Thinking of getting a steering wheel for racing games

ThirithThirith Registered User regular
I'm currently nursing a minor obsession with Dirt Rally 2.0 in VR, and I'm wondering whether I should get myself a steering wheel. (The one I've got an eye on is the G923 - if I find a nice special offer just before Christmas, I might pounce.) If I'm realistic about it, I won't use it much outside Dirt Rally, so it'd be a pretty unreasonable buy to begin with. However, the big question is: how much does a steering wheel add to the game? Has anyone else been in a similar situation? And, for someone who's never had a steering wheel and who doesn't know how to drive a car, is there anything in particular that I should keep in mind?

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"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods

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  • SmokeStacksSmokeStacks Registered User regular
    The Wheel is Civilization. It adds so much to the immersion that its difficult to truly describe. I can't imagine the thrills that could be had with both a wheel and VR. Also, having the extra steering precision of 900° lock to lock rotation compared to just having an inch or so of thumbstick travel will drop your times in pretty much any game you are playing.

    I would recommend trying to get a G29 (the PS4/PC version) instead of a G920 (the Xbox/PC version) though, they both work fine on the PC (and are ID'd by most games), but the G29 has an additional button cluster (including a dial), and an LED rev display (which really helps in rally racing). Plus I think it looks cooler. Logitech tends to put them on sale for a deep discount every year during Christmas, so I would keep an eye out. As loathe as some people may be about giving Supreme Earth Overlord Bezos any additional cash, the G29 is on Amazon right now for $270 (down from $400). The only caveats with either wheel is that they don't come with a gear shift. Modern performance cars all use butterfly shifters anyway, so its not a huge deal, but Logitech does sell a separate 6-speed shifter for around $70 if that's something you need.

    Some people like a little more resistance from their gas/brake pedals, and while there are mods you can do and replacement parts you can get the easiest way to solve the problem is to place a small piece of foam beneath the pedal inside the housing. This will give you graduated resistance for roughly the cost of a small piece of foam.

    The next step in terms of immersion would be a cockpit/seat setup. Some people build their own, but you can also buy them pre-made. Like anything related to sims they can be extravagantly expensive, but you can get a solid entry level setup for around $300.

  • ThirithThirith Registered User regular
    Thanks, that's all useful, especially the gushing at the beginning. :biggrin: The G923 has a thing called TrueForce that takes data from games that support it (mainly audio, I think) and translates it into a kind of rumble. Apparently it's not necessarily useful additional sensory information, but they say it's really immersive. If I can get a special offer on one of the earlier versions, though, I might go for that instead, since I'm not sure that cheesily named vibration tech is worth the equivalent of an additional $100 or so.

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    "Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    Because I've been playing a lot of Forza Horizon 5, and I'm horrible with money, I've been watching a TON of videos on the various entry level wheel offerings out there. About the only thing I've decided is that whatever I get (eventually), I'm gonna need a stand or frame so I can pack it up and set it up quickly.

    The big ones I see a lot of videos talking about are the G923 and the Thrustmaster T248. The general consensus seems to be that the T248 is better than the G923 because it has stronger force feedback and better pedals, and because the Trueforce just isn't supported in many games. But the biggest flaws with the T248 are its paddle shifters, which are plastic and loud as hell, and the requirement to get the Thrustmaster shifter if you upgrade, which is like $200.

    Honestly, I dunno. I'm not buying anything anytime soon, as who knows how long I'll keep enjoying Forza (though I did 100% Burnout Paradise back in the day). The prospect of getting the G29 for a steep discount to bring it at least.. somewhat reasonable sounds like a winner, though.

    He/Him | "We who believe in freedom cannot rest." - Dr. Johnetta Cole, 7/22/2024
  • SmokeStacksSmokeStacks Registered User regular
    I'm a doofus and read G923 as G920, yeah I would get the new one if it goes on sale for a comparable price. They even added resistance to the brake pedal with the new model, ha. Whether the difference between standard Force Feedback and Trueforce is worth the extra $130 I couldn't tell you, but there is a chance it'll have a Christmas sale so who knows.

    Also, related to Burnout Paradise, even arcade games benefit from a wheel, but I would recommend dropping the 900° rotation down to something like 360° or even 180° if you're playing something that requires a lot of sudden lock to lock moves.

  • miscellaneousinsanitymiscellaneousinsanity grass grows, birds fly, sun shines, and brother, i hurt peopleRegistered User regular
  • djmitchelladjmitchella Registered User regular
    It's worth knowing that with Forza Horizon 4, at least, there's some sort of weirdness in the physics engine that happens when you play with a wheel that makes it much more difficult to drive. (see here, for example, or here, or here, which has some suggestions for tweaking it.

    Other games are generally fine, but FH4 in particular is much easier to drive with keyboard or controller (compared to a thrustmaster tmx, at least)

  • VeeveeVeevee WisconsinRegistered User regular
    If you go the thrustmaster route, I recommend getting the T300 over the lowered level of thrustmaster wheels, except for maybe the T248. I can't find the steering sensor info for the T248, but in the T300 it's a 16 bit sensor vs a 12 bit sensor in the cheaper wheels. This means the cheaper wheel can sense the wheels rotation in only 4096 individual locations in a 360 degree arc, while the T300 has over 64,000. The T248 wheel has A LOT of face buttons, so if you like buttons that is a very good option, but I don't know about the base unit.

  • ThirithThirith Registered User regular
    So, I finally decided that it's almost Christmas, it's been a shitty year, I've not made a number of tech purchases that I was at least contemplating because of ongoing supply issues, so I am getting myself that G923, even if it's not exactly a very sensible purchase. So there.

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    "Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
  • BlindZenDriverBlindZenDriver Registered User regular
    Thirith wrote: »
    So, I finally decided that it's almost Christmas, it's been a shitty year, I've not made a number of tech purchases that I was at least contemplating because of ongoing supply issues, so I am getting myself that G923, even if it's not exactly a very sensible purchase. So there.

    Drive safely.

    Bones heal, glory is forever.
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    I did similar with some Christmas gifts, but I'll probably be taking the plunge after Christmas.

    ... though looking at the Fanatic offerings is not helping things. >.<

    He/Him | "We who believe in freedom cannot rest." - Dr. Johnetta Cole, 7/22/2024
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