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Reviewed: Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel

arstechnica.com — Opposable Thumbs gets its hands on Microsoft's Wireless Racing Wheel for the Xbox 360 and takes it for a (virtual) spin. Tested with Project Gotham Racing 3 and the Forza II demo, this Racing Wheel shines.

Who dugg this? Made popular May 23, 2007

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  • wageslaven, on 10/11/2007, -0/+26I have one of these racing wheels, its about the 3rd or 4th Driving wheel of my gaming life. I have _never_ been more impressed by a driving wheel & pedal set. bar-none, head and shoulders above anything Ive ever used.

    The best wheel Ive ever used -- I highly recommend it. If your a driving fan, this wheel and PGR3 (I cant get Forza II quick enough) is the best driving experience evar. I cant say enough about it.
  • inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+13Also, sorry for the comment spam, but it looks like if you own the wheel you'll get another little treat on thursday:

    http://www.tekfront.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=162&mode=&order=0&thold=0
  • inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+13I agree 100%. I picked it up a month ago with PGR3, and I've been having a blast with it. I'd still like to see a version with a clutch and shifter, but for a standard FF wheel & pedal, there is nothing better on the market.
  • kinesis8, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7Just got this wheel yesterday and wanted to mention that there is significant a learning curve with it. Its force feedback is always challenging you to keep the car steady, whereas with the normal controller it's noticeably easier to straighten out a car. I had no problem getting 1st place in the demo with the normal controller, but was getting owned when I first used the wheel. You literally have to relearn how to drive each car. It's that different. However, if you are willing to put the time into it, I've already found that Forza 2 is a much more exhilarating and fulfilling experience because of the wheel.

    For those complaining about the price, I think Microsoft knew only the hardcore would get the wheel. It's definitely not for the casual gamer anyways due to its learning curve. I've used several other wheels before and I think the price is right for everything that this wheel does. It's mostly plastic, but the way MS designed it gives it a very solid and durable feel. The steering wheel part alone weighs about 20-25 lbs and the wheel itself has a really nice thickness to it.

  • razrielle, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5I kind of wish that they would make racing wheels with a clutch pedal and a decent shifter
  • eamonchaney, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5@ilyag

    The wheel is most definitely worth it, if you are really into racing games. And trying to use one without FF and rumble in a gave like Forza2 that was built around this wheel is stupid. Aside from arcadey uses like PGR, games like Forza2 are trying to give you as realistic a driving experience as possible. If you are not that interested in the realism, then forget about the wheel and forget about Forza.(I can't speak for DiRT or the others)
  • gwolf, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6Thanks jimbojim, first I have heard of that "Dirt Demo" on Live, looking forward to it.

    The 360 wheel is very well built, great bang for the buck IMHO.
  • djphatjive, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6Doesn't say new!
  • LordSkywalker, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4I have the wheel also. I really like the force feedback and rumble, but I do wish the wheel itself was a little larger. That said, it's awesome and now all I have to do is buy or build a comfortable racing style seat with wheel and pedal mounts.

    By the way, you can get these cheap if it's used. I got mine with PGR3 for about $70 on ebay vs. $150 new.
  • DraconWolf, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4I love mine. The force feedback (don't get this confused with rumble) is amazing. It really makes it feel like the car has real weight to it. Adds a huge dimension to the immersion in games. Every other wheel I've used has paled in comparison to this. The lifeless steering involved with every other wheel feels ridiculous after you feel the bumps in roads and the jerk of the wheel with this wheel.
  • mt066, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4Oh man $150 is a lot. But all of the reviews I've read are overwhelmingly good. And this + Forza II would be incredible.
  • chrisabraham, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5jimbojim, I love the Colin McRae games -- I am a Rally-lover but always hate the handheld controllers for car games -- this might just be the time to get a 360 (where's the best prices?) and then get the wheel and the Dirt game. I think I am going to get the Colin McRae game and forget the PS3 "dirt" game.
  • inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Clutch pedals and stick shifters and the "old and busted" the new "hotness" in most race cars/super sports cars are the butterfly shifters.

    Plus, without the stick you can put your arm around your lady friend so she feels more involved in you life.
  • Chetopuffs, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2After reading Marvin69's comment, I just thought of something. They make sticky mats, they are commonly used for people with motor function disabilities and their dinner plates, ie place mats. They cost nothing and can be found at any major discount retail stores (Evil Wal-Mart, K-Mart, etc.)
  • stampeder, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I bought it a couple months ago, and I'm really not happy with it. Maybe I'll have to keep practicing with it, but I don't think I'll be able to beat the lap times that i get with the handheld controller ever.
  • drunkard, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2The wheel is by far the best I've ever used, no lag from your input as I experienced many times with other wheels in the past. However, it's simply too much real work to me to drive with it. I'm better with the controller at PGR3 and the Forza 2 demo. So, the wheel is sitting gathering dust.
  • shdwghst457, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3"$150 is too much for a peripheral"...I'm gonna go play my Steel Battalion now...
  • swoosh_bnd, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1For $150, I'd hope it would be good.
  • HappyScrappy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1One last thing. I bought this hoping I could use it on the PC with the MS wireless adapter for PCs (very affordable at $20!). If you try this, note that the throttle and brake only work in a combined-axis mode on the PC. So if you press the brake and gas at once, the game can't tell you have either pressed at all. That means it's compatible with a lot of racing games, but it means also with the higher-end games that support throttle and brake, you can't enjoy that feature.
  • commitone, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1You can make your own cockpit from PVC piping from your hardware store. Here's a post from one of the forza forums on how to make it:
    http://forums.forzamotorsport.net/forums/13/40319/ShowThread.aspx

    I ended up getting the playseat evo from amazon:
    http://www.amazon.com/Playseats-Evolution-Gaming-Black-Silver/dp/B000K9Q5UK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/104-1777091-4079955?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1179980899&sr=8-2

    I even added the Buttkicker for the extra rumble on the seat. I know it's a lot of money to spend on one game , but I also see this as a saving. I could get some extra seat time with the racing sim before I go to the track. The cost of this setup is only a fraction of what I spend on tires in a year.
  • inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I built a small platform 'box' out of wood that sits at a 35 degree angle. On the bottom I glued on some of that slip resistant rubber. I then used two metal straps to hold the pedals to the top of the platform.
    I cost me nothing but 15 minutes of time and works great on my hardwood floors and carpet.
  • Synced, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2I have this wheel but I have trouble with pedal setup. If I put them on my hardwood floor and sit on my couch to play they are hard to reach and they move all over the place.

    Can anyone suggest a relatively cheap way to setup a wheel and pedals? Ideally if I had something to mount the wheel to that can hang over part of the couch so I can sit comfortably and also some way to raise the pedals in a car like position where they won't move would be great.

    Any suggestions?

    Thanks and take care.
  • BearinG, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Yep I have this steering wheel also but I had trouble with Project Gotham Racing 3 (the disc that came with it).. had to bring it back 3 times and now finally have a good copy..

    Steering is great though.. way more precise once you get used to the wheel.. you just can't do a smooth turn when using a thumbstick and twitching the analog.. your always going back and forth and correcting your last twitch..

    This is even more incredible in Forza where the pedals are more important where you can't just slam on the brakes or you'll be off the track in no time.. better than the triggers i think
  • BearinG, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I think you really need a good setup to have a force feedback steering. Having the steering on your lap really isn't cutting it for me but when its mounted to a proper table, THEN it shines.. i think he's giving a bit too much credit to the lap thingy... specially if you play with force feedback.. when changing quickly from left to right (or vice versa), the force feedback "lifts" the steering off your legs

    I have played racing games with controllers for ever (and fairly good at it) .. but after a few nights playing with the steering (and of course, good knowledge of racing "lines" in general), i was able to beat my controller times..

    Anyway, I just wanted to mention that people really should have a "good" solid setup with a steering wheel with force feedback. I dont mean having a racing seat and a roll cage etc.. but having a solid table is a big step compared to having the steering on your lap. I put my poker chip case (probably around 30lbs) ON the table behind the steering wheel to keep the table from moving.
  • HappyScrappy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Agreed, the Sidewinder was a better wheel than this.

    To the other poster, the 360 wheel provides no FFB unless you plug it in. And it isn't much with it. Honestly the problem I think is due to the shaft. PGR3 tries to apply strong FFB, and due to the loose bearings on the wheel, it makes driving rather imprecise. In Forza 2, the FFB is much more subdued, but by not fighting you as much, it keeps the play in the bearings from being a problem.

    I also have a G25, and I play GTR2 almost nightly. It took me two weeks to get into it, and now I'm really hooked. It'll be tough to go away from the G25, and to go to the less-simmy (probably in a good way in terms of mass-market appeal) Forza 2.

    I've owned
    3 NeGcons
    1 Driving Force Pro (GT-3 wheel)
    1 Logitech MOMO wheel (not the highly regarded "red" version).
    1 GT-4 Wheel (GT-Force)
    1 MS 360 Wireless Racing Wheel
    1 G25 wheel

    I've used before:
    Fanatec wheel (Forza wheel)
    MS Sidewinder FFB (I had one on loan to me from work for over a year)

    The 360 Wireless Racing Wheel is a bit better than the Driving Force Pro in a few ways. All-in-all, it's probably better, even though it is worse in several ways. For a brand new wheel, this is a pretty poor showing.
  • JaredMonkey, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1FYI for everyone who plans on buying two wheels, you are unable to connect more than one at a time without another piece of hardware. It says in the manual that you can connect up to four wheels, but you can't.

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/930065/en-us

    LAME.
  • gwolf, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I put a couple of short thick screws in the holes where the screws go in the bottom so the sharp ends point down and put the whole thing on a large rug.

    Works perfectly.
  • skaface69, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3Did I just do a time warp or is this story like 6 months old? I remember seeing reviews of the wireless racing wheel before christmas. WTF.

    I do agree, it is pretty damn good, and i'm am currently building a racing seat and mount for the pedals, and wheel.
  • Sephrra, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Thanks for posting this! Although $150 is a lot
  • keathmilligan, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I think the wireless wheel is better than the other XBOX 360 options out there (I owned a Mad Catz and tried a couple of others, this one is definitely the best), but I know what you mean when it comes to these new console wheels compared to the old SIdewinder PC wheels. I owned two Sidewinder wheels and they were great - they actually had force feedback that had FORCE. I guess it's a battery life thing on the wireless wheel, but even the wired Mad Catz was wimpy.
  • xhardwarex, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I ordered mine from buy.com yesterday for $107 shipped. Got it today, only had an hour with it or so. Learning Curve will be steep, but I love racing so I'm looking forward to it. If you say $110 is too much money for this wheel you are simply cheap and don't care to have something nice like this. Quality is great!
  • HappyScrappy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1misplaced. digg down.
  • eatmygames, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Yep, bury this. Old old news.
  • desqjockey, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Good PC wheels do this. If you want to sim an "old and busted" classic ferrari, NASCAR, or modern low cost racer go there. Plus you can use it forever; if you buy peripherals for consoles they go obsolete with each new version.

    This is for the kids.
  • Chetopuffs, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0@Synced

    Perhaps you could try some suction cups. They are sure to make some that "sucky" on both sides, or you may want to try them in combination with some sticky pads (3M for easy removal) I would suggest a trip to your local hardware store, I'm sure that you could find something that would work there.

    Best of luck!
  • musntSurfatWork, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1too bad the G25 will never work with the XBOX, I would've bought an Xbox just for that.

    Looking forward to playing the upcoming D.I.R.T rally game from CodeMasters. PS3 too.
  • DaveK67, on 09/14/2008, -0/+0Until Microsoft supports the G25... EVERY 360 racing game = FAIL. I have not touched F2 just about since I posted my last comment on this thread... but I've been playing PC and PS3 sims a lot... with the g25.
  • HappyScrappy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1I have one of these wheels also.
    It's the 5th racing wheel I've owned (all were good quality wheels, no cheapos here).

    I'm not at all impressed with it.

    The shaft of the wheel has a lot of play, worse than the Logitech GT-3 wheel from 5 years ago. The pedals feel nice, but they slide all over the place, they have no carpet grippers, and the hole in there to hold the pedals in place does nothing at all.

    The force feedback is AWFUL in PGR3, it's pretty good in Forza 2.

    The shifter paddles are pretty good.

    All in all, it costs at least $50 too much. And it's so far behind the state of the art it's a joke.

    I do agree with the reviewer than 900 degree rotation (on the GT-Force and G25) isn't terribly useful, and on the GT-Force, the gearing in there holds you back from rotating the wheel quickly (a problem the 360 wheel shares). On the G25, the 900 rotation may not be useful, but it doesn't hold you back either, it doesn't have undue resistance to quick rotations.

    The G25 is astoundingly good (and expensive), the MS wheel is years behind the curve. You'll be impressed if you're coming from the Forza Fanatec wheel I guess, but if you've been driving on Logitech wheels, you'll notice what's missing.

    I wish MS would have supported the G25. Sony does.
  • mydave, on 07/31/2008, -0/+0Although the Xbox 360 has USB ports, and Logitech makes some fine USB wheels, such as the highly touted G25, most don't work with the Xbox 360 thanks to different frameworks.
    http://wmpowered.com/default,date,2005-01-10.aspx
    http://www.robobusiness2006.com
  • DaveK67, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0I've used this wheel at a buddie's house... I wanted to get it for Forza 2 (a game I love), but it was so bad compared to my G25 that I just can't bring myself to buy it. The G25 is by far the best wheel a normal person can afford (just barely)... it puts everything else to shame.

    I just played DiRT for 10 hours the other night... on my PS3... using the G25. If microsoft had G25 support I'd have bought the 360 version of DiRT (slightly better graphics IMO)... but they don't... so I didn't.

    How many game sales does Microsoft need to lose because of their crappy wheel before they add G25 support to the 360?
  • emperor799, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1Didn't this release 6 months ago?
  • cygnus183, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1you can't use a 270 degrees wheel on a driving sim. 900 all the way. The only thing good about this wheel is the fact that it's wireless.
  • scabbers, on 10/11/2007, -4/+3I've owned real cars that were cheaper than this thing.
  • FooAtari, on 10/11/2007, -7/+6I hate to tell you guys this, but this wheel is pretty poor. I have a MS Sidewinder FFB wheel from around 8 years ago that's puts this to shame. I cant get my head around the fact that MS built both wheels, one so good the other so poor.

    The wheel feels poorly made, the steering column actually moves around, and it just feels fragile in general. Also the FFB effects are very poor. The wheel allows for no subtlety in FFB effects.

    For an extra £50 you can pick up the Logitech G25 for the PC (i belive it also works on the PS2/3) which craps all over the MS wheel in every area. If you think the MS wheel is good do yourself a favour and pick up a game like GT Legends, Grand Prix Legends, GTR 2 or Live for Speed and give it a go with the Logitech G25, it's in a different league, and more importantly demonstrates how bad the MS wheel is.

    Hell even the Logitech Driving Force Pro (the GT4 one), a wheel that is now several years old, and can be bought new for less than the MS wheel is superior to it.

    I bought the MS wheel and am now selling it again. Poorly made and over priced.

    But go ahead and digg me down. I have only been driving racing sims for around 14 years, and owned or used around 6 force feedback wheels. What do i know.
  • Mister2zx3, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2There are a lot of these wheels getting replaced,all too much like the 360's red ring of death unfortunately, from either just completely stopping to work or not centering. They like to rotate off center.

    Plus, It' doesn't even come close to comparing to Gran Turismo's/Logitechs/Sonys Driving Force Pro wheel.

    Compared to the Logitech G25, with clutch, gated shifter, and a real solid strong force feedback motor. MS spent more on it's marketing and legal for this and upcoming Forza, instead of focusing on better products. Who needs quality when you can just outsource everything.. these days it doesn't even matter how really unsatisfied customers are. When the customer support gets outsourced and their reports of what's going on is not comprehensible.

    I was hoping for so much more, both quality and functionality wise, from the wheel and its mothership's related racer.
  • inactive, on 10/11/2007, -6/+2I think everyone would agree that this would be awesome to own and play Forza or PGR with, but I doubt I'm alone when I say that $150 is just a ridiculous amount of money to charge for such an optional peripheral.

    There is a reason game console manufacturers make the bulk of their profits in sales of accessories. Aside from overcharging for various video/audio cables, this is possibly the finest example of that.

    If they made a wired wheel, without even any force feedback or rumble to bring the price down to about $50, then I might consider it. As it is, this is just another toy exclusively for very wealthy gamers. I really wish I could afford it, but I can't. And neither can most regular gamers.
  • chrisabraham, on 10/11/2007, -8/+1gwolf, is this wheel "the best?" Is this the best wheel?
  • chrisabraham, on 10/11/2007, -9/+2Hey, is the PlayStation a better racing system?
  • magicjames92, on 10/11/2007, -23/+2how old is the racing wheel? didnt it come out last year? buried.

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