With time, this could become one of the best entry-level competitors in the market.
For now, it will be my wheel of choice on Xbox.
Great entry point for simulation set-ups.
It’s definitely a sight for sore eyes.
Suite of extra features.
The most in-depth RMD screen I’ve seen under $1,000.
Early adopter issues with software, will need updates.
Can you spot the cat in the background?
Some other not-so-great design choices.
1.Price, availability, and specs2.Setup and features3.Software and customization4.Gameplay & testing5.The competition6.Should you buy?
I had no clue what it was, but I loved it immediately.
The full setup is easy to follow.
It wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen.
It was great and gave me a massive advantage.
I got so much flak for using it, too.
Don’t bend the connection points!
Every kid on Xbox 360 made fun of others with headsets, calling them “Turtle Beach users.”
Well, something like that.
It was Xbox 360 before the days of party chat.
Don’t worry, that’s not The Office in the background while I’m installing this. I swear.
If you know, you know.
Back then, headsets for consoles were relatively new.
No one had them.
I had to do one under green lights, coming with the Xbox drip.
Turtle Beach was a pioneer in the console headset audio space.
They laid the way for other makers like Astro, HyperX, and more.
Turtle Beach holds a special place in my heart because it was a part of my teenage years.
Testing via PC in my living room.
This review was made possible with a review unit provided by Turtle Beach.
The company did not see the contents of the review before publishing.
I only needed mine for photos!
I’ve always been a huge fan of the Turtle Beach asthetic.
Everything comes safely packaged in separately bagged compartments.
It also has a grand, white diagram for easy installation and setup to guide you through the process.
I recommend watching thesetup video Turtle Beach has providedto set up the required firmware updates.
Is it obvious I took this photo last minute to show the paddles?
For table setup, it’s painless.
Using the Allen wrench, I was quickly and stylishly attached to my desk.
I used both, but it doesn’t matter what method you choose.
The base looks simple, but it’s a menacing beast.
This will primarily depend on your stand, as Turtle Beach does not provide its proprietary version.
Next, the wheel.
It comes with an easy snap-on feature.
The drive system feedback feels great.
it’s possible for you to then join the Modular Control Unit to the wheelbase.
First, remove the screws on the right side of the wheelbase leading into the Modular Control Unit slot.
Slide the Modular Control Unit in, and wind the screws down until firm.
Full telemetry on the unit itself is the cheapest I’ve ever seen it.
Pick the pads relative to your flooring when placing the pedals down.
There are smooth and textured pads.
Both worked wonderfully when tested.
An incredible range of access.
The setup process was similar to mounting the wheelbase on a stand.
I used the provided M5 screws to fasten the pedals to my base.
Last, you’ll need to connect the various cables.
Full button mapping on the unit without having to open additional software.
Finally, the power supply must also be connected to the wheelbase.
The texture of what I’ll describe as “pleather” is comforting.
The Turtle Beach VelocityOne wheel was welcoming, and I felt ready to race.
Well built pedals on a base that could use a little work.
By feeling alone, Turtle Beach is looking to seriously compete for your money.
The only discomfort I felt came around hour five of a straight racing marathon.
I played that entire time without gloves.
However, I recommend that players grab a pair of racing gloves.
A pair of racing gloves will only add to the lifespan of your wheel.
A note: the VelocityOne wheel’s coating will move when gripped under extreme stress.
This is kind of tacky to be honest.
I didn’t notice it while racing, but this coating could become more loose over time.
If this is a dealbreaker, there is no current third-party or first-party wheel support.
Some of which I’d be interested in purchasing.
This shouldn’t twist.(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
The VelocityOne has two magnetic paddles and two non-magnetic ones below the first two.
The top two are better for up and down shifting, while the bottom I used for handbrakes.
Rather than analog input, the bottom panels have their own customizable axis.
This shouldn’t twist.(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
This means that varying amounts of pressure can generate different levels of braking.
They’re not simple button press-pop in levers.
The buttons and knobs are well-placed.
(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
I could easily reach them during my race sessions to tune various brake and traction systems.
Giving me appropriate levels of control even while on the track.
What I wasn’t crazy about was the use of lighter polymer material for the knobs.
(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
A part of me wants the rotatable knobs to be metal.
The light plastic build left a to-be-desired effect when I used them.
There are little things here and there I had similar experiences with.
(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
The K: Drive features a 7.2Nm motor.
I’m talking about Newton meters for those unfamiliar with what “Nm” means.
This is the standard measurement used to determine the force a wheel outputs.
(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
Generally speaking, the higher, the better.
Why, you might ask?
The higher the output your wheelbase can generate, the more realistic the driving experience will be.
(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
Compared to something like my Logitech G923, the VelocityOne was incredible.
I could feel every bump of a curb on the track like I was there myself.
Imagine someone’s tapping your arm with their hand.
Fanatec offers a slightly more mature software ecosystem.
That’s the Logitech G923.
you’re free to sense the personality of almost any surface you’re driving on.
It’s eye-opening if you’ve never experienced it before.
This will be eye-opening for gamers new to the genre.
Compared to other products on the market that cost a little more?
It loses out, but that’s okay!
Still, they also command a higher premium if you want something Xbox-compatible.
(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
The ones that cost less are in the range of 5Nm, giving less precision when driving.
Turtle Beach seems to have priced itself rather well.
Race Management Display and audio
This thing is seriously cool.
(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
You won’t need a secondary screen for telemetry like you would using other setups.
This list has doubled since I received this machine two weeks ago; support is growing daily.
Also, current RMD live telemetry feedback is not available on Xbox.
(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
I look forward to testing this feature when it launches on Xbox.
Everything else for the RMD works flawlessly with the console.
If you have any questions, yo comment below, and I’ll respond when I see it!
(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
You don’t need to use the Turtle Beach external app to change the wheel’s parameters.
Technically, I can think of other wheels that provide a similar experience.
However, you generally see something comparable only once you enter a different price bracket.
(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
The Thrustmaster Formula Wheel, which costs $400, is over half the cost of the VelocityOne.
There were moments when I’d go to change a setting, only for the menu to stop working.
Again, this is all in the early stages, and a reboot of the machine cleared it up.
(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
This issue cropped up about twice every ten hours and only started occurring after the latest firmware update.
So I expect things like this to be ironed out in due time.
The audio controls also need to be mentioned.
(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
Racers can swap and alter fully customizable audio profiles using the RMD.
Who would have thought?
The audio company shipped some audio features on its wheel!
(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
I kid, but they’re a great little addition.
Pedals
The pedals themselves have a nice aluminum feel.
They’re strong and sturdy, premium to the touch.
(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
I was satisfied with what I had before me for the price point.
Its gas and clutch pedals are spring-loaded and customizable.
I didn’t feel the need to change them from their standard tweaks.
(Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
The brake can also be moved left-to-right.
The brake itself is also what Turtle Beach is dubbing “Dynamic Brake TekTM Load-Cell Braking System.”
The “Tek” measures braking not by the distance the pedal travels but by the force applied.
Fanatec wheels are sleek.
Turtle Beach has provided attachable buffers to the pedal base for hardwood and carpeted floors.
They’re peel-and-stick, which did feel a little cheap to me.
In my case, I’ll often play in my office and the living room on my OLED.
The Modular Control Unit
Alright, this is going to be my first major negative here.
In fact, I wish more wheels did this.
The Modular Control Unit is a nice addition but has some flaws that significantly lower its quality level.
The first one is that the bar that it’s attached to flexes under normal use.
Another annoyance was that the start and stop buttons couldn’t be remapped.
Currently, they’re the buttons needed to turn the entire unit on and off.
“Cool, I can turn my truck on and off.”
Nope, you’ve got the option to’t.
This should get a hotfix.
Outside of that, the control unit idea is excellent.
Fix this one issue, and half of my problems with it will be gone!
It can be twisted with little effort.
Overall, I wasn’t impressed by the MCU and wish a little more love had gone into it.
That, or they spent the money elsewhere.
Which works in its favor as well as against it.
We’ll get to that in a minute.
It details a long list of articles posted from the Turtle Beach blog.
After selecting the VelocityOne, you have access to everything you need.
The options are identical to what users have when using the RMD on the wheel.
Using a dedicated app helps keep things more organized and clear.
For now, I’m running profiles for each game.
One of the things holding the software back at the moment is the oversimplification of some options.
I want something close to whatFanatec deliversregarding customization choices and filters.
Take a look at the tweaks I linked or the screenshot above.
There’s an app available on mobile, too.
While I didn’t use it much, it does give players an alternative for loading profiles.
However, I wonder why somebody would need it with the RMD.
So there are growing pains, but the support has been fantastic.
They responded quickly and very professionally to me and other users with similar problems.
It shows its enthusiasm for delivering a worthwhile experience and that they’re willing to listen to player feedback.
This list included Forza Motorsport, Assetto Corsa Competizione, Euro Truck Simulator 2, and DiRT Rally 2.0.
I spent most of my time playing, testing inputs, and checking out the RMD telemetry interface.
I primarily played these games on PC but also toyed with Forza Motorsport on Xbox.
Forza Motorsport
Forza comes with presets ready-to-go.
The tried-and-true Xbox exclusive Forza Motorsport was the first game I tested in the library.
I was plugged in and ready to race almost immediately after starting the game.
Something I came to value immensely when I swapped over to Euro Truck Simulator 2.
Initially, the controls felt loose, so I entered the RMD parameters to tighten my steering.
Outside that, I had a great experience and felt right at home playing Forza.
Euro Truck Simulator 2
This is the game I’ve spent very little time with.
All of five minutes.
At least, that’s according to my Steam page, where I last played it in 2013.
After trying it on the VelocityOne, I might play this genre more often!
Euro Truck Simulator 2 is the only title I had trouble mapping controls on.
The above was fixed upon a complete restart of the PC and VelocityOne setup.
I may have also started on the wrong side of the road.
I wanted the complete trucker experience alongside the most “trucker” hat I owned.
I already want American Truck Simulator in my Steam library.
I was quickly able to adjust this using the built-in RMD.
It was here that I noticed an issue, however minor.
Switching from something like 600 degrees to 2600 degrees takes significant time to do.
Perhaps a software update will help mitigate this issue.
This game made me realize just how badly I desired the capability to map the Start and Stop buttons.
Again, Turtle Beach, revise this!
I’m enthusiastic about what other accessories Turtle Beach presents down the road.
The other is iRacing, but I’ve never enjoyed its pricing model.
Anyway, enough of my side ranting!
For the uninitiated, Assetto Corsa allows players to access a wide range of on-track attributes.
This is where I spent the majority of my time with the wheel.
There are fewer cars in Assetto Corsa than in others, but the differences between each vehicle are astonishing.
Each vehicle’s personality was felt via the wheel.
I was able to map all these buttons and knobs to a wide range of uses.
Instant traction control access and brake bias were immersive benefits.
Something I can’t wait to get more into with something like Farming Simulator down the line.
I can feel the Midwesterner in me growing like a stalk of corn.
I won’t compare the last two, but I’ll detail the reasons below.
At $650, I’ll compare the VelocityOne with others in a similar price range.
These bundles include a wheel, base, and pedals at minimum, much like theReady2Race bundles from Fanatec.
This set isn’t looking to compete with wheels that start to trickle beyond the $1,000 mark.
For $650, you get everything you’ll need.
Overall, it’s a better product.
That comes at a premium.
One that ends up being $350 more.
I’ll skip out on the Logitech G923 because the VelocityOne is a much better wheel.
There’s no reason to compare the two in terms of general grade.
Currently, its only wheel is the R3, which I can’t recommend over the VelocityOne.
None of these bundles come with something close to the Modular Control Unit.
This is something to note, and I didn’t want to repeat it for every bundle.
Its' time in the market means the software and accessories are more mature.
Its CSL DD 8Nm wheelbase is exceptional and stands slightly above the VelocityOne.
While PC players can mimic the telemetry via Simhub, Xbox players don’t have that luxury.
They need to rely on an interface that includes it.
Thrustmaster
Next up, let’s consider the following bundle from Thrustmaster:
That’s it.
No other bundles that work with Xbox, which are worth discussing, are available through the Thrustmaster website.
VelocityOne Race: Should you buy?
You value customer service
Turtle Beach has some of the best service on the market.
At least, in my experience.
So definitely something to take into account.
Which wouldn’t be an issue if this wasn’t Turtle Beach’s first wheel, but it is.
What you’re gonna wanna ask yourself is what your price is for entering said market.
If you’re not comfortable spending more than the $650, this is the wheel for you.
All in all, I enjoyed my time with the VelocityOne.
I’ll return to it often as the product develops over time.
It’s a great product that simply needs a little polish to really feel special.
I’m sure that with time, Turtle Beach will nail it.
For now, it’s an easy recommendation among ourbest racing wheels for Xbox and PC.
