Podium BMW Wheel for GT3 Review

Groundbreaking steering wheel, Announced recently by Fanatec, we were just getting recovery from Flack Friday craziness when Fanatec announced a new steering wheel for the simracing community, the brand new Podium BMW, planning for releasing on the second quarter of 2021,

We take a close look at this wheel, and we want to analyze the new “features” Fanatec introduce or is “planning to introduce” on this product, First, we need to mention right from the bat, that this steering wheel has been developed simultaneously for both the real and for the virtual racing, in collaboration with BMW Motorsport, the Podium Steering Wheel BMW M4 GT3 sets a new bar for sure in simulation realism.

But do we really need that much realism? What is the line between a game and real-life racing? nobody knows, but what we really know is, for most simracing racer like you and me, this is an overwhelming waist of features.

“I think”, clearly this racing wheel was created for a niche on the mind, professional e-sport racer looking for that small millisecond in the lap that makes the difference between winning or losing a race.

Besides that, the new revolutionary improvements than Fanatec is including in this racing wheel, we really like the new RGB LED-backlit on buttons and switches, the materials ( carbon fibre ) and the no so new Quick Release.

This Steering wheel is compatible with your PS4 and the new PS5 Console, and of course like any other product from Fanatec is natively compatible with your personal computer ( PC ) too.

Best Price On Fanatec

The Buyer’s Guide and Review

Last modified: March 16 of 2022.

Product Overview
Product Type	Steering Wheel
Model	BMW M4 GT3
Serie	Podium
Pedals	Not Included
Editorial Rating	Not Test
Ready For	PC / PS4 / PS5
Product Page	Podium BMW GT3 Product Page

Videos

BMW M4 GT3 wheel revealed | Fanatec + BMW Motorsport | Podium Series

Engineered by FANATEC® in collaboration with BMW Motorsport, the Podium Steering Wheel BMW M4 GT3 sets a new bar for simulation realism.

Brief Design Overview

Official BMW Motorsport product
Rubber hand grips molded over carbon fibre structure
Multi-layer (8 layers) full carbon fibre body
Dust and water resistance
IP65 rating in shock and vibration
310 mm diameter and 1400 g (approx)
Communicates with 2022 BMW M4 GT3 via CAN bus
Fanatec QR2: all-new quick release
Dual-action (push/pull) magnetic shifter paddles
Two dual-Hall sensor clutch paddles
4-way D-pad under the BMW logo
Three backlit 12-position rotary switches with encoder functionality
Two custom-designed, 12-step thumb encoders with Hall sensors
1” OLED display
RGB LED-backlit front buttons (colour-adjustable and dimmable, interchangeable caps)
14 push buttons (12 front-facing, 2 rear-facing) with 700 g activation force

Compatibility

PS5: Yes PS4: Yes PS3: NO

PC: Yes

Xbox: No Xbox Series X: No

Note:

Compatible with all PS4 and PS5 systems when connected to a PlayStation-licensed wheelbase, and PC.

So far this steering wheel is not compatible with Xbox Consoles.

Wheel Base Compatibilities

We don’t have an official list of simracing bases compatible with this product, but for sure will be compatible with the PODIUM BASES.

Features

PROS	CONS
Developed simultaneously for both real and virtual racing cars ( 2022 BMW M4 GT3 ), They are identical in every way.	Not compatible with Xbox Consoles and PS Systems.
Fanatec electronics are now compatible with CAN bus ( the industry standard for automotive communication)	Price
New quick release system
All carbon ( full carbon fibre construction )
RGB LED-backlit front buttons, rotary switches
1700 g (approx.) including quick release
Durable rubber hand grips

What is included?

Podium Steering Wheel BMW M4 GT3
QR1 Wheel-Side (gold, preinstalled)
QR2 Wheel-Side (coming soon; First Edition buyers will receive QR2 Wheel-Side in a separate package)
Quick Guide
QR1 update cable
QR2 update cable (coming soon, sent separately))

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is the Fanatec Podium BMW M4 GT3 compatible with Xbox?

No, this product is only compatible with your personal computer with Windows.

Is the Fanatec Podium BMW M4 GT3 compatible with PS Systems?

No, this product is only compatible with your personal computer with Windows, Can work but the functionality of this product on PS4 can be limited by the capabilities of the console.

Price