Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This wheel is a blast! I was already addicted to Forza 2 and was moving steadily up in my career with the regular game controller. With this racing wheel (and pedals), I'm moving up even faster than before and the experience is dizzying - literally. I have my setup about 3 feet from a 50" plasma and the feedback of the wheel is so realistic that I was getting odd dizzy effects when going in and out of tight corners because my body was expecting to feel real world forces from the seat against my back and sides - and they of course were missing. Make no mistake, this isn't a bad thing - its a testament to the realistic feedback of the wheel. You feel everything - understeer, oversteer, grass, jerks when flying from grass back onto the pavement.

Prior to this wheel, I always detested driving the big American cars like the Camero or Corvette because they were so difficult to control with the normal controller - they would constantly slide out and wag back and forth because there was no feel. Last night I nailed several races with both these cars because I was finally able to control the car through power slides and oversteers.

Setup was easy. Though the manual says a system upgrade was needed, I did not find this to be the case. The wheel paired up instantly and I started driving in Forza 2 immediately. The only thing I had to figure out was how to change the camera view (I like the in-car view) because they moved it from RT to X on this controller.

I found a chair with a sloped back on it, put a lumbar pillow in place and just rested the wheel on my legs. Surprisingly it stays in place well though you'll want to wear a pair of jeans. At first, the pedals kept sliding forward on my carpet causing me to crash a couple times. I finally placed them on one of my wife's yoga mats and its been fine since. The only beef I still have is that in intense situations the wheel moves around a bit. I may look for a small table to mount the wheel. Also note that the "in the lap" setup makes it impossible to drive with mostly straight arms like the pros. I end up sliding the wheel forward so that its just barely hanging on to the end of my knees so that I can straighten my arms more.

One last piece of advice: don't make the mistake I did and select the McClaren F1 (or similar super car) as your first drive and expect to see a big change. You'll still be all over the place on the road. Work your way up and learn the controller because the turning radius takes some time to learn. Once you do, you'll be amazed.

Pros:
- Realistic feel, improved times, better control over rear wheel muscle cars
- Trivial setup
- High quality materials

Cons:
- minor: Pedals slide without some kind of mat

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Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel

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Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As someone new to flight simulators, these were the first rudder pedals I have ever used. My general impression is that they work well but their flimsy construction is disconcerting. As I haven't ever used CH pedals, it is difficult to assess what would be considered sturdy for a consumer product like this. However, the Saitek pedals feel as if they would be damaged by putting any amount of weight on the pedal surface. Not only is the plastic rather thin but the whole apparatus is extremely light.Saitek should have used some inexpensive ballast to rectify the latter problem.

Unfortunately, the light weight means they are not stable when used straight out of the box. With several through holes, the designers are probably suggesting the user mount the base to a heavier object. To use them on carpet, I took a different approach. In each of the eight holes, I mounted a set screw with a flat machined end. These were adjusted with a nut and large washer (for weight distribution) to allow a 3/8" elevation. The screws will penetrate the pile and resist any forward movement. To increase the effect, I attached eight, one pound lead ingots with double-sided tape to the base. This arrangement provides a very stable platform.

In my ten hours of Flight Simulator X, I haven't found any problems with pedals. However, I did observe some minor flutter on occasion when using the Saitek diagnostic software. It generally goes away after some movement.

Despite concerns over the construction, the pedals have some nice features. There is an adjustable tension knob in the center of the pedals. In addition, the pedal surface is adjustable for different shoe sizes.

In general, the Saitek Pro Flight Rudder pedals work well and look nice. It would just be more comforting if Saitek used a few more millimeters of plastic on the pedals and base.Pros
Accuracy
Easy to setup
Features (tension knob and adjustable pedal surface)Cons
Flimsy
Some flutter
Too light

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Product Description:
Complete your virtual pilot's controller setup and take flight simulation reality to the next level with the Pro Flight Rudder Pedals. Control the rudder and toe brakes of your aircraft with your feet - just like real pilots. Adjustable, smooth action gives you optimum control and realism, and brings you even closer to the experience of flying a real aircraft.

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