Moza KS

Our rating : 9.7/10

The Chinese brand of sim-racing peripherals Moza Racing literally came out of nowhere, and over the last 3 years or so, has offered us a pretty good ecosystem, I must admit. The catalog includes some 6 bases, several steering wheels, 3 cranksets and many other sim-racing accessories. Some of you may feel that this catalog pales in comparison with the one from Thrustmaster or Fanatec But it’s also important to remember that Moza has been in the game for around 3 years, while the other two have been there for over 20. So…

Whatever the case, Moza is clearly determined to gain market share from the competition, and that’s all to our good, because competition means a multitude of choices for us riders, and also products that will see their prices lowered.

The steering wheels offered by Moza include the KS Steering Wheelwhich I’ll call the KS in the following. This steering wheel is typical Formula, with its distinctive shape and discipline-specific functions such as DRS, ASR and so on. In this article, I’m going to introduce you to this steering wheel, tell you about its strengths and weaknesses, and give you my opinion.

Main and technical features of the steering wheel

• Specific Formula form flywheel
• 30 cm diameter
• RevLED
• 17 controls in all, with 4 aluminum pallets
• Compatible with Moza QR
• Wireless or physical base connection
• 2 direct and 2 progressive palettes
• PC and Pit House compatible
• Metal structure with carbon fiber composite

Design

The design of the KS is based on that of Formula/GT steering wheels, with a rectangular shape that is typical of the discipline. The steering wheel is made of metal, but it has a carbon-fiber-style skin that looks a bit cheap, I must admit. To be honest, this steering wheel is quite expensive, and at this price (I’ll come back to this below), I’d really have liked to have carbon fiber instead of a composite of plastic, metal and carbon fiber.

The design is a combination of sobriety and flashiness, much like that of a racing car. Virtually all the controls are backlit with LEDs of different colors, and I like this, as it allows me to quickly locate the button I want to use. Some, however, won’t like it, and understandably so. Overall, I think this steering wheel is beautiful and will go well with many sim-racing setups.

Customized assembly

This wheel is mounted using Moza Racing’s QR at the rear, one of the best on the market by the way. The connection between the wheel and drive shaft is one of the strongest in the segment, allowing virtually no flex once in place.

To place or remove the handwheel from its base, simply pull the ring, align the handwheel, then release the ring. It’s simple, quick and easy to do, just like a race car. What’s more, you don’t have a pin system like on Fanatec bases/QRs, where you have to be very careful not to bend the little metal rods. Here, the connection with the base station is either wireless or physical, thanks to a special ring.

Manufacturing and finishing

Even though this steering wheel features a carbon-fiber design, it’s just a bit aesthetic, unfortunately. For the structure, we have metal for the entire steering wheel, with reinforced carbon-fiber composite (basically plastic) and TPE rubber for the handles. It’s very well made, as well as very well finished, and I didn’t notice any burrs, poorly assembled parts or anything else at all.

Moza offers premium-quality products, and the KS steering wheel is no exception. The TPE rubber looks cheap, as does the carbon composite, but at least it’s well made.

Handling the steering wheel

The ergonomics of the KS steering wheel are very good, I must admit, apart from 2 buttons where you’ll have to do a bit of gymnastics, as they’re positioned much more towards the center than the others. These are the S1 and S2This choice of location is deliberate, to place the sticks close to the fingers. Well, it’s not too bad, but it’s worth noting.

As for the rest, the steering wheel is easy to get to grips with, and the driving position is much tighter around 10:10, instead of the standard 9:15. On long sim-racing sessions, I noticed that the KS was very comfortable, which is nice.

The other controls are ideally located and easily accessible on the fly. And the same goes for the paddles, except that the direct ones are a bit spongy, which can cause you to miss a few quick shifts.

Sensations during play

I’ll now turn to the feel of Moza Racing’s KS steering wheel. Already, the position of your hands on this wheel is much more towards 10:10 than the usual 9:15. Is it bad for sim-racing? No, at least not after a few hours with this steering wheel. I must even say that this position is rather comfortable for those who want to have a good time on ACC, for example.

The steering wheel is solid in the hand, with easy access to virtually all controls. I say practically, because the S1 and S2 buttons are too close to the center because of the joysticks, so you’ll have to do a little thumb gymnastics to reach them. Nothing too bad, but it’s worth mentioning.

This steering wheel will fit perfectly with all the bases offered by Moza Racing, from the R5 to the R21, including those in the middle. And I think that’s normal, given that this wheel is typically Formula, and many riders love this discipline, without having a very high-end setup.

However, not everything is perfect with the KS, especially the pallets. There are 2 direct gears with magnetic sensor, and 2 analog (progressive) gears for clutch, launch control, etc. The analogs are superb, nothing to say about that. On the other hand, the direct drives aren’t very responsive, which leads to gearshift misfires, especially when you’re on F1 2022 and trying to shift gears. It’s not a very restrictive negative point, but it’s there nonetheless.

Compatibility

The KS is compatible with all Moza Racing chainstays, thanks to its excellent Quick Release, which ensures the most solid connection to the drive axle. What’s more, this steering wheel can be used on other bases with the aid of an adapter, which is frankly a good thing.

For sim-racing titles, you have all those on PC, as this wheel is practically like the rest of the Moza catalog: compatible only with Windows computers. It’s a bit of a shame for console racers, but Moza hopes to change that in the near future, and it’s actually started with its R3 bundle, which is Xbox compatible.

Value for money

The KS currently sells for €299, and its price has dropped by €50 since its launch. Value for money is pretty good, I must admit, especially when you consider the build quality, the customization of the controls and the sturdiness of this wheel. It does have its little flaws, such as the carbon composite rather than carbon fiber structure, but that’s nothing to worry about.

My verdict

I really enjoyed my sim-racing sessions with this KS from Moza Racing. In my opinion, the overall build quality and finish are excellent, with very good ergonomics, especially during long sim-racing sessions. OK, the direct palettes are a little soft and it will take some getting used to, but that’s nothing to sneeze at either.

The big advantage of this steering wheel over the competition from Fanatec is its price. Selling for €40 less than ClubSport Formula V2.5 X from FanatecThe KS is sure to appeal to a wide range of riders. In any case, I approve. It’s not perfect, but it ticks virtually all the boxes of a good Formula steering wheel.