Simucube direct drive wheels

The pro-tier reference brand - six wheelbases, Tuner's deep filter chain, the iRacing leaderboard's preferred FFB signal.

6 live bases from Simucube with real merchant pricing, normalised specs and the 7-axis consensus rubric.

Software: Simucube Tuner Telemetry FFB Firmware cadence: moderate

Bases live: 6
From: $1109
Torque range: 15 - 35 Nm

Simucube is the Finnish brand that defined what consumer direct drive could feel like. The 2 Ultimate has been the iRacing leaderboard reference for years, and the 3-series - Sport, Pro and Ultimate - is the long-awaited platform refresh that adds the SQR wheelside-power QR, a redesigned motor on the Ultimate, and a unified firmware stack across the range. The range starts at the 17 Nm 2 Sport ($1,109 in the US channel, €818 direct from simucube.com) and tops out at the 35 Nm 3 Ultimate at $3,299 / €2,679 direct. Simucube doesn't try to compete on price or on rim catalogue breadth. It competes on the quality of the FFB signal: Tuner exposes a reconstruction filter, slew rate ceiling, FFB filter, recoil effect and damping at a level of granularity no other consumer app matches. The trade-off is that Simucube ships no first-party pedals, no shifter, no handbrake - you build a Simucube rig with third-party pedals (Heusinkveld, VRS, Asetek, Simagic) and third-party rims via the Simucube SQR or a brand adapter. If you race iRacing seriously and you want the cleanest force-feedback signal at the wheel, you start with Simucube.

The Simucube lineup

Upper mid · 15 Nm

Simucube 3 Sport

The 17 Nm entry point into the new Simucube 3 line. Refined motor electronics, the same True Drive software as the Pro, at the lowest possible SC3 price.

$1039 4.0/5 · 13 reviews
Upper mid · 17 Nm

Simucube 2 Sport

The 17 Nm entry point into the Simucube line. The base that gets you True Drive and category-leading build quality at the lowest possible Simucube price.

$818 4.1/5 · 8 reviews
Flagship · 25 Nm

Simucube 2 Pro

The 25 Nm reference flagship that everyone still measures against. Six years on the market and it has not been beaten on build quality or True Drive software polish.

$755 4.1/5 · 16 reviews
Flagship · 25 Nm

Simucube 3 Pro

The proper successor to the SC2 Pro that defined what flagship sim racing should feel like. Newer motor, refined thermals, the same True Drive software at the centre of the experience.

$1239 4.1/5 · 13 reviews
ultra · 32 Nm

Simucube 2 Ultimate

32 Nm of professional-grade direct drive. The Simucube halo product that pro teams and esports facilities buy when nothing else will do.

$3274 4.1/5 · 8 reviews
ultra · 35 Nm

Simucube 3 Ultimate

32 Nm of professional-grade direct drive on the newest Simucube architecture. The proper successor to the SC2 Ultimate for the longest possible ownership horizon.

$2679 4.0/5 · 13 reviews

Which Simucube base for me?

If

You want the cheapest way into the Simucube ecosystem and you race PC sims only.

Then

Simucube 2 Sport →

2 Sport at 17 Nm is the entry to Simucube - $1,109 in the US channel or €818 direct, which undercuts the 2 Pro by roughly $480 for the same Tuner app and the same filter chain. The wrong choice only if you specifically need the Ultimate's larger motor and torque ramp characteristics.
If

You want the established Simucube reference platform at the most popular Nm tier.

Then

Simucube 2 Pro →

2 Pro at 25 Nm and $1,589 is the long-time iRacing leaderboard reference for buyers who do not need the Ultimate. Mature platform, an 8 Nm/ms slew ceiling, years of community FFB profiles.
If

You want the absolute Simucube ceiling on the established 2-series platform.

Then

Simucube 2 Ultimate →

2 Ultimate at 32 Nm has been the leaderboard reference for years - bigger industrial servo motor, larger torque headroom, the FFB signal pro-tier iRacers tune around. €3,274 direct, and out of stock at simucube.com in our latest snapshot, so check availability before planning a build around one.
If

You want the new 3-series platform on the entry tier - refreshed motor, refreshed firmware, future-proofed.

Then

Simucube 3 Sport →

3 Sport is the new entry tier at 15 Nm - $1,499.99 / €1,039 direct - with the SQR wheel-side power QR. Two things to know before ordering: it runs 2 Nm below the 2 Sport's 17 Nm ceiling, and it needs the Simucube Link Hub.
If

You want the new 3-series at the 25 Nm tier.

Then

Simucube 3 Pro →

3 Pro is the direct successor to 2 Pro on the new platform - $1,599 / €1,239 direct, a 23-bit encoder, the SQR, and a three-year warranty on the spec sheet where the rest of the range carries two.
If

You are building a pro-tier sim cabin and you want the current Simucube ceiling.

Then

Simucube 3 Ultimate →

3 Ultimate is the new flagship - 35 Nm from an IPM industrial servo, $3,299 / €2,679 direct, Link Hub required. The answer to 'I want the cleanest FFB signal money can buy in consumer DD'.

Simucube Tuner

Simucube Tuner is the most technically capable consumer DD tuning app on the market. It exposes the filter chain that processes the game's torque signal before it reaches the motor: a reconstruction filter that smooths quantised input, a slew-rate limiter that caps how fast force can change (the 2 Sport's spec sheet lists a 4.8 Nm/ms ceiling; the 2 Pro raises that to 8 Nm/ms), an FFB filter with adjustable cutoff, a damper with separately tunable strength and natural friction, and a recoil-effect canceller. None of the other consumer apps (Pit House, Control Panel, SimPro Manager) expose this depth.

The cost of that depth is the learning curve. Most buyers tune from one of the community-published Simucube profiles for their car-and-game pair rather than building from scratch. Tuner profiles travel cleanly between Simucube bases - a 2 Pro profile loaded onto a 3 Pro applies the same filter values without translation. The encoders back the precision claim up: 22-bit across the 2-series, and the 3 Pro steps up to 23-bit, resolving eight million steps per revolution.

Firmware update cadence is moderate. Simucube ships fewer firmware updates than MOZA but each update tends to be a real change rather than cosmetic - the 2 Sport got a meaningful slew-rate improvement in mid-2024 firmware, and the 3-series has been iterating on the SQR wheel-side power firmware since launch. Updates are one-click through Tuner.

Simucube vs the rivals

Simucube vs Fanatec

Fanatec Podium DD1 ($999.95, 20 Nm) and DD-25 ($1,199.99, 25 Nm) are the closest rivals on raw torque, and both cost well under 2 Pro money. The proposition is different, though. Fanatec is a full one-brand build - first-party pedals, first-party rims, console licensing, telemetry FFB. Simucube is a base specialist. If you want one box from one brand, Fanatec. If you want the highest-fidelity FFB signal and you are happy assembling pedals and rims separately, Simucube.
Simucube vs MOZA

MOZA R25 Ultra at $899 is the closest MOZA gets to Simucube territory - nearly half the price of a 2 Pro - and it doesn't really compete on FFB signal fidelity. It competes on app polish, a full first-party hardware range and price. A serious iRacing tuner who has driven both will usually choose Simucube; a buyer who wants one-app-does-everything will usually choose MOZA.
Simucube vs Asetek

Asetek Invicta at 27 Nm and $1,349.99, and Forte at 18 Nm, are the most credible new-brand rivals on build quality. Asetek wins on chassis engineering and Danish provenance; Simucube wins on Tuner's filter depth, on the established community profile library, and on the iRacing pro tier's existing investment in the platform.
Simucube vs Simagic

This used to be a clean tier separation, but Simagic's Alpha Evo Pro now reaches 18 Nm at $699 - right into 2 Sport (17 Nm) and 3 Sport (15 Nm) territory for less than half the money. Simucube's answer isn't price and never has been: it's the 22- and 23-bit encoders, the slew-rate ceilings and Tuner's filter chain.

Warranty, QC and RMA

Two-year manufacturer warranty on Simucube direct drive bases sold through simucube.com or an authorised distributor (Demon Tweeks UK, Ricmotech US, etc), with one exception worth knowing: the 3 Pro's spec sheet lists a three-year warranty. RMA goes directly through Simucube support and turnaround has historically been quick - Finnish support tickets answered within 24 hours on weekdays, return shipping arranged through the local distributor.

Reliability on the 2-series has been excellent - the 2 Pro and 2 Ultimate have been in the wild since 2019 and 2020 respectively with very few notable failure reports. The 3-series is new (2024-2025 launch) and so the in-the-wild reliability data is still limited; early reports are positive. The SQR wheel-side power QR is the only meaningful new mechanical interface and the only realistic source of new RMAs.

Most-reported issue across the lineup is third-party rim compatibility on the SQR - non-Simucube rims need a brand adapter and not every adapter on the market is fully tested. Buy the rim through an authorised Simucube channel where possible.

Simucube FAQ

Why is Simucube the iRacing leaderboard's preferred brand?

Because Tuner's filter chain exposes the signal processing applied between iRacing's torque output and the motor - reconstruction filter, slew rate, FFB filter, recoil effect, damper - at a level no other consumer app matches. Leaderboard iRacers tune those filters for their preferred chassis-and-track pair and tend to keep the same Simucube base for years. The platform is the consumer DD reference for FFB signal quality.

Should I buy the Simucube 2 series or wait for the 3 series?

The 3-series is shipping now and is the right buy for someone starting from scratch in 2026 - new motor on the Ultimate, the SQR wheel-side power QR, refreshed firmware stack. One thing the snapshot makes clear: US pricing has converged, with the 2 Pro at $1,589 against $1,599 for the 3 Pro, so the "2-series at a discount" argument mostly applies to EU direct pricing and the secondhand market now. If you specifically want the proven platform with years of community profiles, the 2 Pro and 2 Ultimate are still good buys.

Does Simucube make pedals or rims, or do I have to buy them separately?

Simucube does not make pedals, shifters or handbrakes. Rims they sell - the Tahko line - but the SQR is open enough that most owners pair Simucube bases with third-party rims (Cube Controls, Ascher Racing, GSI). Build a Simucube rig on the assumption that pedals and most rims are separate buys.

How does the Simucube SQR compare to the Fanatec QR2?

SQR adds wheelside-power and data through the QR mount, so a wheel with a screen, button box and paddles can be powered and signalled through the QR without a coiled USB cable. Fanatec QR2 supports the same conceptually - power and CAN through the QR - but with a different mechanical mount and a different electrical pinout. The two systems are mutually exclusive; there is no first-party SQR-to-QR2 adapter.

Is Simucube worth it if I only race ACC, not iRacing?

Probably not. ACC's FFB pipeline is more forgiving of base differences than iRacing's, and the gap between Simucube and a Fanatec ClubSport DD or a MOZA R16 V2 narrows significantly. Buy Simucube if you race iRacing seriously, or if you are an ACC racer who specifically wants the cleanest FFB signal available regardless of cost. For mainstream ACC use, MOZA or Fanatec at the same Nm tier is usually the better-value buy.

How long is the Simucube warranty?

Two years on most bases bought through simucube.com or an authorised distributor; the 3 Pro carries three years on its spec sheet. Finnish support is quick - most tickets answered within 24 hours on weekdays. RMA is straightforward and the platform's reliability record is excellent, especially on the established 2-series.

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