The ecosystem around Turtle Beach’s competent VelocityOne Race wheel and pedal set, which grew earlier this year with the arrival of the great value VelocityOne Multi-Shift, recently expanded again with the introduction of a butterfly-style racing rim: the F-RX Formula Wheel (which is also compatible with Turtle Beach’s newest, entry-level direct drive bundle, the KD3). If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of a formula wheel, picture a steering wheel with the top and bottom completely cut away, and the only way to grip it is at nine and three o’clock. In the context of sim racing, they’re the best way to replicate virtually racing modern open wheelers, prototypes, and GT cars, because these are the sorts of steering wheels these cars typically come equipped with in the real world.
There are a variety of reasons for this. Race cars like those listed above run with a very narrow steering range, and you’ll only ever need to grip the wheel at nine and three o’clock to tackle any circuit (meaning the remainder of the rim is superfluous). Your hands also need to remain at one place on the wheel because that’s where the shift paddles are. The driving position in a race car is also generally much different to that in a regular production car, and a full steering wheel may block a driver’s view in a way a formula wheel (with the whole top portion of the wheel cut out) does not. Formula wheels aren’t perfect for all sim racing scenarios (they’re wildly impractical for drifting and rallying, nor are they natural for NASCAR), but they make a lot of sense if your driving tastes include any of the most popular games in the sim racing space (like iRacing, F1, Assetto Corsa Competizione, Le Mans Ultimate, Project Motor Racing, and many more).
The Turtle Beach F-RX Formula Wheel is actually a pretty attractive upgrade for both of Turtle Beach’s current wheelbases, particularly since it sits at the lower end of the budget when it comes to formula-style sim racing wheels. It’s a very sturdy rim with a satisfying and logical button layout, and it’s definitely been largely enjoyable to use in the right racing contexts.
Turtle Beach VelocityOne F-RX Formula Wheel – Design and Features
I should note immediately that the Turtle Beach F-RX Formula Wheel’s quick release collar is bespoke to Turtle Beach wheelbases, so that means it’s currently only compatible with the VelocityOne Race and the VelocityOne Race KD3. You can’t just pop it onto any wheelbase you might own. This makes it a very specific product for a very specific customer, but it does represent a genuine boost to Turtle Beach’s increasingly decent VelocityOne racing ecosystem.
The F-RX is constructed with an aluminium frame, and it feels very strong and rigid in the grasp. It’s 304mm in diameter (11.97”), which is a pleasingly realistic size, and the grips are rubberised and well curved and shaped for comfortable and confident control.
There are 10 mechanical, RGB-backlit buttons – five on the left and five on the right of the rim, arranged in rough semicircles for easy thumb access. These buttons feature customisable lighting. In addition to these, there are three rotary encoders on the face of the wheel, as well as two more angled towards where your thumb rests – one facing the left grip and the other facing the right. Below those angled encoders are two analogue-style nubs; they have a very short throw but their small, concave surfaces and clicky actions make them simple to use.
On the back the F-RX features four paddles – two magnetic shifters and two programmable clutch paddles (the latter of which use Hall sensors).
A 10-LED shift light runs across the top of the wheel’s face, framed between some minimal branding (which is considerably more subtle than the large logo that adorns the rims that come with the original VelocityOne Race and the new KD3). I don’t find these particularly crucial; only the brightness of the shift lights can be customised (as opposed to the colours) and virtually no Xbox games actually appear to be sending this kind of info to Turtle Beach wheels, anyway. That is, when I’m playing something like, say, Assetto Corsa Competizione on Xbox, I’m focusing on the on-screen HUD for these kinds of visual aids. The only Xbox games listed to send telemetry data to Turtle Beach wheels are F1 24 and F1 25.
Turtle Beach VelocityOne F-RX Formula Wheel – Performance
First and foremost, the F-RX is suitably satisfying to hold and race with. Considering I have rather large hands, that’s not always a given. My personal preference would have been a flocked finish because I like the feel of it and my hands get less clammy (I don’t play racing sims with gloves, but I do know it’s not an uncommon trait in the sim racing community). However, the rubber finish on the F-RX’s grips is fine nonetheless. I enjoy not only the shape of the rim, but also the thickness of the grips. It feels comfortable to grasp for extended periods, and sufficiently chunky. That is, it doesn’t feel dainty or toy-like at all, which is pleasing.
It’s also a very nicely weighted rim, giving it a robust and firm feel with no real flex or creaking, although at just 1.38kg (3.04lbs) it’s not too heavy for the lower torque VelocityOne Race KD3 wheelbase. It does wiggle very slightly at the base of the quick release collar, but not in a way I detected while actually racing.
The buttons on the face of the rim have a satisfyingly tactile action which requires more than an accidental amount of force to activate. Their audible, mechanical click takes away any of that mushiness you sometimes get from buttons without it. I would wager this would be particularly useful feedback for players who do like to wear gloves. The buttons are set in metal plates fixed to the rim’s outer shell and appear they’ll be quite hardy.
The three rotary dials on the face of the wheel each have 12 settings, and they have a nice, heavy click to their rotation. They all need a very firm twist to clunk into each available setting. That kind of mechanical feedback is very useful in knowing the adjustments you’re making without needing to take your eyes off the racing. As usual, I should note that while the F-RX rim is compatible with both PC and Xbox (like the original VelocityOne Race and KD3), you won’t get the functionality of all these buttons and dial settings when playing on Xbox (where the ceiling for controls is limited to what can be assigned to a traditional, 16-button controller).
The magnetic shifters have firm and sharp actions. There’s a little flex at the base of the thick metal paddles, but it’s nothing severe and only noticeable if you’re squeezing significantly harder than necessary. The equally thick clutch paddles are just as rigid as the shifters, but they have a softer action, and the return force is consistent however much they’re depressed.
Turtle Beach VelocityOne F-RX Formula Wheel – Purchasing Guide
The Turtle Beach F-RX Formula Wheel is available on Amazon for $250.
