MOZA Racing CS Pro Steering Wheel – Review

MOZA Racing CS Pro Steering Wheel – Review

MOZA Racing is taking on the sim racing market with its latest Pro Series steering wheels. The CS Pro Steering Wheel is the manufacturer’s first model that is completely modular and also integrates a screen into a round steering wheel. Priced at around €350, it is significantly cheaper than the RS V2 Wheel, but still offers considerably more features.

Ordering and shipping

Currently, the steering wheel, like the manufacturer’s previous products, can be ordered directly from the MOZA website. The following prices are currently advertised, depending on the country of shipment, taxes or customs duties may be added to the shipping costs:

USD $ 329.00 / EUR € 349.00 / GBP £ 319.00 / AUD  589.00 / JPY 52,900.00

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

Specs

Below you will find the technical specifications of the CS Pro Steering Wheel, provided by MOZA Racing.

Scope of delivery

Unlike the features of the wheel, MOZA is rather modest when it comes to the scope of delivery. In addition to the wheel itself, which is already equipped with a QR, there are only two sticker sheets and a tool kit in the stylish packaging of the CS PRO Wheel.

• CS Pro Steering Wheel
• MOZA stickers
• Tool Kit: L-shaped Wrench, Plastic Tweezer

Compatibility

The limited scope of delivery is offset by welcome innovations in terms of compatibility. Until now, no MOZA steering wheel has been so universally compatible and expandable.

Steering wheel rim

The CS Pro Steering Wheel comes with a steering wheel rim measuring approximately 32.5 centimeters. It weighs around 780 grams on its own. It has a standard bolt circle (6×70 mm) and is very neatly finished. The recesses on the back and the seamless area around the thumb rest in particular ensure a very good grip, even during longer sessions. Due to its size, the steering wheel is very versatile (for example, for road cars, old GT cars, and drifting), but it also requires a correspondingly powerful base. It should be at least an R9 base (with nine Newton meters of torque). However, if you replace the steering wheel with smaller models, you may be satisfied with an R5 base from MOZA. However, the selected steering wheel rim should not be too small, as the button box is comparatively large and the lower rotary switches in particular extend far outwards.

QR

MOZA uses its modular NRG-style QR here, which is completely removable and connected to the button plate by a cable. It is screwed in place with six countersunk screws that go through the steering wheel and button box and then find support in the threads of the QR. As usual, when using the wheel on a MOZA base, the QR provides wireless data transmission and power supply. If the steering wheel is to be used on another base, MOZA offers the MOZA Universal Hub Kit as an optional accessory. Here, the port on the back of the button box is used to plug in a spiral cable and then connect it to the hub.

Optional Paddles

The CS Pro Wheel comes with two paddle modules and therefore has two shift paddles and two analog axes. The optional paddle modules are new and available as accessories for around €50. They are installed in the upper section of the button box. To do this, unscrew the pre-mounted cover, plug in the connection cables, and then screw the paddles onto the back using the four screws included in the scope of delivery. The entire process takes just a few minutes, and the paddles can then be used as optional buttons, for example for DRS.

Features

The CS Pro Steering Wheel differs significantly from MOZA’s previous round steering wheels and offers more features than the RS V2 for around €500 or the CS V2P for just under €300. These include the newly added screen, more inputs, additional LEDs, and, above all, up to six paddles on the back. MOZA now uses carbon fiber-reinforced plastic with a forged carbon look for the CS Pro Wheel. In combination with the aluminum steering wheel rim, which absorbs the main load while driving, an absolutely torsion-free driving experience is guaranteed. Even when the individual functions are activated, there is no flex in the wheel. Overall, the combination shown here with additional optional paddles and the front cover weighs around 2,150 grams.

Inputs

Compared to MOZA’s previous CS Wheel, the CS Pro Wheel has significantly more input functions, including twice as many rotary switches and two additional thumb encoders.

• 8+2 buttons: MOZA has placed a total of eight buttons with RGB LEDs on the front. Unlike most of the manufacturer’s wheels, these have a very short stroke and therefore feel very crisp. Two additional buttons without lighting are integrated on the back. These are slightly hidden when using the optional paddles and are best operated without them.
• 2 Thumb Encoders: Two thumb encoders with an additional push function are located on the side of the upper part of the button box. Their positioning makes them very easy to operate with the thumbs, and they are equipped with high-quality aluminum caps.
• 4 Rotary Switches: MOZA has installed a total of four rotary switches, each with twelve positions. They can be configured as switches or encoders (+/-) and have a medium actuation force.
• 2 Funky Switches: The CS Pro Wheel has two funky switches, each with seven functions (press, turn left/right, up, down, left, right), which are arranged so that they can be operated with a slight movement of the hand. They are particularly practical for in-game menus.

Paddles

The rear now features up to six paddles in aluminum housings with forged carbon grip surfaces.

• Shifter: The two magnetic shift paddles are equipped with Hall sensors and can be operated with precision. The trigger travel is relatively long, but the shifters are also relatively quiet thanks to built-in pads for damping.
• Analog axes: Below the shifter, there is a paddle with an analog axis on each side. These can be configured either as a dual clutch, as separate axes (for example, for throttle and brake), or as buttons. The paddles have a pleasant resistance and a comparatively short maximum actuation travel.
• (Optional) Paddles: These are basically the same as the regular shift paddles, but have smaller grip surfaces.

LEDs

MOZA is breaking new ground with LEDs and following the example of various other manufacturers by now illuminating them dynamically depending on their position. Overall, the CS Pro has a large number of controllable LEDs.

• Button-LEDs: The eight buttons on the front each have controllable LEDs. For a better look, you should use the stickers provided, as these ensure more even illumination.
• Rotary-LEDs: Twelve individually controllable LEDs are installed here. This allows, for example, the current position of the switches to be highlighted in color.
• RPM-LEDs: As usual, the LEDs in the upper part of the wheel can be configured here. They are neatly embedded in a transparent cover and evenly illuminated.
• Indicator-LEDs: To the left and right of the RPM LEDs, there are three additional LEDs each, which are ideal for effects such as active ABS or active traction control.

The following general telemetry effects are available and can be applied to individual LEDs:

• RPM Standard/Gradient Color
• Fuel
• Pit Limiter
• ABS On/Active
• TC On/Active
• DRS On/Available
• Wheel Spin/Lock
• Turn Indicator Left/Right
• Flags ( Yellow/Blue/Green/White/Black)

The colors can be freely selected. The hierarchy (prioritization) of the effects can also be defined, and settings such as RPMs and activation times can be customized. In terms of complexity, it does not quite match the options offered by SimHub, but the configuration is much more accessible, especially for beginners.

Display

MOZA is also breaking new ground with the display, opting for the first time for a small screen measuring 2.99 inches (780 x 248 pixels usable), similar to those already used in various CONSPIT wheels. The wheel is equipped with several gigabytes of memory to store the various dashboard designs locally. Ten different layouts are included, some of which also have several subpages. The display has a relatively high maximum brightness (the images shown are at around 40%) and very good viewing angle dependency.

Software

MOZA relies on its own in-house software solution called MOZA Pit House. This allows even newcomers to quickly adjust many settings and configure the colors of the LEDs or desired telemetry effects, for example. Some settings could be more convenient, such as changing multiple colors simultaneously. Features such as modifiers for the rotary switches would also round off the whole package. Currently, however, the software already offers a wide range of customization options that are well structured and very accessible. When it comes to the dash editor, MOZA is heavily inspired by the popular SimHub solution, but does not yet offer the same range of options. Overall, however, the software is of a very high standard and, thanks to the pre-installed effects, you can get started right away. Here you can find a design created by Simracing-PC for the test, available for free download.

Driving impression

Conclusion

The CS Pro Steering Wheel from MOZA currently offers what is probably the most attractive overall package in the manufacturer’s entire range. It combines numerous features, including a screen measuring just under three inches, a large number of encoders and buttons, up to six paddles on the back, and a modular, interchangeable steering wheel rim. Its very affordable price puts it far ahead of the other models, making it an absolute must-buy and even a must-have for users of a high-end MOZA base.