Console racing games have come a long way. Today's games have a level of realism and precision to create an immersive experience. Game developers spend years fine tuning physics engines, handling characteristics and car sounds to make you actually believe you are driving that particular car. All that effort is lost by using a gamepad. How many cars have you driven in real life using a gamepad? In order to get the most out of your console racing game, you need to use a steering wheel and pedals.
When it comes to console racing simulators, two really stand out; Gran Turismo 4 (GT4) for the PS2 and Forza Motorsport for the Xbox. Not surprisingly, Microsoft and Sony have gone out of their way to work with racing wheel manufacturers to make wheels that really show off what their games can do. The wheels in question are the Logitech Driving Force Pro for the PS2 and the Fanatec Speedster 3 Force Shock for the Xbox and both of which retail for $149. Since we were testing across multiple platforms, we also gave a nod to the MadCatz MC2 Universal racing wheel which is compatible with the PS2, XBOX, and GameCube and retails for $49.
Logitech Driving Force Pro ($149)
Logitech has been around the gaming controller market for some time and are known for their high-quality products. This reputation stays intact with the Driving Force Pro, which features 900 degrees of rotation (that’s 2 ½ full rotations) as opposed the 270 degrees of the other wheels, F1-style paddle shifter buttons, a sequential stick shift, and a variable-rate spring in the brake pedal to give that realistic feel. And thanks to the PS2, it’s the only wheel in our roundup that fully supports force feedback. The Driving Force Pro is made of high-quality materials and is very comfortable to use
The Logitech Driving Force Pro is an absolute dream to use when playing GT4. It takes full advantage of everything GT4 and the PS2 have to offer. The force feedback and rumble are subtle and precise and never take away from the driving experience. From the littlest bump with another car to head-on crashes into a wall, the Driving Force Pro lets you feel like you are really there. The wheel never felt overpowering or weak and made every turn satisfying.
There are some downsides to the Driving Force Pro. The sequential stick shifter feels cheap compared to the rest of the wheel. Shifts don't feel solid, though it never gave me any problems in testing. My other issue is that it doesn’t come with any kind of lap mounting system, that'll cost an extra $20. These are minor quibbles, but I expect more for $149.
Fanatec Speedster 3 Force Shock ($149)
The Fanatec Speedster 3 was designed from the ground up for Microsoft’s Forza Motorsport. It is a very stylish wheel with a two-tone black and green color scheme and unique button layout. It features an integrated lap mount system, F1 style paddle shifters with carbon fiber look and a small LCD screen which lets you completely customize the force effects and button mappings. In fact, the Speedster 3 Force Shock is completely customizable which allows you to play games that don’t allow for the default settings to be used. It also has predefined button layouts to support other games on the Xbox like Need For Speed: Underground series and TOCA Race Driver 2.
The Speedster 3 Force Shock works very well with Forza Motorsport and other racing games on the XBOX and the customization really allows you to make the wheel respond just the way you want. The pedals have a very solid and responsive feel, requiring just the right amount of pressure. The lap mount is very comfortable and the clamping table mount works well.
The downside to the Speedster 3 Force Shock is really the fault of the Xbox which doesn’t have support for force feedback. Because of this, the steering wheel has to utilize the rumble effects in the game and turn them into a sort of faux force feedback. This leads to an odd effect of having the wheel jerking back in forth whether you hit a light bump or crash hard into the wall. There is an option to filter the force settings but you can't truly get rid of them. There was also an occasional problem of the buttons sticking due to their unique shape. These are not deal breakers and overall the Fanatec Speedster 3 Force Shock is a great racing wheel.
MadCatz MC2 Universal ($49)
Since not all gamers have $149 to drop on a racing wheel for a single console, we also tested the MadCatz MC2 Universal Wheel. Its low price point and cross-platform compatibility make it ideal for the casual driving game fan who wants more out of their racing game experience than any gamepad can offer. It features a bright yellow and black two-tone color scheme with rubber grips, F1-style paddle shifters, and a sequential stick shift. It has fully programmable buttons, integrated lap and table mount, and a backlit display that shows how much force is being applied to the gas pedal. Best of all, it's compatible with all three consoles
The MC2 Universal isn’t force feedback but it still works very well. The wheel is stiffly sprung, which gives good resistance to your movements, and the buttons have a very nice positive feel. The integrated lap mount is very comfortable to use and the pedals have a nice solid feel and respond well to input. This is a solid wheel that will get the job done in any racing game you play.
The lap mount is the most comfortable of the wheels we tested, but the table mount leaves much to be desired. The MC2 relies on a suction cup mounting system that doesn’t secure very well. It works great on glass, but on a slick surface like Formica the wheel slides around. On wood, I had trouble getting it to stick consistently.
The Verdict
Overall, the Logitech Driving Force Pro is the hands-down winner. From the subtle force feedback effects to the 900 degree rotation, it allows games like GT4 to be the driving simulators they were meant to be. If you don’t have a PS2, the Fanatec Speedster 3 Force Shock for the Xbox is definitely worth considering. Multi-console homes should consider MadCatz MC2 Universal for value reasons. For the ultimate experience, nothing compares to the Driving Force Pro.
