I just tested the Nacon Revosim RS Pure sim racing rig — it feels like Fanatec for a fraction of the price

Most people think you need the most expensive sim racing gear for the best-feeling driving experience. To those people, Nacon’s Revosim RS Pure would like a word with you when it comes out in June for $799.

After trying the prototype of this last year, I was left impressed but a little concerned that Nacon was being overambitious. How could it hit a sub-$1,000 price, but still offer an all-metal build for ultimate durability, and the performance and modular versatility to match?

However, those concerns quickly vanished as I got to try the finished product at a preview event. I’m here to confirm that the hype is real. Let’s talk about it.

@tomsguide

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Nacon Revosim RS Pure: Specs

Nacon Revosim RS Pure: What I like

I sat behind the wheel and got to work in three different racing titles:

• The more arcade-y Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown
• The more sim-focused F1 24 and WRC Generations (with the assists turned off)

These really showed to me the true strengths coming with this wheel (emphasis on strength).

Pole position performance

So let’s get into what is most important here. The Revosim RS Pure wheel packs 9 newton-meters (Nm) of direct drive force feedback, and the modular load cell pedal system packs a 100Kg sensor to detect even the finest of trail braking.

To translate those numbers into driving feel, this is a fantastic wheel and set of pedals to race with. That direct drive offers an impressively realistic wallop of strength, while providing all the finer intricate details I needed to understand what the car was doing in reaction to my inputs.

Whether it’s the subtle dips in the dirt roads of the Monaco rally, or identifying the first early signs of subtle understeer that could impact my lap times at Silverstone in F1 24, the strength and intricacy of this wheel’s detailed feedback gave me Fanatec levels of confidence in my driving.

Pair that with the load cell braking system — really unlocking my ability to trail brake in F1 24 in a way I never felt in cheaper pedals — and this is a great package for sim racing enthusiasts who are keen to upgrade but wince in terror at the price of doing so (more on that later).

Oh, and for those who wish to take that immersion to the next level, there are plans to introduce more wheels to attach to that base for more racing styles, a clutch pedal to add to the pedal set, and (the main things I missed most in WRC) a gear shifter and handbrake.

A seriously premium package

When it comes to this mid-range price bracket of direct drive wheels, there seems to be a sliding scale between the performance and build quality.

So far, I thought the sweet spot was the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race — strong plastic and good enough direct drive to get a feel of the car. Nacon has just smashed this sliding scale to pieces.

It starts with the unmistakably premium synthetic leather wheel that feels great in the hand with plush cushioning where it matters — built around an aluminum frame for rigidity and buttons in all the right places for quick access.

This is attached to an all-metal direct drive wheel base. That choice of material is sure to eliminate any possible chance of subtly contorting it under the force of that 9Nm torque. Plus, it’s versatile in compatibility with sim seats given those built-in grooves to add the screw holes wherever you need them.

And to top it all off, the steel and brushed aluminum pedal set has a durability that tops off a super premium build quality with a long-term reliability to give you confidence.

Value for money

And I can’t shout this loudly enough. This is Fanatec levels of premium build quality and direct drive performance — all bundled together for just $799/£799.

Coming into this without the prior knowledge of what a top-tier sim racing setup costs, you’ll probably balk at the price. But when you see wheels of this caliber head up over $1,000 (and that's just for the wheel without pedals), you start to see how something like this can offer bonkers value for money.

Nacon Revosim RS Pure: What I don’t like

That’s not to say this is the perfect package. There are some cutbacks here and there that can cause some pesky issues based on what your sim racing use cases are.

Some desk-use frustrations

OK, so chances are if you’re looking to step up your sim racing wheel game, then you’re already looking for a sim seat to pair with it — something like the PlaySeat Formula Instinct for the best driving experience.

But of course, that’s an additional investment (not just money-wise but in space taken up in your room), so including a desk clamp for the wheel and a grippy-enough bottom surface for the pedals is essential.

And while these are indeed here with the Revosim RS Pure, the setup I tested with did have a fair bit of wobble on the sim wheel clamped to the desk, and the pressure of pushing the brake pedal did move the pedals around a lot (or move the desk chair back).

There are accessories you can buy to put a stop to this (like wheel stops or a pedal box), but it’s a little disappointing that straight out of the box, these aren’t addressed.

Compatibility is a question mark

So far, the Revosim RS Pure is a PC-only sim racing rig. Nacon has confirmed that conversations are happening to bring Xbox and PlayStation compatibility to the Pure, but the question of “when” is one that is a tough one to answer.

If you’re a PC racer on the likes of iRacing, this will not be a problem. But if you found your love in the likes of Gran Turismo 7, then you’re out of luck with this wheel.

Then comes the follow-up question of just how much that price could go up for the bundle with console support. You can see in the price differences between the Logitech G Pro PC and PlayStation wheels that there is a hefty licensing cost that comes with making peripherals for Sony’s console in particular.

All we can do is hope that this can be absorbed into the current MSRP.

And on a side note, using a Nacon app on your phone to show race telemetry is another effective cost-cutting measure to just putting the display directly into the wheel. But it’s time to cross our fingers for game developers to support it, and if the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race is anything to go by, the chances of compatibility can be slim.

Nacon Revosim RS Pure: Initial verdict

But all of this aside, one thing is clear from my time testing this wheel: Nacon is truly onto something with the Revosim RS Pure sim racing bundle.

It’s the combo-breaker of performance and value for money, while also throwing in an impressive amount of modularity, a premium build quality and versatility across a wide range of sim racing types.

If you’re someone who is looking to take the next step beyond that cheap belt-driven wheel you’ve used for years now, June needs to come fast for you! This could be my favorite sim racing wheel of 2025.