Turtle Beach KD3 Review – Good value with a large caveat
Quick summary· AI-generated
The review covers the KD3's design, build quality, steering wheel, pedals, and compatibility across PC and Xbox platforms. Key findings: the cylindrical aluminum design and integrated display feel premium for the price; the rubber grip is notably good for budget gear; the spring-tension adjustable pedals and tilt mechanism are unexpected high-end touches. Caveats include loose D-pad buttons, slight flex at the quick-release interface suggesting potential long-term wear, and lack of Xbox telemetry support. The author tests driving impressions in Assetto Corsa Competizione, where the wheelbase performs well.
Excerpt from Sim Tourist
A pleasantly surprising budget wheelbase with premium ideas — and a few growing pains.
Introduction
The Turtle Beach KD3 arrives at 349€, and if you subscribe to their newsletter, you get an additional 10% discount. For that price, the package includes:
Wheelbase
Steering wheel
Pedals
Desk clamp
A full starter bundle with some unexpected high-end touches.
Build & Design
Cylindrical Wheelbase
The KD3 stands out immediately because of its unique cylindrical shape — 15 × 15 × 13 cm, wrapped in aluminum with bright yellow accents. It looks fresh, modern, and more “premium” than expected at this price.
What I liked
Bright yellow highlights add character
Big red power button on top
Xbox activation button + 3 additional buttons
Very clean integration of the display and RGB ring
Metal quick release
What I didn’t like
The 3 small buttons under the Xbox button feel like 1980s Game & Watch buttons
Slight flex at the quick-release interface (may cause long-term wear)
Display & Telemetry
The front houses:
A 2×3 cm color display
A surrounding RGB rev-ring
On-PC telemetry works well
On Xbox, no telemetry yet (SimHub workaround exists)
The display is well integrated visually — not just a square slapped onto the base.
Connectivity & Adjustments
On the back:
4× USB-C ports
USB-C → USB-A connection for PC/console
A clever angle adjustment mechanism that lets you tilt the base quickly
This last feature is rare and extremely useful.
Steering Wheel
Shape & Size
30 cm diameter
Almost round
Ideal size for most sim titles
Buttons & Controls
8 illuminated buttons
D-pad
2 rolling encoders
Magnetic shifters
Metal quick release
The only weaker part: D-pad buttons feel loose.
Grip Material
The rim is rubber — but surprisingly excellent rubber:
Softer than many budget leather wheels
Comfortable even without gloves
One of the nicest rubber grips in its price class
Pedals
Build & Layout
Mostly plastic
2-pedal setup (no clutch expansion — missed opportunity)
Large pedal faces
Adjustable positions
Hall sensors
Spring-tension adjustment (rare at this price)
No load-cell option yet, but the pedal feel is solid for a beginner bundle.
Compatibility
PC
Works with the major sims:
ACC
BeamNG
Taxi Life Simulator
Telemetry supported in several titles.
Xbox
Fully compatible, but: No native display telemetry (for now).
Driving Impressions
Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC)
This is where the KD3 shines.
Excellent detail road…
Comments (0)
No comments yet.