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Review

Feb 03, 2025

Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race Wheel & Pedal System Review

Lights Off
4 Awesome
Retails for: $649.99
We Recommend: $519.99
  • Developer: Turtle Beach
  • Publisher: Turtle Beach
  • Genre: Hardware
  • Released: Feb 24, 2024
  • Platform: Windows, Xbox Series X|S
  • Reviewed: Windows

Simulation racing hardware is competitive and varied, offering everything from budget-friendly plastic wheels to high-end direct drive systems costing thousands. Finding the sweet spot between price, performance, and features can be tricky. Enter the VelocityOne Race Wheel & Pedal System from Turtle Beach, a compelling contender aiming to bridge that gap, but still leans toward more of a “entry-level enthusiast”. While not perfect, it delivers a remarkably immersive experience that I prefer in a lot of ways. Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race Wheel & Pedal System is a complete package that has a lot of initial compatibility and instant setup that will get you racing moments after getting started.

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Setting up the VelocityOne Race is as you’d expect it to be for a complete system, including all the necessary components. The wheel base clamps securely to most desks, and the included pedal set connects easily. The build quality feels robust, a noticeable improvement over some other entry-level wheels. The materials are predominantly plastic, but they don’t feel cheap or flimsy. The leather-wrapped wheel rim provides a comfortable and premium feel, a welcome touch that enhances immersion. New to pretty much any wheel system on the market as a standard inclusion is the Modular Control Unit that allows for multiple mappable buttons and toggles. There’s four three-way switches, four single-press buttons, three 360 degree dials, and to main buttons for starting and stopping the power to the unit – though these can be remapped for starting and stopping a car. There’s even even a toggle switch with a cover that can be used as the ignition, with the next button to turn it over. It’s incredibly cool, and useful.

The initial setup process is streamlined, with clear on-screen prompts guiding you through calibration and configuration. The integrated display is a standout feature, allowing for on-the-fly adjustments to various settings, from force feedback strength to button mappings. This eliminates the need for constant trips to external software, a significant convenience. Though there is one if you want to fine-tune things. Once again, Turtle Beach has another proprietary piece of software to download with the VelocityOne Tuner, though there’s a mobile app if you prefer.

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The included pedal set is another highlight. The pedals offer a good range of travel and resistance, allowing for precise control over acceleration, braking, and clutch (for those games that support it). The Dynamic Brake Tek Load-Cell Braking System is a particularly welcome addition, providing a more realistic braking feel compared to other pedals. This allows for more consistent and controlled braking, a crucial element for shaving off those precious tenths of a second.

The wheel itself feels comfortable in hand, with well-placed buttons and paddles within easy reach. This is a flat-bottom wheel, which looks great, and works for most types of games. Where you’ll struggle is in rally games like EA SPORTS WRC and drift games like CarX Drift Racing Online, as your hand just can’t let the wheel slide through your hand like a full circle wheel does. It’s not a deal breaker, but drift games hurt more than rally games. The Magnetic Paddle Shifters offer a satisfying click and are responsive, allowing for quick and precise gear changes. However, in my unit, I have a sticky right paddle shifter. It seems the spring gets caught or something, to not send the paddle back to its original position. If I press hard, it sticks; if I quickly tap it, it’ll bounce back.

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The integrated display provides telemetry data and allows for quick adjustments to settings, a very useful feature. The Race Management Display used to offer statistics and information from a live game is incredibly cool. While a lot of this system just works out of the box with minimal configuration. There is some effort you have to put in per-game to get each game to output speed, rpms, current gear, and so on – Turtle Beach has a guide. I want to preface this next statement as not a bad thing, it kinda reminds me of the Tomy Racing Turbo from 1983. It allows you to turn off the HUD in your games, and solely rely on the VelocityOne Race as your dashboard. I’ve never seen anything else like it.

The VelocityOne Race utilizes a belt-driven force feedback system in the Ultra-Realistic K: Drive Force Feedback Motor, which provides a decent level of detail and responsiveness. While it doesn’t quite match the nuanced feedback of a high-end direct drive wheel, it’s a significant step up from the rumble feedback of a gamepad or lower-end wheels. You can feel the road surface, the grip of the tires, and the weight transfer of the car, all contributing to a more engaging experience. While the VelocityOne Race impresses in many areas, it’s not without its flaws. The force feedback, while decent, can feel a bit notchy at times, lacking the smoothness of higher-end systems. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s noticeable, especially if you’ve experienced a direct drive wheel.

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I tested a handful of games, both old and new: BeamNG.drive, American Truck Simulator, Assetto Corsa Competizione, Automobilista 2, and EA SPORTS WRC. Turtle Beach has a list of games its compatible with, and what components are / aren’t working with it. All of these games work as expected, and the level of effort in getting going with them was accurate. It’s that good.

I did try a recent game like Tokyo Xtreme Racer (2025) and was able to get it working, even though it’s not listed, and is in Early Access. This is a wheel that “just works” and can work beyond officially supported games.

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Despite its minor shortcomings like its flat bottom wheel, the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race Wheel & Pedal System is a fantastic value. It offers a near-premium sim racing experience at a mid-range price point. The robust build quality, comfortable wheel rim, excellent pedal set, and convenient integrated display make it a standout in its class. This wheel is perfect for sim racers looking to upgrade from a gamepad or entry-level wheel and experience a more immersive and realistic racing experience without going broke doing so. While hardcore sim racers with deep pockets might still opt for a higher-end direct drive system, the VelocityOne Race offers a compelling alternative that delivers excellent performance and features for the price that doesn’t disappoint.

A  VelocityOne Race Wheel & Pedal System was provided by Turtle Beach for review purposes