HardwareControllersSteering WheelsCustomers left cold as Fanatec says Sony validation is delaying ClubSport DD+ wheel base: ‘we expected to receive this approval sooner’When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
HardwareControllersSteering WheelsCustomers left cold as Fanatec says Sony validation is delaying ClubSport DD+ wheel base: ‘we expected to receive this approval sooner’When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Fanatec)
Fanatec has delayed the release of its upcoming ClubSport DD+ racing wheel base due to a slow licensing process at Sony, the company has told customers awaiting the product. Originally expected to arrive with customers in December, the DD+ is now in a limbo until Fanatec can square it away with the console giant.
“The ClubSport DD+ is the first product on the market incorporating Sony’s new security electronics,” an email sent to pre-order customers from Fanatec says. “Consequently, the product approval procedures are comprehensive and time-consuming. Initially we expected to receive this approval sooner. To date, we are still waiting for it, which is why we are currently unable to ship your order.”
I’ve reached out to Fanatec to ask for any further information it can share on the specific cause of the delay.
Speaking to one customer awaiting their order originally expected around December 27, I was pointed to aFanatec forum threadfrom October in which Fanatec notes that this console licensing is still subject to Sony’s final product approval. It also notes in an update to that same thread that pre-orders had opened with the exception of Japan, specifically due to licensing reasons in the country.
Licensing can be tricky. It was only recently that Microsoft announced it would crack down on third-party wireless controllers, and I recommend anyone check out thisarticle from Duncan Robertsonover at GamesRadar regarding what the licensing process actually looks like in light of that decision. Note the specific part about dedicated and proprietary chipsets required for PlayStation and Xbox pads. Also the bit about the regular meetings with representatives.
(Image credit: Fanatec)
With that in mind, Fanatec hassold officially licensed Sony productsin the past including the Gran Turismo DD Pro and Podium lines, which suggests it likely had a good idea of the licensing process going into production and the timeframes related to that. It is also working closely with Sony. From the aforementioned statement, it sounds like Sony’s new security electronics have thrown the company an unexpected curveball and one that even a company with some experience in the matter didn’t see coming. That happens sometimes, but judging from the reaction to the delay from those affected the messaging could and should have been clearer.
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals
A tricky pill to swallow for customers is why they were given an expected ship date starting in December for a product pre-ordered in October which in January has a licensing issue for which there is no firm later shipping date. Those pre-orders sure do sound like they went live prematurely in my view, but I’ve asked Fanatec if this is normal practice and I’ll update if I hear anything back on this point.
There are two sizeable threads on the Fanatec subreddit (thread one,thread two) filled with complaints about the handling of the delay. A couple of users report they have cancelled orders but many more are wondering why it’s only clear now that this licensing issue persists.
(Image credit: Fanatec)
Race on(Image credit: Future)Best PC racing wheels: perfect for any circuit.Best VR headset: which set is right for trackdays?
Race on
(Image credit: Future)Best PC racing wheels: perfect for any circuit.Best VR headset: which set is right for trackdays?
(Image credit: Future)
Best PC racing wheels: perfect for any circuit.Best VR headset: which set is right for trackdays?
The DD+ wheel base has been developed to comply with the official licensing program requirements for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles. This is an issue with the more powerful 15Nm (Newton-metre, a unit of torque) ClubSport DD+ modelonly.The lower power 12Nm DD model does not offer PlayStation support.
At least there’s theLogitech G Pro Racing Wheelthat’s PlayStation compatible and rocking up to 11Nm? Silver linings…
More about steering wheelsMy favorite direct drive racing wheel bundle is back to a price I can truly recommend this Black FridayFeel the need for speed? The Logitech G920 is just $190 this Prime Day, and I’ve found a direct drive racing wheel deal that’s worth shouting about, tooLatestToday’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11See more latest►
More about steering wheelsMy favorite direct drive racing wheel bundle is back to a price I can truly recommend this Black FridayFeel the need for speed? The Logitech G920 is just $190 this Prime Day, and I’ve found a direct drive racing wheel deal that’s worth shouting about, tooLatestToday’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11See more latest►
More about steering wheelsMy favorite direct drive racing wheel bundle is back to a price I can truly recommend this Black FridayFeel the need for speed? The Logitech G920 is just $190 this Prime Day, and I’ve found a direct drive racing wheel deal that’s worth shouting about, too
More about steering wheels
My favorite direct drive racing wheel bundle is back to a price I can truly recommend this Black FridayFeel the need for speed? The Logitech G920 is just $190 this Prime Day, and I’ve found a direct drive racing wheel deal that’s worth shouting about, too
My favorite direct drive racing wheel bundle is back to a price I can truly recommend this Black Friday
My favorite direct drive racing wheel bundle is back to a price I can truly recommend this Black Friday
Feel the need for speed? The Logitech G920 is just $190 this Prime Day, and I’ve found a direct drive racing wheel deal that’s worth shouting about, too
Feel the need for speed? The Logitech G920 is just $190 this Prime Day, and I’ve found a direct drive racing wheel deal that’s worth shouting about, too
LatestToday’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11See more latest►
Latest
Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11
Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11
Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11
See more latest►
Most PopularPiranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod sceneSorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultTeam Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anythingIf you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 offAMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fabI tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bayFinal Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their altsTikTok’s time in the US may be ticking to a close as it makes a last stand in the Supreme Court, though Trump now says he ‘opposes banning’ it
Most PopularPiranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod sceneSorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultTeam Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anythingIf you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 offAMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fabI tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bayFinal Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their altsTikTok’s time in the US may be ticking to a close as it makes a last stand in the Supreme Court, though Trump now says he ‘opposes banning’ it
Most PopularPiranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod sceneSorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultTeam Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anythingIf you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 offAMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fabI tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bayFinal Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their altsTikTok’s time in the US may be ticking to a close as it makes a last stand in the Supreme Court, though Trump now says he ‘opposes banning’ it
Most Popular
Piranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’
Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod scene
Sorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our fault
Team Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40K
Is the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.
Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anything
If you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 off
AMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fab
I tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bay
Final Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their alts
TikTok’s time in the US may be ticking to a close as it makes a last stand in the Supreme Court, though Trump now says he ‘opposes banning’ it
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS
1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
1
Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop
2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop
2
Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop
3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most
3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most
3
Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most
4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands
4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands
4
Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands
5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested
5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested
5
Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested
1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review
1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review
1
Thank Goodness You’re Here! review
2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review
2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review
2
Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review
3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review
3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review
3
WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review
4Ikea Utespelare desk review
4Ikea Utespelare desk review
4
Ikea Utespelare desk review
5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
5
Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
