What it is
The Podium DD 25 Nm is Fanatec’s return to the top of the market. The newest motor architecture in the Fanatec catalogue, the same QR2 mount that runs across the modern line, FullForce FFB on supported titles, Fanalab as the tuning layer on PC. PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox compatible (PS5 and Xbox via the right licensed rim, not the base alone).
simracing-pc.de’s long-form review opens with the line that captures what this base means for the brand: Fanatec is back. After two years of an ownership transition that left the catalogue feeling thin at the top, the Podium DD-25 is the hardware that returns Fanatec to genuine flagship-tier competitiveness against Moza, Simucube and Asetek. The licensing moat — the only PS5-licensed flagship on the market — is the part that nothing else in the category can match.
Who it’s for
You are the right buyer if you race PS5 and you want the most powerful direct drive base licensed for the platform. The Podium DD-25 is the only 25 Nm answer with a Sony license. Console drivers who want a real flagship have very few other options.
You are the right buyer if you already live in the Fanatec ecosystem and you have outgrown the ClubSport DD+ or Podium DD1. The DD-25 is the absolute top of the in-house line, every QR2 rim carries straight across, and Fanalab is already part of your workflow.
You are the right buyer if your household crosses between PC and PS5 on the same rig. Cross-platform compatibility on a true 25 Nm flagship is rare and the Podium DD-25 delivers it cleanly.
You are the wrong buyer if you race PC only and you are shopping by feel-per-pound. The Moza R25 Ultra lands at noticeably less money for the same torque tier and is the better PC-only value pick. The Fanatec wins on PS5 licensing and Fanalab depth, not on raw price-to-spec.
You are the wrong buyer if you specifically want True Drive software depth. Simucube remains the deeper tuning environment and the SC2 Pro and SC3 Pro are the right answers for buyers who care about software above everything else.
In use
Twenty-five Newton-metres of properly-engineered direct drive feels like the kind of authority that changes how you drive heavy cars. The base sits stable under load at the limit of an LMP car at full stiffness, the Podium chassis manages thermal loads cleanly across long stints, and the FFB curve stays honest through the loaded steering moments where mid-tier bases would clip. None of this is surprising at this price point — it is what a proper flagship is supposed to do — but the execution is the part that actually matters.
FullForce is the wild card on supported titles. ABS pulse, engine vibration, gearbox shock — effects that normally get filtered out — come through cleanly when the title implements the protocol. The list of supported titles is small but growing, and on those titles the Podium DD-25 produces a noticeably more textured FFB signal than rivals at the same torque tier.
Fanalab is the deeper layer. The community library across major sims is the largest of any direct drive ecosystem, the per-game profile depth is genuinely deeper than Pit House, and the learning curve pays back once you are past it. The simracingcockpit.gg DD wheel settings guide includes tested Fanatec profiles for the major titles as starting points.
PS5 racing is the use case that nothing else in the flagship tier can deliver. Gran Turismo 7 on the Podium DD-25 with a GT-licensed rim is the closest thing the console world has to a PC-tier direct drive experience and that alone justifies the brand premium for the right buyer.
What to watch out for
The price premium against Moza is the headline drawback for PC-first buyers. The Moza R25 Ultra delivers the same headline torque at meaningfully less money, the newer motor architecture is genuinely a step forward, and the value calculation is hard to argue with on PC. The Fanatec earns its premium on the licensing moat and the ecosystem breadth, not on the spec sheet.
Fanatec’s ownership transition has improved through 2025 and 2026 but the brand is still rebuilding its operational reputation. Customer service and RMA experiences have been mixed and that uncertainty is part of the buying calculation when you are spending flagship money on a base you expect to own for five years.
True Drive on Simucube is still the deepest tuning software in the category and Fanalab has not closed that gap. If software depth is the thing you care about most, Simucube remains the right answer.
Verdict
If you race PS5 and you want the most powerful direct drive flagship licensed for the platform, this is the only credible answer on the market. The licensing is the moat and the hardware is good enough to justify the price.
If you already own Fanatec rims and you want the most powerful base in the in-house catalogue, the DD-25 is the natural top of the ladder.
If you race PC only and you are shopping by feel-per-pound, the Moza R25 Ultra is the better value pick at the same torque tier. The Fanatec is selling something different and you have to actually want those things.
If you specifically want True Drive software depth, buy a Simucube 2 Pro or 3 Pro instead.