Confirmed.. I went through replacement twice (brand new units) and an on my third unit first two wheels had massive grainy and constant vibration issues which were impossible to solve with any kind of troubleshooting. Third wheel is smooth for about an hour then there is an intermittent grainy feel. For now not sure if the issue can be solved with firmware or is actually a hardware problem but for the moment, I don't think fantatec is on top of the issue. If you want stuff that's working 100% the first time think twice before making any decision. If you do have issues with fanatec products you will wait weeks for support as well so bear this in mind.
I got mine in the first main batch - as in not the early air-freight orders - delivered in February, about a month earlier than the pre-order shipping date indicated.
Since then I've had no problems whatsoever - that's a GT DD Pro with CSL load cell pedals, SQ v1.5 shifter, Clubsport Hub v2, Formula v 2.5. Hooked it all up to both Xbox and PS5, but spend most time on PS5 with GT7, ACC and F1 2021 - yes I know I need a PC, that's next on the list :-)
I don't know if I've just been lucky, or if it's just a case of people being more inclined to shout when something goes wrong than when it goes right.
I used to own a tech website called TrustedReviews and back then I always said that there are key differences between professional reviews and user generated ones. A journalist - ideally - has no skin in the game, they should just tell it like it is and advise readers about their own observations and experiences. The minute you pay money for something you expect a certain level of quality, which is understandable. So when that expectation isn't met, you justifiably will complain, but when it is met you'll generally not shout about it because the expectation is that things should work properly, so why shout about things being the way they should be?
I have no idea how many units Fanatec ships, or what the ratio is of satisfied customers compared to unhappy ones, but I would imagine that the number of happy ones far outweighs the unhappy ones - companies don't stay in business when the ratio is the other way around.
However - and this is really important - back when I was reviewing tech every day and dealing with tech companies every day, I always said that you don't judge a company's ability to serve its customers by how it behaves when things go right, you can only evaluate that when things go wrong. I know what's involved in the manufacturing of tech - I've spent enough time in Japan, China and Taiwan visiting factories and R&D labs to know that there are myriad points of failure and pre-launch testing can only go so far. But the key to customer satisfaction and ultiamtely customer retention, is how you deal with problems when they arise.
I haven't had to deal with Fanatec customer service yet, so I can't comment on what that experience is like, but even thought I've had no issues with my kit so far, part of me is worried about what my experience will be if I do encounter one. And that should be reason enough to invest more resource in customer support, because, as a thus far satisfied and happy customer, I should not be feeling anxious because of the bad experiences that I see others are having.
No you´re not lucky, you just received your gear like it should be and i do also think that the vast majority did as well.
I´ve been googling this issue almost daily and yes, there are reports of the same issue on different platforms (reddit, forums...) but counting the people here and everywhere else there are maybe less then 50 indivual cases with same/similar issue and since it is very unrealistic to think fanatec only sold 1000 units (my guess would be 15000-30000 units) the failure rate even with 100-150 cases is not that bad.
I ordered when they offered it outside of the GT bundle. Got it last week. Deployed platform to the letter...absolutely adhering to every requirement. Happens that Sony (PS5) starts banging patches in/out of GT7. As of date, I get no FF or Damping whatsoever. F12021 won't even launch. I'm retired and refuse to soak beta F/W for Fanatec or anybody else. This thing was supposed to boot to GT7 and race. It doesn't.
So I tossed a sheet over the whole rig and wait for a FW up issue or sell it outright.
I saddled up the solid Logitech G29 and hit the track/s flawlessly.
I got a standalone 8nm unit in March. Been great so far with both my 918 rsr and Formula V2 w APDM. F1 2021, ACC, GT7 (except for PD’s #$%$ fb change 1.16) are all fine.
Honestly, I think the CSWv2 is a pretty good base...I'm not sure how much of an "upgrade" you'd find the CSL DD / GT DD to be. Remember, you'd be going from a Clubsport (mid-level) product to a CSL (entry-level) one. These new Fanatec DD bases were built to a very aggressive price point, and the quality of materials and subsequent QA processes reflect that. I'm not sure that's worth it, just to get your hands on DD technology.
I can only give my experience - clearly the issues are there as many have shown. I came from a CSW V2 which has been solid since first introduced. I was looking for PS compatable option, and the PS DD1 was an expensive way to try out DD tech, plus its not sold standalone (and not totally smooth sailing there either). Plus didn’t need the wheel as it adds another cost almost as much as a CSL DD. Yes a CSW DD option would be what I’d really want as the CSL series is entry level.
So is DD an a noticeable improvment on the belt drive CSW? I would say yes, and at the price, its a cheaper bet at this time. I don’t see a CSW level DD product showing up any time soon, not this year anyway. So I took a chance and lucked out so far. Keeping the CSW V2 as a backup tho.
Comments
The thing is we do not know how many Fanatec sells and how many comes back. But there are certainly a lot issues with their products.
They have gone mass market hence the issues they are having. It is easier to manage a smaller company.
It is their customer service which is a concern right now.
Confirmed.. I went through replacement twice (brand new units) and an on my third unit first two wheels had massive grainy and constant vibration issues which were impossible to solve with any kind of troubleshooting. Third wheel is smooth for about an hour then there is an intermittent grainy feel. For now not sure if the issue can be solved with firmware or is actually a hardware problem but for the moment, I don't think fantatec is on top of the issue. If you want stuff that's working 100% the first time think twice before making any decision. If you do have issues with fanatec products you will wait weeks for support as well so bear this in mind.
I got mine in the first main batch - as in not the early air-freight orders - delivered in February, about a month earlier than the pre-order shipping date indicated.
Since then I've had no problems whatsoever - that's a GT DD Pro with CSL load cell pedals, SQ v1.5 shifter, Clubsport Hub v2, Formula v 2.5. Hooked it all up to both Xbox and PS5, but spend most time on PS5 with GT7, ACC and F1 2021 - yes I know I need a PC, that's next on the list :-)
I don't know if I've just been lucky, or if it's just a case of people being more inclined to shout when something goes wrong than when it goes right.
I used to own a tech website called TrustedReviews and back then I always said that there are key differences between professional reviews and user generated ones. A journalist - ideally - has no skin in the game, they should just tell it like it is and advise readers about their own observations and experiences. The minute you pay money for something you expect a certain level of quality, which is understandable. So when that expectation isn't met, you justifiably will complain, but when it is met you'll generally not shout about it because the expectation is that things should work properly, so why shout about things being the way they should be?
I have no idea how many units Fanatec ships, or what the ratio is of satisfied customers compared to unhappy ones, but I would imagine that the number of happy ones far outweighs the unhappy ones - companies don't stay in business when the ratio is the other way around.
However - and this is really important - back when I was reviewing tech every day and dealing with tech companies every day, I always said that you don't judge a company's ability to serve its customers by how it behaves when things go right, you can only evaluate that when things go wrong. I know what's involved in the manufacturing of tech - I've spent enough time in Japan, China and Taiwan visiting factories and R&D labs to know that there are myriad points of failure and pre-launch testing can only go so far. But the key to customer satisfaction and ultiamtely customer retention, is how you deal with problems when they arise.
I haven't had to deal with Fanatec customer service yet, so I can't comment on what that experience is like, but even thought I've had no issues with my kit so far, part of me is worried about what my experience will be if I do encounter one. And that should be reason enough to invest more resource in customer support, because, as a thus far satisfied and happy customer, I should not be feeling anxious because of the bad experiences that I see others are having.
No you´re not lucky, you just received your gear like it should be and i do also think that the vast majority did as well.
I´ve been googling this issue almost daily and yes, there are reports of the same issue on different platforms (reddit, forums...) but counting the people here and everywhere else there are maybe less then 50 indivual cases with same/similar issue and since it is very unrealistic to think fanatec only sold 1000 units (my guess would be 15000-30000 units) the failure rate even with 100-150 cases is not that bad.
Vincent:
I ordered when they offered it outside of the GT bundle. Got it last week. Deployed platform to the letter...absolutely adhering to every requirement. Happens that Sony (PS5) starts banging patches in/out of GT7. As of date, I get no FF or Damping whatsoever. F12021 won't even launch. I'm retired and refuse to soak beta F/W for Fanatec or anybody else. This thing was supposed to boot to GT7 and race. It doesn't.
So I tossed a sheet over the whole rig and wait for a FW up issue or sell it outright.
I saddled up the solid Logitech G29 and hit the track/s flawlessly.
Good luck and hope you land a winner.
I'm jus say'n.
I got a standalone 8nm unit in March. Been great so far with both my 918 rsr and Formula V2 w APDM. F1 2021, ACC, GT7 (except for PD’s #$%$ fb change 1.16) are all fine.
FYI - you need to have the wheelbase in compatibility mode (purple light) before launching F1 2021 or it won’t work.
Most people sound like there are definitely issues which is a bummer because I'd like to upgrade from my CSWv2 to the GT DD Pro.
Looks like I'll wait a bit longer or may just make the jump to Moza.
Honestly, I think the CSWv2 is a pretty good base...I'm not sure how much of an "upgrade" you'd find the CSL DD / GT DD to be. Remember, you'd be going from a Clubsport (mid-level) product to a CSL (entry-level) one. These new Fanatec DD bases were built to a very aggressive price point, and the quality of materials and subsequent QA processes reflect that. I'm not sure that's worth it, just to get your hands on DD technology.
Appreciate the input. Definitely food for thought.
I can only give my experience - clearly the issues are there as many have shown. I came from a CSW V2 which has been solid since first introduced. I was looking for PS compatable option, and the PS DD1 was an expensive way to try out DD tech, plus its not sold standalone (and not totally smooth sailing there either). Plus didn’t need the wheel as it adds another cost almost as much as a CSL DD. Yes a CSW DD option would be what I’d really want as the CSL series is entry level.
So is DD an a noticeable improvment on the belt drive CSW? I would say yes, and at the price, its a cheaper bet at this time. I don’t see a CSW level DD product showing up any time soon, not this year anyway. So I took a chance and lucked out so far. Keeping the CSW V2 as a backup tho.