What it is
The Cube Controls CSX-3 is a 282mm formula wheel hand-built in Italy with a carbon fibre faceplate, a 4-inch 800x480 Vocore touchscreen, 17 individually customisable RGB LEDs, and over 49 discrete inputs. The input count is staggering: 12 backlit buttons, 2x 7-way hats, 4 traditional rotary encoders, 2 thumb rotaries, 2 scroll wheels embedded in the grips, and 2 backlit toggle switches. Magnetic shifters with Hall sensors, dual clutch paddles, and a new magnetic USB quick-connect cable.
At roughly $1,480, this is Cube Controls’ formula flagship. It replaced the CSX2 with improved shifters, SimHub-powered software (replacing the old UGT app), and that magnetic cable.
Who it’s for
Sim racers who need maximum input density with on-wheel telemetry in a formula shape. If you race prototypes, open-wheelers, or complex formula cars in iRacing or rFactor 2 and want every adjustment mappable to the wheel without reaching for a button box, the CSX-3 has the inputs to cover it.
The SimHub integration matters. If you already run custom SimHub dashboards, the CSX-3 displays them natively on the touchscreen with infinite customisation options. This is a significant advantage over competitors locked to proprietary software.
In use
The grip depth is a standout. The profile lets you wrap your full hand around the handles, giving better torque leverage under high-FFB cornering than shallower competitors. The shifters are a marked improvement over the CSX2: longer mechanism, less rotation in the throw, and excellent tactile feedback through billet aluminium and carbon fibre blades.
The magnetic USB cable is a genuine quality-of-life upgrade. No more fiddling with plastic connectors. It clicks in cleanly and holds securely.
Individual button colour customisation works well. You can assign different colours to different function groups, making muscle memory easier in the dark. The scroll wheels in the grips are useful for brake bias and traction control adjustments without moving your thumbs off the wheel face.
The touchscreen handles dashboard page-swiping smoothly. SimHub gives you access to the full community dashboard library, which is a deep well of pre-built layouts.
What to watch out for
The screen bezel sits raised and recessed, which looks more like an afterthought than the flush integration of the CSX2 and GT-X series. In high GT seating positions, the recess can partially block the screen. At 4 inches and 800x480, the display is functional but not impressive by current standards.
Toggle switch backlighting is fixed green, not customisable. The buttons cannot display true white (shows as pink), which appears to be a software-level limitation.
Clutch bite point adjustment lost its hardware shortcut from the CSX2. You now configure it through a separate Cube Controls calibration app rather than adjusting on the fly via the wheel itself.
Thumb rotary groove spacing is slightly too wide for consistent single-detent scrolling. And the rotary encoders lack a click-down function, which limits mapping flexibility.
Verdict
The CSX-3 is the input-density champion. Nothing else in the catalogue offers this many mappable controls in a formula shape with a SimHub-compatible touchscreen. The shifter upgrade and magnetic cable are genuine improvements over the CSX2. The screen integration and a few ergonomic details hold it back from perfection. If you need the inputs and run SimHub, this is the formula wheel to beat.