When the Moza Racing R5 first launched, it quickly became one of the most interesting products in sim racing. It was compact, affordable, and offered true direct drive at a price almost no one else could match. My original review was done back in 2022, right when it came out as part of the full R5 bundle.
Fast forward to 2025, and we are now on the V3 revision of this wheelbase. Most of my original thoughts about the force feedback, build quality, and on-track feel still apply today, but some of the early ecosystem problems have been fixed. The only thing you cannot do is buy the R5 by itself. It still only comes as a bundle, but for this article, I am reviewing the wheelbase specifically.
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The R5 remains incredibly compact for a direct drive system. The aluminum housing contains a 5.5 nm servo motor, and the metal Moza quick release sits up front. The newer versions fully fixed the wheel compatibility issues that existed at launch, so all modern Moza rims work as expected.
The compact size makes the R5 easy to mount on lighter cockpits and wheel stands. Even entry-level metal rigs handle it with no problem. Hard mounting is the only slightly awkward part, since the R5 uses an uncommon mounting pattern, and on several cockpits only two of the four mounting holes lined up. Even so, the wheelbase held completely firm during use.
All connections are located at the back: USB to PC, power, pedal connections, shifter port, and the optional dash port. The only annoyance is that the power button is tucked back here instead of up front.
Overall, the wheelbase still looks and feels like a proper high-quality bit of gear. For a budget direct drive system, the build quality is genuinely impressive.
This is where the R5 still shines.
Even today, the force feedback feels detailed, smooth, and responsive. It delivers all the little granular effects that belt or gear-driven wheels blur out, and it reacts quickly in situations that need speed and precision.
Here is what still holds up extremely well in 2025:
Where the R5 shows its limits is simply torque. At 5.5 nm, it is strong enough for most people coming from a Logitech G29, G923, T150, T248, or similar, but if you are used to 8 nm or 10 nm wheelbases, you will want more headroom. You can feel all the detail on the R5, but you cannot amplify it to the same intensity as a stronger base.
Still, for its class, the torque delivery feels noticeably more substantial than you would expect from the number on paper.
This is the biggest improvement over the original 2022 release.
Back then, the R5 was not compatible with several Moza rims. Today that issue is fully resolved, and the current V3 hardware works with all modern Moza wheels. That makes the R5 a far better long-term platform than it used to be.
A few limitations still matter: It is PC only. There is no console support. Also, since the R5 is only sold as a bundle, you cannot buy the wheelbase on its own. This is unlike most other competing wheelbases, like the Fanatec CSL DD or Logitech RS50.
Moza’s Pit House software has also matured significantly since the original release, with far better tuning, more stability, and a much cleaner overall experience. The ecosystem as a whole is in a much stronger place than when the R5 first arrived.
The R5 launched at a time when “budget direct drive” barely existed. In 2025, it sits in a much more competitive category, with several brands offering compelling options across different torque levels.
Despite that, the R5 still holds its ground extremely well on PC. The force feedback remains excellent for the price, the build quality is still strong, and Moza’s ecosystem has aged gracefully.
Where it falls behind is for buyers who:
But for PC players wanting a clean, compact, and genuinely immersive direct drive experience without jumping straight into the mid range, the R5 is still a strong contender.
Looking at everything the R5 offers in 2025, the conclusion is straightforward.
For PC sim racers stepping up from gear-driven or belt-driven wheels, the R5 still delivers a big leap in immersion, fidelity, and overall driving quality. It remains compact, smooth, detailed, and reliable, and the newer versions make it a far more polished product than it was at launch.
It is not the best choice if you need console support or already know you want more torque, but for a first direct drive experience at a reasonable price, the R5 continues to be a fantastic entry point.
The Moza R5 may not be the flashy new product anymore, but the fundamentals that made it impressive in 2022 still hold up today.
MushTario says:
Just bought the r5 bundle to get me into sim racing and its awesome
AsgerT says:
Its awesome, bought it 3 months ago! (Moving from a g29)
Thibault Lam Tran says:
I had the r5 for almost 2 years, never had any issues, it felt great, but eventually needed more power and switched to the r9.
Daniel says:
the moza r5 has to be the best entry level bundle on the market
MahdiJ says:
really looking forward to buy a Direct Drive Wheel in the future, thanks for your amazing reviews 🙂
Justin Ramey3 says:
I love my R5. I have shoulder problems so its perfect for me.
Hein van Niekerk says:
I paid 730 USD for this bundle in South-Africa and that was the cheapest source. I am wondering if the value for money is still great? Obviously, I am happy but still feel a bit let down by the state of sim racing in my country.
HERT says:
Used the r5 for a few years, was truly amazing especially in iRacing. Recommended.
Sanjee says:
After I used the thrustmaster T150 I decided to take the R5! Excited to use it
Tom says:
Awesome wheel I love using it for beam ng
arihtev says:
Best bang for your buck, no doubt.
DorKKnight says:
Best thing I bought last year!
GRChopsticks says:
I tried this bundle out while I wait for my new rig to get shipped. honestly wasn’t expecting much but after trying it out. It’s great for the price! I was surprised. I would recommend if you want to try a budget sim racing build that gives at least 50-80% of the feels of a mid to high tier sim setup
Peex says:
i bought it and its just great
Matt Evans says:
Love my R5 so much I upgraded to R12, great review!
Jack says:
Thank you so much for the content, It got me to buy the R5 bundle and I’m loving it.
Anonymous says:
Upgraded from my G29 cause of this vid and I love it
Gergő says:
It is a fantastic bundle, I love mine.
IsThatShrek_ says:
I bought my R5 with CRP pedals and a GS GT wheel back in 2023 and it has been amazing. Switching from thrustmaster to DD was so good and I love the QR system so I could build my PE HYP-R wheel.
Robinson Lempernesse says:
Just got the R5 for Christmas and its so much better than I expected!
Potate says:
My r5 genuinely feels amazing as my first sim racing experience
JohnTheScot says:
Got the R5 just over a year ago, well worth it even with it being the second lowest amount of torque in the Moza range, had no faults with it at all. Would definitely recommend.
ajbeddes says:
Really like mine
Ado says:
So I have a moza r5 and for someone who casually just does sim driving, trucking and very rarely some racing, its everything a wheel could offer you. Its really quiet, responsive and feels great(material wise, its amazing too). If someone is just casually playing and doesnt want the best advantage such as better feel when going on bumps and doesnt worry so much about some minor clipping etc. then I feel like trying to justify buying something higher than a moza r9/r12 is a bit of a waste of money as the r5 feels stiffer even than a real normal car without power steering.
I currently have modded my pedals and got the Moza shifter too(it is rly loud sadly) and everything is perfect and I dont rly need to upgrade in the next few years unless this breaks down lol.
Anonymous says:
Got the R5 bundle as my first sim racing experience and I love it!
Frameshiftauto says:
Looks like great value
Henrique Souza says:
Thanks for the review