Fanatec Wheel Hub: What is a Hub Anyway?

The word ‘hub’ is used for a variety of components in racing and automotive terminology, but in the case of the Fanatec ecosystem, a ‘Hub’ is a specific component with a quick release, designed for the user to bolt a wheel rim or full third-party steering wheel to the front.

Fanatec was the first sim racing hardware brand to offer a modular ecosystem, starting with the ClubSport Wheel Base in 2012. Fanatec was also the first company to offer a commercial solution for mounting third-party wheels, with the introduction of the original ClubSport Universal Hub in 2014.

Fanatec’s own self-contained steering wheels do not require Hubs, but many ‘Wheel Rims’ and other parts are offered, allowing you to build your own complete, modular wheel.

Until now, each Fanatec Hub has been designed primarily as a modular component for wheel rims and other parts. The new Fanatec Wheel Hub is the first Hub designed specifically for the mounting of third-party steering wheels.

Unlike previous Hubs, the new Fanatec Wheel Hub supports 6 x 70 mm and 6 x 50.8 mm patterns – the 50.8 mm is new for Fanatec and aligns with an industry standard, making more third-party wheels compatible.

It also includes some cable clips to reduce strain on the USB cable.

As with all Fanatec Hubs and Steering Wheels, the Fanatec Wheel Hub houses some electronics that allow it to be detected by a Fanatec Base. This activates force feedback, however it does not provide data or power. This means all third-party wheels with buttons or displays must be connected to the PC separately via USB cable (or via Bluetooth, in some cases).

The Fanatec Wheel Hub is only compatible with PC. This is because third-party USB wheels are also only PC-compatible. It is also not possible to use this Hub on PlayStation, i.e. with a wheel rim attached, because it does not support button inputs, therefore no ‘PS’ button could be pressed to be recognised as an active controller.

The Fanatec Wheel Hub naturally becomes the default choice for those looking to use a third-party wheel on Fanatec Bases, however it does not directly replace the Podium Hub. This continues to be offered as the primary choice for those looking to build a modular wheel using all-Fanatec components.