| Racing Games have never been so exciting! The | | | | dismantled the Fanatec kit - and we found two |
| technology now exists to provide realistic racing | | | | things. Firstly, once you've played (sorry - |
| environments through the use of steering wheels | | | | experienced!) a racing game with a wheel - you can't |
| with forcefeedback, LCD screens with crystal clear | | | | go back to a keyboard or joypad. Secondly, when |
| display and speakers delivering the right acoustics | | | | you've been in a gaming seat - you can't go back to |
| (with bass!). And of course, the ring type of gaming | | | | a table.... its all good. Its also easy to see why the |
| seat, or gaming chair (I don't call them cockpits, I'll | | | | wheel is the official wheel of Gran Turismo. |
| leave this to the flight-sim people!). We've been so | | | | The wheel has been around for sometime now, and |
| impressed by GranTurismo, that we've been looking | | | | we're glad to say it's aged well and still current. As |
| for things to improve the experience of the game. | | | | this product replaced the Driving Force Pro, we wont |
| We have been testing the best steering wheels on | | | | be covering that Wheel. |
| gaming seats such as the VisionRacer and Fanatec, | | | | Summary... |
| and now we'd like to share our findings so you can | | | | Fantastic Product. I'd say its the beta version of the |
| get the same experience. | | | | G25. |
| Driving Force Wireless | | | | Logitech G25 |
| Before we had the GT and G25 in the labs, we had | | | | The G25 is the next model up from the Driving Force |
| so much fun with the Driving Force! For us, this was | | | | GT. The packaging is great on these products, |
| one of the devices that really started a revolution in | | | | although the reality is that its what's inside that's |
| gaming.... bye bye controller pads and keyboard! We | | | | important. So when you know that the pedals are |
| had two people on a couch (sofa!) and one playing | | | | made of metal (and not plastic) it gives you some |
| on a bean bag. | | | | idea of what to expect in the product -something |
| The Driving Force is wireless, and although I'm not a | | | | that's solid and hard-wearing. This is good, but what |
| big fan of wireless devices for precision gaming, the | | | | about the playability and the experience? |
| Driving Force works fine. More importantly, the | | | | What we liked to see is that the gearbox is also part |
| feedback you get from the device covers bumps on | | | | of the 'evolution' of the game pad, and has been |
| the roads, car crashes and traction loss. | | | | brought into the mix. Specifically, you get a D-Pad |
| The controller can be used on the lap, which is pretty | | | | and the expected eight buttons, which is great when |
| much where it was designed for - racing from the | | | | you need to change views on GT or program for |
| comfort of your armchair, although you can fix it to | | | | another game. |
| a table or desk. The Driving Force also comes with | | | | The majority of people I know have previously |
| Pedals, which is something that is really the missing | | | | preferred the automatic approach, although I'm |
| piece when playing racing games. | | | | knowing and seeing more people prefer the manual |
| On the PS3, we tested GranTurismo and Burnout - I | | | | approach for the added realism, and the gearshift |
| have to say, the playability was much better on the | | | | box supports 6 gears - one of which is reverse! Cool! |
| PS3 than the PC, but at the end of the day we | | | | There's a choice of gear shifting modes too, so you |
| were testing the Driving Force - and I don't want this | | | | can have sequential if this is your preference for F1, |
| review to represent that the Driving Force was | | | | or just stay with gated gears. |
| deficient in any area, it worked fine on all the games. | | | | Apparently the steering wheel is made from hand |
| Summary... | | | | stitched leather - I can't confirm this other than |
| The Driving Force is a fantastic product, it falls short | | | | saying the wheel looks and feels as if its come |
| of the G25 and GT - but its less than half the price, | | | | straight out of a steering wheel. |
| which more than justifies it's position (specifically | | | | We never bothered connecting the G25 to a table - |
| being on the lap). Recommendation - buy one, have | | | | after you've experienced a gaming seat, there just |
| fun, sell on ebay - then buy an upgrade! | | | | isn't any going back! The real value in these |
| Driving Force GTyummy. Thats my first words on | | | | components is when they're integrated with a gaming |
| this! | | | | seat, 5.1 surround sound and a good LCD. Seriously, |
| This is where force feedback really comes into itself, | | | | there is no going back! |
| and with the full rotation it really does give you the | | | | In Summary... |
| feel of a real wheel. | | | | Well, we discussed the need for feedback on the |
| The difference we found with this wheel compared | | | | pedals for sometime, and only came to the |
| to similar priced wheels is that the steering wheel has | | | | conclusion that its nice to have and would improve |
| a rubber coating, as opposed to just cheap plastic. | | | | the game, albeit marginally. |
| This really gives it a realistic feel. When you play GT | | | | For realism the G25 is the way to go, although the |
| or Need for Speed, you really want to hammer the | | | | Driving Force GT does exactly the same, albeit not |
| wheel to get the best experience, and the Logitech | | | | quite as polished. |
| is good to handle it. | | | | We'd go as far to say that the feedback electrics |
| We initially tried the DFGT on a table, as we were in | | | | are quieter on the G25, rather than the DFGT - but |
| the middle of rebuilding the VisionRacer, and we'd | | | | hey, with 5.1 speakers rearing, who cares! |