After many, many years of waiting, the Fanatec ClubSport Formula V3 is finally here. And honestly, the first thing I need to say is the same thing a lot of people are probably already thinking. It looks very, very familiar. In fact, after all this time, the overall shape, design language, and general feel of the wheel are still extremely close to what Fanatec has already been doing for years.
That is where the mixed feelings start. Because on one hand, this is clearly a better wheel than the old Formula V2.5 in a few important ways. On the other hand, it is also hard to ignore the fact that after so long, many of us were hoping for something a bit more ambitious. Something a bit fresher. Something that felt like Fanatec really wanted to shake things up. Instead, what we got feels more like a careful refinement of a very familiar formula.
Verified purchase options at lowest current prices:
Affiliate disclosure
That is probably the biggest reason why the Formula V3 feels a little underwhelming at first glance. Fanatec has essentially been making some variation of this same Formula-style wheel for what feels like forever, and while there is absolutely nothing wrong with building on a proven layout, there does come a point where people expect more visually and conceptually from a true next-generation product. Especially when a release has been anticipated for this long.
And to be clear, I am not saying the wheel looks bad. It does not. It still looks clean, compact, and very race-focused. But it also does not really feel new in the way I think a lot of people wanted it to. This is very much the same Fanatec Formula wheel shape stretched and modernized, rather than a major redesign. Some people will be totally fine with that. Others, including me, probably wanted to see a little more imagination.
Now, with that said, there are some genuinely important upgrades here. The wheel is now 290 mm in diameter, which makes it roughly 20 mm wider than before, and that is a welcome change. It gives the wheel a better size overall, especially in a market where many popular options now sit closer to that 290 to 300 mm range. Fanatec has also adjusted the layout to keep the controls within easy reach, which helps the wheel feel more natural despite the increase in size.
The most obvious upgrade, though, is the screen. The Formula V3 now uses a much larger display, and this is easily one of the best changes Fanatec made. It supports Intelligent Telemetry Mode, which lets you cycle through layouts like lap times, deltas, and tyre data, and it also makes the wheel feel much more modern than the older tiny display ever did. No, it is still not the colorful, fully open, SimHub-style display some people were probably hoping for, but it is still useful and a clear step forward.
Fanatec also refined the controls in a few smaller but still welcome ways. The thumb rotary dials now have more resistance and include push functionality, the center rotary is now also a 12-position switch, and the previous analog stick has been replaced by a second FunkySwitch. That is all good stuff. On top of that, the grips are now user-replaceable, which is another nice touch and something I would like to see more brands lean into.
One thing I absolutely will give Fanatec credit for is just how much functionality they have managed to cram into this wheel. And honestly, for this price range, it is impressive. The wheel may not look radically different, but in terms of the amount of mappable inputs and how much you can do from the wheel itself, there is a lot going on here. This is still one of those steering wheels where you are very unlikely to run out of controls.
On the 5 mm carbon fiber face plate, you are getting a genuinely dense layout. There are 11 buttons, two seven-way FunkySwitches with push and rotary functions, two two-way switches, three 12-way rotaries, two thumb encoders with push functionality, nine RGB RevLEDs, six RGB flag LEDs, and of course the screen. So if you are the kind of driver who likes having everything mapped directly to the wheel, the Formula V3 absolutely delivers on that front.
And thankfully, a lot of those inputs actually feel pretty good too. The buttons, rotaries, and thumb encoders have a fairly tactile, slightly rubberized feel in places, and overall the wheel does come across as refined. In fact, that is one of the strongest parts of the Formula V3 in my opinion. It does not necessarily feel revolutionary, but it does feel polished. A lot of the inputs have that clean, deliberate sort of action that makes the wheel feel just a bit nicer than some of the obvious competitors around it.
Once I actually got out on track with it and spent proper time using it, I did end up having a pretty good experience. The size now feels right, the ergonomics are solid, and the wheel sits well in the hands. The perforated leather grips feel premium enough, the control layout is sensible, and the general on-hand feel is good. More than anything, this wheel just feels easy to use, and that matters a lot more than people sometimes think.
The screen also ends up being useful here. Even if it is not doing anything especially groundbreaking, it still gives you access to meaningful information like speed, gear, RPM, fuel, pace, and other car data. And like with most Fanatec wheels, I still think the on-the-fly tuning menu is one of the best things about the ecosystem. Being able to make force feedback changes directly from the wheel is genuinely handy, and it remains one of those features that I always appreciate in actual use.
Structurally, the wheel has also held up well. I did hear the occasional squeak or creak that I probably should not be hearing, which is worth mentioning, but overall there has been very little notable flex. The revised structure seems to be doing its job, and in actual driving, the wheel feels sturdy enough and confidence-inspiring enough for the price.
The problem is that once you step back and look at the wider market, the Formula V3 becomes a little harder to get overly excited about. Because while it is a good wheel, it also feels like it is missing some of the cooler or more modern features that other wheels at this price and even below it are now offering. There are no clutch paddles here, which is honestly one of the most disappointing parts. At $349.99, getting only basic magnetic paddle shifters on the rear does feel a bit lacking, even if those shifters do feel quite good.
You are also not getting backlit buttons, and you are not getting the kind of broader display flexibility that some people now expect. And again, that would all be easier to accept if this wheel brought something else especially fresh to the table. But that is kind of the issue. It does not really. It is refined, yes. It is improved, yes. But it does not feel particularly bold or innovative.
That is why I think this wheel ends up in a slightly awkward position. Compared to wheels like the Moza KS Pro, Simagic GT Neo, or even something like the Conspit 290GP, the Formula V3 does feel a little more refined in some small areas. The controls feel nicer, the wheel feels more polished overall, and the materials do a decent job of supporting that. But at the same time, I do not think the gap is big enough to make the Formula V3 the easy recommendation over those wheels, especially when those competitors often feel more exciting and more generous on features.
And really, that is the whole story here. The Fanatec ClubSport Formula V3 is good. I do not think it is bad, I do not think it is overpriced to the point of absurdity, and I do not think it fails at what it is trying to be. But I also think it lacks a bit of imagination. It lacks some cool factor. It lacks the kind of jump forward that makes people feel like they are looking at a true next step rather than a safer update.
That is why I am left a little torn on it. I enjoyed using it. I think it feels good. I think the larger screen, wider diameter, better thumb encoders, and generally refined controls are all real improvements. But at the same time, I cannot ignore the feeling that Fanatec essentially stretched out the old design, added a screen, cleaned up a few controls, and called it a day. After so many years, I just wanted a bit more than that.
So overall, the Fanatec ClubSport Formula V3 is a good steering wheel that feels refined, functional, and pleasant to use. It has a lot of inputs, the ergonomics are strong, the new display is useful, and the broader list of improvements does make it a better wheel than the one it replaces. If you are already deep in the Fanatec ecosystem and want a familiar Formula wheel with some smart upgrades, there is definitely something to like here.
But if you are looking at the wider market and asking whether this is the easiest wheel to recommend at this price point, I do not think the answer is as clear. It feels good, yes, but it does not feel special enough. It does not feel innovative enough. And after waiting this long for a Formula V3, I think a lot of people, myself included, were hoping for something a bit more exciting than essentially the same wheel with a larger screen attached to it.
Fanatec Unveils long awaited ClubSport Formula V3 and Podium Pedals - OC Racing says:
[…] Read OC Racing’s review on the new Fanatec ClubSport Formula V3 steering wheel here. […]