Moza Vision GS, the steering wheel with integrated programmable screen | Test & Review

Vision GS is the latest steering wheel from Mozacompatible with all its Direct Drive bases, designed for maximum customization thanks to a circular screen positioned in the middle. This is a very ambitious project, a high-quality steering wheel, sold at a decidedly “premium” price, a whopping 829 euros. Let’s see what’s so special about this steering wheel.

How it’s done

The structure is made of aluminumthe entire front and rear paddles are instead made of forged carbon fiber. The grip cover is made of synthetic leather. The size is 310 mm, with a classic shape for GT cars. Just lift it to understand that it is a high quality product, both in the choice of materials and in the construction. The quick release system is the classic Moza, a bearing system that works very well.

Inside the handle, in the center, at the top, there is the LED indicator of the engine revolutions. In the center we find the large circular screena 2.85” model has a frequency of refresh at 60 Hz and it’s touchscreen.

Next to it, on both sides, there are two joysticks, different from each other. The left one has a free movement, so it detects all the positions in which you tilt it, the resistance is enough to have good control. The right one instead behaves like a directional pad, with a nice “click” when you move it. If you are solid wearing gloves when driving, you will appreciate the presence of this joystick that allows you to be much more precise than a directional pad.

In total there are eight buttonsfour on each side, one near the joysticks and the other three aligned along a horizontal line, just below. These are buttons with a very hard actuator, obviously compared to classic buttons. You will have to use more force to activate them and you will be rewarded, again, by a strong and satisfying click. The choice to use actuators that require such force is probably due to greater control, to avoid sending unwanted commands that could change some driving settings, and to always offer greater feedback when using gloves. The same goes for the two wheels, one on each side, a little too sunk into the structure in this case. Always with the same approach, three multiple selectors have been aligned under the screen. All the buttons are backlit and you can choose the color. The package includes various stickers with which to customize the buttons.

The paddles are lined up behind, divided in such a way as to obtain four different commands. The two upper paddles are magnetic, the resistance is “just what is needed”, and also in this case we are rewarded with a nice “clack”. The lower ones are spring-loaded, but the feedback is sustained for almost the entire travel.

The central screen

What makes the difference is obviously the central screen, which is completely customizable. Basically you can choose between different graphics, not particularly exciting. They are quite basic or classic. The system (Moza Pit) detects it as a screen, an accessory already available that you can add to your kit. You can build your own screen through an interface which literally lets you draw it, importing the various elements to display. I didn’t spend much time drawing my screens, simply because the result I got was only mediocre. It’s not among the most intuitive software out there, simply because it only provides the basic tools and the difference will have to be made by the creativity of the person. Probably by spending a few hours I could achieve a satisfactory result, but I prefer to let the community of enthusiasts have fun and make many different graphics available – “exploiting” someone with better taste than me. Uploading and exporting graphics is very simple, so I imagine that on the web, after a few weeks, there will already be many dials to choose from.

The definition of the graphics goes far beyond what is necessary. There is also an integrated accelerometer inside that allows you to keep the graphics horizontal when we turn the wheel. It is a very convenient function that allows you to immediately identify the information you need in any racing situation. With a more classic wheel, equipped with an integrated rectangular screen, obviously it is not possible to rotate it, so this possibility is welcome. However, I have not had the opportunity to thoroughly test its effectiveness. As soon as it was installed, the default screen rotated, even if it jerked a little too much; the rotation was not fluid, it rotated in small steps and the result was an image that moved jerkily. After the firmware update, even though the option is present in the software, it no longer rotates. I am testing this wheel in preview with the beta software, so it is possible that all this can be resolved with a simple update.

Test of use

As just specified, This steering wheel was tested before its official releaseand some features, such as the lap LEDs, did not work in the games I tried. After the release there will be updates that will bring compatibility to the various games and these problems will disappear.

The grip, shape and size are not a problemindeed it is very comfortable, equal to other high-end steering wheels. The feedback from the rear paddles is excellent, especially the magnetic ones. The two joysticks, with a different response, are functional for interacting with games.

The central screen does its job well and its effectiveness changes based on the graphics. The fact that it can be customized, even if it is not something immediate, amplifies the possibilities of use. It is also possible to switch from one screen to another with a swipe from top to bottom, or display secondary screens with a lateral swipe. For example, you can have a simplified screen that only shows the gear and secondary screens that show the times, or the map, or any other function that is useful to you. It will be up to you to decide whether to show the various information all on one screen, or whether to divide the information into the various screens, perhaps with larger and more legible characters. It’s a shame though that the touchscreen will only work if you use your fingers. or touch gloves; in my case, using normal gloves without a touch surface, I can’t use it.

The “hard” click of the buttons is appreciable for mehowever perhaps a little less force would have been sufficient.

Verdict: Who should buy it?

Moza Vision GS is undoubtedly an interesting product. There aren’t many steering wheels with a central round screen (I only remember a Fanatec GT3 model from memory), but perhaps it’s the customization that promises more than anything else. It’s certainly not cheap, it’s a product for super enthusiasts, and it has no particular defects, except the price.

If you think you can take advantage of the center screen, then this is the right product for you. If you are not convinced, you can wait and see what the community is able to create to give value to the Vision GS.