Windows Central Verdict
Euro Truck Simulator 2 remains among the top 50 most-played Steam games, with its American Truck Simulator sibling following behind. It's unusually compelling, especially if you hook up a compatible sim racing wheel, and MOZA has the perfect pairing with its TSW Truck Wheel. Sure, you'll need to invest a pretty penny into its direct-drive ecosystem, but nothing else can compete with this level of authenticity. It's a triumph, even with some clunky buttons and software oddities.
Pros
- +
True-to-life design, it's as close as it gets to the real thing
- +
Buttery-smooth with a compatible direct drive wheelbase
- +
Leather trim and authentic buttons are ideal for trucking
Cons
- -
Face buttons feel cheap when pressed with clunky response
- -
Expensive to adopt an entire direct drive ecosystem
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Some unusual Chinese-to-English software translations
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Driving simulators are a niche in gaming, though racing games have one of the most passionate audiences of all. Digging further into the subcategories, you'll find that trucking sims are just as enthusiastic, but its die-hard fanbase has been mostly ignored by hardware brands.
Rather than settling for the closest racing sim wheel that happens to work with Euro Truck Simulator 2, MOZA is directly appealing to the ultra-niche with its brand-new TSW Truck Wheel. It's as authentic as it gets, but it comes with a big request of requiring newcomers to adopt a complete direct-drive wheelbase ecosystem.
Is it worth dropping $299 on the TSW wheel alone? I spent the week driving the virtual highways of Europe to find out.
Disclaimer
This review was made possible with a review sample provided by MOZA. The company did not see the contents of the review before publishing.
TSW Truck Wheel: Price and availability
MOZA sells the TSW Truck Wheel through its official store for $299. Various accessories are also available for order, including the official MOZA Truck Wheel Clamp featured in this review for $49. However, since the wheel rim doesn't offer any function on its own, consumers will need to invest in a compatible wheel base, like the MOZA R9 V2, reduced from $439 to $399 at the time of writing. "Essential" accessories will vary based on opinion, though MOZA's cheapest SR-P Pedal set is $159 and includes only a gas and brake pedal.
Availability from third-party storefronts varies, but Amazon currently lists the TSW Truck Wheel for $334.38 with limited stock. More reliable MOZA R9 V2 base listings are available at Amazon for $429.99, with the two-pedal SR-P set advertised for $359 also shipped by Amazon.
Alternatively, the MOZA R9 V2 base sells for $399 at Newegg alongside the SR-P two-pedal set for $159 and, critically, the TSW Truck Wheel for $299, matching the official storefront. Besides choosing the best price, your preferred storefront may differ based on returns policies and delivery times. Check each before purchasing the complete set, or consider picking one from each to find the best deals.
TSW Truck Wheel: What you'll like
My immediate reaction to the gigantic TSW Truck Wheel is that MOZA spared no expense regarding authenticity because this thing is enormous. It's heavy, too, with a hefty 4.53 lbs (2.05kg) making my cheap Swedish office desk sweat before I even attach one of MOZA's chunky R9 V2 direct drive wheelbases and an all-important table clamp that'll allow me to pivot the TSW at a proper trucking angle. Once everything was combined and assembled, I'd instead mounted 25.02 lbs (11.35kg) of steel and plastic to my fianceé's sturdy hobby desk.
It became more evident as I spent time with MOZA's equipment that a dedicated metallic sim racing rig would better hold the weighty direct drive wheelbase and TSW Truck Wheel. It's not that you can't get by with an extra-strong desk and an adjustable chair, but the sheer density of this setup makes it more of a choice for safety than convenience. I could attach everything to my skinny desk, but the chances of everything falling forward due to a lack of counterweights are too high. Of course, this means extra expenses, but I'll explain why that doesn't feel like an issue soon.
Before I connected the TSW Truck Wheel to MOZA's R9 V2 wheelbase, I was impressed by everything on and around the rim. It's almost unusually realistic, reminding me of the wheel in my own car, which has the same mirrored scroll wheels ready to handle cruise control speeds (or anything else) alongside authentically labeled headlight and horn buttons. Of course, the little analog wheels are more of a giveaway, reminding me of my old Sony PSP Go, and the LED tachometer strip is slightly more racing-centric.
The MOZA TSW is undoubtedly the most authentic trucking sim wheel ever made.
Still, despite a couple of gamer-centric features, the MOZA TSW is undoubtedly the most authentic trucking sim wheel ever made. It's not perfect, and I'll explain why in the next section, but there's nothing else like it, and the quality is high enough to warrant the steep price for newcomers. Setting everything up is also one of the most straightforward experiences, especially compared to competing brands, making it even easier to recommend.
MOZA uses a quick-release system that relies on ball bearings in a pattern that only allows the wheel rim to attach in a proper upright position. Since the direct drive wheelbases have an infinite rotation, it doesn't matter if the TSW looks upside down after an automatic orientation. You can reset the starting position by clicking the "center" button on the MOZA Pit House companion app and define your maximum steering rotation afterward.
Pit House can recognize and activate each part of a MOZA sim racing setup separately, which leads to notifications of any available firmware updates. I won't explore the intricacies of each advanced force feedback (FFB) option here. However, I'll happily highlight the excellent "Truck" preset mode, which works perfectly with an automatic configuration for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator if it detects the games.
TSW Truck Wheel: What you won't like
The most striking downside to the MOZA TSW Truck Wheel and the Pit House ecosystem in general is the unmistakable "made in China" vibe. From unusual translations to the cheap plastic feel of the face buttons, which let out an audible clunk every time I press the horn or indicators, there's a clear limit to the production budget. There's nothing that will cause genuine roadblocks, and most software oddities are comedic rather than infuriating.
Still, the disappointing quality of button feedback isn't something you can ignore in a trucking simulator. You'll regularly be pressing practically everything on this wheel, and besides the excellent scroll wheels, every button feels underbaked and weak. It feels like something that could have been solved with affordable investments into a softer rubber membrane behind the buttons, especially considering the excellent leather stitching surrounding the rest of the wheel and overall sturdy build quality.
TSW Truck Wheel: Competition
Cost is the most prominent element when entering the simulation scene. How much will adopting a direct drive ecosystem cost you, and is it worth going all-in on this enthusiast tech? In short, it is, but there are safety nets if you're unsure, depending on your chosen retailer. Picking up MOZA hardware from Newegg nets you 30-day hassle-free returns, but some of its direct drive competitors are missing from its storefront.
I enjoyed testing Thrustmaster's T818 direct drive base, which at the time was "affordable." However, considering the combined cost of the T818, limited to a Ferrari-themed special edition for $1,099 at Amazon and something vaguely resembling a circular truck wheel like the (barely passable) Leather 28GT for $179.99 at Amazon, we're already lightyears away from MOZA's offering.
Spending this amount on passable alternatives seems absurd when MOZA can deliver the real deal for less cash.
Logitech still offers a phenomenally approachable direct drive option in its G PRO Wheel with TRUEFORCE at Best Buy for $799.99, packaged with the wheelbase and rim compatible with PC and Xbox. However, it's not authentic for trucking simulators and feels like an overspend on something that isn't close enough.
Finally, we can't discuss direct-drive racing wheels without mentioning Fanatec. The CSL DD WRC bundle at least includes a circular wheel and sells for a tempting $649.90 at the time of writing. However, again, it's not an authentic trucking wheel. Spending this amount on passable alternatives like sim rally equipment seems absurd when MOZA can deliver the real deal for less cash.
TSW Truck Wheel: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if ...
✅ You're having more fun in Euro Truck Simulator 2/American Truck Simulator than expected, and now you crave a realistic sim wheel.
✅ You have a sturdy enough desk or space to set up a dedicated sim chair/rig.
You should not buy this if ...
❌ You've never used a direct-drive wheelbase before.
❌ You plan to dismantle your sim racing setup regularly.
If you want to upgrade to a realistic truck sim experience, MOZA covers you at the shallow end with helpful shortcuts to get you right into the game. Still, its Pit House app also has a gigantic deep end that allows an incredible degree of tweaks to FFB and sensitivity that keeps you future-proofed for the inevitable journey down the rabbit hole of ultra-personalized settings profiles. I spent a few evenings remembering how addictive Euro Truck Simulator 2 can be, and the TSW Truck Wheel is entirely responsible.
However, this should not be your first-ever racing wheel. Direct-drive wheelbases are no joke and can cause injury if mishandled, including the MOZA R9 V2 used in this review with its 9 Nm of torque lurking underneath. Budding trucking enthusiasts should always start with the absolute cheapest racing wheel and then decide if they want to graduate to the MOZA TSW Truck Wheel, which is currently the most authentic simulation wheel you could ever hope to find for Euro Truck Simulator 2 (or American Truck Simulator, but to each their own.)
Purpose-built for trucking simulators, the 400mm TSW Truck Wheel is the closest you'll get to having an authentic replica in your sim rig.
