Fanatec DD vs SimuCube 2
Colin Stone
Member
There is quite and interesting thread over at Race Department comparing Fanatec DD vs SimuCube 2 wheel bases.
I was mildly curious is anyone here has compared the 2 and what their views are??
The SimuCube wiki is quite a good idea.
https://granitedevices.com/wiki/SimuCUBE_firmware_releases
Clear info without getting tangled up with forum posts. I would like to see something similar, particularly for Fanalab. In the various threads there is loads of info, but forum posts sort of cloud the issue.
It would be good see a Fanalab pdf manual.
Comments
I know a lot of the guys in some of the FaceBook groups absolutely despise fanatec DD bases... No one gives a clear reason for the hatred but, for me the ease of use of the fanatec wheel rims was a positive for me so I opted for the Fanatec DD2 vice the similarly priced Simucube2 Pro...
Many of the grips I read was the DD1/2 felt "grainy" compared to the SC2 but, I've also read that the fanatec issues can be easily rectified via firmware releases...
I think the biggest issue with fanatec I can see is that the most stable firmware I have found on my DD2 is (and has been for months) beta drivers... I still cannot get fanalabs to properly load on my PC so I don't even bother anymore.
It really seems its one of those to each their own situations, many of the videos I've seen are more subjective... I'm curious to see actual legitimate non-biased opinions but, that apparently is unheard of anymore.
I've tried both DD2 (mine) and my good buddy's SC 2 Pro. Since the release of the later drivers for the DD2, from about December last year, you'd be hard pushed for anybody to tell the difference between them FF-wise. My pal with the SC 2 Pro was a little mocking at first but he can't really tell the difference in FFB now.
Like Clifford said, the Fanatec wheels are just a bit more user (gamer) friendly than the SC 2 Pro wheels such as the Ascher, with stuff like the little screens, Fanaleds, FlagLeds, rotaries, joysticks, etc.
This is not enough of an answer for me.
After almost 3 years with a DD1 and DD2, endless firmware updates that break more things than they fix, 2 dead power supplies with as many dead DD2s and the horrible tech support, with the only exception being the person that gives you the links to the beta products, there is no way I would buy another Fanatec product.
One of the DD2s took 4 months to get a replacement on the premises of Covid! Really ! My kids where climbing the wall rightly so.
Fanalab is close to useless, crashes or hangs, the drivers for the wheels and the DD platform are pathetically designed and implemented. although I do not know it all, I deal with Windows' memory manager stack so I did quite a few stack traces trying to figure out their drivers and Fanalab.
Their new products, like the Porsche GT wheel still doesn't have all its functions working after over a year since it was released!
Need more convincing or want to buy one of my DDs let me know.
And my good buddy that I wrote about two posts ago is on his second Simucube 2 Pro. What I'm saying is that you're always going to have issues with electronic products, high price tag or not. Plus, people are more vocal when they have issues.
Please don't think I'm defending either product as I originally wanted to purchase a SC2 Pro and Ascher wheel but I couldn't get my hands on either so I 'settled' for the DD2. However, since using it and having access to an SC2, (if both work as designed) there really isn't that much difference between them FFB-feel wise and that is what we buy them for. The reason I now prefer the wheel of my Fanatec setup over that of my friend's Ascher wheel is that I have things like encoders, rev lights and joystick etc. built in whilst he has an old phone strapped to his SC2 and a button box, etc.. It's just that little bit more user friendly being under your fingers rather than having to set up extra gear around you. He too is waiting for Ascher wheels to come back in stock to get something with encoders on the wheel and believe you me when I say that's going to cost him about the price of the DD1. I also like the ability to change the, say FFB strength during a race on the OLED of the wheel/DD2 OLED screen without having to Alt+Tab. I know, I know, it's only a very minor thing but they do add up.
Also, SC2 Pro isn't without it's own issues, very many are the same issues faced by Direct Drive wheels of all brands. Some aren't issues at all but rather are characteristics of electric motors in general, like 'notchiness' or a grainy feeling.
I suggest you read Granite Devices forum and you'll see that they have some of the same issues we have over here at Fanatec.
I personally think Fanatec driver/firmware problems stem from the fact they have so many products, I don't think they have time to focus on one product for long enough to work on the software/firmware as there are so many, with different stages of hardware versions. That is only my humble opinion though and am happy to be wrong. I feel for the software/firmware development department though.
As for you guys who have problems with running Fanalab, this really could be problems on your local machine. Stuff as simple as non-latin characters in a username have been known to break software in the past. It still happens with games today on a regular basis so like I say, the issues could be on your PC.
Sorry Christopher, it's the best I've got since I don't own both the DD2 and SC2 Pro. Everything I say is going to be anecdotal and totally insufficient. :)
I think what I'm saying guys is that I don't regret my DD2 purchase and enjoy it, what's the point otherwise, right? However, I'm also not tied heavily into the Fanatec eco system, I 'only' have the DD2 and F1 2020 LE and am willing to jump ship if I needed to or felt that I needed to. However I don't, for now I'm happy with what I have and will be staying over here.
@Richard Jones2,
Now that you have the DD2 another year, are you still happy with its performance?