It’s been just over one year since my first video about sim racing. In that comparison between two entry setups, I chose the Logitech G923 over the Thrustmaster T300RS GT – much to the dismay of plenty of YouTube commenters. While the wheelbase on the Thrustmaster was good, the wheel wasn’t great and the pedals were abysmal. Considering that the bundle was $450 at the time of my review and you might quickly want the $250 T-LCM pedals, and perhaps a new wheel, wouldn’t it just be worth it to jump up to an entry-level DD wheel? Sure, the budget still plays into those decisions, but that’s getting easier with more affordable hardware like what we have today – the $530 Moza R5 Bundle. Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details.
Since that first sim racing video, I’ve had a blast diving deeper into the virtual racing world, though to really be competitive I’d have to dedicate a lot more time. I play more casually so I’ve been enjoying ACC campaigns, Forza Horizon 5, and drifting in Assetto Corsa. I am really looking forward to the new Forza Motorsport and plan on sinking some serious hours into that title when it releases in October.
Today, we’re using the direct-drive Moza R5 bundle. Yes, the stock pedals are also abysmal but instead of spending hundreds of dollars on a new set of pedals, there is a $39 upgrade kit. The pedals also only come with two pedals. Need a third pedal? Add it for $40. Need a formula wheel or round wheel for drifting? Add those for $40 or $80 respectively.
The setup that I have been using is the $529 Moza R5 Bundle plus the clutch pedal and performance brake kit. Altogether, the total price for this setup comes to $625 shipped to my house from the Moza Racing website. Some Moza gear is available on Amazon, but the prices are higher.
Mounting the wheel
While the R5 bundle comes with a desk mount, I’ve been using it on the Wheel Stand 2.0 from Next Level Racing. It has more adjustability than using the desk clamp and while the Moza pedals have a grippy rubber on the bottom, mounting them on a solid platform is helpful. At $250 it is more of an investment but seems more reasonable to me for this setup than the Playseat Trophy.
Moza R5 wheelbase
The R5 wheelbase is the smallest, most affordable option from Moza Racing. Additionally, it offers R9, R16, and R21. Those numbers all represent the peak torque output of each direct-drive wheelbase.
As the entry point for Moza Racing, the R5 has a peak torque output of 5.5nm. Compared to the G923’s 2.3nm and the T300’s roughly 3.9nm, it’s a noticeable upgrade. Additionally, the R5 has infinite rotation, which even the Logitech Pro Wheel lacks.
That means that the wheel will keep spinning but max angles can be set via the Moza Pit House app if a hard stop is necessary.
After using the T300 and especially the G923, the first thing you notice about the R5 is just how incredibly quiet and smooth it is. There is no noise coming from the wheelbase. It’s equally smooth and just a dream to use when coming from those budget wheel systems.
Moza R5 Bundle: Video
Moza R5 Bundle: Wheel
Included in the package is an 11-inch ES wheel. It smells weird but feels good. It has a leather material that isn’t quite up to the premium feel of the Logitech wheels, but once again is fine for the price.
On the wheel are 22 customizable buttons with labels such as “cam,” “start,” and A, B, X, and Y. Everything feels solid for the price. There aren’t any rotary controls for dialing in brake balance, for example, but those can be set to individual buttons.
The paddle shifters are the cheapest feeling part of the Moza ES wheel. While they have a clicky sound when pressed, I’m used to the heavy magnetic feel of the Logitech Pro Wheel, which makes the R5 Bundle show some of its cheaper side.
Again, another big benefit here is that is ES wheel can easily be modded to a formula wheel or a 12-inch round wheel. Rather than buying an entirely new wheel, this is a more affordable way to play different race styles.
Moza R5 Bundle: Pedals
Now, on to the pedals. Stock, they’re very basic and pretty terrible. Only two pedals are included in the package, which immediately limits what is possible for racing simulation. What’s great about the Moza ecosystem, though, is that they have affordable upgrades. A clutch pedal can be added for just $40.
The main issue with the pedals is that it only uses a spring that doesn’t have any progressive feel like a real brake pedal would. It’s easy to press but doesn’t give any feedback – it doesn’t get progressively harder to press like a real pedal.
For $29, though the R5 brake pedal performance kit adds more feeling. This upgrade adds a progressive spring and rubber damping block that is much more realistic than the stock pedals. You can press on the brake firmly to get a bit more fine control. Installation is relatively straightforward. Within Moza’s Pit House app, the brake pedal distance can be fine-tuned based on how hard you want to press. It does shorten the overall brake travel, but in my opinion, it’s worth it to get a more progressive pedal feel.
Moza R5 Bundle: Mods
Beyond additional pedals and wheel mods, the Moza Racing ecosystem is growing. Moza also sells a handbrake and seven-speed plus reverse shifter. Considering the young age of Moza, it really makes you realize how slow Logitech has been in this space. Thrustmaster has always been a great big-name option with lots of choices, but despite Logitech being such a big player it’s been really slow to develop and release more sim-racing products.
I’ve been using and loving the Moza handbrake with the Logitech Pro Wheel and pedal setup that is my main sim rig with the Playseat Trophy and Logitech shifter.
In-use
Altogether, then, the Moza R5 Bundle is an absolute blast to use, especially with those pedal upgrades. For those looking for a budget drifting setup, the smooth movement and operation with infinite, quick rotation is a great combination.
Of course, I still find that I enjoy the feel of the Pro Wheel more as I can dial in higher torque when playing ACC and the pedals feel better with more customizability, but the Moza is a fraction of the price.
Setup – not as smooth
Depending on what sim-racing titles you are playing, there may be some additional setup required. To get up and running in Forza Horizon 5, for example, some configuration files need to be manually added to the game folders before the wheel will be recognized inside of the game. Considering how easy it is to get up and running with the Logitech gear, it’s a bit of a bummer to have these extra steps on the Moza setup.
Another thing to note is that many of those other wheel and pedal bundles have specific models that will work with consoles, and the Moza Racing gear will only work on PC. Depending on what you play, that could be a deal breaker.
9toToys’ Take
Moza is still new to the scene compared to the big names like Logitech and Thrustmaster, but I’m glad they’re here. It’s great to have budget options with the ability to easily upgrade the system based on what your needs are.
For those who have been interested in stepping into a direct drive setup but don’t want to spend a ton of money, the Moza R5 Bundle is an easy recommendation. I wish it would have been around when I started getting into sim racing one year ago. Just be sure to get the brake pedal performance kit.
Buy Moza R5 Bundle
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