Found this old thread on google after going through the recent reviews for the Alpha Evo lineup and other recent wheelbases. Reading through this debate was interesting, but in Q2 of 2025, I think we can safely say it’s clear that any new base that GD produces must have USB pass-through of some sort, with the flexibility to still adapt to 3rd party QRs. I don’t think this is really debatable anymore in this current landscape. The industry has moved on from coiled wires, and battery-powered bluetooth solutions. All data and power must come through the wheel base shaft.
The murky part here is what the rest of the new QR will look like. I never liked the SC2 QR and quickly replaced it with the NRG-style. I see a lot of other wheel vendors are similarly settling on the NRG format. It would be amazing if they could all settle on a standard for not only the QR, but the USB connectivity. NOT standardizing on this only hurts the consumer. It has no practical benefit to keep the connection standards proprietary.
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This 1000%, lots of buzz atm around the simagic qr and to me it seems that this system or NRG style real life qr systems add complexity in order to have freedom or wheel choice or heavy qr adapters which dampen the motor reflexes.
Personally I prefer SC stick to what do best and that is providing a motor with best force feedback possible with its solid QR system which is minimalist at the same time. Improve the motor & feedback for the SC3 and I look forward to buying the next gen. I have no problem connecting my wheel through secure traditional usb as currently used and this allows me to use wheel of choice without added complexity, potential wear and added failure points.
Once you move to wireless connection there is no way back. Own wired and wireless wheels and don’t remember last time I used wired, that cable IS the biggest “failure point”, I had my share of scares of cable swinging around after wheel going wild after crash, the dangling between your legs thing looking to catch on something is not confidence inspiring either.
Proprietary technology sucks though, wish there was an open standard or at least on the wheel hub USB connector so you can use short jumper USB cable to connect your wheel.
But looks like another proprietary thing with Simcucube Link Hub is what we gonna get with the next SC generation. Somebody never learn. 
As for physical QR, much prefer Buchfink Q1R, simple, light, compact, effective, and much easier to use than what SC supplied with.
100% agree. One of these manufacturers needs to be a true market leader and open up their electrical QR-standard (hoping it’s mechanically NRG-style, as I mentioned previously). The industry needs to get past this proprietary connector nonsense.
Despite what anyone might think of Tesla as a company, this is essentially what happened in the US electrical charging grid. There were a few standards here for a while, and the cost and headaches of dealing with that mix hurt everyone. After Tesla opened up their charging standard (NACS), most competitors have gotten on-board and adopted it. Everyone wins.
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