Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I've recently tried this wheel controller. I own a PS2 that came with GT3. This controller works well with "Gran Turismo 3 A-spec" and "Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open", but it doesn't work with any of the PlayStation1 games, and it doesn't work with many PlayStation2 games. This is the main problem with this controller. Very few games support it. Even very popular PS2 games like "Crazy Taxi" and "Extreme G3 Racing" don't support this controller! If you want a controller that works with all your PS1 and PS2 racing games then don't get this controller. However if you want a wheel with "Driving Force Feedback" this controller is your only choice.
"Driving Force Feedback" is a nice concept. Its not the same as the simple vibration found in most PlayStation controllers. With "Driving Force Feedback" you can feed the wheel turn against you, fighting you as you attempt to turn. This effect is done using motors in the wheel that can turn the wheel right or left to simulate certain driving conditions. It sounds nice, and it might be nice if it was done right. But in this wheel the effect is not very realistic. I find the simple vibration effect in other wheel controllers to give a more realistic feel.
In comparing the Logitech Driving Force Wheel with another popular wheel, the Mad Catz MC2 Racing Wheel, which is half the price, and the Interact Blue Thunder Racing Wheel which is about 3/4 the price, I've come up with the following comments:
1) The Logitech's feel isn't realistic. Its too loose and grainy feeling. I've never driven a car that feels the way this wheel feels. The other two wheels have a much more smooth realistic feel to them.
2) The Logitech's "driving force feedback" feature is very rough feeling. Its not very realistic, and its quite annoying. I find it better to use the controller with this feature turned off. The other wheels do not have this feature. But it isn't missed.
3) The Logitech controller's directional pad and X, O, triangle and square buttons are easily pressed accidentally while driving, because they are too close to the wheel's edge. The Mad Catz controller doesn't have this problem at all. The Interact Blue Thunder Racing Wheel has this problem a little with the placement of the L1, L2, R1 and R2 buttons. But you can remap them to different buttons if it becomes a problem. You can not do this on the Logitech Wheel.
4) The Logitech's controller doesn't work with any PS1 games and very few PS2 games, while the Mad Catz and Blue Thunder controllers work with every game I've tried, they even work better for "Gran Turismo 3 A-spec" than Logitech's does. They feel more realistic (even though there is no "Driving Force Feedback" effect).
5) The vibration effect of the other controllers is more realistic than the effect found in Logitech's controller.
6) Logitech's controller did not work all the time. Sometimes the PS2 would fail to see it, other times it wouldn't work right. Sometimes the buttons are hard to press in some games ("Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open"). I had to reset my PS2 several times before it worked right. There are definitely bugs in the controller. The other controllers always worked great.
7) There is no stick shift on Logitech's controller. The Mad Catz controller and the Blue Thunder controller both have a stick shift.
8) You cannot remap the buttons on the Logitech's controller. The Mad Catz controller lets you remap all its buttons except the foot pedals. The Blue Thunder wheel lets you remap everything including the foot pedals.
9) The Logitech controller's foot pedals are VERY NICE. Better than any other one's I've used. The Mad Catz controller's foot pedals are not very realistic but give good reaction and have a wide range of analog activity. Both pedal sets work about the same. The Blue Thunder wheel's pedals seem to have a smaller range of analog activity.
10) Logitech's controller cannot work like a normal analog or digital controller making it incompatible with most PS2 games and all PS1 games. The Mad Catz controller can work as a standard analog controller with digital buttons or a digital controller, and as a wheel controller, allowing it to work with all PS1 and PS2 games. The Blue Thunder can work both as a digital controller and a complete analog controller, allowing it to work with all PS1 and PS2 games.
11) All three wheels have analog wheels and analog foot pedals. The Logitech's buttons are all analog. The same is true for the Blue Thunder when in analog mode. The Mad Catz controller has only digital buttons even when the wheel and pedals are in analog mode.
12) You cannot configure anything in the Logitech wheel unless your game has a setup screen made specifically for it. The Mad Catz and Blue Thunder wheels allow you to program all the buttons and set the wheel's sensitivity using setup buttons on the controllers. The Blue Thunder will remember its settings even when unplugged. The Mad Catz wheel lets you set the min and max positions in the wheel. The Blue Thunder lets you program the foot pedals.
13) Only the Blue Thunder Wheel's colors match the colors of the Sony PS2 and its Sony controllers.
Logitech's controller is good but it needs a few things modified and a few features added to it to make it worth the price. After all it is twice the price of the Mad Catz controller, but has less features, works with only a few games, and lacks a stick shift. For twice the price I expect: re-mapable buttons, analog and digital controller emulation, compatibility with all PS1 and PS2 games, a stick shift, and buttons placed in an area where you can't accidentally hit them. Until Logitech can come up with a better version of this controller I recommend buying one of the other wheels.
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Logitech Driving Force Wheel for PlayStation 2Product Description: This PlayStation2 steering wheel supports
Gran Turismo 3,
F1 2001,
Motor Mayhem,
NASCAR Heat 2002,
The Simpsons: Road Rage,
Test Drive, and many other racing games. The wheel lets you feel the road, the handling of the car, and bumps, walls, and crashes like never before. Rubber hand grips provide comfort and precise steering control. The product includes two wheel-mounted paddles, a D-pad, action buttons, a dual clamping system with lap attachment, and realistic pedals.
The D-pad provides convenient control of menu selections, views, and other standard directional pad controls in driving games. Four action buttons on the wheel rim provide quick access to car control functions and menu selections. You can use the two wheel-mounted paddles as gear shifters when pedals are connected or as gas and brake controls when pedals are disconnected. Four action buttons on the wheel spokes act as the L1, L2, R1, and R2 buttons of a standard PlayStation2 controller. The dual clamping system holds the wheel base tight and secure, and is easy to tighten and loosen for quick installation and removal. The lap attachment provides a stable mounting surface for comfort and control when you are seated away from a table. The weighted base prevents pedals from slipping around. This product comes with a one-year manufacturer's warranty.
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