Sim Gaming Expo 2026 - Chicago, Sept 18–20
North America's first expo for sim racing, flight & VR. Test the latest gear, meet the creators, score show-only deals. Schaumburg, Chicago - September 18–20.
PXN has brought some surprisingly serious sim racing hardware to Gamescom 2026, with the company revealing two new high-torque direct drive wheel bases alongside a pair of Formula-style steering wheels. The new hardware includes the S16 and S23 bases, plus the W FC and W FS Formula wheels.
And really, this is probably the clearest sign yet that they wants to move further into the enthusiast end of the market. The company has traditionally been associated more with affordable sim racing hardware, but 16 and 23 Nm direct drive bases paired with carbon fiber wheels and integrated touchscreens are a very different proposition.
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The biggest releases are the new PXN S16 and S23, which are now the most powerful direct drive wheel bases the company has produced. As the names suggest, the S16 delivers a constant 16 Nm of torque, while the flagship S23 increases that to a substantial 23 Nm.
Both bases use a 24-bit magnetic encoder and dual-core processing, along with a real torque sensor designed to directly monitor the force being produced by the motor. They also include intelligent temperature management to help maintain consistent performance during longer sessions.
Force feedback, torque output, lighting, and other settings can be configured through PXN SimRacing software. The bases also feature customizable lighting along the sides, giving them a noticeably more aggressive appearance than the company’s existing VD-series hardware.
The S16 is already available to try at Gamescom paired with the GT ONE steering wheel and Vector X pedals. Unfortunately, PXN has not announced pricing or release dates for either S-Series base yet, and those two details will ultimately determine just how competitive these products really are.
Alongside the bases is the new PXN W FC Formula Wheel, which appears to be positioned as the company’s new flagship steering wheel. It features genuine carbon fiber across both the front plate and rear cover, giving it a considerably more premium construction than most of their existing wheels.
In the center is a 4.3-inch touchscreen with customizable dashboard layouts. There are also 12-position thumb encoders, self-centering toggle switches, adjustable Hall effect shift paddles, and a CNC-machined anodized quick-release assembly.
Both the display and RGB lighting can be configured through PXN’s software, while SimHub support opens the wheel up to much more extensive customization. They have not yet published every specification, including the complete control count, size, weight, or final compatibility list.
Still, based on what has been shown, this is easily one of the most ambitious wheels PXN has produced.
The second new wheel is the PXN W FS, which takes a slightly more affordable approach while keeping many of the features found on the flagship model. It measures 290 mm across and uses CNC-machined aluminum alloy construction with a carbon fiber-textured front panel rather than the genuine carbon construction of the W FC.
You still get a customizable 4.3-inch touchscreen, 12 programmable buttons, multi-mode rotary controls, 7-way switches, 15 adjustable rev LEDs, and six separate flag indicators. There are also four carbon fiber Hall effect paddles and two additional microswitch paddles on the rear, giving the wheel a six-paddle arrangement.
That makes the W FS particularly interesting if PXN can price it aggressively. Formula and GT-style wheels with screens have become increasingly common, but many still sit well into the premium price range. A cheaper alternative with SimHub support and this much functionality could be a strong addition to the ecosystem.
The bigger story here is probably what these products say about PXN. The company’s newer VD direct drive hardware, GT ONE wheel, and Vector X pedals had already started pushing the brand toward more serious sim racers, but the S-Series takes that considerably further.
A 23 Nm base puts PXN directly into territory occupied by some of the strongest consumer wheel bases available. Pair that with a proper carbon Formula wheel, torque sensing, high-resolution encoders, and SimHub integration, and PXN is clearly trying to compete for a very different customer than it traditionally has.
Whether it succeeds will mostly come down to force feedback quality, reliability, software, and especially price. Specifications can look fantastic on paper, but the high-end direct drive market already has a lot of very good options.
PXN’s Gamescom 2026 reveals are surprisingly interesting. The S16 and S23 give the company proper high-torque direct drive options for the first time, while the W FC and W FS finally give the ecosystem two dedicated Formula wheels with integrated displays and much more serious functionality.
There are still some important unknowns. PXN has not announced pricing or release dates for any of these products, and we still need complete compatibility information for the new wheels and bases.
But if PXN can get the pricing right and the hardware performs as well as the specifications suggest, the company could become a much more serious competitor in the enthusiast sim racing market. That alone makes these some of the more interesting hardware reveals to come out of Gamescom this year.
