Turtle Beach’s KD3 sim racing bundle faces compatibility challenges, yet its hardware impresses.

Forget about squad shooters; the real action in gaming over the past couple of years has been in sim racing hardware. With a surge of brands entering the fray, the competition has heated up, especially in terms of pricing. The market is evolving rapidly, making mid-range racing wheels for PC a viable option, bridging the gap between budget and high-performance gear.

Turtle Beach has recently joined the race, traditionally known for its headsets but now expanding into simulation gear with its VelocityOne lineup. The VelocityOne Race made a strong debut in mid-2024 with a robust 7Nm direct drive system, and now they’re introducing a more affordable model: the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race KD3, which offers half the torque at a significantly lower price.

However, it faces stiff competition. MOZA kicked things off with the R3, Logitech’s RS50 is currently leading the pack, and classic options like the Logitech G923 still hold their ground. Priced at £329.99/$449.99, the KD3 presents an attractive direct drive option, but has Turtle Beach compromised too much to achieve this price point?

Kudos to the Turtle Beach design team for creating one of the most visually striking wheelbases on the market. While many brands stick to basic black cubes, Turtle Beach has opted for a unique cylindrical design. It’s matte black with eye-catching neon yellow logos, which I appreciate, though it does require a separate mounting bracket to keep it stable.

The build quality of the wheelbase is solid, featuring a textured metal body with plastic ends. It feels a bit lighter than some competitors, but not in a way that raises concerns. Overall, it feels more premium than its price suggests. Compact in size at just 15cm long and 13cm wide, it fits well in smaller spaces. The included all-metal mounting bracket has a clever tilt adjustment feature, allowing for up to 20 degrees of angle.

The KD3 comes with a standard 30cm round wheel, but this is where Turtle Beach stumbles a bit. The wheel doesn’t match the premium feel of the base and falls short compared to its counterpart.

As an entry-level direct-drive wheel, the KD3’s torque numbers are modest. At 3.2Nm, it’s not overwhelming, but it’s sufficient for newcomers to sim racing or those upgrading from gear or belt-driven options like the Logitech G923.

The wheel rim has a textured rubber coating, which is decent, but the visible seam around it detracts from the overall feel and can be uncomfortable. The interior is mostly hard plastic, which doesn’t feel great to touch, although the layout is user-friendly, allowing easy access to all controls. The metal paddle shifters at the back are a highlight, being well-sized and positioned.

Turtle Beach has also launched the VelocityOne F-RX Formula Wheel alongside the KD3, and it’s a stark contrast in build quality. The F-RX wheel is impressively designed, with soft rubber grips that feel luxurious, despite having a seam. It features a variety of customizable inputs, mechanical buttons with ideal resistance, and while the rotary encoders are a bit stiff, the overall experience is delightful. However, it comes at a higher price of £189.99/$249.99.

The pedals are a mixed bag, combining elements from both the wheel and wheelbase. Turtle Beach has opted for a large, all-in-one tray design, which is fine in theory, but the heavy reliance on plastic affects the overall feel. The heel plate has good texturing, and while there are non-slip pads, they don’t perform well on various surfaces, so you might want to secure them against something.

A welcome change from the original VelocityOne Race is the relocation of the USB connection from the back to the side, making setup easier.

The pedals are primarily plastic but feel sturdy with sizable metal faceplates. They offer plenty of adjustment options, with 21 holes for the accelerator and 15 for the brake. However, the lack of lateral movement on the accelerator and minimal movement on the brake can feel cramped.

With 3.2Nm of torque, I didn’t expect the KD3 to be a powerhouse, and while it didn’t wrestle me around corners, the resistance felt light during high-speed turns.

The KD3 is fully compatible as an Xbox steering wheel, making it a natural fit for PC, but unfortunately, it lacks support for PlayStation titles. The OLED display on the wheelbase is a nice feature for on-the-fly tuning, though it’s more cumbersome than using the app.

The included wheel is sparse in features, lacking additional programmable buttons, while the F-RX Formula Wheel boasts 10 mechanical buttons, RGB backlighting, rotary encoders, thumb dials, and more. The pedals use traditional spring resistance and have a significant travel distance, but the absence of a load cell brake is disappointing. Both the throttle and brake utilize contactless Hall effect sensors for accuracy.

I primarily tested the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race KD3 on PC, mounting it to a Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition and connecting the F-RX wheel. I jumped straight into F1 25, pleased to find the KD3 was fully button-mapped out of the box. While I didn’t expect it to be overly forceful, the resistance felt light during high-speed corners, making the car feel floaty compared to stronger wheels. However, after some adjustments, I managed to achieve consistent lap times, enjoying my time on Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Console compatibility remains a significant issue with the KD3, just as it was with the original VelocityOne Race. There’s a list of compatible games on the Turtle Beach website, but it shouldn’t require a spreadsheet to determine what works with your new wheel.

I’d love to delve deeper into the KD3’s performance on Xbox, but my experience was limited due to compatibility issues. Forza Horizon 5 and Forza Motorsport are on the list and functioned adequately, but I encountered a strange inner deadzone that made the wheel feel unsteady on straights.

I attempted to play F1 24, which is also listed as compatible, but it failed to recognize any input when prompted to “Press Any Button.” The same issue occurred with Burnout Paradise, which wasn’t on the compatibility list. Wreckfest was listed, but while I could navigate menus, neither the pedals nor steering registered any input, making it impossible to compete.

The lack of reliable game compatibility is a persistent issue for Turtle Beach’s sim gear, making competitors look more appealing. The Logitech G RS50 may not have universal compatibility, but it features a clever mode that tricks games into recognizing it as the widely compatible Logitech G Pro wheel. Nacon has also entered the market with its Revosim RS Pure bundle, showing that game support is a priority for new products.

What’s frustrating about the KD3 is that it has the potential to be a great entry-level wheel for new racers or those looking to upgrade. Even with its reduced torque, the K: Drive motor offers enough power for most users and provides smooth feedback, especially off tarmac. Pair it with the F-RX wheel on PC, and it becomes a compelling package, though the price point shifts.

However, console compatibility is a major drawback. I shouldn’t have to hope for the best when starting a game or check a list to see if I can race. It’s disheartening when a game that’s supposed to work simply doesn’t.

I feel a sense of déjà vu with the KD3, as many of my observations mirror those from my review of the original VelocityOne Race. The same strengths and weaknesses persist. While I understand that not every game will work perfectly, there’s no excuse for recent titles to be incompatible, and the KD3 has more misses than hits in this regard.

I tested the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race KD3 on both Xbox Series X and PC, using a Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition racing seat and a coffee table setup with the included clamp. I explored a range of games on both platforms, focusing on those listed as compatible while also trying others. I used both the standard wheel and the F-RX wheel during my tests.