOZA’s good quick-release, which offers many options for the future.

Overall, the bundle for the Xbox is definitely a recommendation in the price range below 500€ and should always be preferred to entry-level products from Logitech or Thrustmaster, for example, if the budget allows it.