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This wheel is the cheapest of
the three I tested, and as such I expected it to perform at
a level easily below the others. However, I was pleasantly
surprised at the build quality and features that Logitech
have managed to cram in. The wheel unit itself is very
light, and made from black moulded plastic. However, as is
pretty standard on most wheels, there are rubber grips on
each side. These are in red, which offsets the black nicely,
making the wheel very attractive. The ergonomics of the
wheel are superb, with the rubber giving excellent grip
whether you drive with your hands at the centre of each side
of the wheel or in the driving test standard 10 o’ clock – 2
o’ clock position.
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There are
four buttons situated on the front of the wheel, which most
gamers would assign to functions such as handbrake, launch
control and reverse. However, these buttons are not easy to
comfortably press, as their positioning is away from where
your fingers and thumbs naturally sit. There are also two
larger buttons on the back of the wheel for gear shifting.
Paddles would obviously been better, but buttons have been
used to keep the costs down. To be honest, it is not really
a big problem, and once you are in a race, you hardly notice
the difference. Hardcore simulation racers will not like
them though.
The main unit behind the wheel is quite small, ensuring that
it does not take up too much desk space, or storage space
for that matter. There are two screw clamps on this unit,
which secure the wheel to the desk. They are quick to screw
in, which is useful of you have to attach the wheel every
time you want to race. However, these two screws are not
that secure, causing the wheel to slip about if you have a
rough driving style. This can be annoying in games, so you
have to be a bit careful when driving.
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Like the main unit, the
pedal unit is fairly small. The pedals are moulded from
plastic, and have a very sporty look and feel. The
springs are fairly stiff, giving the pedals a realistic
resistance. This allows you to feel the pedals beneath
your feet well, allowing for accurate control.
Unfortunately, as with the wheel, the pedals like to
move around a bit whilst in use. This is because the
grips on the base are poor. If you are playing with the
pedals against a wall then it is fine, but otherwise it
can be an annoyance to have to move the pedals back
after every race. I imagine it would also be okay with a
rubber mat under the pedals, but on carpet slippage does
occur.
Set Up
All of the units plug into each other quickly and
easily, with the connection to the computer being via
USB.
The software and drivers are exactly the same as that
for all the Logitech wheels, hence the wheel is very
quick and easy to set up with clear instructions for
installation. The controller is self calibrating and the
intensity of the force feedback effects can be altered.
It is worth spending a little time tweaking the effects
as it helps in getting the most out of your games. The
controls can also be easily programmed using the
Logitech software, although there is usually no need to
use this as most games have programmable controls
themselves.
Performance
For a budget wheel, this performs admirably. The general
feel of the wheel is good, and the weight of the
steering especially is excellent, as it is neither too
light nor too heavy. The force feedback is not
particularly strong, although when turned up full it is
adequate for most games. The excellent ergonomics of the
grip on the wheel allow for a comfortable driving
experience, which of course is important for long
periods of play. The main problem with the performance
is, as mentioned earlier, the movement of both the wheel
unit and the pedals when a rough driving style is
employed. A round up of the performance in various games
is below:
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F1
Challenge
In this game smoothness is the key to good performance.
The weight of the pedals allows for excellent control of
the accelerator and brake, which is essential for
intricate speed adjustments, particularly when trying to
obtain maximum speed and grip whilst cornering. The
wheel itself performs well, with the weight of the
steering being heavy enough to maintain smoothness. The
force feedback effects are quite good, although a little
lacking in strength.
Colin McRae 04
The steering on this wheel is of medium weight, which
makes it suitable for many types of racing games, as it
is heavy enough for track based games but light enough
for the quick, rough style of rally driving. Therefore
good control of the rally car can be obtained, with
opposite lock applied quickly and easily where
necessary. However, because of the quicker style of
driving in this game, both the wheel and pedals can move
whilst playing. This can be frustrating when in the
middle of a stage, as tightening the clamps while
keeping on the racing line is not an easy task. The
force feedback works better in this game, and is strong
enough to convey the rough terrain effectively.
Nascar Thunder 2004
The wheel performs well when used with this game. It is
quite similar to the performance in F1 Challenge, and
unfortunately the strength of the feedback is again the
downfall. Accurate control of the car is easy enough,
allowing for very competitive driving. However, it
doesn’t feel like you are trying to pull a huge Nascar
vehicle round the corners. For a wheel of this price,
however, this is not necessarily expected.
Conclusions
To summarise, here are the main pros and cons:
Pros
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Excellent ergonomics for gripping the wheel.
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The
price offers excellent value for money.
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Pedals
offer a decent amount of resistance.
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The
weight of the steering is suitable for both track
based and rally style games, making for a good all
round wheel.
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Small
size takes up little desk space and allows for easy
storage.
Cons
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Pedal
board and wheel unit can slip if aggressive driving
style is used.
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Buttons instead of paddles for gear changes.
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Buttons on front of wheel are not that comfortable
to access.
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Would be nice if the force feedback
effects were a little stronger.
Compare With |
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Saitek R440 Force Feedback
Wheel |
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Logitech Momo Racing Force
Feedback Wheel |
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Quality: |
8/10
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Excellent ergonomics, the grip in particular being
very good. The pedals are also built very well. |
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Price: |
10/10
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For the price, this is excellent value. Hardcore
racers will want to pay more for a better quality
wheel though. |
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Installation: |
9 /10
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Exactly the same installation as with the Momo. Very
easy to install with clear instructions. |
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Compatibility: |
10
/10 |
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Works on all driving games I’ve tried, even older
ones. |
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Performance : |
5
/10
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Good feel to the wheel, the problem is that it
slides about far too much. |
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Overall
: 42/50
A very
good wheel for those on a tight budget.
However the keen racer will be disappointed
with the movement of the wheel and pedals
when handled aggressively. |
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