The Direct Drive wheelbase market is expanding again in 2026. New manufacturers are moving into higher torque classes, established brands are replacing older flagship hardware, and console users will soon have more options below the traditional premium price point. Following Gamescom 2026, several additional wheelbases have now joined an already busy year for sim racing hardware. The most important upcoming products include PXN’s new S16 and S23, Sim-Lab’s DDS26 and DDS39 TorqueSync, three console-focused Revosim systems and Thermaltake’s developing G15 platform. Meanwhile, MOZA, Fanatec, SIMAGIC and Simucube have already released or started taking orders for significant new Direct Drive hardware during 2026. One important distinction applies before comparing specifications. Manufacturers describe torque differently. Some quote constant or sustained torque, while others specify maximum or peak output. Fanatec even separates holding torque from temporary peak overshoot. The figures below therefore reproduce the terminology supplied by each manufacturer rather than treating every Nm rating as an identical measurement. Upcoming Direct Drive Wheelbases Still to Arrive PXN S16 and S23 PXN delivered one of the biggest wheelbase surprises of Gamescom 2026 with the S16 and S23, its most powerful Direct Drive bases to date. The S16 provides a claimed 16 Nm of constant torque, while the S23 raises that figure to 23 Nm constant, moving PXN considerably beyond the affordable and entry-level hardware with which the company has traditionally been associated. Both bases use a 24-bit magnetic encoder, dual-core processing and a real torque sensor. PXN also lists intelligent temperature management and software configuration through PXN SimRacing. The torque sensor is particularly notable because the base can measure its actual output rather than relying only on motor calculations when managing force feedback. PXN allowed Gamescom visitors to drive the S16 alongside its GT ONE steering wheel and Vector X pedals, so the hardware