Review: Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race KD3 Bundle (Xbox/Pc)

Sim racing was once a very expensive and niche part of gaming to be a part of, with some peripherals costing hundreds of dollars for just one component. Today, you can pick up a cheap wheel setup secondhand for a couple hundred dollars or even buy a brand-new, fully complete package for a bit more, making sim racing more and more accessible as these manufacturers develop better technology. Turtle Beach, once well known for famously being the best headset options during the PS3/Xbox 360 era, has jumped headfirst into the sim racing world, joining the competition in this ever-evolving and competitive space of sim peripherals.

Previously, I was given the opportunity to review the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Shifter, which quickly became my main shifter of choice over my ThrustMaster TH8A Shifter, so coming into this opportunity to use the new KD3 Wheel, I had high expectations. The VelocityOne KD3 Race wheel consists of a custom direct-drive force feedback motor with 3.2 Nm of peak torque and up to 2,160 degrees of rotation, which they call the KDrive Force feedback motor, as well as an included table clamp mount or the option to hard mount to a Sim chassis. Also included with the base is a 320 mm racing steering wheel designed around an Xbox controller, allowing for flexibility when gaming. Lastly included is the KD3 Race pedal set, which is an aluminum-built gas and brake pedal combo powered through Hall effects, allowing for further adjustments.

First impressions of the base were that it felt a bit more compact than expected; due to its rounded and slim structure, it may be easier for those who don’t have a place to leave their sim wheel setup or those who don’t have a lot of storage room. The build quality was what I expected from Turtle Beach based on my impressions of the VelocityOne Shifter, a well-made aluminum casing that provides a rather premium feel and sleek look. On the base is a small overhead screen, which can be used for on-the-fly adjusting, switching between Xbox or PC options, and even a telemetry system as a small yet effective mini dash. I found using the telemetry more than adjusting my settings on the fly, but the option to change what you need without opening an app is a really nice feature, even though the app works fairly well even through Bluetooth from a phone.

The Turtle Beach VelocityOne KD3 Race Wheel is intended to be used for Xbox and Windows users, allowing you to switch to and from with the swap of a button. All of my testing was conducted on the PC, as my Xbox is currently packed away, so I can’t speak on the ease of connecting to an Xbox, but it was as simple as plugging in and playing on the PC. Everything connects and works out of the box, but of course I wanted to put this wheel to the test and turn the feedback as high as I could, so I downloaded the VelocityOne Tuner app on my smartphone and immediately found my wheelbaseand tuned it on the fly with no hiccups or issues whatsoever. The functionality of the app within the Turtle Beach ecosystem is definitely something more companies should lean into—functional and simple yet effective. My first game of choice was a simple decision, Assetto Corsa being my all-time favorite sim racing game. I’m used to playing on my Simagic with a higher amount of force feedback, so I immediately turned the wheel to its max and began running hot laps. Almost immediately I noticed no oscillation in the wheel (steering swaying left to right on its own), which can be an annoying issue to deal with in most cases. Feedback felt strong and consistent, with little to no stutters or bobbles.

My first experience with sim racing was way back when I first started playing in the early 2010s on my Logitech G27, playing Gran Turismo and rFactor on my laptop, and up until 5 years ago, I made the leap into a Simagic Alpha Mini. I’ve used plenty of other wheels from many companies at varying quality and feedback, so I can safely say this wheel is more of a beginner/entry-level setup. At 3.2 nm of force, the feedback is in comparison to a cheaper option, the Moza R3 bundle, which can be purchased for $299 US at the time of review, which is considered the best budget-friendly entry-level option. The VelocityOne KD3 Race bundle, priced at $449.99, puts it at a rather higher price point, in the ballpark of Moza’s R5 bundle, priced at around the same price or cheaper when on sale. Both consist of a direct drive motor setup, and both include a basic wheel with paddles and a double pedal configuration, but with its much higher 5.5 Nm of torque.

My main question about the bundle was, does the price reflect the quality of the peripherals? And honestly, there’s no short answer here. When it comes to Sim peripherals, you want them to be made strong and sturdy, especially because they take a real beating sometimes during extensive play sessions. All the components vary in build quality, with the pedals feeling like the weakest link of this bundle in terms of actual build quality, yet the base and steering wheel both feel fairly premium and honestly better than some of its competitors’ peripherals. My biggest gripe about the KD3 Race bundle is the lack of a clutch pedal with no option to upgrade to a three-pedal layout. Not having a clutch pedal limits your experiences and also hinders the ability to purchase that shifter, knowing you can’t fully utilize the H-pattern configuration without a clutch in most cases. What feels like a small thing to some can actually cause more people to look for other options, especially those who are looking to make that leap for a more potentially serious setup. Another issue that can be potentially disastrous is the table mounting clamp, which I am not enthusiastic about. The clamp does NOT bolt into the base of the wheel; instead, it clamps as a pressure-fitted setup, which in my testing I did have come loose and move around on me, but of course your mileage may vary based on your surface. I feel as if the clamp mounting was a bit of an oversight, and hopefully they change it with any future bundles.

The steering wheel included with the bundle itself is very sturdy; even with the hard plastic and faux leather, it feels fairly premium for the price point and offers a comfortable grip and size. The magnetic-assisted shifter paddles felt surprisingly good and satisfying to use; I had no issues with latency or accuracy with shifting in my testing. The wheel is equipped with a full Xbox One controller button scheme layout, which can be used not only for its intended purposes but also as rebindable hotkeys on the PC. Some of the buttons did feel pretty mushy and not the most tactile, but of course they serve the intended purpose, so it’s kind of a nitpick issue. I do like that you can change your profile and options of the base via the steering wheel seamlessly and effortlessly.

Ultimately thequestion at hand is, did Turtle Beach deliver with their new VelocityOne KD3 Race Wheel? I believe they have come a long way and are improving in large strides, especially in the peripheral department. If you are new to sim racing and want a good, solid starting point, this is a strong, competitive setup for entry-level driving, but it’s not the most budget-friendly beginner purchase. If you plan on doing light driving on console or even some entry-level PC sim racing, this is all you will ever really need to get your foot in the door. I just wish it had a three-pedal configuration and a better mounting solution for desk mount setups; it would be an easier recommendation, especially for the current price tag. Looking past that, I strongly believe Turtle Beach, with enough time and testing, is more than equipped to produce a high-tier force feedback competitive wheel and join the upper echelon of sim equipment. There is always room for improvement, and I look forward to seeing the advancements they make.

I would love to give Turtle Beach their flowers, but for those who may have sim experience already, there are other options out there that may appeal to them, but with that being said, I believe they are more than deserving of an 8.5/10.

Well Your at It, don’t Forget to check out my other Turtle Beach Racing Reviews, like the Turtle Beach VelocityOne F-RX Formula Wheel or the VelocityOne Multi-shift USB Shifter .