Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel
This racing wheel was built from the ground up by industry professionals with input by those who brought you Forza and Project Gotham Racing. Featuring technology in rumble and Force Feedback response, the wheel simulates a spectrum of driving sensations from drifting to powersliding. In addition to realism, you will be using Xbox 360 2.4 GHz wireless technology with ranges of up to 30. Features: Force Feedback technology Customize your driving experience using either the quick release mount for table play or the slip resistant rubber bottom for more secure lap play Formula 1 style paddle shifters Realistically weighted gas and brake pedals Works with your Windows PC with the Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver (Sold...
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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
This wheel kept me playing Forza 2 for hours! I am an ‘old school’ gamer and I could never get the hang of using a joystick to drive. Keep in mind that this is the ‘re-released’ version of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel and thus it only includes a demo of Forza 2. The older models were recalled by MS, so beware of used ones.
First things first, the box that this wheel comes in is HUGE! The upside to the large box is that everything is put together and all you need to do is unpack the wheel and pedals and plug them together. You are going to want to plug the wheel into the wall and use the full feedback features. I don’t think too many people are going to spend this kind of money on a racing wheel to sit on their sofa and play with the wheel on their lap ‘wirelessly’. The benefit of the wireless part is that you don’t need to worry about using up a USB port on the front of you Xbox 360 to plug this in. Connecting is easy, push the sync button on your console and on the wheel. Like magic they each recognize each other and you are in business. After plugging the foot pedals into the wheel via a little cable that looks like a telephone wire you are set to race. Feedback on Forza 2 was amazing! Understeer, bumps, warning strips, you feel everything.
Pros:
Top notch feel and finish, no corners cut on cheap plastic or details.
Works right out of the box. No drivers to fumble with.
Feedback (while connected to power source) is excellent.
Clamping system is easy to understand and use.
Doesn’t tie up a spot on your Xbox USB ports.
Cons:
Minor- you need to find the right table/surface to mount this on. It is heavy!
Minor- clamping system is excellent, however, after a long race it may move and need readjusting.
Conclusion:
Spend a few extra bucks and buy this wheel. I think the smiles that you will get from finding out how much fun racing games can be with this setup will be worth every penny!
I chose this steering wheel based on other reviews and I love driving games, but absolutely hate having to control a car with a thumb-sized joystick. My friend bought a steering wheel from another manufacturer and it absolutely was not up-to-par when playing PGR 3.
I popped the batteries in this sucker and started up NASCAR 08 and thought that this was a very solid wheel. However, I didn’t read the instructions (Guys don’t read instructions!) and originally thought the force feedback was pretty weak. I then put in DIRT and decided I would try the wheel plugged in to an electrical outlet. Oh man! This wheel feels as realistic as a video game wheel could feel. The force feedback is extremely realistic. For instance, on DIRT when you are in the air, the wheel frees up, however, when you hit the ground, the wheel will jerk as your virtual car hits the ground. In fact, it initially caught me off guard and almost jerked out of my hand.
With the standard controller, I found NASCAR 08 almost impossible to play. I simply could not control the car – and I’m not new to this series. With this wheel, I had no problem. In fact, I find myself getting into the game so much, I have to remind myself to lighten my grip on the wheel.
I am truly amazed by the realistic feel of this steering wheel, specifically the force feedback applied during a game. I have always found myself wishing that a console could reproduce the steering experience I had with large, arcade style racing games. This particular wheel not only matches that performance, but goes above and beyond that.
I definitely recommend it for those of you who are really into simulation-style racing games.