CSL DD - your questions answered!
Thomas Jackermeier
Member
Thanks to everyone who submitted questions about the CSL DD, we feel and share your excitement! This video answers the most commonly asked questions about the CSL DD:
To summarise the pricing structure for all regions:
CSL DD with standard power supply (5 Nm): 349.95 EUR (incl. VAT), 349.95 USD (excl. VAT), 599.95 AUD, 47,900 JPY.
CSL DD with Boost Kit 180 (8 Nm): 479.95 EUR (incl. VAT), 479.95 USD (excl. VAT), 829.90 AUD, 65,500 JPY.
Boost Kit 180 purchased as a separate upgrade: 149.95 EUR (incl. VAT), 149.95 USD (excl. VAT), 259.90 AUD, 20,000 JPY.
CSL DD Table Clamp: 29.95 EUR (incl. VAT), 29.95 USD (excl. VAT), 49.95 AUD, 4,490 JPY.
We decided that the most environmentally friendly approach is to ship all CSL DDs with just your selected power supply in the box. So if you select the bundle with the Boost Kit 180, your CSL DD package will only include the larger power supply.
Additional year warranty for CSL DD (with either power supply): 49.95 EUR (incl. VAT), 49.95 USD (excl. VAT), 79.90 AUD, 6,700 JPY.
CSL Pedals (two pedal set): 79.95 EUR (incl. VAT), 79.95 USD (excl. VAT), 129.90 AUD, 10,500 JPY.
CSL Pedals Clutch Kit (adds a third pedal): 39.95 EUR (incl. VAT), 39.95 USD (excl. VAT), 64.90 AUD, 5,490 JPY.
CSL Pedals Load Cell Kit and CSL Tuning Kit These accessories are not available yet. We will announce pricing and availability later this year. The CSL Pedals with Load Cell Kit will be below 200,-.
The CSL DD with Boost Kit 180 is significantly cheaper than the ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5, and yet it has much higher performance as a result of direct-drive technology. While peak torque is similar, the fidelity, responsiveness, wheel speed, and acceleration are all superior to the belt-driven system, and this is why the ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5 is also no longer in production.
Pre-order waves explained:
Due to very high demand, CSL DD pre-orders will be limited to one unit per customer. To keep it as fair as possible, we are also rolling out pre-orders in three waves:
First wave:
- Must use an existing Fanatec account with previous order history
- Must be subscribed to the Fanatec newsletter
- One unit per customer
Second wave:
- Must have a Fanatec account
- Must be subscribed to updates through newstandardd.fanatec.com
- One unit per customer
Third wave:
- Available on the website for everyone
- One unit per customer
Drivers were pouring over the CSL DD (together with the Podium Steering Wheel BMW M4 GT3) at this weekend’s Fanatec GT World Challenge event at Circuit Paul Ricard, which generated additional hype alongside another fantastic Fanatec Esports GT Pro Series race! We received plenty of positive feedback; drivers were surprised by its fidelity (having immediately come from the much stronger Podium DD2 bases used inside the Fanatec Arena) and its ability to deal with the sophisticated BMW wheel.
We also can’t wait to hear about the three pre-production units that are being tested by your selected YouTubers.
Some of you have noticed our Steering Wheels section in some regions has been quite limited recently, but this will be resolved very soon, stay tuned for more product announcements!
Comments
Thanks for the update Thomas. It's really ticking all of the boxes!
I'm going to be that guy though, and ask if there is a rough release date for PlayStation versions? 😜
I need that compatibility for PC and PS5. 🙏
PS4 and 5 cobabulitis ?
This is so awesome, lovely to see the consideration of the community in this rollout!
Will the new pedals be released on the same day as the wheelbase? Also, do you expect there to be any Steering Wheel/CSL DD bundles?
130-150€ for a damn power supply? Seriously?
479,95 for a damn DD which is better and cheaper than the Clupsport Wheel Base V2.5? Seriously?
😘
Don't get me wrong. The price for the standard CSL DD is awesome but the price for the boost kit is a ripoff. Way to high for a power supply which cost you practically a couple cent more in the production as the standard one.
100€ for the bigger power supply would also be to high but way more customer friendly.
Bargain. (Compared to a €100 kill switch.)
Wait until you see the shipping cost... 😚
We are selling two versions. Just because the 5Nm version is priced even more agressive than the 8Nm version does not make the 8 Nm version expensive if you compare it to any other wheel base out there.
Think about the value we give to you and be happy for the owners of the 5Nm version that they get it even cheaper.
Does anyone else thinks that the pricing of the 8Nm version is not customer friendly and not attractive?
Yessss, I never used a ricing simulator, and this will be my first wheel base ever. Today i just ordered the Clubsport V3 pedals and I hope can receive the first wave pre order. I only need two left products: the steering wheel and the base for my build. So exited
Thomas -
What about the BMW wheel that was announced late last year? Nice to see at least one exists, but is this a real product that will be available for consumers? You have not given a single update that I can find for the cost, release date, and QR info that numerous people have requested.
I am subscribed to the email list, but that seems pointless as I rarely get emails from it, and if I do, it is stuff that you announced several days prior. Is there a better way to stay informed?
Please at least let us know cost and release date of the BMW wheel, or let us know if you've decided not release it. The Q2 timeframe originally announced is upon us. :)
There is no problem with the pricing of the DD, but let's be honest, paying 130 (or 150) EUR/USD for a power supply is quite a difference. How can you explain the costs for a power supply? Or am I missing something and it is more than just a power supply?
Hi all. Im quite new in simracing, currently i have T150 and im considering to order that new CSl pedals. I assume that i will have to also order that Clubsport USB adapter to connect pedals to my PC. If so, Hall sensor will work only on 8bit (like older csl when connected via adapter), and not on 12 bit?
Thomas, the main problem is. You sell the CSL DD with a power supply which gives us 5NM of torgue. When we want 8NM we can order the CSL with the boost kit and pay 130€ more. When we buy it separatly we have to pay 150€. Now take your calculator and subtract 150€-130€ and you get 20€ for the standard power supply. In which world is a stronger power supply ~7 times more expensive than a smaller one?
It makes no sense to me. And i think i am not the only one.
I think the price for the 8Nm is fine but the problem is that the price structure for this product is artificial and your customers can see that. It feels like customers buying the 8Nm version are basically subsidizing this product for you to be able to sell the 5Nm version for cheap to beat the competition.
As I said on the announcement blog post, there should have been only one version of the CSL DD anyway. Artificial product segmentation is never good for the customer, but of course, a ~420€ entry wheel base does not look as good on paper...
Oh. You mean that we are selling the 5Nm way too cheap? Because we made the 5Nm 130 cheaper just because we used a different PSU?
Are you suggesting that we should charge 459,95 for the 5Nm version?
I fully agree. This should be a reasonable price. But perhaps the customers of the 5Nm don't mind if they get an extra discount. Is it unfair that we make the 5Nm so affordable? Let`s see how many people will be happy to get the 8Nm version and are happy to get a DD for less than the price of a ClubSport WheelBase V2.5
If you are right then we should not sell many of the 8Nm versions. We will see...
Hey Guys. Great updates today thank you. Looks to be an incredible product at an amazing price. Thank you for creating the new standard for sim wheels. Quick specific question. I have the csl elite ps compatable wheel bundle. I think it’s the P1 wheel maybe ? If I buy a CSL DD will I be able to simply move my wheel from my current unit directly to the new DD ? Or will it require another
component ?
looking forward to hopefully getting a new unit with the power boost
thanks again !
The uplift from a 350 EUR 5nm base to a 480 EUR 8nm base, when the only difference is the power supply is hard to take.
The difference in cost of a ~150W--> ~250W power supply is not an additional 130 EUR to Fanatec - and its worse than that because the 5nm base comes with a power supply that has to be worth something like 50 EUR.
That makes the 8nm power supply have a total cost of ~180 EUR. Its obvious that the PSU does not actually cost this much, and this is going to be the bad news story that will be in all the press and commentary at launch.
(The DD1/DD2 has a 480W power supply, per the Fanatec specs page).
You’re paying $130-150 for an extra 3nm (or about 40% more than the base option) of torque, not a bigger power supply. Fanatec is not obligated to sell something for cheaper just because their costs happen to be less. Economics 101. The price is based on value, not cost of goods sold.
This is no different than any other high margin product, there will be no bad press, and people will happily pay it because it’s still the best deal on the market.
Now you say Fanatac want a cheap DD entry to get the hype and marketing effect but won't pay the bill. So you have to ripoff every 8Nm buyer. Basically the 5Nm version is only a marketing stunt.
That's the way how you can ruin every revenue you get from the marketing stunt. It's your choise and you have to deal with it.
"Basically the 5Nm version is only a marketing stunt."
I assure you the CSL DD running at 5 Nm for 349.95 EUR is very real. We are not forcing customers to buy the Boost Kit 180. The CSL DD with its standard power supply is a very capable device, one that we believe sets a new standard for the industry at that price point.
[Fanatec Community Manager]
First wave:
Thank you Thomas!
So basically the "entry level" model is being aggressively priced to compensate for the loss of the CSL Elite in the lineup. While the more powerful 8nm version is a more realistic price point for what's on offer, but is also being used to subsidize the entry level version.
Makes sense to me from a business perspective. But gotta admit having that differentiator being a power supply has the potential to raise eyebrows.
why don't you just split the difference between nm and euros. make a 6.5nm wheel and sell it $400 or Euros ? win win situation.
I'm happy with my CSL Elite PS4 wheel (and much more happy after dialing in some settings like the DRI to OFF) so I would wait for the new pedals which seem to be really nice and good looking
Let's see if I can make sense of the pricing strategy.
People are assuming that the 350 euros is the real/fair price of the CSL DD base and the 480 euros version with the 180 Kit is an overpriced version do to perceived value. If this narrative is correct - and only Fanatec can really know the fair price for the CSL DD base only - then Fanatec is definetly raising eyebrows, in my opinion, with good reason; making us pay for a power supply that costs 150 euros, while the version that comes natively would be costing much less than that! They will look really greedy for doing this to be honest!
Then you can see it from the opposite side. The real price of the CSL DD is around the 450 euros mark, and instead of them raising the price absurdly for a power supply, they are actually lowering the price (quite more difficult to believe that is what is happening for a lot of people). Now, if they are lowering the price because it's more attractive to people who want to spend a bargain, then I doubt they aren't getting their profit margin from the other version... Let's pretend that 350 and 480 are both deflated and inflated values. It means the real price of a 8Nm and 5Nm version would get around the 50/50 up and down (with the difference in the cost of around 20 Euros for the Power Supply), making the price of the 5Nm around actually 395 Euros and the 8Nm around 430. The way they are making it out to be - if the case is indeed a compensation of profit loss from the 8Nm costumers - is that they are willing to compromise more for the people that need less Nm and make the ones who would like a bit more, being punished for that, when the costs could be better distributed between both type of costumers.
If one thinks about it, a price of 400 for the 5Nm isn't really that big of a difference if you include the price of a rim and pedals from fanatec. If the pack costed 350 euros would be one thing, but the price will get much steeper than that, so 50 euros after that will not actually feel that heavy and Fanatec wouldn't be alienating costumers who want something stronger and are more serious at Sim Racing.
Just my two cents and the economy side gets quite more complex than people might think.
If you were to buy the boost kit separate (ignoring shipping fees), you'd pay $499.90 vs $479.95. Both options are cheaper than the discontinued belt-driven CSW 2.5 in addition to the new base being a DD. If the price(s) don't sit well with you, wait for the black friday / holiday deals 😅 LFG Fanatec!
Thomas I think you should charge at least $500 or even $550 for the 8 Nm CSL DD.
The reason why you will sell many of the 8nm one's is a simple marketing strategy. The 5nm one is very fair priced which makes it very interesting for many customers. If they see they can even get more nm's on the same product, the decision for a "future call" might be more close. That's why you can price it that way that changing the power supply suddenly is 130€ more worth. It's just a strong marketing move to make a big group of people buy the "upgrade". But yeah, as J Albertsma said "How can you explain the costs for a power supply?" Like to see the upgrade is just a more powerful supply means you are paying 130 Euros for a better power supply. In how far is to be explained?
Thank you for making DD affordable!! Now hurry up so I can give you my money!!!!
Hey Thomas (or any other Fanatec representative reading this), will the default brake pedal on the 2-pedal set be able to convert into a clutch when we get the load cell kit? Thanks