Virtual Racing Accesories

Logitech Driving Force GT $149.99

As the cheapest wheel here, the Logitech Driving Force GT certainly didn't feel cheap. While the construction is mostly plastic, the Driving Force GT still presented itself as a quality product. The wheel itself features a firm, grippy, rubber-like material that is comfortable to hold and reduces slippage from sweaty-palm on-track maneuvers.

The only wheel of the bunch to not offer a conventional H-pattern shifting setup (or a clutch pedal), the Driving Force allows shifts with either the integrated sequential shift lever or the paddle shifters located behind the wheel. We opted to use the latter most of the time, due to their improved actuation over the gear lever, which seemed a little flimsy. The wheel's force feedback provided good strength and feel, considering the single-motor, gear-driven design. While a little noisy and choppy in operation, both of these downsides were hardly noticeable in the heat of a hard-driven race, and the plastic mounting clamps kept a solid grip, disallowing movement of the wheel under the same conditions. Pedal operation was good with solid resistance in the brake pedal, though the base unit was the lightest of the group and the construction was all plastic. We found the pedal base could slide around under aggressive use a bit more than the heavier units we tested, but a rubber pad or carpet under the base should keep movement to a minimum.

Touted as the official wheel of the Gran Turismo franchise, GT developers actually worked alongside Logitech's engineers to bring this wheel to market. One of the results of this partnership is the large red rotating 24-position knob on the front of the wheel. This enables the user to make realtime, on-the-fly adjustments to brake bias, traction control, and stability programming - a feature that no other wheel tested here has, and game options that are only available through the controls on the Driving Force GT.

Overall, the Logitech Driving Force GT is a very good choice at any budget, and with the exclusive on-wheel adjustment feature, makes a perfect companion if your primary virtual racing experience revolves around Gran Turismo. You'll be surprised at how much a difference this budget-priced accessory makes in your gaming experience.

Logitech G25 $299.99

It doesn't take too much Googling to determine that Logitech's upscale G25 is a gamer favorite around the Web. The online reviews and forum threads mentioning this metal and leather built beauty all seem to offer the same remark: It's a wonderful wheel and pedal setup, but it's pricey. We concur. While the steering wheel and pedal base are both still constructed from plastic, the G25 offers a gorgeous leather-wrapped wheel and shift lever along with real metal pedals and paddle shifters. The feeling is of quality and solidarity throughout, the G25 even offering a bolt-in method of installation to wherever you choose to mount the wheel and pedals. We found that the Playseat Evolution comes pre-drilled for the correct G25 bolt-pattern, leaving us up and running in minutes with a much beefier and permanent-feeling mounting system than the included plastic clamps allow for.

The G25 wheel adds a few more features as well. The shift lever is mounted on a separate console that also includes all the standard command buttons you'd need to navigate in-game menus and the like. The console has its own mounting clamp integrated for tabletop installation, but for use with our Playseat Evolution, a special adapter is needed (available from Playseats and its retailers) that allows it to be bolted up. A knob on the console allows a switch to and from a clutchless sequential setup or the full H-pattern mode, a nice feature that caters to personal preference and allows for a more realistic experience (it can be odd using paddle shifters to swap cogs in a 1979 Ferrari 512 BB). The paddle shifters are also the most realistic on this unit, looking and feeling like the real deal, rather than just a fancy plastic button.

Pedal resistance is similar to the Driving Force GT - firm but not overly so - and the clutch pedal features good feel on both depress and release. The sequential shift lever action was significantly more solid than the Logitech's cheaper offering, and a dual-motor design allowed for stronger and smoother steering feedback as well. All of this is not to mention the much improved appearance that the G25 offers over its budget-priced counterpart. Opt for this wheel if you're a serious virtual racer looking for a nice blend of function, form, and value. Logitech is also a long-time player in the gaming business, well-known for the reliability of their products.