Until now, virtual truck drivers had to make do with using racing wheels when out on the road. While they offer precision and control, these wheels lack the authenticity many look for when playing truck sims.
That’s all changed with the introduction of the MOZA TSW Truck Wheel, the first dedicated wheel for virtual truck driving.
So how does the MOZA TSW Truck Wheel shape up? We took it for a spin and put it through its paces.
Authentically designed
The first thing we noticed about the MOZA TSW Truck Wheel is how authentic it feels. Measuring 400 mm (approx 16 inches) in diameter, the TSW Truck Wheel is the same size as a real truck driver’s wheel. This gives that true feeling of truck driving when getting behind the wheel.
The wheel is also weighted to feel like the real thing. Despite its lightweight, aerospace-grade aluminium construction, the TSW still has the weight of a trucking wheel. Again, this adds to the immersion we felt when using it for the first time.
The TSW’s microfibre, hand-stitched leather rim creates the perfect surface for your hands, allowing you to glide around the edge of the wheel without compromising grip during steering.
You'll find all the buttons on the main span of the wheel. The wheel has 14 realistic short-travel buttons, each mapped out in the same location as its real-life counterpart. These buttons have individual RGB backlights, with up to 16.7 million color options for the ultimate customization.
Every button represents a real-life function in a truck. From headlights and windscreen wipers to the horn and cruise control, every feature that you need is within reach of your fingertips. There is even a volume control for when you’re listening to the in-game radio.
Along with the buttons, the TSW also contains two joysticks and two thumbwheels. One on each side of the wheel provides extra control options for functions not covered by the existing buttons.
Overall, the TSW creates the true feel of a trucking wheel. Its size and weight resemble the real thing and its high-quality craftsmanship is designed to give the best driving experience when out on the road. So with that in mind, let’s find out how it handles a road trip.
An enjoyable road trip
Before expanding on the driving experience, we should note that our review was conducted on Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2) using an R12 Direct Drive Wheel Base. The wheel came with a Truck Mount Bracket and SGP Sequential Shifter, although the shifter was not used during wheel testing.
MOZA was also kind enough to send us an SR-P Pedal set to help replicate the truck driver’s experience.
Using the TSW Truck Wheel with the above peripherals completely changed our virtual trucking experience. Driving felt completely seamless, with the wheel being responsive enough to make minor course adjustments on the road without being overly sensitive enough to cause jerking.
At times, it was so responsive that we could control the wheel with a single finger, despite there being enough stability to not suddenly veer off the road. Even tight cornering was made effortless by the TSW, with no corners too difficult to navigate.
When holding the wheel correctly, every button and switch on the TSW is within reach at all times. The large infographics displayed on each button allow you to see where everything is at a glance without needing to take your eyes off the road for too long, allowing you to focus on what matters most.
Each button is easy to press, with no delay whatsoever between the button press and the function happening on-screen. Both joysticks had no stick drift or stickiness, and each thumbwheel has a firm but easy-to-negotiate motion to ensure it never toggles without your input.
Previously, our time in ETS2 was spent in cruise control, only using inputs for steering, braking for corners, and accelerating away from stops. With the MOZA TSW Truck Wheel, we found ourselves driving manually more often to fully enjoy the experience. The TSW makes driving feel challenging, fun, and, above all else, genuine.
Not all smooth driving
Despite the pros of the TSW Truck Wheel, there are still some minor drawbacks when driving. The biggest one is that you will need to tailor some settings in ETS2 to maximize the wheel's potential.
By default, the wheel settings in-game caused snap oversteer for us, so we had to tweak the dead zone and linearity settings to get smoother cornering and turning. We also had to map out the buttons for most functions manually as they weren’t recognized in the settings menu.
Considering this is the first tailor-made truck wheel, this is understandable. ETS2 is now almost 12 years old, so was never designed with bespoke truck wheels in mind. Once the buttons were mapped, the experience was massively improved, but it took some trial and error.
Finally, the joysticks created a minor issue when mapping the controls. The MOZA Pit House software allows you to configure the joystick’s operability, with options for using it as a joystick or four separate buttons.
Even when used as a joystick, there were some issues mapping the camera controls to it. Ultimately, we used the four-button option instead of the joystick option to look left and right. The joysticks also only have four degrees of movement, which can be quite limiting compared to eight-way joysticks when you do need to look around the truck.
These are just small issues, however. Once everything was set up correctly, the overall experience was worth the time.
Economy trucking
For any player looking to make the step into virtual truck driving, we highly recommend the MOZA TSW Truck Wheel. Every action makes you feel like you’re in a real truck cab, racking up the miles on the open road.
The TSW’s compatibility with existing MOZA hardware means you won’t need to overhaul or rebuild your existing rig, although you may need to raise your wheelbase to fit the larger wheel diameter. Thanks to MOZA’s universal adapter and open ecosystem, the TSW is even compatible with third-party wheelbases.
At the time of writing, the MOZA TSW Truck Wheel can be purchased directly from MOZA for £299.99 ($299.99). It’s important to note that the truck mount accessory enabling you to raise and lower your wheelbase to fit the wheel needs to be purchased separately. This is currently priced at £39.00 ($49.99).
This makes the MOZA TSW Truck Wheel a surprisingly affordable option for those wanting to head down the virtual trucker route.
Whether it’s cruising through Europe in ETS2, hopping across the Atlantic to drive a big rig in American Truck Simulator, or going down a different road entirely with something like Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator or Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, the TSW Truck Wheel is the perfect choice for realistic road driving immersion.
What do you think of the MOZA TSW Truck Wheel? Let us know in the comments below!
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