Cube Controls Astra Review: A Lightweight Sim Racing Wheel That Nails the Fundamentals

Introduction

The Cube Controls Astra has generated plenty of conversation in the sim racing community, and for good reason. It builds on the philosophy of the earlier F Core wheel, which focused on stripping away unnecessary features and perfecting the fundamentals. The Astra takes that approach a step further by adding a few modern conveniences while keeping the price relatively accessible.

The result is a wheel that prioritizes build quality, weight, and driving feel over a long list of gimmicks. After spending time with it across a variety of racing disciplines, it is clear that Cube Controls has delivered a product that earns serious consideration from sim racers who value the essentials.

Who This Wheel Is For

The Astra is a butterfly-style wheel, which means it is designed for cars like GT3, GT4, and Formula-style racing. It is not intended for rally, drift, or street car driving, where a round wheel is typically preferred. If your racing library consists primarily of circuit racing and open-wheel categories, this wheel fits naturally into that workflow.

It is also a strong choice for sim racers using direct drive wheelbases with less than 10 Nm of strength. The Astra weighs just 1.15 kg, which is roughly 200 to 500 g lighter than many competitors in its segment. That reduced rotating mass allows force feedback to react more quickly and sharply, making the driving experience feel more detailed and immersive.

Racers who spend significant time in VR will also appreciate the thoughtful button shrouds, which make it easy to locate controls by touch without looking. The ergonomics are well thought out, with comfortable rubberized grips that provide good traction without feeling clammy.

Build Quality and Materials

The Astra features a full aluminum construction, covering both the front plate and the rear housing. The touch points, including the rotary encoders, seven-way switches, and thumb encoders, are also aluminum on the premium version. The button faces are plastic, while the clutch and shifter paddles use 5mm thick genuine carbon fiber.

Holding the wheel immediately reveals how well it is put together. There is no flex or twist in the design, even when pressure is applied to the bottom of the wheel. The rear shell includes extra ribbing for strength, and the shifter housing has been upgraded from the plastic material used on the F Core to aluminum, eliminating the flex that some users found bothersome.

The grips have a maximum thickness of 41 mm in the middle and offer a nice balance of stiffness and squish. They provide more grip than the F Pro from Cube Controls without the slippery feel, and they do not leave black residue on hands like some other wheels on the market.

Features and Controls

The Astra covers all the basics you would expect from a modern sim racing wheel. It includes flag LEDs on either side, a programmable RPM strip, and fully addressable RGB lighting across all buttons, including the Cube Controls logo in the center. The two LEDs behind the logo are individually addressable, allowing for a two-tone color contrast if desired.

The button design is new for Cube Controls, featuring a firm snap with short travel of about 1 mm. The shrouds around the buttons make them easy to locate in VR without looking. One minor observation is that pressing the outer buttons off-center can occasionally result in an incomplete press, though this does not happen consistently.

The rotary encoders have a solid click in each position, and the seven-way switches offer nice clicks in all directions with push-button functionality. The thumb encoders are firm and precise, without the loose rotation found on some competitor wheels. They do not include push-button functionality, which is worth noting if that is a feature you rely on.

The toggle switches at the top are recessed to protect them from accidental damage, a thoughtful detail for those who have experienced broken switches during wheel spinouts. Each toggle includes a small LED that can be configured to indicate activation status.

Software and Customization

The Astra works with Cube Controls’ Cube Set software as well as full SimHub integration. Every switch and LED is individually addressable through SimHub, giving users complete control over lighting based on telemetry inputs.

The Cube Set software covers the essentials, including analog paddle calibration, pulse width adjustment for rotary encoders, and bite point clutch configuration. The bite point can be adjusted in the software or assigned to a rotary encoder for on-the-fly changes in 0.1% increments. Some competitor wheels offer fine and coarse adjustment modes, which would be a welcome addition here, but the current implementation gets the job done.

One notable observation is that the LED colors have a slight blue tint across the spectrum. White appears somewhat blue, and this tint carries through to green, yellow, orange, and red. Blue tones shine through cleanly, but other colors are visibly shifted. This is not a dealbreaker, but it is worth being aware of if color accuracy matters to you.

SimHub integration works as expected, with separate tabs for LEDs and controls. Users can assign individual buttons and encoders to various functions, adjust brightness from off to maximum, and load custom profiles. At the time of writing, the default profile does not include reactive button presses, but community profiles are expected to arrive soon.

Driving Experience

The Astra delivers exactly what its design promises. For the types of cars this wheel is intended for, it ticks all the boxes without any major complaints. The ergonomics are comfortable, with grips that feel natural in hand and buttons that are easy to reach without repositioning your hands mid-corner.

The standout aspect of the driving experience is the weight. The Astra’s light construction makes a noticeable difference, particularly on less powerful direct drive wheelbases. Force feedback feels more responsive and detailed, adding to the immersion.

The magnetic shifters are among the quietest available, thanks to a cushion bump stop that dampens the release. While this may not matter to everyone, it is a genuine benefit for those sharing their space with others. The shifters have a snappy action with no adjustability in throw, though the paddles can be repositioned inward by 5 or 10 mm to suit different hand sizes.

The analog paddles use hall effect sensors, meaning there are no mechanical parts to wear out or lose calibration over time. They can be configured as individual axes or as a bite point clutch, working in the same way as most other wheels with this feature.

Buying Advice

The Astra is priced at €399 plus VAT for the base model, with a premium version at €449 plus VAT. The premium version adds anodized aluminum touch points, better quality stickers, and a hub adapter that converts the mounting pattern from 50 mm to 70 mm. Given how crowded the rear of the wheel is, most users will likely need this adapter, making the premium version the more practical choice for many.

Compared to competitors like the Sim Magic GT Neo and FX, the Astra offers superior build quality and switch gear, though it lacks some of the extended functionality found on feature-rich alternatives. The GT Neo is significantly cheaper and covers the basics, but its plastic touch points do not match the quality of the Astra. The FX is heavier and more appealing to those already invested in the Sim Magic ecosystem.

If your priority is build quality and driving feel over a long list of features, the Astra should be near the top of your list. It is not a game-changing wheel, but it does not need to be. It simply does the fundamentals exceptionally well.

Conclusion

The Cube Controls Astra is a well-executed sim racing wheel that stays true to its philosophy of nailing the essentials. Its lightweight aluminum construction, comfortable ergonomics, and quiet magnetic shifters make it a pleasure to drive with across GT and Formula-style racing.

While it lacks some of the extended functionality found on competitors, such as second-layer button mapping and fine adjustment modes for the bite point, these omissions are unlikely to bother most users. The Astra is a wheel that prioritizes what matters most: a solid, responsive, and comfortable connection between driver and sim.

For sim racers who value build quality and driving feel, the Astra is a compelling option that delivers on its promises.