"xbox one ready"?
My Fanatec website experience has been an exercise in frustration and futility. The site is so poorly designed and difficult to navigate. I'm ready to drop several thousand dollars on their gear but I won't do it until my questions are answered. I sent Fanatec an email to get those questions answered over a week ago and have yet to receive a response. The bundles are lacking and don't seem to align with the types of selections most new, upgrading, or high end racers would be interested in. Why not just give a discount as you bundle your own products, the more you buy, the more you save?
My biggest issues with the site however is the lack of essential information required to make basic purchase decisions. For example, I have an xbox one and am interested in building an F1 setup that is xbox one compatible. What in the heck does "xbox one ready" mean? I've scoured the internet and YouTube and cannot find a proper answer. I find a bundle labeled "xbox one ready" but when I drill down on specific component compatibility, the rim is NOT xbox one compatible! An example would be the CSL ELITE RACING WHEEL F1® 2020 LIMITED EDITION, the ClubSport Steering Wheel F1 2020 is NOT xbox one compatable as stated in the compatibility section.
Same is true for the CSL ELITE F1® SET - OFFICIALLY LICENSED FOR PS4 and it's bundled ClubSport Steering Wheel F1® Esports...the bundle says xbox one ready but the rim says not compatible with xbox. Fanatec has got to be losing sales over this and the fact that their website is so lacking in basic explanations of these terms is troubling to say the least...and their FAQs are worthless!
I also read that button mapping is limited on xbox one...sure would be nice if Fanatec offered information about this in the purchase process!
Will I have to download drivers for my new purchase? Will I only be able to do this with a PC? Kinda important to know this kind of stuff and disclose it during the purchase process.
SOLD OUT. Is there an estimated date when the product will again be available for purchase?
Forza Motorsport Wheel Bundle for Xbox One ... Really nice bundle...EXCEPT that I want an F1 rim! Why are there no bundled options like this for F1 with xbox?
Please don't misunderstand, I think Fanatec's product line is amazing, that's why I've spent hours and hours researching my options, however, their lack of critical information, return policy, delayed processing and shipping times, lack of available products, and wait time for new products, means that if I purchase their products without first getting my questions answered, I eat the cost and still can't race! Almost makes me want to buy the company just to fix these issues.
Comments
"xbox one ready" means the base gets compatible to XBOX One when a Xbox licensed steering wheel is attached to the wheelbase.
For Playstation it is the other way around. The steering wheels are labeled "Playstation ready" because they get the Playstation compatibility when attached to a PS compatible wheelbase.
XBOX compatibilty is gained through the licensed steering wheels, PS compatibility through the licensed bases.
So the only way to get an Formula type steering wheel and play on the Xbox is the Formula V2, which unfortunately only is bundled in the Podium Racing Wheel for Xbox & PC atm.
Imo it is not a good time atm to make a purchase for sim racing gear in general, demand has exploded and most companies couldn't and still can't fulfill the orders in time. Atm it is the best to have patience.
I've emailed customer support a few times and never once heard back from them.
That said, I've placed several orders for in stock items and they've all arrived quickly.
Once you order something it shows up in your profile and you can open a support case from your profile, which I've done a few times, and while there is a few day delay, they have gotten back to me each time on the support cases I've opened.
Sascha explained how the rims work, so hopefully you have an understanding of the compatibility now.
A few other tips since you can't get a hold of a sales person:
-Never order backordered items with in stock items -that will delay your whole order.
-Choose 2 day shipping, and only order in stock items - I've done this 3x and have gotten my items within 7 calendar days each time.
-The CSL Elite wheelbase has a clamp, the others need the $59 table clamp (unless you're mounting to a sim racing rig)
-If you've never seen it, the $59 table clamp is the most impressive clamp you'll ever see and is one of the best kept secrets on this site - the clamp alone weighs nearly 10 pounds.
-The F1 2020 edition was a limited edition - it shows "Sold out" but really should show "Limited edition - no longer available"
-Most other items that show "Sold out" probably just sold out that day, and will either be back in stock soon, or will display "Open for pre-orders" soon, but other than the F1 2020, I've never seen anything say "Sold Out" for more than one business day.
In your case it sounds like what you want is the Formula V2 rim, Pedals of some sort (any of them should work) and a wheelbase.
As per drivers, the xbox has the drivers - there is nothing to install - but - different wheelbases have different ways to be placed into Xbox mode, so you'll want to read the docs when you get it. They do recommend that you connect to a PC so you can update the firmware. It does not need to be a "gaming" PC - any laptop or desktop with a USB port is enough to install the PC Driver/firmware package so you can update the firmware.
Finally, you might have heard/read about something called Fanalab - that's a PC only program that you don't need if you're just going to use it on Xbox.
I hope this helps.
Thank you both for your thoughtful responses....Sascha, you solved the mystery for me!!! It makes so much sense now that you've explained it (wish Fanatec would've done that).
So, armed with the info you provided I ordered the Clubsport base and pedals and, since the Clubsport Formula 1 V2 rim isn't currently available, I went with the CLS Elite P1 for xbox one steering wheel with the thought that it will get me up and racing and I can be use it for non-F1 racing sims. I ordered the V2 separately (so that it wouldn't hold up my order) and will get it when it finally comes available.
Thanks again!