Short answer: Choose a round wheel if you drive rally, drift or want one wheel for many different cars. If you mainly drive GT3 or single-seaters, a GT or Formula wheel works well. Start with the shape and size, then check that the wheel works with your wheelbase.
A round rim or open grips?
A round wheel can be held anywhere around its rim. This is useful when you need large steering inputs, change your grip or catch the wheel as the car slides.
A Formula wheel or an open GT wheel suits driving where your hands mostly stay at nine and three. There is no sharp distinction between the two names: many wheels work well for both GT cars and single-seaters.
| YOU MAINLY DRIVE | START WITH | WHY |
|---|---|---|
| Rally and drifting | Round wheel | You can change your grip and catch the wheel anywhere around the rim. |
| GT3, Formula and prototypes | GT or Formula wheel | The grips and controls suit driving where your hands mostly stay in place. |
| Several car classes with one wheel | Round wheel | It also works for circuit racing and does not restrict where you can grip. |
Round wheel
Choose a fully round rim if you often let the wheel rotate between your hands. A flat-bottomed wheel does not offer the same continuous shape when changing your grip.
GT and Formula wheel
Look at grip size and the distance to the shift paddles. A wheel can suit the car class but still feel too narrow or have paddles that are difficult to reach.
Which wheel size should you choose?
If you want one wheel and mainly drive GT or Formula, around 300 mm is a good compromise. That size works for both types of car without needing to swap wheels between them. If you want a dedicated wheel for F1 and other formula racing, 280–290 mm is a common size range. For a round wheel for rally and mixed driving, 320–330 mm can be a good starting point.
How diameter affects force feedback
The smaller the wheel diameter, the more force you feel in your hands at the same wheelbase torque. A smaller wheel therefore does not need as powerful a base to deliver the same force at the grips as a larger wheel.
A larger wheel does not mean slower steering in the game. With the same steering settings, turning through 90 degrees produces the same steering input regardless of wheel diameter. The difference is that your hands travel further on the larger wheel.
Weight affects how clearly you feel the details
A heavier wheel demands more from the motor to start and stop its movement quickly. Diameter matters too: the further the weight sits from the hub, the greater the inertia. A larger wheel can therefore be harder to accelerate and decelerate even if it weighs the same as a smaller one.
This can make force feedback feel more muted and less distinct. Sharp jolts and small details can become harder to feel, particularly with a weaker wheelbase. A lighter wheel with less weight out at the rim is easier for the motor to respond quickly with.
Buttons and paddles you use while driving
Assign the functions you use most to controls near your thumbs. Brake bias could go on a thumbwheel, for example, while the pit limiter gets its own button. A rotary control with distinct clicks makes it easy to change a setting one step at a time.
You should be able to reach the shift paddles without moving your hand off the grip. Adjustable paddle reach is useful if several people use the wheel.
Dual clutch paddles can help with standing starts. With support for an adjustable bite point, you can release one paddle to the preset clutch level and then release the other gradually. The function needs support in the wheel, its software and the game.
Do you need a display?
A wheel display can show gear, RPM and lap-time delta, for example. If you already see that information clearly on your monitor or a separate dashboard, you can choose a wheel without its own screen.
Check which games and software the wheel display supports. Working buttons do not automatically mean the display can show every piece of data you want. If you use a VR headset, you normally cannot see the wheel's physical display.
Fitting the shaft is only half the story
The quick release must fit the wheelbase
The quick release holds the wheel on the wheelbase. The wheel-side and base-side parts must be compatible. If the release bolts onto the wheel, the bolt pattern and screws must also fit.
Buttons and paddles need a connection
Some wheels send their signals through the wheelbase. Others connect separately to the computer via USB or a wireless connection. A mechanically compatible quick release does not make the electrical connections compatible.
Check the complete combination
On PC, it is often possible to combine a separate USB wheel with a wheelbase from another brand, if the mounting and wheelbase support allow it. Some bases need a specific hub or adapter to provide force feedback with a different wheel. On console, both the wheel and wheelbase need to explicitly support the combination.
A separate rim is not a complete sim racing wheel. It may need a hub, quick release and a button module with shift paddles. Read what is included when comparing it with a complete wheel.
Need help checking a wheel?
Browse our sim racing wheels or contact us. Tell us your exact wheelbase and whether you race on PC or console, and we will help check the connection and mounting.