Moza R3 Bundle Review: Surprisingly Capable Budget Direct Drive For Xbox And PC

The Moza Racing R3 bundle is one of the most interesting products Moza has released so far. It is their first Xbox compatible wheelbase and it lands at a very aggressive price point, giving you a 3.9 Nm direct drive base, a steering wheel, and a set of pedals for about $400.

Moza sent this bundle over several months ago and I have had plenty of time to test it. In this review I will go through the pedals, the wheel, and the R3 base itself, then wrap up with who I think this bundle is actually for. I will say it up front; This is not a product that will suit everyone.

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SR-P Lite Pedals: Better thank you might think.

At first glance the SR-P pedals included with the R3 bundle do not sound very exciting. You only get two pedals, there is no clutch, and the brake is not a load cell but a hall effect sensor with a spring. On spec alone that sounds underwhelming.

Once you put them side by side with other entry level Xbox compatible bundles, the picture changes. Where many Logitech and Thrustmaster pedal sets are mostly plastic, the SR-P Lite set is built almost entirely from metal. The arms and faceplates have a solid feel, the base feels robust, and they look like they belong on a more expensive rig.

Mounting options are good. You can hard mount them from underneath, and if you plan to use them on a floor or carpet there are sticky rubber pads in the box to keep things from sliding around. It is still not a substitute for a proper rig, but it helps.

Out on track the throttle pedal has a comfortable travel and very quick response, although it is on the light side in terms of resistance. The brake feels fine for what it is, with a progressive feel from the spring, but it does not give that confident, muscle memory style braking you get once you are used to a proper load cell. That is expected at this price.

There is some adjustability. You can move the pedal arms side to side, tweak the pedal plates up and down a little, and even rearrange the pedals if you want to invert them in a custom mount. It is not huge adjustment range, but it is enough to dial them in for most people.

Where these pedals really become interesting is in their upgrade path. Moza offers an optional load cell brake, an optional clutch pedal, a brake performance kit, and other accessories that bolt directly onto this same base. That means you can start on the cheaper SR-P Lite package and later turn it into something that competes in the mid range without throwing everything away and buying a completely new set.

If you are on Xbox, there is another important point. For console use, these pedals need to be plugged directly into the R3 wheelbase. Since you are already locked into that connection, it is nice that you can evolve this set over time while keeping everything compatible.

Overall, for an entry level bundle, I think these pedals are solid. They are not amazing in absolute terms, but compared to what usually comes with beginner Xbox bundles, they are a step up and they give you room to grow.

R3 Steering Wheel: Functional, With Some Compromises

The wheel in the R3 bundle looks very similar to the Moza ES wheel used with the R5 bundle, but there are a couple of key differences.

The obvious cosmetic change is the Xbox branding, since this bundle is targeted at console as well as PC. The more important difference is the rim material. While the ES wheel uses a synthetic leather wrap, the R3 bundle wheel uses a stiff rubber and plastic mix that Moza calls ISF polyurethane.

In the hand it definitely feels cheaper than the ES rim. The upside is that it should be durable, you do not have to baby it like suede or Alcantara, and you do not need gloves to keep it looking clean. Grip is acceptable and it is not uncomfortable to use, but it is clearly a cost saving choice.

The wheel diameter is 280 mm, which is on the small side. For me, with average sized hands and mostly circuit use rather than drift or rally, that was not a problem. In fact the smaller, lighter rim helped the base feel more alive, because there is less mass to move around. If you have large hands, or you love rally and drift where you are throwing the wheel around a lot, you may find it too small.

Moza anticipated that. This rim can be paired with optional mods, including a 12-inch round version and a formula style version, which reuse the central electronics and buttons. I did not have time to review those here, but it is worth knowing that you are not locked into this exact shape and size forever.

In terms of controls you get a healthy number of buttons, a shift light strip, and Moza’s familiar quick release at the back. The paddles are metal and have a very sharp, clicky feel and sound. Some people will love that, others will find it a bit loud. The face buttons feel very similar to an Xbox controller, which is fine but not premium.

The wheel does have a couple of notable downsides. There are no rotary encoders or thumbwheels, which are very useful for adjusting ABS, traction control, brake bias, and other car settings on the fly. You can still bind those things to buttons, but it is simply not as convenient. There is also a bit of flex if you push hard on the outer rim, particularly at the top. I confirmed that this comes from the wheel itself, not the quick release. I did not notice it during normal driving, but if you are pushing at odd angles all the time, it is there.

Overall the rim does its job and, considering the bundle price, it is serviceable. It is not a showpiece wheel you will brag about, but it works, and the fact that you can change its size and style later is a nice safety net.

Moza R3 Wheelbase – Tiny Direct Drive With Real Limits

The star of this bundle is clearly the Moza R3 wheelbase. Physically, it is almost comically small. It is shorter in height than a typical smartphone and roughly the same width, and it might be the smallest direct drive base on the market right now.

Despite the size, it looks good. The metal casing has a design that nods to the Xbox “X” silhouette, with sharp edges and a clean black finish. Grooves and cut outs break up the shape and keep it from looking like a plain box. Underneath, there are four hard mounting points that also accept the included table clamp, so you can use it on a desk if you want. On top there are two threaded holes for mounting Moza’s digital dash. On the back you will find ports for power, pedals, shifters, and the power button, which in my opinion really should have been on the front.

The quick release is the same style Moza uses across its ecosystem. It is easy to use, it locks in with no perceptible flex, and it worked flawlessly with the included rim and with heavier wheels like the Moza KS and CS in my testing.

On PC, the R3 behaves like any other Moza base. On Xbox, there are some title specific compatibility quirks, so if you are buying this for console only it is worth reading Moza’s latest compatibility list before you commit.

Once you get out on track, the main thing you notice is the torque – or rather the lack of it. The R3 is rated for around 3 to 3.9 Nm, depending on settings. That does not sound like much because it is not much. And that creates a very interesting driving experience.

The best comparison I can make is that it feels like owning a supercar that has been locked in first gear. The fundamental character of direct drive is there. The wheel is clearly more reactive than gear or belt driven bases in this price range. Small details, surface changes, and weight transfer are more distinct. There is very little internal friction, and the wheel snaps back to center quickly and smoothly.

The problem is that you cannot turn those sensations up to the level many people are used to on stronger bases. I could feel a lot of what I wanted to feel, I just kept wishing there was more of it. The detail is there, but the overall punch is limited. It never delivers that strong, physical kick that makes you really fight the car.

Heavier wheels make this more obvious. When I bolted on the CS rim, which is larger and heavier, all of the effects became noticeably softer. The base simply does not have the torque headroom to push that mass around with authority. It still works, but it highlights that this motor really is tuned for lightweight rims.

The upside is that within its torque envelope, the R3 feels very nice. It is smooth, quiet, and responsive, and you still get a clear taste of why direct drive feels better than gear or low end belt systems. For someone coming from a Logitech G29 or Thrustmaster T150, the difference in character will be obvious immediately, even if the raw torque numbers are not that far apart on paper.

Who The Moza R3 Bundle Is Actually For

This is where expectations matter.

If you are a competitive sim racer, you care a lot about immersion, you want strong, physical feedback, and you plan to build out a dedicated cockpit and slowly upgrade all your gear, then I do not think the R3 bundle is the right choice. At that point, moving to something like a Moza R5 or R9, or a 5 to 8 Nm CSL DD style bundle, makes far more sense. The extra torque is not a small step, it fundamentally changes the feel and the headroom you have for tuning.

On the other hand, if you are a more casual sim racer, the story is very different. Maybe you want something that can live on a desk, work with your Xbox and your PC, and give you a noticeably better experience in Forza and similar titles without taking over your room or your budget. Maybe you are buying for a younger sim racer, or you just want a simple, clean setup that feels good but does not need to be a full blown race rig.

In that scenario, the R3 bundle is genuinely excellent. It looks compact and modern, it gives you real direct drive feel, the pedals are better than most beginner sets and can grow with you, and the wheel is good enough for day to day driving, especially if you are not obsessed with hardware.

The biggest downside of the whole package is something Moza cannot fix with a software update. There is no path to unlock more torque from this base with a different power supply. What you buy is what you get. If you outgrow the 3.9 Nm, you are changing wheelbases, not just swapping a power brick like the Fanatec CSL DD.

Final Thoughts: A Smart Starter Bundle With Clear Limits

In the end, the Moza Racing R3 bundle manages to do something the sim racing world genuinely has not seen before. It brings a compact, Xbox compatible, true direct drive bundle to the market at around 400 dollars, with a pedal set that is better than most entry level packs and a clear upgrade path built in.

The pedals are simple but solid and can be turned into a much more serious set with Moza’s optional load cell and clutch. The wheel feels cost conscious but functional, and can be adapted with different rims if you want a different shape or size. The R3 wheelbase itself is very small, very smooth, and very limited in torque, which is both its strength and its weakness.

If you go into it with the right expectations – as a compact, affordable, console friendly way to experience direct drive for the first time – it is a very compelling package. If you are already dreaming of 10 Nm plus and ultra stiff pedals, you are better off skipping this step and going straight to a stronger system.

Used in the right context, though, the R3 bundle is exactly what it aims to be. A clean, beginner friendly, budget direct drive setup that finally gives Xbox users a real alternative to traditional gear driven wheels.

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