INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Although the racing, flight and space simulator markets for PC users took a rather long hiatus in regards to new peripherals getting released, for the past 5 years or so things couldn't have been much better. Not only were the very first dedicated HOSAS (hands on stick and stick) controllers unveiled for flight and space simulator enthusiasts, but we also finally got to see the very first direct drive wheels for racing simulator enthusiasts. Now to be honest I've yet to move to HOSAS controllers since my HOTAS (hands on throttle and stick) setup seems to be more than enough for me but I can't really say the same about racing simulators since as I've pointed out in the past I've been to real tracks and well, even though for "normal" use the T248 racing wheel by Thrustmaster which I've been using for a while now is very good, it just doesn't come anywhere near to that experience. Sim Sports unveiled their direct drive wheelbases back in late 2022 and after a large delay (largely on my part) today's review is about their La Prima 12nm direct drive wheelbase and their La Prima button box and round steering wheel rim bundle.

    A Danish garage-to-stock-exchange success story and global leader in mechatronic innovation, Asetek (ASTK) designs, manufactures and sells gaming hardware for next-level immersive gaming experiences. Founded in 2000, Asetek established its innovative position as the leading OEM developer and producer of the all-in-one liquid cooler for all major PC & Enthusiast gaming brands. In 2013, Asetek went public. In 2021, Asetek expanded its offering of gaming hardware solutions when it introduced its line of products for next-level immersive sim racing gaming experiences. Asetek is headquartered in Denmark and has operations in China, Taiwan and the United States.

    As with other direct wheel setups you will need to marry the wheelbase (motor) with a button box and a wheel rim (you can also find boxes ready with rims) and well, that's exactly what the La Prima kit I have here includes (needless to say you also need pedals like the Forte again by Sim Sports which I reviewed a while ago). The La Prima direct drive wheelbase I have here with me sports an anodized extruded aluminum housing and features an 12Nm max peak/holding with 4Nm/ms slew rate (the Forte wheelbase has 18Nm - 6.7Nm/ms whereas the Invicta wheelbase has 27Nm - 9.4Nm/ms), 22bit absolute encoder resolution, wheel quick release system and a separate on/off button. The button box on the other hand features a grand total of 12 push buttons, two 7-way kinky switches, three twelve position rotary encoders, two thumb encoders, two contactless magnetic shifter paddles and 15 fully ARGB LED rev lights (all mentioned are fully customizable from within the RaceHub software). Finally, you have a total of 8 rims (leather/comfort+) and handles (suede/rubber) with which you can pair the La Prima button box and well, Sim Sports decided to send me the round model which also happens to be what I'm most familiar with. Yes, the La Prima is the "entry" level direct drive wheel kit by Sim Sports, but it still looks impressive on paper so let's see what it's capable of.

 

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE LA PRIMA WHEELBASE

 

 

 

 

 

 

The La Prima direct drive wheelbase arrived in a somewhat large box the front of which is taken by a large product picture, company logo the and the model name and max peak/holding.

 

 

Another product picture is placed at the rear right next to a few words about the wheelbase under a drawing, the RaceHub software under a screenshot and several arrows under which Sim Sports says you can upgrade the motor of the La Prima for a more powerful one.

 

 

Sim Sports has dressed the interior of the box with foam, so the bundle is very well packed.

 

 

Along with the La Prima wheelbase and its power adapter with its 3 tips (EU/UK/USA) inside the box you'll also find an on/off button, USB-C cable, paper with 2D barcode pointing to the user manual (online), paper informing the end user to download the RaceHub software, safety information paper and a product warranty paper.

 

 

The 8.5Kg heavy anodized extruded aluminum housing of the La Prima wheelbase measures 293mm in length, 133mm in width and 132mm in height.

 

 

At the front of the wheelbase, we find a glossy plastic plate with the model name on it.

 

 

Here you can see the quick release mechanism with the 6 contacts.

 

 

Both the company logo and name are placed at the rear and well, they do look nice.

 

 

At the rear we also find the power, on/off button and USB-C ports (the empty peripherals port is probably used with the Forte and Invicta models).

 

 

Just wanted to point out just how good the anodized extruded aluminum housing looks and feels.

 

 

Sim Sports has also placed stickers on both sides of the housing.

 

 

At the base of the La Prima we find four M6 threaded T-nuts which are movable along the length of the housing for optimal compatibility with cockpits.

 

 

The power on/off button is a nice touch although I would have liked it more if it was part of the wheelbase (sides/top, either would do).

 

 

Worth pointing out is that the La Prima wheelbase uses an 180W power supply unit whereas both the Forte and Invicta models use 400W ones.

 

 

 

THE LA PRIMA BUTTON BOX

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just like the wheelbase the box of the button box has a large product picture at the front and the company logo.

 

 

Again, a large product picture is placed at the rear right next to a RaceHub screenshot and a picture of the quick release system.

 

 

The button box is placed inside a formed piece of cardboard so no problems here either (not heavy).

 

 

Inside the box you'll find the La Prima button box, two contactless magnetic shifter paddles, Allen key, paper with 2D barcode pointing to the user manual (online), paper informing the end user to download the RaceHub software, safety information paper and a product warranty paper.

 

 

As you can all see from the above picture the La Prima is a somewhat basic button box (compared to some others in the market) but that's not a bad thing if you mostly care about number of buttons and ergonomics.

 

 

Each side of the button box has 4 push buttons, thumb encoder, clickable 7-way kinky switch and a contactless magnetic shifter paddle (rear/once attached) whereas at the center we find three twelve position rotary encoders.

 

 

The company logo is placed on top of the button box as seen above.

 

 

At the rear we find 7 mounting spots and the quick release system.

 

 

To attach the contactless magnetic shifter paddles you will first need to extend them as seen above (reveals the mounting screw).

 

 

 

THE STEERING WHEEL RIM

 

 

 

 

 

 

As expected, the front of the box is taken by a large product picture and the company logo.

 

 

Since this is a steering wheel rim there’s really no need for extra interior protection.

 

 

Aside the rim inside the box we also find a synthetic cover, 6 mounting screws, Allen key, paper with 2D barcode pointing to the user manual (online), safety information paper and a product warranty paper.

 

 

All the wheels Sim Sports offers right now are 330mm in diameter (some are 330x230/300).

 

 

Both the leather and the stitching are near-perfect so no issues from a quality standpoint.

 

 

Unfortunately, I didn’t know that the rim should be mounted on the button box prior to the magnetic shifter paddles so I had to remove them and mount them afterwards.

 

 

The La Prima wheel looks nice, right?

 

 

 

INSTALLATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sim Sports offers brackets for increased compatibility, but I didn’t ask for one because I was 100% certain that the F-GT cockpit by Next Level Racing would work without it.

 

 

In the end 3 out of the 4 mounting holes fit so do keep in mind that not all cockpits will be 100% compatible without the use of a bracket.

 

 

 

Leaving out the number of screws the La Prima wheelbase feels right at home on the F-GT.

 

 

The quick release system makes it extremely easy to mount/unmount the wheel onto the wheelbase.

 

 

I mounted the on/off button on the left of the wheelbase but again, I think it would look a lot better if it was on the wheelbase.

 

 

By default, at standby just the 3 ring LEDs of the main rotary encoders.

 

 

When playing games or when idle (RaceHub setup) colors of both the rings and the rev ARGB LED lights turn on.

 

RACEHUB SOFTWARE

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once you install the RaceHub software it will show you an epilepsy/photosensitivity warning and it will check online for new firmware versions for all the compatible peripherals it will detect.

 

 

First tab is about the button box and so from here you can map all keys, use it in legacy mode for incompatible games and finally you can adjust the rev lights.

 

 

Second tab is about the wheelbase and so from here you can set its center, adjust the torque (F1/GT3 presets), select high torque (demanding gamers), enable/disable various safety features and enable/disable sound notifications.

 

 

Finally, we have the LED tab and from here well you can change the color and brightness levels of all LEDs on the button box (and the wheelbase in the case of the Forte and Invicta models).

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

    The La Prima is the very first direct drive racing wheel to arrive in the lab and as expected I was thrilled as I pushed the on/off button for the very first time. This is also why I ended up using the La Prima kit for almost 2 full months with games like Asseto Corsa Competizione, F1 2023, Forza Horizon 5 and Forza Motorsport. Yes, with some of these games you might need to go through the hoops in order to make them work with the La Prima (or any direct drive racing wheel for that matter) but the end result is definitely worth it. Speaking about end result although I don’t know just how stronger the Forte and Invicta models are I was very satisfied with the La Prima (will post a lengthy clip on YouTube and TikTok when I get the chance). Yes, it’s not a perfect match to the real thing (especially if we’re talking about the track) but it does come very close and yes, it’s a lot more accurate and stronger compared to regular racing wheels like the T248 by Thrustmaster. Of course, the extra weight, size and even the mounting holes means you many need to spend more to get the best out of the La Prima but let’s not forget that this product is aimed towards serious gamers. Again, if I could change one thing about the La Prima that would be placing the on/off button on the wheelbase thus requiring less space and looking better in the process (perhaps a louder startup sound as well to mimic that of a sports car). I’d also like to see a manual gearbox for the La Prima and all the direct drive kits Sim Sports has but I have no idea about whether or not this is in their roadmap.

    Direct drive racing wheels were developed for the most demanding gamers and eSports professionals and well, for good or bad that puts them in the niche products category. This also means they don’t come cheap and at the time of this review the La Prima 12Nm Wheelbase retails for USD679.99 / 787.49Euros, the La Prima Button Box retails for USD234.99 / 293.74Euros and the Round Black Leather Rim retails for USD99.99 / 124.99Euros (all directly from Sim Sports). This places the entire La Prima kit to around USD1000 / 1200Euros total and well, it’s certainly not meant for everyone out there. Price aside however I really enjoyed using the La Prima direct drive kit, it’s accurate and strong enough for most scenarios, the button box has more buttons that I could ever hope to use and as for the wheel rim it almost feels like the real thing when you grab onto it. Yes, there are “fancier” models out there that pack many more features (and cost significantly more) but the La Prima does what it was meant to do and it does it very well which is why it gets the Platinum Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Force / Accuracy
- Number Of Buttons
- ARGB LEDs
- On/Off Power Button
- RaceHub Software
- Available Rims / Handles

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Mounting Compatibility (Extra Brackets Available)
- Game Compatibility (Manual Setup Required)