Showing posts with label steering wheels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label steering wheels. Show all posts

11/24/2012

Logitech G25 Racing Wheel Review

Logitech G25 Racing Wheel
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I'm not an eloquent guy, and certainly not a frequent Amazon reviewer, but I just thought I'd clear up questions if anyone else is in the same boat I was (PS3 owner looking for a wheel).

I love driving sims for PS2, and thought the G25 would be a great way to get my dad to play some games too. I wasn't sure how the G25 would work with the PS3, but lo, it's flawless. Hooked up via USB, the wheel can fully mimic the function of the Driving Force Pro, so Gran Turismo and ToCA give you everything they've got. It also has a lot of future potential with the Gated gearbox and clutch-pedal that most current games don't use. The only reason you might keep a sixaxis handy is for the "home" button to quit to the XMB (ps3 OS).

"Feedback" is an understatement, as the word makes me think of the N64 rumble-pack. Most of you potential buyers are already aware of the wheel pulling you out of turns, or giving enough feedback so you know just when you're about to lose grip through a corner. But the G25 can be so subtle that it almost creates a "3D" feedback map. I'm not sure how to explain it, but when your in-game left rear tire hits a rumble strip, it feel like that specific tire has really hit a rumble strip. I have no idea how they do this with just two force motors in the G25.

In any event, the quality of the road-response is absolutely worth the price, which is already pretty decent here with free shipping. The DFP was tempting, as I've tried it on a PS2, but this wheel is much more subtle, much better looking, and will be the gold-standard for future driving games. No regrets here, just a happy father-son bonding experience and less wear on our real-world cars.

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Product Description:
Real metal. Real leather. Real racing. Premium materials. Hand-crafted components. A team of racing fanatics dedicated to providing the most realistic driving experience possible. With the G25 Racing Wheel, Logitech is taking sim racing controls to the next level, and we'd like you to come along for the ride.The G25's unique dual-motor force feedback transmission delivers powerful, high-fidelity force effects to the hand-stitched leather wheel, so you can feel under-and oversteer before you're on the barrier.

Sit down, turn off the lights, and crank up the sound. You're not playing games anymore; with the G25, you're racing.


Features:

Six-speed shifter with push-down reverse gear
Choose exactly the right gear for the turn. Plus a leather-wrapped shift knob so you can drive in style! Sequential shift mode
Provides backward compatibility. Logitech's exclusive carpet grip system
Holds fast to the carpet to provide a realistic driving experience. Dual-motor force feedback
The mechanism is smooth, quiet, and powerful. Stainless steel gas, brake, and clutch pedals
Eliminates flex from the pedals, so you can brake and accelerate with more precision. The clutch pedal makes heel-and-toe downshifting possible, keeping your gear changes quick and your RPMs high. 11" leather-wrapped steering wheel rim
With the 900-degree wheel rotation and hand-stitched leather, the wheel providesa realistic driving experience.
System Requirements:


    PC with Pentium processor or compatible
    256 MB RAM
    20 MB of available hard disk space
    CD-ROM drive
    USB port
    Windows XP or Windows Vista

or


    PlayStation 2 or PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system
    Games that support Logitech Force Feedback

Package Contents:


    Logitech G25 Racing Wheel (steering wheel)
    Shifter module
    Gas, brake, and clutch pedals
    Power supply
    Software CD-ROM
    User documentation
    1-year limited warranty


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9/26/2011

Logitech MOMO Force Feedback Racing Wheel Review

Logitech MOMO Force Feedback Racing Wheel
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
One of the most impressive things about this wheel is that within 10 minutes of removing it from the box, I had it installed on my computer and was using it in a game.Logitech scores again with rock solid software that is easy to install and use.
Once I started to use it, the other good parts about the wheel became apparent within a very brief amount of time.
FORM FACTOR:Compared to other force feedback wheels, this takes up a surprisingly small abount of desk real estate.Once clamped onto a desk, the unit only takes up a 7 inch by 14 inch area of space.The clamping mechanism is notable for not extending very far below the desk.This means there is less for you to bump your legs on and it makes it possible to clamp it in a wider variety of locations.
PEDALS: In my previous wheels, the pedal unit would slide all over the place on my wood floors.This unit, though has a big enough base that there is absolutely no sliding whatsover.In addition, there is a little traction device you can turn on, so that on carpet, the base will stick even more.
FORCE FEEDBACK: To set up the wheel, you can use the default Windows Game Controller set up.Force feedback can be set from 0-150% strength.For my game, Rally Trophy, I found that anything greater than 20% was too strong and I ended up using 14%.This is a sign of quality, because it indicates that the wheel has a full range of power available.The fact that at 14% power, the wheel delivered a nice range of subtle in-game effects proves to me that this wheel has been put together solidly.
This wheel met all my expectations and for me was a MAJOR step up from the little game pad I was using.It has taken me about 2 days to really get the hang of driving with it, but now that I have figured out the right settings, there is really no comparison.Before I was just goofing around with a video game.Now it feels like I am actually using an advanced driving simulator.Very cool!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Logitech MOMO Force Feedback Racing Wheel

Product Description:
Turbocharge your driving with the authentic feel and precision performance of the Logitech MOMO force-feedback racing wheel. Designed by the racing professionals at MOMO, the full-rubber wheel, stick shifter, and racing pedals feel just like the real thing. And with advanced force-feedback technology, you'll experience the road like never before. Strap yourself in and drive into the action!
The Logitech MOMO racing wheel is compatible with PCs running Windows 98, 2000, Me, and XP, with an available USB port.

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5/30/2011

Logitech G27 Racing Wheel Review

Logitech G27 Racing Wheel
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I had the privilege of owning its predecessor several years ago, the G25, so I knew mostly what to expect with this new G27, but I was still expecting so much more from Logitech. The expression "Logitech giveth and Logitech taketh away" seems most pertinent.

So, let's start:

Opening the box and getting everything out is very simple. All the parts are well designed, but you're immediately greeted with what I think is the biggest issue with the G25/27 set, - the cables. So many cables! 400 cables! (at least it feels like it)

The wheel has a cable coming out of it that goes into your PS3; the pedals have a cable coming out of it; the shifter has a cable coming out of it, and then there's the power brick that has a cable to be plugged in. All these cables plug into the wheel itself, and it's definitely not a pretty sight. I don't know about other people, but I don't have a place where I can leave my steering wheel/shifter/pedals plugged in 24/7, so setting all this up and putting it away again is a COMPLETE pain in the rear.

Putting the cable issue aside, there's a lot to like with the G27. It's an improvement over the G25 in many ways:

1.) The G27 wheel uses helical gears (or diagonal-cut gears) vs the G25's straight-cut gears. What this means is that there's a reduction in noise when turning the wheel, and it's also smoother while maintaing powerful force feedback! Great stuff!

2.) The shifter on the G27 no longer has a sequential mode (i.e. clicks up and down only), which is no big loss to me. I prefer either the regular 6-speed or using the paddle shifts on the wheel. While it may seem that this is still a LOSS compared to the G25's 6-speed AND sequential shifting, the new addition to the G27 is that the gears don't CLICK into place. On the G25, every gear change would greet you with a CLICK as the gear was put into place. Logitech have removed this sound so the gear movements don't hurt your ears with their plastic sounds as the G25 did. Now, some people have modified their G25 shifters to remove this sound, but it voids your warranty and I've read of several people irreparably breaking their shifters by doing this... In any case, for me, the G27 shifter is an improvement over the out-of-the-box G25 shifter.

3.) The pedals are now adjustable, which makes it a joy to heel-and-toe while racing. The pedal layout is a huge deal more comfortable than on the G25 pedals. This, for me, is a huge improvement. My right foot would get very uncomfortable with the G25 layout.

4.) There's a new set of tachometer LEDs on the wheel, though I've yet to play any game that supports them yet... It's a neat little feature, though, if it does as advertised.

5.) The G27 also has some more buttons on the steering wheel, which you can customize, of course.So how does it play?

VERY well, depending on the software!

Need for Speed: Shift PS3:

I first tried out Need for Speed: Shift on the Playstation 3, and was pleasantly surprised to see that no setup is needed, and the controls just work. In fact, it even shows you a picture of the wheel/pedals on the control screen (albeit just the G25, but still...). It's great to have the wheel work out of the box with no tinkering. THAT said, there's perhaps too much force feedback in Shift to be particularly comfortable. The faster you get, the more the wheel fights with you. At 120mph, it's very hard to keep the wheel straight. I've track-driven several times at near 150mph speeds at times, and I can safely say my steering wheel doesn't fight me in real life like it did in the game...

So, for ease of use with Shift, I'd say 5/10. It's just too hard to keep the wheel straight at relatively high speeds...

Gran Turismo: Prologue PS3:

NOW we're talking. None of the fighting I experienced in Need for Speed: Shift, and plenty of smooth corners and subtle force feedback. It's fair to say the force feedback is a tad muted in Prologue, but it's infinitely more comfortable to play than Shift, and a real joy to hit those apexes time and time again. 9/10.Overall, this wheel is excellent, but the pain of setting it up is just too much to ignore. It really is a cable nightmare. The wheel, pedals and shifter could easily be wireless by this point, meaning the only cable needed would be a power cable to the steering wheel for the force feedback to work. I suspect the inevitable G29 will remedy this, as the way the G27 currently works is a direct copy of the G25 which is 3 years old as of November, 2009.

Overall, though, a great wheel, if you can be bothered to go through the setting it up...!

4/5

Note: This wheel is for PC AND PS3.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Logitech G27 Racing Wheel

Product Description:
A simulator-grade racing wheel, the Logitech G27 Racing Wheel is designed to deliver the definitive sim racing experience for the PC and PLAYSTATION3. It features a powerful, dual-motor force feedback mechanism with exceptionally quiet helical gearing; a six-speed shifter with push-down reverse gear; integrated RPM/shift indicator LEDs; a comfortable 11-Inch leather-wrapped rim; and steel gas, brake, and clutch pedals.

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