MOZA R3 Xbox Racing Wheel Review

MOZA R3 Racing Wheel and Pedals for Xbox & PC

design

MOZA was quick to win me over with the R12 wheelbase, it’s been my daily driver for nearly a year and is yet to put a foot wrong. It’s comforting then to see MOZA take plenty of inspiration from what could be considered as its flagship device. Like the R12, the MOZA R3 wheelbase is essentially a jazzy cube, understated but with enough flair to not run the risk of being called boring. The black aluminium build feels incredibly premium, with a subtle X shape and fins down each edge combining to give it a little extra character. 

What’s immediately striking about the MOZA R3 wheelbase is just how compact it is, less than 14cm across and 10cm deep, it’s almost unbelievably small and perfect for living room setups as a result. I’ve been testing it mounted on the RacGTing Challenger 301 which itself is a pretty compact racing seat and the MOZA R3 still almost looks too small for it. Despite this small stature the R3 still features full support for a range of inputs on the rear and while they’re not included in the bundle, you could add an e-stop, hand brake, shifter and digital dash all at the same time – impressive from such a little unit.

The MOZA R3 Bundle includes the ESX steering wheel which while fine, isn’t quite as premium in vibe or execution as the rest of the bundle. An adapted version of the existing (and PC only) MOZA ES wheel from the R5 bundle, it retains the aluminium alloy frame and 22 customisable buttons but the Xbox variant opts for textured PU wrapped grips instead of the smooth leather of the original. It’s still comfortable enough to hold and use, though at just 11 inches diameter some may find it a little smaller than ideal and I definitely noticed the step down in size from my usual GS V2P wheel, even though it’s just an inch larger. That more compact size does have advantages though as it means the full button layout is nicely within reach and I was able to access almost all of the buttons without changing my grip.

Like the rest of the wheel, the buttons themselves are also just OK without being impressive. Where other MOZA wheels use mechanical buttons that feel alert and responsive, every button on the ESX felt a little mushy and with noticeable wobble. The buttons here are much closer to the style you’d find on a traditional Xbox controller, they work just fine and I didn’t notice any missed inputs while playing, but carrying over those mechanical buttons would have made a real difference here. Unlike the unique Cammus C5 with its comically small offering, the rear paddle shifters on the MOZA R3 are both a nice size and crafted from metal. They’re easy to reach without getting in the way with a short travel and clicky feedback.

While they may not be as feature rich as some of MOZA’s other offerings, the SRP-Lite pedals included with the R3 bundle are more than up to the task for a casual racer. Compared to the small, plastic pedals in something like the Logitech G923, the SRP-Lite pedals here are robust with an all-steel construction and a nice range of customisation when it comes to positioning.

It’s just a two-pedal set though a separate clutch pedal is available as an added extra, as is a Performance Kit that adds a larger spring and dampers. I’d highly recommend grabbing this if your budget allows as I found it greatly improves the feeling of the brake which relies on Hall effect sensors as opposed to a load cell.

performance

While the MOZA R3 isn’t the first or even the only direct drive racing wheel for the Xbox Series X, it may well be the most accessible. The Logitech G Pro is excellent but it’s advanced, and at £1349 for the wheel and pedal combo it’s not a realistic option for those just starting out or looking to go up a step from a belt or gear driven wheel. That’s the balance the MOZA R3 Xbox Racing Bundle is aiming to strike, maximising performance without blowing out the budget, and the good news for Xbox racing fans is it does a pretty good job of it.

While all eyes will understandably think to turn to the MOZA R3’s direct drive wheelbase as the star of the show, it’s the ESX wheel itself where the compatibility magic happens. While that does mean the brand’s more powerful wheel bases like the excellent MOZA R12 are Xbox compatible, unfortunately existing MOZA wheel options like the GS V2P aren’t. F1 fans aren’t completely out of luck though as MOZA does offer a couple of ‘ES Mod’ wheel rims, including a formula option, that can be swapped in and bolted to the main wheel body similar to the Thrustmaster EVO Racing system.

It was simple to bolt the MOZA R3 to a RacGTing Challenger 301 racing seat with the standardised mounting holes all lining up perfectly and providing a secure fit. If you’re in a slightly more DIY setup however, MOZA still has you covered as the R3 Bundle includes their beast of a clamp mounting bracket as standard. Firing everything up for the first time the R3 was immediately recognised by my Xbox Series X with no additional setup and I was able to hop straight out on track in Forza Motorsport. Game compatibility is decent and largely plug-and-play too, though there are a few notable exclusions like F1 23 which offers no support at all, despite 21, 22 and 24 all being included.

Disappointingly, despite a generous 22 button layout across the face of the MOZA ESX wheel I found a real lack of compatibility for anything other than the basic ABXY arrangement. Trying to map any of the additional buttons in Forza Motosport for example, either they weren’t recognised as an input at all or the game saw them as another existing input. LSB for example was picked up as the left paddle by the game and seen as a duplicate of that input rather than its own. It leaves you with a range of buttons that do little more than look pretty, including that Radio button that feels like a real missed opportunity. The buttons do technically work, so this may be something that’ll improve over time as more games natively support the MOZA R3’s full feature set.

It’s hard to convey just how much of a difference in experience there is between the 3.9Nm direct drive servo motor of the MOZA R3 and a gear driven option like the G923, it’s night and day. While clearly not as powerful as the MOZA R12, the R3 still delivers the same smooth, responsive and detailed force feedback that I’ve become accustomed to. Snaps of oversteer might not attack your wrists in the same way a more powerful base like the Logitech G Pro will, but there’s more than enough oomph to wrestle with and I was surprised how much I still had to fight the wheel when going off track. 

Overall performance did vary a little from game to game and I found I had to turn to in-game settings a couple of times to just round out the force feedback experience. Forza Motorsport tried to shake me out of the Challenger 301 at the end of a long straight with a rogue setting causing the entire wheel to violently wobble at high speed, yet I found myself looking to bump up settings across the board in Forza Horizon to really feel connected to the car. In both cases though I was quickly able to iron things out and in Forza Horizon in particular, the end result was an experience that took my enjoyment of an already great game to another level.

You likely won’t be able to refine your trail braking technique with the included SRP-Lite pedals in the MOZA R3 Bundle, but the target market probably doesn’t know what trail braking is and these pedals do a great job for more casual racing. Where the Logi G923 pedals feel almost toy-like under foot, the SRP-Lite pedals feel robust with the Hall effect sensors providing precise control. Without the optional Performance Kit the brake pedal does feel lacklustre however, the lack of resistance is an immersion killer and does the entire bundle a disservice. Trust me, get the Performance Kit.

An underrated element of direct drive wheels is how easily the output of the servo motor can be tuned and MOZA makes it incredibly simple with the Pithouse mobile app. The Bluetooth connection was quick to discover my R3 Bundle, not only for initial setup but was almost instantly connected when I came back to it a couple of weeks later. You’ll find a whole range of options in the app, including a few racing type and even game specific presents, so it’s worth having a play around.

It’s worth noting the full R3 Bundle is also PC compatible (though you’ll need to toggle between modes on the feel to switch back and forth) and the same options are available via the desktop app as well.

summed up

Xbox gamers have long had cause to feel left out when it comes to sim racing gear, existing options were either relying on outdated tech or simply far too expensive for most gamers looking for a quality but casual setup. It’s not perfect, but the MOZA R3 goes a long way to answering that call, for a majority of gamers this direct drive racing setup is going to tick basically every box. 

The force feedback is smooth and detailed with enough power to make you work but not rip your arms off, the pedals are robust and precise and while the wheel itself may not be quite as strong as the rest of the bundle, it’s still more than good enough for day to day driving. The MOZA R3 doesn’t quite feel like the finished article but it’s breaking new ground and may well usher in some competition for a console and a price point that’s long been overlooked.