Acelith Design GT-Phenom Steering Wheel

Acelith Design, an Italian company based in Ragusa, Sicily, is run by just two people: Andrea and Francesco. Despite their small team, they have built a strong reputation in the sim racing world. Their approach reflects the same mentality they bring to online sim racing: always striving for perfection without losing sight of the fun and shared passion.

Beyond their core activities, Andrea and Francesco are also part of the e-sports team Absolute Motorsport Acelith, a group of more than 70 passionate drivers. Whether it’s Assetto Corsa, ACC, iRacing, or Automobilista 2, chances are you’ll come across them on the virtual track. With their unique blend of craftsmanship and dedication to the community, Acelith continues to be a well-known name in the sim racing world.

As long-time affiliate partners of Acelith Design, we were asked to review some of their steering wheels—specifically the GT-Phenom and GT-Phenom Pro. Of course, we didn’t hesitate to say yes! We recently received the GT-Phenom steering wheel, while the GT-Phenom Pro will follow later. We’re excited to share our experience with you.

The Acelith Design GT-Phenom steering wheel is available through Acelith Design’s webshop. We received the version without a skin and without a dual clutch, which is currently priced at around €415.00. There’s also a variant with a dual clutch available for approximately €435.00. On the product page, you can select a skin at no additional cost. Both mentioned prices exclude potential shipping costs.

Special Offer: The first five customers who order the GT-Phenom steering wheel after reading this review can use the exclusive discount code ‘srbphenom’ for a €20.00 discount at checkout. Once the codes are gone, they’re gone—so act fast!

We’ve been working with Acelith for quite some time, and as a token of appreciation, they are offering this exclusive discount to our readers. It’s important to mention that this review is not sponsored, and our findings are entirely independent. The discount has in no way influenced the content of our review.

Packaging and Contents

The Acelith Design GT-Phenom Steering Wheel was shipped directly from Acelith in Italy. The package was delivered by UPS and took five business days to arrive. We received a standard brown shipping box containing the product box of the steering wheel.

The product box itself is a sleek black design with red accents and features the Acelith Simracing logo. Upon opening the box, we immediately find a foam layer with a sheet of stickers on top. Beneath this foam layer lies the steering wheel, along with two different lengths of bolts, nuts, hex keys, and a coiled USB cable. Additionally, the box includes a business card and a white card with a QR code linking to the online manual.

Italian passion at its finest! Acelith Design has created a stylish box with a carefully curated selection of contents. In short, a complete and well-presented package that lets us get started right away!

The Acelith Design GT-Phenom Steering Wheel

The Acelith Design GT-Phenom is a GT-style steering wheel with a solid yet lightweight construction. The base consists of a CNC-milled aluminum housing with an aluminum front plate featuring a brushed finish, giving the wheel a stylish and premium look.

The wheel has a butterfly shape, with a narrower center and wider outer edges. With a diameter of 295 mm and a weight of approximately 850 grams, it is a lightweight steering wheel. The grips are made of elastomer material, designed to provide a firm hold and a comfortable feel in hand. Our first impression is that the wheel feels solid and is enjoyable to use.

Frontside
On the front of the GT-Phenom, we see ten push buttons, evenly distributed with five on each side. Some of these buttons are surrounded by so-called button guards to prevent accidental presses. On the left side, between the buttons, there is a multi-directional joystick (7-way funky switch), while on the right side, in the same position, we find a rotary encoder. Additionally, in the center of the wheel, there are two extra rotary encoders.

At the top of the GT-Phenom, there are nine LEDs that can function as RPM or telemetry indicators. In total, the front of the wheel features 33 customizable LEDs, all fully adjustable via SimHub.

Backside
On the back of the steering wheel, we find a magnetic shift module on both sides. These modules are made from durable MJF-printed material and feature a carbon paddle. For extra grip, a small strip of sandpaper-like material has been applied to the paddles. According to Acelith Design, the shift modules can be replaced with alternatives from third-party suppliers.

At the center of the GT-Phenom, there is a 70 mm bolt pattern, allowing us to mount our Simucube Quick-Release. Additionally, this is where the USB cable connection is located.

Mounting

We mount the Acelith Design GT-Phenom Steering Wheel onto our Simucube 2 Sport wheelbase using a Simucube Quick-Release. The front of the wheel features pre-drilled holes, making it easy to attach the Quick-Release. With the included M5 bolts and nuts, this task is done in just a few minutes, getting the GT-Phenom ready for installation on the Simucube 2 Sport wheelbase.

After mounting, we connect the wheel’s USB cable to an available USB port on the PC. Then, we open SimHub to configure and customize the GT-Phenom Steering Wheel to our preferences.

Software

The steering wheel is designed to work with SimHub, which is required to configure the LEDs and set up telemetry functions. Acelith is already pre-programmed in SimHub, meaning we can add the wheel with just a few clicks. By selecting Acelith as the brand and GT-Phenom as the model, then clicking ‘OK,’ the wheel is immediately recognized. This enables all basic functions and automatically creates two default profiles: one for the buttons and one for the telemetry LEDs.

In SimHub, we can customize these profiles to our liking, such as adjusting LED colors for the buttons, different telemetry effects, and various functions. However, the default profiles work well, so we only tweak the button LEDs to match our preferences.

One thing we notice is significant backlight bleeding on the LEDs. This means that the color assigned to a specific button also slightly bleeds into the surrounding buttons, affecting the final color appearance. To minimize this effect, we use colors that are close together on the spectrum, making the transition less noticeable and ensuring a more visually balanced look.

Driving with the Acelith Design GT-Phenom Steering Wheel

We’re comfortably seated in our Sim-Lab P1X Pro sim rig, with the Acelith Design GT-Phenom steering wheel securely mounted to the Simucube 2 Sport wheelbase. For this review, we jump into both Assetto Corsa and Assetto Corsa Competizione, testing a variety of open-wheel and GT3 cars. Setting up the buttons and encoders is a breeze, and once everything is configured, we’re ready to hit the track!

From the very first laps, the GT-Phenom stands out with its solid build quality and high level of comfort. The robust aluminum housing and sleek brushed aluminum front plate give it a premium look, while the molded elastomer grips provide a firm and comfortable hold. Whether driving with or without gloves, the wheel always feels secure and controlled.

With a 295mm diameter, the GT-Phenom is perfectly suited for both GT and open-wheel cars. One of the first things we notice is its lightweight design—at just 850 grams, it allows force feedback to shine through exceptionally well, even on lower-powered wheelbases. Throughout our testing, we experience crisp and detailed feedback, giving us a precise sense of what’s happening on the track. The compact size and sturdy construction contribute to a highly responsive and controlled driving experience. Most importantly, there’s no flex or play whatsoever, reinforcing our confidence in the GT-Phenom’s performance.

Front control
The overall build quality of the GT-Phenom is solid at the front, especially considering its attractive price point. While driving, we find that the push buttons, rotary encoders, and multi-directional joystick are well-placed and easy to operate.

The push buttons provide a satisfying clicky feedback, though they feel slightly wobbly under our fingers. Fortunately, their smart positioning allows for effortless operation without having to take our hands off the wheel.

The rotary encoders and multi-directional joystick are also easily accessible, although in some cases, we do need to release our hand to use them. When adjusting settings, they provide a subtle click, but we would have preferred a slightly firmer feel for better tactile feedback. A nice touch is that these controls also feature a push-button function, which feels crisp and responsive thanks to its clear click.

Additionally, the RPM LEDs, push buttons, rotary encoders, and joystick are all equipped with customizable RGB lighting, which is telemetry-driven. Using software like SimHub, we configured the LEDs to display specific telemetry data, such as flag conditions or spotter information. This greatly enhances immersion during racing. However, as mentioned earlier, we did notice some backlight bleeding.

Rear control
As mentioned earlier, the GT-Phenom is equipped with two shift modules at the back, which can be replaced with third-party alternatives. Unfortunately, we don’t have any alternative modules on hand to test this feature. Additionally, we couldn’t find any replacement modules online, so we can’t confirm the exact possibilities. The online manual from Acelith Design also doesn’t provide any further details on this. However, the build quality of the stock shift modules is solid, so we don’t see an immediate need to look for replacements.

The shift modules operate quietly, which is a nice touch. However, we find that they feel a bit too light when pressed. We would have preferred a slightly firmer feel for better tactile feedback. Fortunately, adding an extra magnet to the shift modules noticeably improves the feedback.

The paddles are made of carbon and feature a small patch of coarse material for extra grip. This is a welcome addition, as it helps prevent fingers from slipping during intense racing moments. While the paddles aren’t adjustable, we didn’t find this to be an issue. They are comfortable and easy to operate.

Conclusion

The Acelith Design GT-Phenom steering wheel is an excellent choice for sim racers looking for quality and versatility at a competitive price. The design is stylish, and the wheel’s finish is of high quality. Thanks to its compatibility with SimHub, setting up LEDs and telemetry is easy, while the default profiles offer plenty of functionality. Although there is some backlight bleeding with the LEDs, this can be visually minimized with smart color choices.

During use, the comfort of the GT-Phenom steering wheel stands out the most. The elastomer grips provide excellent traction, both with and without gloves. Even after long sessions, they remain comfortable. With a diameter of 295 mm, the wheel is suitable for both GT and open-wheel cars. Its lightweight design ensures that force feedback is well transmitted, even on less powerful wheelbases.

The front-facing controls are well-placed and easy to operate while racing. The push buttons, encoders, and multi-directional joystick provide sufficient feedback, though they could feel a bit sturdier. All controls feature telemetry-driven RGB LEDs, further enhancing immersion during races.

At the rear, the shift modules offer quiet and comfortable operation. The textured material on the paddles provides extra grip, preventing fingers from slipping. While the modules are not adjustable and feel somewhat light, they function excellently in practice.

In short, the GT-Phenom steering wheel delivers a solid combination of build quality, functionality, and driving comfort at a very competitive price. This makes it an attractive choice for both beginner and experienced sim racers.

Excited after reading our review? The Acelith Design GT-Phenom steering wheel is available through Acelith Design’s official webshop, starting at €415.00 (excluding potential shipping costs).

As a bonus, we have something special for our readers: The first five customers who order the GT-Phenom steering wheel based on this review can use an exclusive €20.00 discount code. Enter the code ‘srbphenom’ at checkout. Limited availability—first come, first served!

We’ve been working with Acelith for quite some time, and as a token of appreciation, the brand is offering this exclusive discount code for our readers. Important to note: this review is not sponsored, and our findings are entirely independent. The discount has in no way influenced the content of our review.

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