Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race KD3 Racing Wheel and Pedals review: Direct drive, direct fun
Solid gateway into sim racing.
The VelocityOne Race KD3 Racing Wheel and Pedals set is an entryway into sim racing and it offers a few features that the competition lacks. The feedback, customizability, and ease of use make up for the lack of controls on the steering wheel and add-on options.Vineet Washington Published 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 ...
Verdict - Immersive sim racing without breaking the bank
Turtle Beach is not new to sim racing but also doesn’t have a lot of options for gamers unlike Moza, Fanatec, and some others. Learning from the more expensive VelocityOne Race Wheel and Pedal System, the company is trying to make sim racing more accessible. With the VelocityOne Race KD3 system, it succeeds at that, offering a much more immersive experience than a controller for those who don’t have a dedicated sim rig, at a competitive price. That doesn’t mean those who have a sim rig will not enjoy the VelocityOne Race KD3 system. The 3.2 Nm of torque may feel a bit lacking but for a more casual yet immersive sim racing experience, it is more than enough.
The included display on the wheelbase is fairly useful as it allows for easy customization of various settings that directly affect the driving experience, as well as shows live telemetry in games that support it. The steering wheel is not littered with buttons which, again, from a casual racing experience is fine, but a few more spread-out controls would be appreciated.
The pedals are Hall-effect with adjustable springs to fine tune the input force. No load cell here but there’s enough customization to make them feel accurate and responsive.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
The Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race KD3 Racing Wheel and Pedals set is priced at $450 and is available for pre-order via Amazon and the official website. The sale starts on September 9. At this price, it competes with the Logitech G923 but for an extra $50, packs a few worthy upgrades like higher force feedback, a display, and the quick connect feature to swap steering wheels.
Speaking of which, Turtle Beach also has an F1 style VelocityOne F-RX Formula Wheel coming out that is compatible with the KD3 wheelbase. It is also available for pre-order and will go on sale from September 9.
Casual sim racing becomes more realistic and accessible with the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race KD3 Racing Wheel and Pedals.
Specifications
| KD3 Wheelbase torque | 3.2 Nm direct drive force feedback |
| Mounting | Desk clamp and sim rig mounting (hardware included) |
| Connectivity | PC, Xbox via USB Type-A |
| Wheelbase weight | 3.3 kg |
| Rotation | 2,160 degrees |
| Steering wheel size | 12 inches |
| Steering wheel buttons | 12 + 2 dials |
| Paddle type | Magnetic shifters |
| Pedal technology | Hall-effect with adjustable springs |
| Software | Turtle Beach VelocityOne Tuner Companion App |
Unboxing and accessories
Turtle Beach generally does a good job at packaging and that’s true here as well. The single VelocityOne Race KD3 box includes all three components – the wheelbase, the steering wheel, and the pedals – organized in their separate boxes. Accessory boxes containing the cables, desk mount, mounting hardware, and power adapter are clearly labelled as well. Lastly, the included booklet has easy to interpret setup instructions.
Build quality, design, and features
Starting with the wheelbase, the cylindrical design sets it apart from competitors like the Moza R3, the Logitech G923, and the new Asetek Initium wheelbase. It is about as compact as the Moza R3 and R5 wheelbases, and significantly more compact the Logitech offering. There is a ring of LEDs facing the user along with a small Race Management Display (RMD). The wheelbase houses the direct-drive force feedback motor with 3.2 Nm of peak torque and up to 2,160 degrees of rotation. The integrated base allows for angle adjustment from flat to 20 degrees of incline. To power it on, you have to press the Xbox button located on the right side of the wheelbase, along with the Start, Share, and Menu buttons. At the back is where all the cables are connected including up to four accessory connections.
Coming to the steering wheel, it has a mostly plastic construction but with soft-textured grips. There are 12 customizable face buttons and two dials, one of which is dedicated to controlling the RMD. At the back are two large magnetic paddle shifters that have a satisfying clicking sound. The shifters flank the quick release mechanism which makes the steering wheel easy to swap out with a different, compatible wheel like the upcoming, more premium VelocityOne F-RX Formula Wheel. As the name suggests, it offers a more accurate F1 racing feel. There are ample buttons on the F-RX Formula Wheel along with several rotary dials for fine tuning. The four-paddle configuration adds the clutch upgrade that the standard setup lacks. All the buttons sit on top of mechanical switches but the two joysticks are quite small, still, they work as intended.
Lastly, the pedals are mostly plastic but with aluminum foot plates that can be raised or lowered. The pedal tension can be adjusted by rotating the collar on the springs. The brake pedal can be shifted away from the throttle but just a little, and there is no room for a clutch attachment. While that limits customizability, the pedal base has a smaller footprint. They connect to the wheelbase via a USB Type-C cable and wheelbase connects to the PC/ Xbox via a USB Type-C to Type-A cable.
Performance
We tested the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race KD3 Racing Wheel and Pedals system for about three weeks in games like Assetto Corsa Competizione, Forza Horizon 5, Dirt Rally 2.0, Project Cars 3, and F1 2025 on PC. Since Forza Horizon 5 and Project Cars 3 don’t have button mapping for menus, it was a bit annoying having to use the keyboard to navigate when not in a race. And, to enable force feedback in Dirt Rally 2.0, a config file needs to be downloaded from the Turtle Beach support page since there is no native support for VelocityOne gear.
As for the racing experience, the wheel did a good job of translating what the tires feel in game to the steering wheel and thus the user's hands. Even at 75%, the torque felt quite strong for a desk setup and it was a struggle to correct the car when it lost traction, which is how it should be. Of course, it would get easier when mounted to a sim rig since you can be more aggressive with your inputs. The vibrations were accurate as well, as going off road or running over kerbs on track sent the right feedback to the wheel. One issue with the button layout, other than there being fewer buttons overall, is that the Start, Menu, and Share buttons are located on the right side of the wheelbase which means you have to take your hands off the wheel to pause games or access the menu.
Even though it’s a small display, the RMD shows real time telemetry data in games that support it and the ring of LEDs surrounding the display act as a rev meter, flashing when it’s ideal to change gears. It also allows for some customization but it’s easier through the VelocityOne Tuner app available via the Microsoft Store. The app lets you adjust the wheel rotation, the RGB effects and colors, pedal and steering sensitivity, deadzones, and more.
Coming to the pedals, they have enough resistance even in the softest spring setting (your experience may vary) for a realistic driving experience. Those who can put more weight on them will be satisfied as well thanks to the ample tension adjustment. One thing to note is that there is no space for a clutch upgrade and Turtle Beach doesn’t have one either. In their default state, we found the throttle and brake pedals to be a bit too close so we ended up moving the brake pedal further away, as much as it allowed.
Overall, it was a fun and engaging experience using the VelocityOne Race KD3 setup be it in a track-focussed simulator like Assetto Corsa Competizione and F1 2025, or a casual racer like Forza Horizon 5 and Project Cars 3.
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was given to the author by the manufacturer free of charge for the purposes of review. There was no third-party influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
