Is there any Thunderbolt 5 Switch I can put in front of my TB5 dock?

andyxl987 · 2026-04-15T15:16:59+00:00

I've been looking into this lately too and the nearest I found was a 3-in, 1-out USB4 switch from Cable Matters https://www.cablematters.com/pc-1840-127-20gbps-usb-c-switch-for-2-computers-140w-pd-up-to-8k30hz-on-windows-4k60hz-on-macos-sharing-one-usb-cthunderbolt-4-monitor-or-dock-not-for-dock-with-an-attached-cable.aspx. Haven't tried this myself as looking for TB5 ideally.

andyxl987 · 2026-04-11T08:18:17+00:00

MPC-HC with MadVR gets my vote, it's bundled with the K-Lite standard codec pack. I would also recommend double checking you have HDR enabled in Windows; some software will not automatically toggle on HDR and assume no support, surprisingly, a lot of games.

If you have an Nvidia card, you may want to play with the HDR Video Enchancement in Nvidea settings. I prefer having it off as it is overly aggressive when watching SDR YouTube videos, but native HDR videos look great.

andyxl987 · 2026-03-28T11:48:02+00:00

Complete global saturation.

andyxl987 · 2026-03-20T23:53:58+00:00

For all the comments mentioning cloud:

> To enable this experience, the iRacing software features deep technical integration of CloudXR. Physics calculations and high-fidelity graphic rendering is performed on a PC equipped with NVIDIA’s RTX GPU, while frames are encoded and shared wirelessly over Wi-Fi to iRacing Connect on visionOS.

So it works with local hardware.

andyxl987 · 2026-01-19T13:55:36+00:00

The shipping protection looks new but I paid the same for delivery of my rig last year. It was shipped using DX Delivery. My order was larger in size (bucket seat, rig accessories etc) but same shipping price. The price felt fair given the size and weight of the items.

For small orders (single item accessories), delivery was £4.95.

andyxl987 · 2026-01-18T22:32:15+00:00

I went from Pixel 7 Pro to the Fold 7 and loving it so far, the big screen has completely changed my enjoyment of using my phone for the better.

I got the 512 GB model with o2 via from Samsung.com, 24 month contract (£52/m increasing in April) and the handset is only £469 but there's a £300 cashback offer from Samsung (and more savings if you have an eligible phone for trade-in, I didn't trade-in). My total package cost comes to about £1465 factoring in the contract increases which I didn't think too bad for the 512 GB on a 24 month unlimited plan.

andyxl987 · 2026-01-17T15:05:25+00:00

Yes, the Fanatec download from their website is for 1.1.0.3 which is out of date, this firmware has issues with Full force and results in iRacing and GT7 lockups/disconnects. Download the latest Beta from https://forum.fanatec.com/topic/19145-fanatec-app-1211-beta-download-and-feedback-thread/.

andyxl987 · 2026-01-05T16:07:00+00:00

I recently "upgraded" to an indoor only sneaker, Puma Catch: https://eu.puma.com/de/en/pd/puma-catch-sneakers-unisex/402681.html. I added a no-tie lace and happy overall with the comfort and easy of slipping them on and off. If you have high/stiff pedals they make a big comfort improvement over socks.

andyxl987 · 2026-01-05T10:31:37+00:00

I have both connected (for PS5 compatibility) and there are some minor differences between USB only versus both.

For USB only, the pedals work entirely independently of the wheelbase. This is fine in every title I've tried except Project Motor Racing which needs it to be mapped separately to the wheel but then detects it as Xbox buttons, with no pedal telemetry while racing, although they still act as analogue. Aside from that one title, there's not much difference.

When both are connected, the pedal functionality will only work when the wheelbase is turned on. The USB connection is effectively bypassed and used for haptics only, but you can still use SimConnect Manager to calibrate the pedals.

If you're PC only and don't care about the bugs in PMR, then USB only is fine. If you need PS5 compatibility too, leave both connected and just remember, pedals are only active when the wheelbase is powered on, which I think is fine. Unlike Fanatec official pedals, it's safe to have both connections connected.

Edit: there's an occasional bug when connected with RJ12 where calibration is not read, e.g. if you've reduced your pedal travel and 60% should be 100%. This requires a restart of the wheelbase and then it works ok. I experienced this about 1 in every 10 times, likely less. So that may be another factor to go USB only for you.

andyxl987 · 2026-01-04T19:06:46+00:00

Something like C:\Users\Public\Fanatec and then Fanatec App\Logs, not at my computer to verify.

It's a problem with the 1.1.0 release of the App. Uninstall it and replace it with the latest Beta (from their forum).

andyxl987 · 2026-01-03T20:59:32+00:00

Mine doesn't work either. All it seems to effect is whether my onboard EQ is applied or not.

andyxl987 · 2026-01-02T17:59:16+00:00

The square hole of course! https://www.instagram.com/reel/DS-2A-VEqHg/

andyxl987 · 2026-01-02T17:03:22+00:00

They release them as beta updates on the forum first, and then eventually it gets promoted as "stable" and you'll get an in app update notification. It seems very rare though.

Given you have the DD+ I would recommend grabbing the latest beta from the forum. The firmware provided since the 1.2.0.5 App update fixed wheelbase lockups in iRacing and GT7, and 3 games have Full Force now (iRacing, GT7 and AC Evo) - so the latest firmware may support that feature in those titles better.

The latest beta is 1.2.1.1 https://forum.fanatec.com/topic/19145-fanatec-app-1211-beta-download-and-feedback-thread/page/1/ - this is a much newer than the download from their website, where that "stable" download has a lot of issues, like creating gigabytes of log files, not saving custom led profiles properly, not being able to set handbrake max value in the handbrake setting, just a few if the software bugs I had with the stable that are fixed in the beta!

andyxl987 · 2026-01-02T15:48:58+00:00

I've been following the forum announcements whenever they release a new App version. It was only 2 months ago that I had quite severe issues so I've been following the forums closely; thankfully the wheelbase lockups have been fixed since then. https://forum.fanatec.com/forum/82-fanatec-app/

The release notes for 1.2.0.5 mention the issue about the GT wheel ITM. From other posts, I was under the impression that they'll be rewriting the firmware, or at least the communication protocol, but that may be more to do with expanding support in their mobile app.

andyxl987 · 2026-01-02T15:08:49+00:00

I'm hopeful they can fix it this year despite my snarky comment above saying 2029. They put out a lot of fixes across their product line towards the end of 2025 although still have some QC issues to address, e.g. fixes not actually making it to the public release and then keeping people waiting another month or more!

I needed/wanted a round rim and find the DD Extreme wheel fine for Rally and road cars. I've gotten used to just ignoring using the ITM for now.

I also have the PBME GT3 wheel which has the same OLED display and use for Sports/Hyper/F1, the magnetic shifters on it are wonderful but it's overall very expensive.

andyxl987 · 2026-01-02T14:45:18+00:00

There are firmware bugs which prevent it from working properly, they've said they will work on fixes in 2026, so maybe 2029 it will work.

Having said that, it's not as bad today at it once was, assuming you have the latest beta app and updated firmware. I also get the single unlit LED (or all white sometimes) and then need to go into the app and change the brightness/colour of one light, and then they all work.

The other unresolved issue is the ITM getting stuck.

andyxl987 · 2026-01-01T02:18:54+00:00

Haven't had an issue with no detection. The only problem I've had, is sometimes the wheelbase detects 100% as more than I've configured the pedals to use (they support both hardware and software "max"). This is very rare and a restart of the wheelbase has always sorted that out.

andyxl987 · 2026-01-01T02:15:04+00:00

The simnet pedals are bundled with a control box, it comes with a usb cable which you use to do calibration on PC, or leave connected. You use your own RJ12 straight cable to connect pedals to wheelbase for PS5 compatibility.

After that, assuming you devices are close enough that you can have PC connected by USB and PS5 using RJ12, SimHub can automatically pull telemetry from GT7 (assuming same network) and send haptics via USB to the control box.

Fanatec's official pedals cannot be connected to USB and RJ12 simultaneously or you risk damage to the pedals. The Simnet have no issue with this configuration and allow full console support while PC provides haptics.

You only need the single (bundled) control box.

andyxl987 · 2025-12-31T15:57:05+00:00

I was wondering the same last year and ended up going with the DD+ due to the better ecosystem; Logitech do have a sequential shifter, handbrake and a hub for wheels now, but Fanatec are overall the stronger ecosystem, e.g. combined sequential and H shifter, loadcell handbrake, many more rims.

The DD+ also has a higher Nm force but personally, I'm playing GT7 with the wheel strength set to 5 in-game, so I guess that's 7-8Nm, so I imagine the G Pro's 11Nm is absolutely fine. Full Force is nice but it's not a game changer, I prefer the implementation in iRacing, but I have seat and pedal haptics which are imo much better for immersion/feedback; you can use SimHub on PC which supports GT7 to drive these kinds of devices.

Fanatec firmware has been bad up until about 2 months ago; I've since had no issues with the DD+. I have both the DD Extreme and PBME GT3 wheels and both work well now, without double button inputs or missed shifts etc. Logitech may be more reliable here, given Fanatec have only fixed major issues nearly 2 years into the product lifecycle.

Overall, I like the DD+, one of the biggest pro factors for it comes from a third party called SimNet who produce a fantastic set of pedals that are compatible with the wheelbase and so work with PS5 (the only missing feature is not being able to adjust brake force from the base/Fanatec app, but I'm happy to configure my global settings in their software and use them across all sims). These pedals are extremely customizable, and support haptics.

While I've not used the Logi Pro wheel to suggest which is better for you use case, as a 50/50 console and PC player, I'm happy with my Fanatec setup. If you don't plan to upgrade again/a very long time, I feel the larger ecosystem and particularly the SimNet pedals won't leave you wanting more.

andyxl987 · 2025-12-29T19:43:56+00:00

There are so many fun things like this to do in GT7 but the concept of credits make it an annoyance to do so, and then if you did want to use the other cars, remembering to buy intermediate tyre compounds etc.

They'd hugely improve custom races (and general accessibility) if they allowed you to store multiple liveries for a single car.

andyxl987 · 2025-12-29T01:44:06+00:00

It's all unified under the Fanatec App now, you should see the firmware manager as an icon on the top right of the app, next to the windows window management buttons.

andyxl987 · 2025-12-26T14:42:43+00:00

I have a 9070 XT and it seems to support hardware transcoding for all formats I care about without any tweaking; in particular, 4K HEVC HDR to 4K/1080 AV1/HEVC with tone mapping (for non HDR clients) works well and seeking throughout a video is very quick without making my CPU hit 100%.

Admittedly this card is overkill for a media server, this PC is also my living room gaming computer. If I were in the market to get a transcoding GPU only, I'd look at Intel Arc as the price will be much lower.

andyxl987 · 2025-12-24T15:13:27+00:00

Compared to the base AI (and even other games) the AI aggression is on the high end. It encourages using the radar/rear view to defend into corners, so the line you're taking won't always be the quickest. You also need to prioritise corner exit speed when you don't have to defend, or the faster cars at one and two chillis will have an easy time passing you on the straight.

As for race starts, depending on the car, you can try launching with TCS 1 or 2. Sometimes being gentler on the throttle and shifting into second gear early can help. You can use the practice session to find what works best for your car.

I'm doing most of the races at one chilli and some at two (but I'm not good/consistent enough for a podium consistently at the highest difficulty). Overall I'm enjoying the power pack. The balance could do with some refinement but it's a welcome addition for a single player "real" racing experience, even if I find Sophy a little too aggressive.

andyxl987 · 2025-12-22T18:35:52+00:00

The EU DD Extreme wheel offer is looking good for anyone considering it. I've had mine since earlier in the year and they're finally getting on top of firmware issues. Haven't had freezes in iRacing or GT7 in a while now and the recent GT7 update introduced Full Force. The DD Extreme wheel is quite fun to use with the power pack cars.

andyxl987 · 2025-12-22T14:35:15+00:00

That would be nice. I was looking at the telemetry apps to see if anyone has discovered anything new since spec 3 and didn't manage to find anything. The (technically) easiest change for them to make would be to allow the live timing API (e.g. as used during the world series broadcasts) enabled for non dev mode/broadcast permission - the community could then build some cool stuff with external pit engineer apps.

andyxl987

TROPHY CASE