Moza R5 Bundle

Our rating: 9.6/10

The main sim-racing players are brands that have been present in the segment for many years. Fanatec, Thrustmaster and Logitech have been around for at least twenty years, and many other players have emerged between 2000 and 2010. In any industry, and this also applies to sim-racing, having many years of experience confers a certain notoriety and know-how.

But as we all learned at school, there’s always the exception that proves the rule, even in sim-racing. The most popular brands include Moza Racing, Simagicand SimLab. These players have made a name for themselves in the game, without having decades of experience like the others.

Take the example of Moza Racing This brand was launched in September 2021 and has still managed to make a name for itself in the pool of world-renowned sim-racing players. Among the products offered by this Chinese manufacturer, we have an entry-level bundle comprising a base, a steering wheel and a pedalboard. This is the Moza R5 Bundle and we’ll look at it in more detail in this article.

Main and technical features of the bundle

• 5.5 nm torque base
• 28 cm diameter steering wheel with RevLED and leather finish
• 2-pedal metal crankset
• PC-compatible only
• Base mounting plate included in bundle
• Magnetic sensor on pedals

Design

The design of Moza Racing’s bases developing less than 10 nm of torque is quite similar. As on the R9, we find the ” X “very typical of Moza Racing bases, with a driveshaft that doesn’t protrude all that much from the housing.

Speaking of the casing, it’s matte black in color, with a rather rough texture when you touch it. The latter is made of aluminum, which optimizes cooling of the engine and on-board electronics.

The steering wheel is fairly standard in shape, with a flat bottom and a diameter of 28 cm. There’s a RevLED above and the buttons are on the sides of the faceplate, and the structure is aluminum, which is a guarantee of sturdiness.

The pedals are metal, with 2 identical pedals. It’s beautiful, simple and minimalist.

Customized assembly

The Moza R5 Bundle comes with a kind of plate and clamps, and the whole thing allows the base to be attached to furniture, such as a desk or table. The mounting system is well designed, solid and allows the R5 to be fully usable on furniture, even with its 5.5 nm of torque.

As far as cockpits are concerned, this base is supported by many models available on the market, and you’ll have no trouble installing and using it.

The basic crankset is the SR-P Litewhich, unlike the standard SR-P, has no Load Cell. Of course, this allows the bundle’s pedals to be used on the floor, thanks to the rubber pads on top of each pedal.

Manufacturing and finishing

Even if this product is part of Moza Racing’s entry-level range, the Chinese manufacturer is up against Fanatec, and therefore had to use premium materials to compete with the German sim-racing giant.

For its structure, the Moza R5 Bundle uses aluminum for virtually all its components. The base is made entirely of aluminum, for strength and optimized cooling. The steering wheel structure is also aluminum, with leather trim. And the crankset is metal for maximum rigidity.

Build quality is excellent, even for an entry-level product. I didn’t notice any burrs or manufacturing defects, and the same goes for the finish. This bundle is just beautiful and superbly crafted.

Getting started with the bundle

The Moza R5 base is rather compact, with contained dimensions of 17.4 x 15.7 x 12.4 cm and a weight of 3.5 kg. You’ll have no trouble manipulating it to install it on your setup, and that’s already a great thing.

As for the steering wheel (the Moza ES), it’s 28 cm in diameter, which puts it in the category of small wheels, like those from Logitech. Over time, you’ll get the hang of using it for sim-racing. At the rear, 2 large aluminum paddles are easily accessible for racing. And on the faceplate, we have 18 buttons and 1 D-Pad. Controls are easily accessible and the overall ergonomics of the steering wheel are excellent, as is the RevLEd. On the other hand, there’s no switch or funky switch on this wheel, which is a bit of a shame, but understandable given the price at which the bundle is sold.

For the crankset, all you have is a magnetic sensor and a small spring that returns the pedals to their initial position, and I’ll let you imagine what it’s like under your foot (see below).

Sensations during play

It’s time to move on to the sensations provided by this bundle, especially its base and crankset. For the R5, the feel is as authentic as a 5 nm CSL DD. The engine’s force feedback is both smooth and precise, giving you virtually everything the car you’re driving does on many sim-racing titles. Thanks to Moza’s software (Pit House), you’ll be able to properly calibrate this base to give you its maximum performance, albeit with certain limitations, as the force feedback is not as fine as on a CSL DD for example.

Don’t forget that the R5 only comes out with 5.5 nm of torque, and this one faces the same criticisms as the 5 nm CSL DD: seasoned drivers will find that it lacks juice and detail, that clipping happens too early and that this base is clearly intended for players who come from a Logitech G29 or Thrustmaster T300, namely bases no Direct Drive.

As for the crankset, the SR-P Lite is just there to look good. Sensation-wise, it’s not a huge deal, as both pedals are identical in terms of feel. This means there’s virtually no resistance on the brake pedal, and you’ll have to step up to the “Performance Kit” to get a better feel underfoot.

Compatibility

This bundle is compatible only with the PC platform and PC sim-racing titles. So we have Asseto Corsa, iRacing, Forza Motorsport and more. For PC racers, that’s no problem at all. For console users, however, Fanatec is the natural choice.

Value for money

The Moza R5 bundle costs around €580, depending on the online retailer. You can buy it on the Moza Racing website, but the prices shown do not include VAT. As far as I’m concerned, the value for money of this bundle is pretty good, especially when compared with what the competition like Fanatec is offering. Well, it’s true that a CSL DD bundle, depending on the steering wheel, may cost you less, but you’ll get the plastic QR1 Lite in any case, and you’ll have to pay more for the metal QR1, and that should more or less balance the prices between the two brands’ bundles.

My verdict

I find the Moza R5 bundle good for those coming from a setup that isn’t Direct Drive, such as those with belt drive. The feeling you get with the R5 base is much better than with a Logitech G920, for example, and you’ll feel a big difference, especially in terms of detail, between the two technologies.

But if you’re a seasoned racer with a good deal of sim-racing experience, you’ll have to go for the base R9, as you’ll find that the R5 is clearly aimed at a much more amateur and novice audience. That’s not to say that the R5 is a bad base, no. It’s just that it suffers from the same problems as the 5 nm CSL DD.