Subj : The Turtle Beach Racer isnt a racing wheel for sim heads, but its To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Fri Sep 26 2025 11:45:09 The Turtle Beach Racer isnt a racing wheel for sim heads, but its an excellent entry-level choice for casual players Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2025 10:29:35 +0000 Description: The Turtle Beach Racer is a great casual racing wheel, and one you dont need to clip to a desk or larger racing setup. FULL STORY ======================================================================Turtle Beach Racer: One-minute review The Turtle Beach Racer absolutely has the potential to shake up the entry-level racing wheels market. Sim race enthusiasts need not apply; the Racer is a relatively basic offering that ditches higher-end features like force feedback and on-screen displays - the likes of which we see from the Thrustmaster T248R et al. But for more arcade-adjacent racing games like Tokyo Xtreme Racer and Forza Horizon 5 , the Racer is a bit of a cheat code to unlocking even more fun from such titles. Ive had a blast testing the Turtle Beach Racer over the past week. Dont let its relatively low price point fool you; it boasts surprisingly good build quality and is impressively versatile to boot. While a pair of clamps on the base means you can mount the wheel on a desk, the inclusion of a pair of lap rests allows you to sit back and essentially use the Racer more like a traditional controller if you prefer to play on the couch. Thats driven (hehe) home even more with the addition of wireless connectivity via a 2.4GHz dongle compatible with Xbox Series X and Series S , and PC. No PlayStation-compatible version exists at the time of writing. Put simply, the Turtle Beach Racer is one of the best Xbox racing wheels Ive tested in a while. There are some small issues, like the slight bump youll feel every time the wheel travels past neutral, and the lack of a pedal set (youll instead use the rear paddles for acceleration and braking by default) puts a dampener on immersion. But overall, this is a very impressive package for the price, and makes for a great product for first-time wheel owners or younger players. (Image credit: Future) Turtle Beach Racer: Price and availability $179.99 / 139.99 / AU$299 Available to buy now Pricier than some budget models, but comfortably under the mid-range bracket The Turtle Beach Racer is available to buy now for $179.99 / 139.99 / AU$299. Its on the higher end of that budget ballpark, but it is comfortably more affordable than mid-range wheels that offer more features like the Thrustmaster T248R and the Logitech G923. Its also costlier than similar budget wheels like the Hori Racing Wheel Apex ($119.99 / 99.99), though I do prefer whats on offer here with the Racer at a slightly higher asking price. Turtle Beach Racer: Specs Price $179.99 / 139.99 / AU$299 Weight 7.5lbs / 3.4kg Dimensions 11.7 x 11.1 x 10.9in x 297 x 282 x 277mm Rotation 360 degrees Connection type Wireless (2.4GHz), Wired (USB-C) Compatibility Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC Battery life Around 30 hours Turtle Beach Racer: Design and features As I mentioned in my initial Turtle Beach Racer preview at Gamescom 2025 , it was the products build quality that immediately surprised me. Its not something that many budget-facing wheels are known for, and while the Racers build is primarily plastic, its of a good quality. Plus, there are a number of flourishes that take the overall build up a notch. The steering wheels rubberized textured grips are extremely welcome, allowing for a slip-free racing experience. The lap rests, meanwhile, are metallic and have a satisfying weight to them. They each have a strip of textured rubber, allowing them to sit firmly in place. The lap rests can be adjusted, too, meaning you wont necessarily need to squish your thighs together. I preferred to place mine as far out as they could go, and was able to sit comfortably in my Razer Fujin Pro office gaming chair while playing. On-board buttons arent particularly anything to write home about, but they feel good to press and are all within reach of the wheel itself. Theres a good amount here, too. Youre getting a d-pad, face buttons, and three multifunction buttons that you can assign to your preference. A pair of pressure-sensitive paddles sit on either side of the wheel, and theyre impressively sturdy. Thats important, because you are likely going to use these for acceleration and braking in the absence of a set of pedals. These are the left and right trigger equivalents on the best Xbox controllers , and were assigned as such across all games I tested. (Image credit: Future) Turtle Beach Racer: Performance I have very limited desk space at my home office, so I personally think that the inclusion of lap rests with the Turtle Beach Racer is a great, forward-thinking addition to the overall package. Whats important to note here, in relation to performance, is that I felt no loss of control in using the lap rests over the more traditional desk clamps. And having tested both methods for this review, either of them is a fine choice for your racing sessions. Initially, I did feel as if the default wheel sensitivity was a bit on the low side, across titles like Forza Horizon 5 and Tokyo Xtreme Racer. However, this was quickly remedied with the Turtle Beach Control Center 2 software, which you can download on PC and Xbox consoles. Here, I was able to adjust sensitivity and remap buttons to my liking. Another issue I had with the wheel is the slightly uncomfortable bump sensation when it returns to neutral. Let go of the wheel, and it snaps back to its default center position almost immediately. This means that while turning left to right, you will feel a bit of a hitch as it passes that neutral zone. I got used to it after an hour or two, but its something to keep in mind if you were hoping for an ultra-smooth racing experience. Besides this hiccup, the Racer is an incredibly enjoyable racing wheel. The pressure-sensitive paddles are a delightful addition and are a decent substitute for pedals if you dont mind the loss of immersion or tactility. Being able to apply specific amounts of pressure here made several things easier between games, such as drifting in Forza Horizon 5 and long-term tire management in F1 25 . If the lap rests are the big winning feature here, then the paddles are certainly the unsung heroes of the package. I also have to mention the Racers wireless performance, and its another area the product seriously impressed me. Turtle Beach estimates that the wheel can go up to 30 hours on a full charge. I find this to be accurate, as I didnt have to charge the device until the tail end of my week of testing. (Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Turtle Beach Racer? Buy it if Youre after an affordable, value-busting racing wheel experience While not the absolute cheapest option on the market, the sub-$180 price point is compelling and affords the Racer some nicer materials to boot. You lack the desk space for a fuller setup The Turtle Beach Racers lap rests are a brilliant, forward-thinking addition that allows the wheel to sit comfortably on your legs, and the snug fit makes for surprisingly comfortable long-term gaming sessions. Dont buy it if You want immersion above all else No pedals and no force feedback mean the Racer isnt aimed at more serious sim racing types. For that, youll want to consider pricier options like the Logitech G923 or Thrustmaster T248R. Also consider... Not sold on the Turtle Beach Racer? Here are a couple of similarly priced alternatives worthy of your consideration. Turtle Beach Racer Hori Racing Wheel Apex Logitech G920 Price $179.99 / 139.99 / AU$299 $119.99 / 99.99 (around AU$183) $299.99 / 349.99 / AU$549.95 Weight 7.5lbs / 3.4kg 3.09lbs / 1.4kg 4.96lbs / 2.25kg Dimensions 11.7 x 11.1 x 10.9in x 297 x 282 x 277mm 11 x 10.8 x 11.3 / 280 x 275 x 286mm 10.6 x 10.2 x 10.9 / 270 x 260 x 278mm Rotation 360 degrees 270 degrees 900 degrees Connection type Wireless (2.4GHz), Wired (USB-C) USB-A USB-A Compatibility Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC PS5, PS4, PC Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC Hori Racing Wheel Apex While not quite as impressive as the Turtle Beach Racer, its far from a bad budget option and does include a set of pedals. However, the cheap plasticky build and rather listless-feeling pedals put a damper on the overall racing experience. Read our full Hori Racing Wheel Apex review Logitech G920 A mid-range Xbox-compatible offering, the Logitech G920 is the Microsoft counterpart to the PlayStation-facing G923. The brake pedals a little stiff by default, but Logitechs superb build quality and detailed force feedback really win through here. Read our full Logitech G920 review (Image credit: Future) How I tested the Turtle Beach Racer Tested for one week Tested across Xbox Series X and PC Played a wide variety of racing titles I tested the Turtle Beach Racer over the course of a week, playing titles on Xbox Series X Digital Edition and my gaming PC . Games I played with the racing wheel include Forza Horizon 5, Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Old School Rally, and F1 25. While lacking the multitude of buttons and immersive features that make it worthwhile for sim racing, I found the Turtle Beach Racer to be ideal for more casual, arcade-like experiences. In that regard, features like the lap rests and pressure-sensitive paddles made for an easy and comfortable testing period, and above all, a very fun one. Read more about how we test First reviewed September 2025 ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/turtle-beach-racer-review --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .