► Direct Drive technology offers decent feedback
► All-in-one bundle to help build your sim racing setup
► Build quality evaluated
If you’re looking to start sim racing, then you ought to look at this new Moza R5 bundle. It comes with a wheelbase, a steering wheel, and a set of pedals – the essentials to start your journey into digital racing. It might just offer the perfect setup to enjoy your favourite sim racing games, so you can spend hours carving up the online race circuits.
The Moza R5 bundle comes with a desk clamp, so you can enjoy a bit of wheel-to-wheel action on your lunch break, but if you want a fully immersive experience then we recommend a sim racing seat.
Sim racing can be hugely rewarding and it costs a fraction of the price of physically going racing, not to mention the fact that it’s a lot safer too. If you want to have a real experience on the track then we suggest a driving experience.
Moza R5 Bundle
Who is Moza Racing?
Moza Racing is a relatively recent entry into the sim racing market but one that has made a huge impact. They’ve only been producing sim racing equipment since September 2021, and now have an extensive range of products including direct drive wheelbases, load cell brakes, and steering wheels (including a truck steering wheel!).
Moza Racing also offers the Moza Pit House software which users can use to customise the feel of their hardware, making the digital experience as true-to-life as possible.
What is the Moza R5 bundle?
The Moza R5 bundle is a budget solution to go sim racing with direct drive technology. It comes with the Moza ES steering wheel, the SR-P Lite pedals, the R5 table clamp, and most importantly, the R5 wheelbase. The R5 wheelbase offers 5.5 Nm of torque for a more realistic driving feel than traditional belt-driven or gear-driven sim racing options.
Direct drive sim racing wheels can provide force feedback (or torque feedback) to convey information about the car and track into movements in the steering wheel. They typically carry a higher premium than gear-driven or belt-driven wheels. That’s where the R5 wheelbase comes in; it’s an entry-level direct drive piece of hardware that is intended to offer better value than other mainstream options.
How much does the R5 bundle cost?
The Moza R5 bundle costs £438.95 inc. VAT and is available to buy from a number of retailers including Overclockers UK and Currys. Moza Racing also offers the R3 bundle which sits below the R5 due to its 3.9 Nm of torque feedback. Moza does offer more powerful wheelbases, like the R9, R12, R16, and R21, which are available as part of a bundle or can be purchased individually.
Moza R5 bundle: what’s good?
Despite the R5 bundle being one of the entry-level sim racing setups in the Moza line-up, it feels well put together. The wheelbase is weighty at 3.45kg, so it gives a great deal of confidence in the entire kit, and it doesn’t take up too much space. The SR-P Lite pedals are a great way to get into the more serious side of sim racing with a strong feel and adjustability. While Moza produces a few different steering wheels for sim racing, including a trucking wheel, the ES steering wheel is lovely to use with hand-stitched leather, and aluminium alloy frame, and an attractive RGB sequential shifter light indicator. Even the quick release mechanism is strong enough to sometimes make it challenging to remove the wheel from the wheelbase.
Regarding the quick release system – the ability to remove and swap steering wheels is great. We’ve spent a considerable amount of time swapping between the ES steering wheel and the GS V2P wheel. Steering wheels go in with a rather satisfying ‘clunk’, and if you want to use another brand’s wheel with the R5 bundle then you can use the Moza quick release adapter.
The Moza Pit House is a device management software that can be used with Moza products to view and customise settings. It allows digital racers to tailor their racing experience so they can get the most out of their hardware. We found it easy to download, and even easier to connect the R5 bundle. From there we were able to view and modify the steering and pedal inputs – it’s a great way to not only visualise your inputs but tweak them.
You can even use some of the presets to switch from a GT-style setup to a Formula-style setup. Admittedly there are so many adjustable settings that we didn’t need to use more than a handful, but for hardcore racers the Moza Pit House should provide hours of engagement even before you hit the track.
Moza R5 bundle: what’s okay?
We fitted the R5 bundle (minus the desk clamp) to the Playseat Trophy, which meant that only two of the four holes lined up between the wheelbase and the cockpit. Due to the small size of the R5 wheelbase it may be a challenge to find compatible mounting solutions, but you shouldn’t have a problem if you opt for the Moza wheel base adapter plate which is compatible with all Moza wheelbases. It provides more holes that can be lined up with your chosen cockpit. We didn’t bother with the adapter as we were able to secure the wheelbase to the Trophy’s wheel plate using just two screws, and we’re rather impressed at how well it held together. The only thing we would mention here is to be careful when tightening the wheelbase screws as too much force can result in stripped holes.
There’s no doubting that the R5 bundle is made up of quality material, especially when you consider it at the price it is offered, but if we had to choose the weakest part of the setup, we would say the pedals. You can move the pedals further or closer to one another to suit your driving style, which is particularly useful if you want to add a clutch pedal, but overall, the feeling from the pedals could be better. While you can change the level of input from the pedals using the Moza Pit House software, that still doesn’t change the feeling you get through your foot. In order to have a more progressive brake pedal you’ll have to buy the Brake Pedal Performance Upgrade Kit.
If you’re wanting to use a clutch pedal and/or a gear shifter then you’ll have to purchase these pieces separately as well. The Moza R5 bundle only comes with the wheelbase, pedals, steering wheel, and a desk clamp. These pieces are enough to get you racing very quickly, but if you want to further enhance your racing experience then it’ll cost you more.
As part of the R5 bundle you get an R5 desk clamp to mount your wheelbase and steering wheel to a table. This offers a great solution for those that don’t (yet) have a full sim racing cockpit but still want to enjoy the thrill of getting behind the wheel. If you opt to go down this route then we would recommend finding a way to secure your pedals underfoot, as you wouldn’t want them to slip in the heat of the on-track battle.
Moza R5 bundle: what’s bad?
Just like the SR-P Lite pedals, the desk clamp cannot be purchased separately, but Moza does offer a table clamp that is compatible with the R5 wheelbase. The desk clamp that comes with the R5 bundle is secured using two long thumbscrew knobs that fix onto your desktop. While the upper part of the clamp features a soft material to avoid scratching your desktop, the lower half leaves exposed metal contacting your table. This could scratch the underside of your desk, so if you want to avoid that we would recommend getting some plastic or rubber washers.
While materials like the microfibre leather and Aluminium alloy feel okay on the ES steering wheel, they’re aren’t premium. For that you’d have to look at other options like the GS V2P GT wheel which is compatible with the R5 wheelbase. That one features rotary switches and even backlit customisable buttons. The ES wheel feels a little basic, but it is enough to allow you to go racing. We found that the flappy paddles had a little more travel in them after the initial ‘click’.
We used the Moza R5 bundle with a gaming PC, but if you’re looking to play racing games on a console, like Gran Turismo 7 on PlayStation 5, then the R5 bundle isn’t for you. In fact, the only Moza wheel that can be used with a console comes part of the R3 bundle, and that’s only compatible with Xbox consoles (as well as PC).
Moza R5 bundle: verdict
The Moza R5 bundle is a great way to go racing, and since it even comes with a desk clamp you can start without a dedicated sim racing cockpit – Simply attach it to your workspace and race to the chequered flag. There are a few things to consider, however, one of which is that fact that it is only compatible with PC. since most people that are new to sim racing might start on console the R5 bundle isn’t suitable for them. For those that have gone as far as to have bought a gaming PC might want start looking for direct drive wheels and that’s where the R5 bundle comes in as an entry point. It offers a lovely introduction to better quality racing simulation. We would characterise it as a great way to bridge the gap between ‘hobby’ and ‘hardcore’ sim racing, but ultimately, it’s a fine way to lay down the foundations on which to build your sim racing experience.
Alternatives to consider
Thrustmaster T-GT II
Officially licensed by Gran Turismo, this wheel, base, and pedal set comes from the famed sim racing brand Thrustmaster. It is compatible with PS4 and PS5 consoles as well as PC. The T-GT II offers an easy route to the digital track as even novice racers can simply connect it to household favourite consoles from Sony.
Moza R3 Bundle
If you’re wanting to save money but still have a competent direct drive system then the R3 bundle is worth considering. Like the R5 it comes from Moza, with the only difference being the level of force feedback and some materials on the steering wheel – you even get the same pedals from the R5 bundle. You can still take advantage of the Moza Pit House software, but with the added benefit of being able to use the R3 bundle with Xbox consoles.
Thrustmaster T818 Ferrari SF1000
This wheel and base set from Thrustmaster looks incredible thanks to its high-quality materials – like the carbon fibre faceplate and rubber grips. You’ll have a wonderful time operating it with tonnes of information being fed back to your through the LED display, not to mention the 10Nm of feedback at your fingertips. Pedals are sold separately, but there’s no denying the T818 would be a spectacular piece to add to your sim racing setup.
How the Moza R5 bundle was tested
The bundle was mounted to the Playseat Trophy and tested over the course of four weeks. During that time, it was subjected to several sim racing games on a gaming PC, but mostly Assetto Corsa. Settings were constantly changed using the Moza Pit House software to understand how the hardware felt – particularly the torque settings which were turned up to 100% most (not all) of the time. We were even able to test the desk clamp on an office desk from The Workplace Depot.
Who tested the Moza R5 bundle?
The task of putting the R5 bundle through its paces fell to commercial content writer, Naveed Hussain. He has spent countless hours playing racing games when he was younger – particularly Gran Turismo. Naveed has sat in many sim racing seats and navigated his way around countless race circuits virtually, but he insists he only enjoys sim racing as a hobby.