Fanatec Podium DD Review: A 25 Nm Direct Drive Wheelbase Worth Considering

Introduction

The Fanatec Podium DD is a 25 Nm continuous force direct drive wheelbase that places itself firmly in the high-end segment of the sim racing market. With a boost capability up to 33 Nm for instantaneous feedback, it offers the widest dynamic range of any Fanatec wheelbase to date. This review examines the Podium DD from two perspectives: as a first direct drive purchase and as an upgrade from other wheelbases.

Who This Product Is For

The Podium DD is best suited to sim racers who want to buy into or stay within the Fanatec ecosystem and are looking for a super powerful wheelbase. It is a particularly compelling option for those who are time poor and want to jump in and drive without spending hours fiddling with settings.

The wheelbase is PC and Xbox compatible only, assuming an Xbox compatible steering wheel is connected. It is not PlayStation compatible at all, which is an important consideration for console users. If you already own a Club Sport DD and are happy with its strength level, this product is not going to provide anything massively different that justifies the additional cost.

For those considering upgrading from a Club Sport DD because they want more strength, the Podium DD is a better option than the Club Sport DD Plus, assuming PlayStation compatibility is not needed. It is only marginally more expensive and provides a better overall driving experience even at lower strength levels.

Main Strengths

The Podium DD delivers a refined and polished driving experience. Catching slides feels very instinctive, with the steering accurately matching the rotation of the car during snap oversteer events. This is one of the subtle traits that tends to vary between wheelbases, and the Podium DD handles it exceptionally well.

Consistency between different sim racing titles is another notable strength. A GT3 car feels fundamentally similar to drive whether you are in Le Mans Ultimate, ACC, iRacing, or Assetto Corsa Evo. This consistency is something Fanatec has refined over the years and remains a key advantage over many competitor brands.

The build quality is the best seen in a Fanatec wheelbase in some time. The front and rear panels are cast aluminium rather than plastic, giving the product a premium finish that feels special on the rig. The branding is more subtle than previous models, with a clean and classy appearance. The included 10 cm CNC machined aluminium shaft extension is a high quality piece of kit that allows the monitor to be positioned low behind the steering wheel.

The wheelbase is completely passively cooled with no active cooling fan that could wear out or take on dirt and debris. In testing at full strength for about an hour, the wheelbase remained barely warm to the touch. It is also completely silent in normal operation.

Software and Day-to-Day Use

Fanatec has consolidated its software into one cohesive package, bringing the previously separate Fanalab and driver into a single application. The software automatically detects installed sim racing titles and can load profiles specific to a type of car, which is particularly useful for those with limited time to jump in and drive.

The home screen provides a visual representation of connected peripherals, with buttons responding in real time. It also shows a breakdown of the latest software updates and fixes, something other brands could do better. The tuning menu on the wheel itself remains available for quick changes without alt-tabbing out of a game.

The standard mode offers accessible adjustments for steering sensitivity, overall force feedback strength, natural damper, and full force strength. Advanced mode unlocks five setup presets, natural friction, natural inertia, force feedback interpolation filter, and force effect intensity settings. The baseline profiles are well dialed in, with most games providing a good experience right out of the box.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Full Force is Fanatec’s telemetry based force feedback layer that adds granular detail over the top of standard direct input force feedback. It simulates effects like gear change clunks, road texture, and ABS kicking in. However, it is only available in a small selection of PC titles, including iRacing and Assetto Corsa Evo. It adds immersion rather than fundamentally improving car feel, so it should not be the primary reason to buy this wheelbase.

Third party wheels require either a Fanatec branded adapter or a third party emulator to enable force feedback at all. This adds additional cost for every third party wheel used with the wheelbase, which is something to factor into the overall ownership cost.

In back-to-back testing against other high-end wheelbases, the Podium DD felt slightly less accurate in communicating tire loading up through the transition from weak to strong forces. This is a subtle difference, but noticeable when compared directly with the Simucube 3 and VRS wheelbases. It is worth noting this is likely a firmware and software characteristic rather than a physical hardware limitation.

Buying Advice

The Podium DD is priced at €1,199.99 in Europe, $1,999.95 in the US, $1,699.99 in Canada, and $1,799.90 in Australia. Taxes and shipping costs can make a significant difference depending on location, so factor those in when comparing against competitor products.

For comparison, the Club Sport DD Plus comes in at $1,179.99 in the US, only marginally less expensive despite the massive difference in torque. The lack of PlayStation compatibility is the reason for the competitive pricing, as PlayStation licensing is expensive for Fanatec and is passed on to the customer.

If you already own a Club Sport DD Plus, this is not a must-have upgrade. The differences at the same strength levels are noticeable but not game-changing. However, if you are upgrading from a Club Sport DD and want more strength, the Podium DD is a better investment than the DD Plus, especially with the included 10 cm shaft extension.

Conclusion

The Fanatec Podium DD is a surprisingly good value proposition given Fanatec’s history of being more expensive than competitors. It offers premium build quality, a refined driving experience, and an ownership experience that is easy to live with day-to-day. While it is not the absolute best in terms of build quality or driving feel compared to the very top tier, it stands out in overall refinement and ease of use.

For those who want to stay in or enter the Fanatec ecosystem with a super powerful wheelbase, this is the obvious choice. For first time direct drive buyers, it is worth considering alongside other options, but the overall package makes it a very compelling option for the right buyer.