Peak vs Sustained Torque on a Wheel Base

What peak and sustained torque mean

On a racing wheel base listing, torque is stated in newton-meters, shortened to Nm. Peak torque is the highest force the motor can reach for a short moment. Sustained torque, sometimes called continuous or rated torque, is the force the motor can hold over a longer time. The difference between the two is a property of any electric motor, so it applies to gear driven, belt driven and direct drive wheel bases alike.

Every motor has both figures. The peak number is always larger or equal to the sustained number, and a maker can advertise either one. The same motor may therefore appear with different numbers depending on which figure the page states.

For the drive types behind these motors, see direct drive vs gear driven.

Why a listing may state only one figure

A product title and a short description usually have room for a single figure. That figure may be the peak torque or the sustained torque, and the listing may not say which. Many sim racing wheels are described with one Nm number, for example the Logitech G923 is stated at 2.3 Nm and the RS50 system at 8 Nm on Logitech's page.

When a listing does not label the figure, the buyer cannot tell if the number is peak or sustained from the title alone. The maker's product page is the place to look for the full specification.

This site reads torque the same way: a stated figure is compared as a stated figure, not as a promise about how the wheel feels. The buying guides always show the number that the maker or listing states. See the high torque guide for wheels whose stated figure is at the top of the range.

How the peak figure appears in marketing

A peak figure has a marketing advantage: it is the largest number the motor can reach, and a large number is easy to put in a title. The sustained figure is smaller, because it describes what the motor can hold, not what it can touch for a moment.

This is not a defect of one maker or another. Every motor has both figures, and a maker can choose which one the listing shows. The buyer's job is to look at the number, see whether the page labels it as peak or sustained, and then compare the same kind of figure between two wheels.

For the same stated figure, a wheel that states a sustained rating describes what the wheel can keep doing in a race. The force feedback guide lists wheels on the torque the listing states, so it is a useful starting point.

Why the sustained figure matters for sim racing

Sim racing sessions are long. Force feedback runs while you steer, while the car rides curbs, and while the wheel gives information through every corner. The motor needs to keep up that work for an entire lap and an entire race, not just for a few seconds. A wheel that keeps its stated force for a full session gives you the feedback you planned for, while a wheel that only reaches a figure briefly changes the experience as the race goes on.

A high peak figure sounds attractive, but a motor that can only hold a lower force over time will not deliver that peak for long. The sustained figure is the number that describes what the wheel can keep doing. That is why a buyer comparing two wheels on torque should look for the figure that tells the continuous output, even when the peak number on the other wheel is higher. See wheel base torque consistency for how a figure can behave over time.

The sustained rating also matters when you plan for add-ons: matching torque to rim size explains that a larger rim needs more force to give the same feedback.

How torque appears in the site's guides

The buying guides on this site list wheels by stated details. Torque appears as the Nm figure the listing or maker states, and the guides do not rank wheels by how a number feels. A guide for direct drive wheels and a guide for force feedback wheels both use the stated figure the same way.

If a maker states both a peak and a sustained figure, the guide compares what is in the listing. When only one number exists, that is the number compared. The premium racing wheel guide collects the models where torque is a main part of the stated specification.

Torque and the platform you play on

Torque is a property of the wheel base, not of the console or PC. A wheel base with a stated torque figure keeps that figure when it is connected to a PlayStation, an Xbox or a PC that supports it. The compatibility list on the maker's page decides which platforms a wheel works with, and the guides for PS5, Xbox and PC use the same stated figures.

Platform support and torque are separate details. A wheel can have a high stated torque and support only one platform family, or a lower stated torque and support several. Read each detail on its own.

What to pick for your situation

Questions

Is peak torque always higher than sustained torque?

Yes, for any electric motor. The peak number is the maximum the motor can reach for a short moment, and the sustained number is what it can hold over a longer time. A listing may state either figure, and the buyer has to check which one the page uses.

Which figure should I compare between two wheels?

Compare the stated figure, and prefer the page that tells you whether it is peak or sustained. For sim racing, the sustained figure describes what the wheel can keep doing through a whole session.

Do the guides on this site use peak or sustained torque?

The guides use the stated figure from the listing, the same way a buyer reads it. When a maker states a torque figure, that number is what the guide compares, without turning it into a claim about feel.

Can torque change when I connect the wheel to a different platform?

Torque is a property of the wheel base, not of the console or PC. Which platforms the wheel supports is decided by the maker's compatibility list, so read platform support and torque as separate details.

Does a higher torque figure mean better force feedback?

A higher stated figure means more force is available, but the figure does not describe how the feedback feels. The site compares stated details, not feel, so a lower figure can be the right choice for your budget and setup.