The sim racing wheel company Fanatec is joining forces with the console simulation racer Gran Turismo to develop new racing peripherals for the future. The two announced a partnership on July 13 as these new peripherals will use advanced force-feedback technology. The idea behind this partnership is to further blur the line between virtual racing and real-world racing. Fanatec dates back to 1997 and the innovations in their wheels have helped propel simulation racing forward starting with the belt-driven wheel and load cell braking.

“Fanatec has been at the leading edge of simulation hardware technology for many years," said Kazunori Yamauchi, Gran Turismo Series Producer. "While the quality and performance of their products is impressive, it's their desire to innovate in motorsports that resonates with us the most. Polyphony Digital and Fanatec share this same spirit and long-term ambition, and I'm really excited about what we can create together.”

“For many years, Kazunori Yamauchi has pushed the limits on the software side and played a massive role in making sim racing popular," said Thomas Jackermeier, CEO of Endor AG. "Now we have joined forces with the shared goal to continue to merge virtual and real-world racing together. We have several exciting projects in the pipeline and I can’t wait to see how they perform in Gran Turismo.”