Fanatec Announcements: CSW V2 Reviews Out

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blacbul67
I couldn't agree more, I can't be certain but even if I could readily afford an "uber" wheel I don't think I would buy one, I really don't think I would enjoy it any more than either a Elite or CSW. I certainly don't have the talent to justify one, which in my mind I would have to. I know this is not the defining criterion for those that do so please don't take offence if you are proud owner of one.
I digress but years ago from my love of music (hence my forum name blacbul which is a corruption of Stevie Wonder's label in the 70's) I became interested in hifi and became something of an audiophile but I noticed I began to spend more and more time reading about equipment than listening to music. I realised in the end in my almost weekly auditioning of kit that I couldn't hear a difference between it what I had and thoroughly enjoyed at home so I stopped and fell back in love with the software as it were rather than the hardware. I knew there were folks who could probably hear a difference but to be bloody honest I realised I was glad I was not one of them!!
Now back to driving games/sims I am doing the same thing again I fear especially since I got a samsung galaxy sII, I now check these forums several times a day whilst at work and today I have made a determined effort to get out my wheel and wheelstand this morning so I actually enjoy a virtually brand new GT2 wheel and games I own instead of pining for an Elite and rfactor 2 which my ancient pc cannot handle!!
Well here goes and to paraphrase Steve Redgrave, "if you see me responding to anymore threads before 11pm GMT shoot me!!"
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Wow i just got a galaxy SII also and am thoroughly enjoying posting anytime i have a second (everyone rolls their eyes). in fact im typing this on one right now, but i also bought into the hype and picked up an elite and you know what?- i fell in love with sim racing all over again... Now i feel like singing Steevie Wonder "Isnt she lovely!"..."CSRE You are the sunshine of my life"
 
I made a post over on iRacing a few weeks ago commenting on the fact that there really is a huge gap in FFB wheels. We've got plenty of offerings in the less than $500 range (CSR-E, CSR, G27, T500, etc, etc) and we've got 3 or 4 offerings in the $2500+ range, but there is nothing really there in the $1000 or so range. I personally think the CSR-E and CSW could easily be priced in that $1000 range and still sell very well, but I'm glad they aren't.

When my G25 died on me I spent some time looking for a wheel for around $1000, and there simply isn't anything out there. Then I heard about the upcoming CSW, but still needed a wheel in the meantime so I bought the CSR. Now I bought the CSR-E (which I just got the shipping notification for) and will replace it with the CSW.

I think the CSR-E and CSW are finally giving us a very high quality wheel in that price range. If you include a couple extra wheel rims you should be at around $800-$900. I think Fanatec is really filling the gap very well with an excellent quality product. Now I just have to hope it will hold up to the upcoming 24hr endurance racing (4+ hrs per driver shift).
 
lemansfanatic
Wow i just got a galaxy SII also and am thoroughly enjoying posting anytime i have a second (everyone rolls their eyes). in fact im typing this on one right now, but i also bought into the hype and picked up an elite and you know what?- i fell in love with sim racing all over again... Now i feel like singing Steevie Wonder "Isnt she lovely!"..."CSRE You are the sunshine of my life"
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Like it, very good :-)
 
Oh and about not being good enough for an elite? i've got f1 2011 set on hard difficulty not legendary and im still 4-6 seconds off a pole time even on my best day! LOL but loving every minute of it anyways!
 
superbike81
Having an expensive wheel has nothing to do with your performance, it is all about immersion and enjoyment.
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Hi Superbike81, as I tried to say in my earlier rambling post, I know your point of view exists, and I respect it, hell, it's why I have wheels in the first place, for a greater sense of immersion than game pads could ever afford me, but equally for me the law of diminishing returns of that Immersion versus Cost sets in somewhere between the price of the top end Fanatec wheels and that of the Frex's, CST's etc of this world.
The only thing that could even possibly change my view point would be if after having had the opportunity to try one of these cutting edge wheels I found it actually made me noticeably, and significantly faster as well as providing a more immersive experience than the significantly cheaper competition.
As this opportunity will not arise I can continue to live contentedly in blissful ignorance!
 
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Well, many of the fastest guys out there use wheels that don't even have force feedback at all. Force feedback really isn't very realistic to begin with, but it gives us at least some feeling of what is going on with traction. Yet "accurate" force feedback is the main selling point for many of these wheels. All I'm trying to say is you could be just as fast with an old Logitech Momo or a non-FFB TSW 720 as you are with the CSR-Elite. Just like an $80k Nissan GT-R is just as fast around the track as most of the cars that cost 3-4x as much.

What I am getting at is just because a fully setup Frex Simwheel will cost you roughly 6x what a CSR-Elite costs you doesn't mean it has to be 6x better to justify the purchase. Plenty of people every year spend $100,000+ on a car when they could get much more value for money somewhere else. So is a $400,000 Murcielago SV a waste of money when you could buy an $80,000 GT-R and do just as well in most situations? That is up to the buyer to decide.
 
superbike81
I personally think the CSR-E and CSW could easily be priced in that $1000 range and still sell very well, but I'm glad they aren't.
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I agree with the concept that it could have been more expensive, but I know many including myself that wouldn't shell out the additional money.

superbike81
Having an expensive wheel has nothing to do with your performance, it is all about immersion and enjoyment.
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This is what I tell my friends every time. I'm not trying to buy speed, I'm trying to buy the feel of hitting a rumble strip. I'm trying to get tot he point of the rim resisting my inputs, if it's supposed to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPd0ATqvoJM

As a side note, navigate to 2:55 and watch as he enters a tighter corner he meant to gear down and accidentally shifted up because of fixed paddles (argument in favour of rotating paddles) Watch the wheel as he attacks the next section. That's what I want. This is why I disagree with the concept of non FFB wheels. The FFB doesn't make you faster, everything you need should be in game and with practice you will see and hear the indicators you need. It's much easier to take a turn, and hit the inside rub strip and not have to do much fighting with the wheel to correct an car motion.

superbike81
Force feedback really isn't very realistic to begin with, but it gives us at least some feeling of what is going on with traction. Yet "accurate" force feedback is the main selling point for many of these wheels.
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The way the wheel conveys force feedback may not be as accurate as real world, but I firmly believe this input puts us one step closer as no car I've ever driven didn't give you some sort of feedback through the wheel.

superbike81
All I'm trying to say is you could be just as fast with an old Logitech Momo or a non-FFB TSW 720 as you are with the CSR-Elite. Just like an $80k Nissan GT-R is just as fast around the track as most of the cars that cost 3-4x as much.
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My friend updated from a MS Wheel to a CSR and he cranked the FFB. He was significantly faster in his MS Wheel but would never go back to that lack of resistance. As you said, this is really up to the sim racer to decide what they are looking for. I would even submit that a FFB wheel is a must if you consider yourself a sim racer not a racer of sims. Removing any sense of feel from the wheel would, to me, imply you want less sim and just want to be faster. That no doubt would anger many, and I'd love to hear the argument on this. You don't remove feeling from a wheel to drive faster in real life... in fact you don't really have that option. Until cars go completely electronic steering, some tactile feedback will always come through the wheel. I'm not saying that removing FFB is wrong, each should do what they want, I'm just saying it's less "sim".
 
blacbul67
The only thing that could even possibly change my view point would be if after having had the opportunity to try one of these cutting edge wheels I found it actually made me noticeably, and significantly faster as well as providing a more immersive experience than the significantly cheaper competition.
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Thats just it though, we paid money for the immersion factor, not the speed. i am am coming from a microsoft wheel and i was a lot faster on it because it had very weak forcefeedback so i could countersteer very easily- which is not accurate. i bought an elite because as a racing fan MY PERSONAL preference is to have a realistic feeling of the force of the wheel that my heroes would irl. i have the force feedback turned up almost all the way now which makes me very slow, but now i really feel like wow this must be what it feels like for fernando alonso fighting the car with strong grip on the wheel and using muscles i didnt know i had and at the end of the session im tired and my arms are sore, but my heart is racing- something i never felt with the microsoft wheel even though i was significantly quicker. long story short, if you do decide to get one, just make sure you understand it may or may not make you quicker, but to some like me, i could care less about topping the leaderboards, i just always watch racing on tv and wonder why they have to be in such good shape as they make fighting the wheel look so easy, now i get to experience a little what it must be like- laptimes be damned!
 
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lemansfanatic
Thats just it though, we paid money for the immersion factor, not the speed. i am am coming from a microsoft wheel and i was a lot faster on it because it had very weak forcefeedback so i could countersteer very easily- which is not accurate. i bought an elite because as a racing fan MY PERSONAL preference is to have a realistic feeling of the force of the wheel that my heroes would irl. i have the force feedback turned up almost all the way now which makes me very slow, but now i really feel like wow this must be what it feels like for fernando alonso fighting the car with strong grip on the wheel and using muscles i didnt know i had and at the end of the session im tired and my arms are sore, but my heart is racing- something i never felt with the microsoft wheel even though i was significantly quicker.
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Honestly, I am not arguing anything different to what you have, I too went from MS wheel to fanatec for the same reason as you and if and when I could I would buy an Elite again for the same reason as you and others.
What I guess I'm saying is I don't feel the need to then spend another 2 and a half thousand pounds more (or whatever the price difference is) to better what I fully expect is the excellent immersive experience that your Elite brings.
To be honest I believe Fanatec have changed the game, I have always wished for a top line wheel but knew it was impossible and couldnt quite get my head around need to spend the amount of cash necessary. Fanatec have, as far as I am concerned brought this top line (or as near as dammit) experience to, if not the masses, then a wider demographic. In so doing it has to me made the Frex and it's ilk appear overpriced or at least less cost effective.
 
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blacbul67
Honestly, I am not arguing anything different to what you have, I too went from MS wheel to fanatec for the same reason as you and if and when I could I would buy an Elite again for the same reason as you and others.
What I guess I'm saying is I don't feel the need to then another spend 2 and a half thousand pounds more (or whatever the price difference is) to better what I fully expect is the excellent immersive experience that your Elite brings.
To be honest I believe Fanatec have changed the game, I have always wished for a top line wheel but knew it was impossible and couldnt quite get my head around need to spend the amount of cash necessary. Fanatec have, as far as I am concerned brought this top line (or as near as dammit) experience to, if not the masses, then a wider demographic. In so doing it has to me made the Frex and it's ilk appear overpriced or at least less cost effective.
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I totally agree that Fanatec changed the game. they also deserve to be praised for believing in simracing, unlike logitech, who can, but won't release high end products. i am currently a logitech g27 owner but i can't wait to get my hand on the csw. too bad there isn't any recent news about it.
 
KashunatoR
I totally agree that Fanatec changed the game. they also deserve to be praised for believing in simracing, unlike logitech, who can, but won't release high end products. i am currently a logitech g27 owner but i can't wait to get my hand on the csw. too bad there isn't any recent news about it.
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I cant immagine logitech not developing anything comparable to the t500rs with all the success they've had with the g25/27. dont count them out yet i'm sure they've got something up their sleeve...
 
I think the difference between Logitech & Fanatec is that Fanatec are more of a niche company - they are committed to sim racing controllers. That is where they have chosen to focus. Logitech is a much bigger company - they are focused on wherever they can make money. If they don't think a product is going to be profitable enough, they are not going to develop it. It would be nice if Logitech came up with a new high-end wheel, but they might decide, given the competition from Fanatec & Thrustmaster, that there's just not enough potential profit in it to make it worthwhile. They may continue with wheels in the price range of the DFGT & G27 where there is a larger potential market.
 
blacbul67
Fanatec have, as far as I am concerned brought this top line (or as near as dammit) experience to, if not the masses, then a wider demographic. In so doing it has to me made the Frex and it's ilk appear overpriced or at least less cost effective.
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You are right about that. Fanatec has done what Nissan did with the new GT-R, brought near hypercar performance to a much less affluent demographic.
 
superbike81
You are right about that. Fanatec has done what Nissan did with the new GT-R, brought near hypercar performance to a much less affluent demographic.
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You are right! it is just like the GT-R because they both have amazing performance underneath the hood but people complain about how ugly and plastic-y they are. (speaking of course just of the rim of the elite only and the interior or the gt-r... Well actually the whole car is a bit fugly) but hey they both perform like crazy for crazy small money
 
lemansfanatic
Oh and about not being good enough for an elite? i've got f1 2011 set on hard difficulty not legendary and im still 4-6 seconds off a pole time even on my best day! LOL but loving every minute of it anyways!
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Thank god that sounds just like me too, I'm definitely not Senna like either and do think everyone else on these boards is! I barely ever race online, I struggle with the licences (still have loads to try to get, though I admit I'm a bit anal about having a gold for each one...so that can literally take years) Set ups are a black art as far as im concerned I generally can't feel the difference before and after a particular change! Well apart from changing tires. :-[ and worst of all even after this time I still don't know how to get picture next to my name like so many of you have!
 
blacbul67
I still don't know how to get picture next to my name like so many of you have!
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Click "My GTPlanet/Edit Avatar" and go to the bottom. Then click the button "Search" (?) (at me it's the german word "Durchsuchen") at the section "Option 2 - Upload Image From Your Computer". Open a picture with these requirements "Note: The maximum size of your custom image is 120 by 120 pixels or 25.0 KB (whichever is smaller).". Click "Save Changes" and you got it.
 
GT-Roadie
Click "My GTPlanet/Edit Avatar" and go to the bottom. Then click the button "Search" (?) (at me it's the german word "Durchsuchen") at the section "Option 2 - Upload Image From Your Computer". Open a picture with these requirements "Note: The maximum size of your custom image is 120 by 120 pixels or 25.0 KB (whichever is smaller).". Click "Save Changes" and you got it.
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Thanks I will give it a go!
 
Anyone try the Fanatec CSR-E with simraceway?

I am unable to map my shifter paddles separately in the game as they are both treated as JOYB6 (same as the A button). So I am forced to use auto shift and can't race the advanced quick race (no assists).

I also tried the CSR-E in PS3 mode - it was recognized correctly as G25 in Logitech profiler but still had the same issue with the shifter paddle mapping in game.

Simraceway is the same engine as Rfactor I believe - anyone know a work around for this issue?

Note: I'm using 7.21b FW and 115 Driver for Windows
 
Do any of you know how to get their wheels working on PS3 with a PS2 game? Specifically GT4? I'm having troubles...
 
Crispy
Do any of you know how to get their wheels working on PS3 with a PS2 game? Specifically GT4? I'm having troubles...
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Mine never worked however when I dug my old ps2 out it worked fine. :crazy:
 
Raudi
Anyone try the Fanatec CSR-E with simraceway?

I am unable to map my shifter paddles separately in the game as they are both treated as JOYB6 (same as the A button). So I am forced to use auto shift and can't race the advanced quick race (no assists).

I also tried the CSR-E in PS3 mode - it was recognized correctly as G25 in Logitech profiler but still had the same issue with the shifter paddle mapping in game.

Simraceway is the same engine as Rfactor I believe - anyone know a work around for this issue?

Note: I'm using 7.21b FW and 115 Driver for Windows
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OK, I figured this one out - hope the solution helps somebody else!


I was able to determine the correct button mappings after hooking up my Fanatec GT2 is as follows:

Shift up = Joy1 B3
Shift Down = Joy1 B2
A = Joy1 B6


When I try to map either paddle or the A button on the CSR-E in simraceway they all map as Joy1 B6

After I mapped the buttons correctly with the GT2 and saved the profile, I then reconnected my CSR-E and used the saved profile and the paddles on the CSR-E work properly in game! (as B3 and B2)

Note: I checked this out in another game (F1 2011) and the paddles on the CSR-E did map correctly as B3 and B2 in that game

I sent all of this to one of the simraceway support guys who I was chatting with on the server as I tested, so hopefully a fix / workaround will be forthcoming for the CSR-E
 
Raudi
OK, I figured this one out - hope the solution helps somebody else!


I was able to determine the correct button mappings after hooking up my Fanatec GT2 is as follows:

Shift up = Joy1 B3
Shift Down = Joy1 B2
A = Joy1 B6


When I try to map either paddle or the A button on the CSR-E in simraceway they all map as Joy1 B6

After I mapped the buttons correctly with the GT2 and saved the profile, I then reconnected my CSR-E and used the saved profile and the paddles on the CSR-E work properly in game! (as B3 and B2)

Note: I checked this out in another game (F1 2011) and the paddles on the CSR-E did map correctly as B3 and B2 in that game

I sent all of this to one of the simraceway support guys who I was chatting with on the server as I tested, so hopefully a fix / workaround will be forthcoming for the CSR-E
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I experienced the same problem as I tried rfactor for the first time with my CSR elite. Simple solution: Turn off ACL while mapping the buttons! Remember that ACL maps the clutch to the A-button when shifting, means two buttons are pressed simultaneously. You can check that easily on the settings page of the driver on PC.

Hope that helps.
 
superbike81
People really use that ACL feature?

Doesn't that take some of the "sim" out of the sim?
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How many paddle shift cars require the use of a foot clutch though?
Great decision by Fanatec IMHO.
 
HowieHH
I experienced the same problem as I tried rfactor for the first time with my CSR elite. Simple solution: Turn off ACL while mapping the buttons! Remember that ACL maps the clutch to the A-button when shifting, means two buttons are pressed simultaneously. You can check that easily on the settings page of the driver on PC.

Hope that helps.
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That has to be it! 👍

Thanks for your suggestion as I did have ACL on - I'll try it again this evening with it off but I'm certain that is the problem as you describe since I did see the A and shift buttons pressed together on the driver settings page.
 
superbike81
People really use that ACL feature?

Doesn't that take some of the "sim" out of the sim?
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The best thing (FOR ME) about ACL is I can have it on while racing Forza4. I drive say my V8 fiero with my stick, then rock the paddles only when I get in to my 458. I honestly love this feature. I didn't think I would like it as much as I do.
 

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