Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race review: direct drive racing wheels go mainstream

PC Games, Reviews

The Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race: A Detailed Review

The Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race offers a complete racing wheel and pedals package that competes with more enthusiast-grade sim racing offerings. Priced at £629/$650, this setup includes a powerful 7.2nm direct drive wheelbase and a realistic load-cell brake pedal, along with features like an external control pod, big integrated display, and Xbox/PC compatibility. Let’s dive into the details.

Design and Build Quality

Right out of the box, the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race showcases a more approachable design compared to other enthusiast offerings. The wheelbase features a large digital dashboard and a smart fastening system for easy setup on a desk. The kit includes an allen key for adjustments and mounting the control pod, which offers a higher button count than similar wheels in this price range.

Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race showing the button box
The wheel, wheelbase, and button box complement each other well, offering flexibility in placement. However, there are limitations in mapping certain inputs on the button box. | Image credit: Digital Foundry

The pedals are designed for easy usability without hard-mounting, thanks to knobbly or flat pads that provide grip on different surfaces. While hard-mounting is recommended for stability, the pedals offer adjustability in sensitivity and spacing. The full three-pedal set includes a clutch, brake, and accelerator, with some limitations in adjusting the load cell brake.

Functionality and Performance

The wheel features comfortable button positioning, a leather covering, metal paddle shifters, and analogue paddles for clutch/handbrake functions. While the number of controls on the wheel itself is limited, the control pod provides extra buttons for additional functions. The wheel offers powerful force feedback with a direct drive wheelbase, providing a more immediate response compared to belt or gear-driven alternatives.

Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race showing the wheel front
Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race showing the wheel back with paddles
The wheel features metal paddles, digital and analogue inputs, and a limited number of buttons for in-game controls. | Image credit: Digital Foundry

The control unit, while attractively designed, has some quirks in switch recognition and button placement. Software setup via the Tuner app may require firmware updates, which can be time-consuming. Once set up, the large color display offers intuitive navigation and customization options, enhancing the overall user experience.

Conclusion

The Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race offers a compelling option for Xbox and PC gamers looking for an all-in-one racing setup. While it may have some software and hardware limitations compared to other established brands, its price point and feature set make it a worthy contender in the sim racing market. With a solid foundation to build upon, Turtle Beach shows promise in improving the VelocityOne Race over time.