Fifteen years in the past, you’d have advised anybody stepping into sim racing to simply purchase a Logitech wheel. That’s what I did; that’s what my mates did. But so much can change in a decade and a half, and whereas Logitech’s bread-and-butter G29 and G923 wheels are nonetheless a wonderful alternative for informal gamers or these simply seeking to dip their toes into the passion, they’re removed from the final phrase. This little passion has come a good distance.
That’s why the $999 Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel is such an enormous deal. It not solely makes use of the corporate’s first direct drive system, it’s Logitech’s first wheel base not pushed by gears. The equipment big omitted belt-equipped wheels altogether, and ultimately, Logitech {hardware} is within the dialog once more – and higher for it.
Full disclosure: Logitech supplied me with a G Pro Racing Wheel ($999) and Racing Pedals ($349) which embrace a load-cell brake. The wheel I examined was the PlayStation- and PC-compatible model; there’s one other mannequin that swaps PlayStation help for Xbox.
Compatibility, Pricing and Availability
Both the Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel and Racing Pedals are out there now and bought individually. They additionally aren’t low cost: The wheel prices $999 whereas the pedals will set you again $349. The Racing Wheel comes with a base and rim, although Logitech hasn’t confirmed whether or not various rims will likely be out there. Both parts make the most of a quick-release mechanism, nonetheless, suggesting different designs could also be supplied finally. At the time of writing, the wheel and pedals are in inventory at Logitech’s U.S. website and able to ship.
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Design
Some sim racers will cry sacrilege right here, however I don’t want the steering wheel on my rig to look precisely like one in an actual automobile. Material high quality is much extra vital for me, as are ergonomics, each for driving and navigating menus. Logitech has at all times executed each fairly effectively, and the Pro wheel and pedals are not any totally different.
First off, I like that the rim is round. Rectangular or squircle wheels are nice if all you do is highway racing, however load up Dirt Rally and also you’d sooner sprain your wrists than end a stage. The rim itself is lined in grippy, perforated faux-leather, whereas the spokes are manufactured from metallic. Everything feels stable and constructed to resist the height 11 Newton-meters of torque this base is able to, which received’t be a shock to anybody rocking old-school Logitech gear. This stuff can actually take a beating.
The setup’s dials really feel good and weighty, too, as do the paddles on the again of the wheel. The paddles aren’t as clicky as those on, say, the G923, nor are they the stable, see-saw block of milled metallic like what you’ll discover on the again of Fanatec’s McLaren GT3 V2 method rim. I bought accustomed to the heft of those paddles over time, simply as I did on the McLaren tools. Still, snappier plates would lead to faster shifts and make me really feel faster, too.
Overall, the G Pro wheel’s design makes thumbing round Gran Turismo 7’s menus a bit of cake, and I recognize the tiny, four-way stick that makes for a serviceable alternative for a devoted D-pad for front-end navigation. I’m not as a lot of a fan of the distinctive positioning of the left rotary dial, nonetheless, although Logitech says the “thumb sweep” orientation was refined with recommendations from sim racers.
The concept right here is that you just don’t want your thumb and index finger to show this dial, which implies you may hold your left hand on the wheel as you make on-the-fly changes. In GT7, for instance, each dials are mapped to the sport’s multi-function show for adjusting gasoline maps, traction management and the like. That’s an important concept in idea, however the dial is simply out of attain for me once I maintain the wheel within the common 9-and-3 place. Maybe my thumbs are freakishly small or one thing. Your mileage might differ.
Critics will bemoan the usage of plastic on the bases of the wheel hub and pedals, however Logitech’s materials feels about as premium because it presumably can, and under no circumstances flimsy. In reality, the pedal set is so heavy that I didn’t even have to safe it to my Wheel Stand Pro. That’s to not say this doesn’t current issues; the footprint for the wheel base is significantly bigger than my stand’s Logitech-compatible mounting plate, so I may solely screw it into two of the plate’s 4 M6 screw holes. Fanatec’s compact CSL DD base is much extra amenable to space-conscious setups, and simpler to universally arduous mount to any rig because of its ingenious sliding T-nut design.
Speaking of which, Logitech nonetheless generously provides a desk clamp for anybody courageous sufficient to mount 11 Nm of direct-drive torque straight to their workplace desk. My desk has a keyboard tray, in order that’s not an choice for me. Also, one last level of reward goes to the wheel base’s show, which gives a shocking diploma of personalization for each steering and pedal habits with out the necessity to mess with Logitech’s PC software program. You can alter all the pieces from this display, from peak torque to Logitech’s TrueForce haptics to max brake strain — essential when dialing in sensitivity on a load cell pedal. Of course, you may also make mechanical changes to every pedal; extra on that later.
Steering and Force Feedback
You purchase a direct-drive steering wheel for its feeling of immediacy, constancy and quiet, notch-free smoothness. The G Pro actually delivers on this promise.
It may not really feel that approach out of the field, although. I predominantly used my tester with GT7 on the PS5, and I needed to fiddle with each the hub’s built-in settings in addition to the sport’s earlier than I may flip laps in consolation. For instance, by default the wheel was programmed to make the most of solely 5 Nm of pressure out of the out there 11 Nm, and Gran Turismo’s default settings left the suggestions feeling too mild and clumsy for my liking.
That modified as soon as I elevated the in-game values for max torque and sensitivity. The former merely made the motor extra highly effective whereas the latter ramped up the frequency of these intrusions of suggestions, leading to a extra current, partaking drive. I solely wanted about 7 Nm, and I knew I discovered the fitting method once I was capable of really feel the wheel get mild on the peak of Road Atlanta’s notorious esses, earlier than catching the slide simply in time over the extensive exterior curb. Once you’re dialed in, you’ll have a blast with this package.
Speaking of curbs, this brings me to one of many G Pro’s different standout options: TrueForce. This is Logitech’s proprietary expertise for conveying haptics, along with pressure suggestions, by its wheels. It debuted within the entry-level G923, and whereas I used to be ambivalent of its inclusion there — the wheel felt prefer it was buzzing on a regular basis, whatever the automobile’s standing — I prefer it far more within the G Pro’s repertoire.
With TrueForce, you’re higher capable of really feel the vibrations of rumble strips at observe limits, or that teeth-clenching judder of understeer in a front-wheel-drive automobile. It provides you extra data to make use of whereas driving, and that’s at all times a superb factor. Besides, when you’d moderately do with out it, TrueForce can at all times be turned off. I wouldn’t essentially select the G Pro over an equal Fanatec direct-drive construct for TrueForce alone — it depends on developer help on a game-by-game foundation, in spite of everything — however it’s a pleasant bonus.
G Pro Racing Pedals
With sim rigs, a correct set of pedals may be as vital because the wheel base. To that finish, Logitech gives a set of three pedals geared up with a load-cell brake along with its direct-drive wheel for one more $349. Unlike most price range pedals or people who have come pre-packaged with Logitech wheels prior to now, these are way more strong and adjustable.
For starters, you may reposition every pedal’s plate on its put up to permit kind of lateral room between them. The complete pedal assemblies themselves may be slid on their rails, too. Hell, the critically hardcore may even detach these modules from their plastic base and repair them to a tube-frame rig or no matter sim racing furnishings you may think about. It’s a welcome dedication to customization that sometimes isn’t seen from large peripheral makers like Logitech.
Of course, the most important draw right here is the load cell behind the brake. A load cell may be very fascinating in a brake pedal as a result of it measures strain utilized moderately than distance traveled. It additionally tends to extend the resistance of the pedal’s motion. The extra pressure required to push the pedal down, the extra vary out there to finely modulate your braking depth. With a load cell, it’s a lot simpler to find that optimum diploma of strain to maximise your stopping energy with out urgent too arduous and creating a pleasant, large flat spot in your tires.
As I stated earlier, I like that the show on the wheel hub permits you to set a max strain worth, which can possible be totally different for each participant relying on their setup. Pedals fastened to a metallic body spine can actually face up to extra abuse than an unfastened set below a desk, for instance.
One of the opposite great issues about load cells is that you may sometimes alter their resistance by the usage of totally different foam blocks or different {hardware} contained in the piston. To Logitech’s credit score, the corporate gives a couple of elastomer items of ranging hardnesses with each set of Racing Pedals, together with springs for the throttle and clutch. That’s very helpful, however Fanatec truly had an ingenious answer to this drawback with its outdated ClubSport V3 set: a “preload screw” that, when turned, made the brake firmer or softer. For my wants, I used to be capable of tweak the ClubSport V3’s brake to my choice simply by twisting that screw, no disassembly required.
While Logitech’s product does have the same wanting dial, this half solely exists to take away the load cell so you may change the elements inside it — not for on-the-fly advantageous tuning. It’s a disappointing oversight that retains these pedals simply shy of perfection.
Value and Verdict
The direct-drive market is heating up, and that implies that sim racers longing for a step up in {hardware} have a option to make. You can go for Fanatec’s CSL DD package — supplied you may even get your palms on one — or Logitech’s new merchandise. Thrustmaster has its personal answer on the best way within the type of the $650 T818, however in the intervening time, that one’s relegated to PC solely. There are additionally manufacturers like Simucube and VRS, catering to discerning professionals prepared to drop $1,300 or extra on a base alone.
For most individuals, then, the massive debate comes right down to Logitech versus Fanatec. And the reply actually is sort of easy. If you may nab a Fanatec CSL DD set, do it. The bundle with the Gran Turismo rim, load-cell triple-pedal set and pressure suggestions Boost Kit (to unlock the total 8 Nm the CSL DD is able to) is at present priced at $970, with pre-orders reside for the subsequent batch and availability slated for the tip of February. Additionally, if you wish to swap out your base’s rim for one thing totally different down the road or seize a couple of for several types of driving, Fanatec has a wide array already on supply, and it’s nonetheless unknown what Logitech’s G Pro ecosystem will seem like.
I like to recommend the CSL DD not as a result of it’s higher than Logitech’s choice, however as a result of it’s about pretty much as good and significantly cheaper, particularly when you’re searching for a wheel, base and pedals as a whole set.
That’s to not say Logitech doesn’t have its benefits, in fact. The construct high quality is a contact nicer, the G Pro wheel can churn out much more torque for many who need that and, frankly, I’ve extra confidence in Logitech’s reliability over the long run, in addition to its buyer help. Ultimately, although, you may’t make a unsuitable resolution right here — go together with what’s in inventory and what you may afford. What an important, costly time it’s to be a sim racer.
Source: jalopnik.com
