In the small world of "serious" sim racing, the Fanatec CSL DD Ready2Race F1 Esports Premium Bundle for PC is something of a shortcut. Direct Drive base, F1 Esports-style steering wheel, pedals - everything is packaged to take you from a basic setup to a clearly performance-oriented package. The idea is simple: to offer a credible entry into the world of Direct Drive, without falling into the complexity or prices of truly high-end ranges.

On paper, this bundle promises clean, precise force feedback, with enough torque to give character to modern GT, F1 and single-seaters, while remaining usable on a desktop or mid-range cockpit. It's aimed at those who want a "plug in, tune a bit, drive" combo, but with real driving sensations, not just an improved toy.

My angle is therefore clear: precision of force feedback, quality of sensations in different car classes, comfort over long sessions and the bundle's ability to follow the driver's progress. The point is to find out whether, for a PC simracer that wants to move upmarket intelligently, this pack represents a real qualitative leap or just one practical solution among many.

Design & manufacturing

Visually, the CSL DD base and F1 Esports steering wheel give an immediate impression of seriousness. The base itself is compact, with a metal shell that doubles as a heatsink. In hand, it exudes density, with no play or creaking, and the rear connectors are well integrated. It feels like a solid block, designed to withstand hours of intense use.

The F1 Esports-style steering wheel is clearly the visual centerpiece of the bundle. Front panel in composite material, handle in imitation leather or imitation leather with a firm feel, palette of buttons clearly identifiable by touch, metal gearshift paddles with a clear, audible click. You get the impression of a serious, e-sport-type product, with a reduced diameter that fits in perfectly with modern single-seaters and GTs. It's easy to understand what the car is doing, because everything falls neatly into place.

As for the crankset, it's more functional than premium. Steel structure, simple but effective look, and an impression of robustness sufficient for intensive use. The brake isn't up to the level of a top-of-the-range load cell crankset, but the resistance is decent, with a stroke that allows stress-free dosing. Clearly, this is a well-built mid-range model, not a showpiece.

Where it's a little disappointing is on certain finishing details typical of the CSL series: the plastic of certain parts of the steering wheel is a little "dry", the knob and certain buttons give a less premium feel than the higher ranges, and the pedals lack a little refinement in terms of pure feel. Compared to other Direct Drive entry/mid-range packages, the base itself makes a very good impression, but the rest of the bundle reminds us that we're still on an offer positioned to be affordable.

Settings & customization + compatibility

When it comes to settings, Fanatec plays the double-layer card: you have quick settings via the base screen and steering wheel buttons, then advanced settings via PC software. In the base menus, you can adjust overall force, FFB, sensitivity, filter, friction and natural damper. For a PC user, this is more than enough to find a feel that suits your style.

The Fanatec presets for the main games help you get started. For my part, I played mainly with overall force, filtration and a little damper to calm oscillations on certain nervous cars. The learning curve is not insurmountable: you fumble a bit at first, then quickly find two or three profiles that you keep depending on the type of game (hard simu, more accessible simu, arcade simu).

On the PC, this bundle's compatibility is its real strength. The base works with most sims and serious racing games on the market, the steering wheel is recognized without any major hiccups, and the Fanatec ecosystem opens the door to a host of extensions: other steering wheels (GT, rally, round), more advanced pedals with load cell, sequential or H-shaped shifter, handbrake, etc. The bundle is clearly designed as the entry point to a wider ecosystem. The bundle is clearly designed as an entry point to a wider ecosystem.

In terms of upgradability, we're on a basis that can follow a simracer for several years. You can start with this complete package, then upgrade the pedals for more precise braking, add another steering wheel for rallying or endurance racing, and eventually change cockpits to make the most of Direct Drive. On consoles, this precise bundle is PC-oriented, so if you play exclusively on consoles, you'll need to check the compatibility of the base and the version of the pack, but in PC configuration, the target is clear and consistent.

Sensations in play

This is where the CSL DD really comes into its own compared to conventional belt-driven bases. The first thing that stands out is the cleanliness of the force feedback. There's no feeling of the belt rubbing, no perceptible latency, and a very direct reaction to grip variations and load transfers. The steering wheel responds quickly, without excessive inertia. You can feel the car "live" under your hands.

When cornering, the FFB's behavior is easy to read. You can clearly feel when the front starts to slide, or when the rear loses weight on prolonged support. The transition between grip and glide is more gradual than with an entry-level base: you don't just get a big steering input that suddenly becomes light, you get intermediate signals. This is a real asset when it comes to correcting a drift or catching the onset of oversteer. We're more daring, because we understand better what's going on.

Grip reading is particularly pleasant on modern single-seaters and GTs. On corner entry, you can feel the micro-vibrations of the gripping tire, the steering hardening at the apex, then the slight release on go-around. On a less powerful, thinner base, these nuances are often drowned out by a slightly blurred feedback. Here, even with the overall force not pushed to the maximum, the information arrives clearly. You immediately understand what the car is doing.

On vibrators, the CSL DD feels sharp, but not wrist-destroying. Flat vibrators pass through with a short, clear vibration, while the more aggressive vibrators return well-marked impulses. You don't get the impression of an artificial vibration, but rather of a more honest mechanical contact. Compared with a more powerful base, you lose a little of the raw violence, but you still have more than enough detail to know what you're doing.

Over long sessions, the consistency of the base is reassuring. No worrying warming-up, no perceptible progressive loss of strength under normal conditions. Available torque remains stable, and the feeling of center is as clear as ever. As for comfort, the advantage of not being on an ultra-powerful base is that you can ride for a long time without exhausting your forearms. It's easy to find a balance between immersion and endurance.

In fast corrections, such as a snap out of a turn, the base follows without stalling. The return is dry and precise, but not so brutal as to surprise. The more compact F1 Esports steering wheel helps a lot here: it's light, easy to handle, and the fast inputs go down well. The Direct Drive base + F1-style steering wheel combo gives a very direct feeling of control. This is where the base really changes the experience, especially if you come from a more "elastic" force feedback steering wheel.

Compared to a more powerful, high-end Direct Drive type, the CSL DD is more reasonable: less maximum torque, less "shock" in big impacts. But for domestic use and a cockpit that's not necessarily ultra-rigid, this is almost an advantage. You get the most out of what you've got, without having to throttle the power halfway to keep everything from vibrating.

For whom? + What we like / What we don't like

This bundle is clearly aimed at the PC simracer who wants to take a serious step forward without embarking on a crazy setup. A highly motivated beginner who knows he'll have to invest a lot of time and effort, an intermediate who's already at ease with classic simus, or even an experienced simracer who wants a second, more compact setup, will all find something to their liking. It's particularly suited to those who drive a lot of single-seaters, F1, LMP, modern GTs and protos, with a clean, time-oriented driving style.

What I appreciate most is the bundle's consistency/performance ratio. The Direct Drive base provides a real gain in FFB precision and cleanliness, without becoming unmanageable. The F1 Esports steering wheel is perfectly adapted to most modern disciplines and gives a real feeling of control, with well-placed controls for managing ERS, fuel, differential, etc. Last but not least, the Fanatec ecosystem means that this bundle is not an end in itself, but a solid foundation on which you can build as you wish.

On the other hand, there are limits to be borne in mind. The crankset supplied, although correct, is not up to the level of the more ambitious load cell cranksets. Brake proportioning remains less natural and less reproducible than with a real pressure sensor, which can be frustrating on very demanding simulators. The steering wheel, very much in the modern F1/GT style, isn't ideal if you do a lot of rallying, drifting or old car driving, where a wider, rounder steering wheel is more coherent. Finally, the overall finish, although good, doesn't reach the premium level of the higher ranges: some plastics are a little hard, and the feel is a little "industrial series" rather than luxury.

In terms of value, we're still talking about a sizeable investment, but one that makes sense if you want a setup that will last for several years. The base is powerful enough not to limit you too quickly, and the fact that you can later upgrade the pedalboard or add other wheels reinforces this impression of an "evolutionary" rather than disposable purchase.

Verdict

The Fanatec CSL DD Ready2Race F1 Esports Premium Bundle for PC clearly transforms a classic sim racing setup into something much more serious. Switching to Direct Drive, even at this reasonable power, changes the finesse of the information you receive and the confidence you can put in the steering wheel. We've moved away from the "improved toy" feel to something much closer to what you'd expect from performance-oriented hardware.

On the market, this bundle is positioned as a mid-range pivot: clearly above entry-level belt or gear wheels, but without the excessiveness or cost of exclusive high-end Direct Drives. It's ideal for those who ride mainly on PCs, want a turnkey combo, and intend to make serious progress without changing all their equipment every year.

If you're looking for a plug & play package for the PC, capable of opening up the world of Direct Drive with a typical F1/GT steering wheel and interesting scope for evolution, this product can clearly make the difference in your setup.