Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel Reviews

• Amazing driving experience

  
  By A3QBUJT82Q5FE2 on 2007-12-28
  This wheel is a blast! I was already addicted to Forza 2 and was moving steadily up in my career with the regular game controller. With this racing wheel (and pedals), I'm moving up even faster than before and the experience is dizzying - literally. I have my setup about 3 feet from a 50" plasma and the feedback of the wheel is so realistic that I was getting odd dizzy effects when going in and out of tight corners because my body was expecting to feel real world forces from the seat against my back and sides - and they of course were missing. Make no mistake, this isn't a bad thing - its a testament to the realistic feedback of the wheel. You feel everything - understeer, oversteer, grass, jerks when flying from grass back onto the pavement.
  
  Prior to this wheel, I always detested driving the big American cars like the Camero or Corvette because they were so difficult to control with the normal controller - they would constantly slide out and wag back and forth because there was no feel. Last night I nailed several races with both these cars because I was finally able to control the car through power slides and oversteers.
  
  Setup was easy. Though the manual says a system upgrade was needed, I did not find this to be the case. The wheel paired up instantly and I started driving in Forza 2 immediately. The only thing I had to figure out was how to change the camera view (I like the in-car view) because they moved it from RT to X on this controller.
  
  I found a chair with a sloped back on it, put a lumbar pillow in place and just rested the wheel on my legs. Surprisingly it stays in place well though you'll want to wear a pair of jeans. At first, the pedals kept sliding forward on my carpet causing me to crash a couple times. I finally placed them on one of my wife's yoga mats and its been fine since. The only beef I still have is that in intense situations the wheel moves around a bit. I may look for a small table to mount the wheel. Also note that the "in the lap" setup makes it impossible to drive with mostly straight arms like the pros. I end up sliding the wheel forward so that its just barely hanging on to the end of my knees so that I can straighten my arms more.
  
  One last piece of advice: don't make the mistake I did and select the McClaren F1 (or similar super car) as your first drive and expect to see a big change. You'll still be all over the place on the road. Work your way up and learn the controller because the turning radius takes some time to learn. Once you do, you'll be amazed.
  
  Pros:
  - Realistic feel, improved times, better control over rear wheel muscle cars
  - Trivial setup
  - High quality materials
  
  Cons:
  - minor: Pedals slide without some kind of mat
  
  
  
  

• Makes your racing games FUN!

  
  By A2E0MQV9MVID0O on 2007-12-28
  This wheel kept me playing Forza 2 for hours! I am an 'old school' gamer and I could never get the hang of using a joystick to drive. Keep in mind that this is the 're-released' version of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel and thus it only includes a demo of Forza 2. The older models were recalled by MS, so beware of used ones.
  
  First things first, the box that this wheel comes in is HUGE! The upside to the large box is that everything is put together and all you need to do is unpack the wheel and pedals and plug them together. You are going to want to plug the wheel into the wall and use the full feedback features. I don't think too many people are going to spend this kind of money on a racing wheel to sit on their sofa and play with the wheel on their lap 'wirelessly'. The benefit of the wireless part is that you don't need to worry about using up a USB port on the front of you Xbox 360 to plug this in. Connecting is easy, push the sync button on your console and on the wheel. Like magic they each recognize each other and you are in business. After plugging the foot pedals into the wheel via a little cable that looks like a telephone wire you are set to race. Feedback on Forza 2 was amazing! Understeer, bumps, warning strips, you feel everything.
  
  Pros:
  
  Top notch feel and finish, no corners cut on cheap plastic or details.
  
  Works right out of the box. No drivers to fumble with.
  
  Feedback (while connected to power source) is excellent.
  
  Clamping system is easy to understand and use.
  
  Doesn't tie up a spot on your Xbox USB ports.
  
  Cons:
  
  Minor- you need to find the right table/surface to mount this on. It is heavy!
  
  Minor- clamping system is excellent, however, after a long race it may move and need readjusting.
  
  Conclusion:
  
  Spend a few extra bucks and buy this wheel. I think the smiles that you will get from finding out how much fun racing games can be with this setup will be worth every penny!
  
  
  

• xbox 360 wireless wheel, blast for dad

  
  By A131BXYR9CYYJP on 2008-01-07
  OK, after getting schooled by the 13 year old Halo III expert, was time for dad to have his day. Despite the crying and begging, we did not get another first person shooter, "Dad wants to race cars" I had the boys set it up in the living room while I finished up some work. Initially, they were less than impressed, "Dad, it doesn't work very well." "Hmm. Did you plug it in for the force feedback?" I am a consumate instruction reader, the kids are of the wonderful text message and instant gratification generation. Ok, so maybe my gen X started it, theirs perfected it.
  
  After plugging it in what a difference! the Forza 2 demo was only one track long. After growing weary of the demo game we IMMEDIATELY drove back to the store. We discovered Forza 2 is almost impossible to find even post Xmas. However, since my instructionly challenged teenagers never took the time to connect the surround sound and high definition television we did buy and take home a new high def tv connector and optical digital audio cable to use our home stereo surround system. We bought the most advanced non Forza 2 they had on the shelf and hurried home.
  
  WOW! the sub woofer and surround speakers and life-like background on the TV... we spent the next six hours sweating as we took turns in the front room racing and crashing $1M Ferrari Enzos, listening to the engines coming from behind us on the 2,000 watt sound system. With the surround sound, you can hear where the cars are in proximity and location, and the force feedback is spot-on! If you over steer and lose traction, the wheel gets lose. Loose on high speed straights, resistance increasing at the apex of lower speed corners! A complete blast. Highly recommended. And it gave me a valuable opportunity to teach the benefits of reading directions: they had been playing Halo 3 with the tv speakers and RCA video. How sad for them. Now we have large screen high def and optical 6.1 surround total of 2000 watts connected. This wheel is great. Tried to use the game pad and that is a dead, un-fun perspective.
  
  

• Great while it worked

  
  By A3D78MA8AOL4KS on 2008-01-18
  The wheel's design includes a "friction" mechanism that provides resistance when you turn the wheel. Purpose is to simulate feeling the tires as you race, and to prevent a steering wheel that "freely spins" like a pinwheel in your hands, which makes controlling cars difficult. This friction mechanism is built into the wheel, there's no operator adjustment or manipulation whatsoever. This mechanism is also tied into the force-feedback system.
  
  During the first three weeks of use, the wheel worked fine and the experience was super. However, this friction / force-feedback mechnism failed at the three-week mark, leaving us with the free-spinning pinwheel.
  
  Big disappointment - very poor quality manufacturing.
  
  

• Now I can drive!

  
  By A378I9YIPLBM1G on 2008-03-10
  I am not good at video games. I got an Xbox elite to play Rock Band and Guitar Hero. However, the Elite came with a game disk with Forza 2 on it. My brother in-law and I tried to race each other with the regular controllers and I really sucked. So, I bought two of these and now we love racing. It's easy to set up, durable so far and makes the experience much, much better. Really enjoying using them. Well worth it, though wish they were a little less spendy.
  
  
• Xbox Wireless Steering Wheel Nightmare
  By A4FSVBWUW22Q7 on 2007-12-28
  I got this wheel on Mopnday 12/24/07 and I've spent more than 4 hours on the phone with MS Xbox360 support. These people have yet to come up with a solution. My problem is that the wheel's controls (X, B, A, Y, Start and the two paddles under the wheel) functions great IN THE DASH BOARD -even with two controllers connected- but Not at all in the Forza 2 or NFS Pro Street. I haven't tried to use it in other Burnout, Flat-out UC and others that I have because of this problem. Another problem is that the user manual states that it first must have the drivers downloaded by inserting the disc that came with it, but it never does download anything; it goes straight to the game demo that's on he disc. So if you have an answer to these issues, please let me know. Additionally, only one controller (wheel or handheld) may be connected while on the games.
  
  
• Best steering wheel ever made
  By A3VIERR4DP0QD0 on 2008-02-14
  I chose this steering wheel based on other reviews and I love driving games, but absolutely hate having to control a car with a thumb-sized joystick. My friend bought a steering wheel from another manufacturer and it absolutely was not up-to-par when playing PGR 3.
  I popped the batteries in this sucker and started up NASCAR 08 and thought that this was a very solid wheel. However, I didn't read the instructions (Guys don't read instructions!) and originally thought the force feedback was pretty weak. I then put in DIRT and decided I would try the wheel plugged in to an electrical outlet. Oh man! This wheel feels as realistic as a video game wheel could feel. The force feedback is extremely realistic. For instance, on DIRT when you are in the air, the wheel frees up, however, when you hit the ground, the wheel will jerk as your virtual car hits the ground. In fact, it initially caught me off guard and almost jerked out of my hand.
  With the standard controller, I found NASCAR 08 almost impossible to play. I simply could not control the car - and I'm not new to this series. With this wheel, I had no problem. In fact, I find myself getting into the game so much, I have to remind myself to lighten my grip on the wheel.
  I am truly amazed by the realistic feel of this steering wheel, specifically the force feedback applied during a game. I have always found myself wishing that a console could reproduce the steering experience I had with large, arcade style racing games. This particular wheel not only matches that performance, but goes above and beyond that.
  I definitely recommend it for those of you who are really into simulation-style racing games.
  
  
• Great way to play racing games!
  By A2KZC1P21YAMW0 on 2008-01-13
  I played on this wheel a week ago at a friends house and knew I needed to get my own. I ordered it through Amazon and got it a few days later. I have been playing Forza 2 non-stop since getting. currently I am playing sitting on my couch and really havn't had any issues with pedals moving or being uncomfortable. However, I did just purchase the playseat to make it a more life-like experience and can't wait to get it! Anyone wondering if they should get this, I would say do it.
  
  
• Xbox 360 Wireless racing wheel
  By AA4Y7D2SX1BPU on 2008-02-18
  This wheel takes a little getting use to but it is much easier then using the joystick controller. It is much easier to control the car in the turns and straight a ways. When first using the wheel it would feel as though sometimes the force feedback was a little delayed and therefore when you tried to compensate an over steer, control of the car was impossible. However if you just back of the accelerator and let the wheel go it will straighten up on it's own. Once you get use to the wheel you will not go back to the joystick. Also the wheel realy needs to be mounted (using the mounts system it comes with which is very easy to remove and leaves no marks)to tv tray table or other table. Although it is labled as a wireless controler ther is a power cable that must be pluged into an outlet and another cable that goes from the footpedals to the wheel. The foot pedals tend to slid a bit so you may need to secure them with something heavy in front like a weight to keep it from sliding away from your foot. I feel this wheel is a must have for any car game enthusiast.
  
  
• Okay
  By A9DKBX4MAZNES on 2008-03-30
  This was great device. But after a week the force feed back broke so I just returned it. It was fun while it lasted
  
  
• Could have been better
  By A7GXT5V1VL5UT on 2008-09-01
  Sadly you really don't have much of a selection as far as wheels for the Xbox360 goes. Xbox's wheel is better than its competition. However when you compare it with the ones Logitech makes for PS2/PS3 there is no comparison.
  
  The Logitech wheels today provide much larger turn angle (900), more forceful haptics, and provides ALL the controls that are part of a standard PS2/PS3 controller. Logitech's device tends to work on both PCs as well as Playstations.
  
  The Xbox's wheel on the otherhand only works for the Xbox and does not provide all the controls on a standard controller. This makes certain selections in a game impossible. E.g. when you want to use the right thumbstick to look around when driving.
  
  All my gripes aside, this wheel does indeed enrich a game of Forza 2.
  
  
• Not All Games Work Beware!
  By A9MVUV3OPG7WY on 2008-02-07
  The X Box 360 Racing wheel is excellent in all ways but one. My experience is to stick with games make by Microsoft such as Forza 2. I recently bought Test Drive Unlimited made by Atari and not all the features work from the wheel such as looking left and right. Its difficult to go through an intersection without being able to look both directions. It works great with the controller but not from the wheel. Stick to Microsoft games and you'll be fine.
  
  
• Excellent steering wheel- great feel & control
  By AQZT63K2QHK6J on 2008-02-23
  This steering wheel is great. I have a Mad Catz wheel for the original X-box, and while fun, it actually made driving more difficult. This one makes it a little easier (if you're used to the in car view). It gives great feel, control and precision while driving. The wheel also seems to be made of high quality materials (much better than the Mad Catz) and it does not have the "dead" area in the center. When you corner or hit a curb the wheel kicks back or becomes hard to turn, just like a real car would. It doesn't just vibrate. Supposedly some of the effects are not available on battery power - I use the power adapter (included)
  
  Overall, I was hoping for a wheel better than the Mad Catz. What I got was way more than I was hoping for. No set up problems either.
  
  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED at twice the price!
  
  
• Lovin It.
  By AXPKGTGK0ZZYY on 2008-03-22
  This thing rocks! I had become disenchanted with most racing games, due the fact that they are becoming harder to play with a controller, and originally thought that a wheel just couldnt make the experience better, sine I have bought other wheels for older systems and they suck. I was wrong, my game has improved dramatically. I found out afterward that most of the racing games being developed for the newer consoles are being done with wheels, not controllers (can we say marketing gimmick, I knew you could). As other reviews have stated the best way to set up this device (other that shelling out $400 for a racing chair, and man I cant stand unitaskers) is to use a tv tray, the only thing was that my couch sits to low for this work (the wheels up to high) so I just wheeled the office chair from my desk over to my TV, and it works great. I guess you do get what you pay for, if you buy a cheap wheel you get poor performance. This one is well worth the 100 bucks.
  
  On a side note this is the 2nd release of the wheel. Microsoft pulled the 1st version due to over heating problems, causing the wheel to fail. I have had this on know going for 6 hours and its not to bad. All high performance electronics will get warm.
  
  I cant say that everyone that uses this thing is going to automatically get better at playing these games buy puchasing one of these wheels, (that's like saying if you buy air jordans you can fly) some people due just fine with the controllers. But for those that are having a hard time getting what you want out of a controller this thing might be right up your ally.
  
  
• Cool addition to your X-Box 360
  By A1NIUVDCZUC55S on 2008-03-28
  Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel
  
  This is a really neat addition to the Xbox. Adds greatly to the car racing experience. You go from trying to control your race car with your thumb to steering it like a real car.
  
  There's enough weight to it so that it sits comfortably and firmly on your lap. It comes with a clamp to affix to a table but there's no need.
  
  At $99 it's over-priced but what isn't from Microsoft.
  
  A lot of fun.
  
  
• Fun, impressive quality
  By A39OUJ52Y04A2Q on 2008-05-19
  I bought two wheels and they have brought new life into my old racing games. My friends and I have been really impressed with the quality of the wheel. It feels great to hold and makes it that much more fun to drive. Not all setups work great though. We put ours on a table in front of the TV. It has some nice clamps that don't hurt the table, but still keep it in place. Also, we keep it plugged into the wall for force feedback and then also don't have to worry about batteries. Like that it is awesome. But if you use this in your lap or only with batteries, the fun of using the wheel will probably drop dramatically.
  
  
• Not for everyone/game
  By A38LI8M6MP59RE on 2008-07-14
  I purchased this wheel because of all the positive reviews I read here, I just wanted something to make my gaming experience better and this certainly did NOT.
  
  Your handling is so much better with the regular controllers, precision is completely lost here the cars are all over the place with the wheel, you have several settings to change and I tried everything but still couldn't manage to do as good as I did with the controllers.
  
  I first tried it on GRID and crash crash crash..., It was better with forza2 but still not good enough, the cars slip out of control at the first turn, I also changed the regular view mode to the in car mode and it was even worse.
  
  To be fair the wheel looks great with a real quality finish to it and the clamp works really well so do the pedals, installation was very easy and the force feedback is awesome, it feels like a sports car.
  
  I really wanted to like this wheel but I just couldn't I'm afraid it's back to the controllers for me while using the wheel ocassionally just for fun.
  
  Conclusion: maybe it's just me!!
  
  
• Was worth the wait
  By A145VNUE58NK62 on 2008-01-09
  My wife wanted to get me this for my birthday in October- right after the recall. I finally got it on 1/8/08. Was worth the wait. I am disappointed that the Forza it comes with is only a demo, but it's a blast with PGR4. I also used it with the xbox Live demo versions of Dirt, Sega Rally and a couple others. Works like a champ. Pedals move a little on carpet and are a little small and hard to work with my size-14 feet. Hooking my heels on the front cross bar helps a little. I wish there was the option of plugging the wall wart into the pedals or the wheel unit. One less wire hanging off the couch. But otherwise, I've had no issues.
  
  
• makes experience much more enjoyable
  By A2FRD4GNHX54YF on 2008-01-18
  and easier to control. Gave this to my husband for christmas - he loves it and is very happy with it..
  
  
• Great Wheel
  By A3D9MG00KOAQ7S on 2008-01-27
  I got this as a Christmas present and i have been enjoying ever since. I have been thinking about writing this review but i have been playing Forza 2 in all my spare time so this review is a little late. I have had this wheel for almost a month now and here is what i think.
  
  Pros
  
  This wheel has good feel and response
  The pedals are realistically weighted
  Its wireless from the 360
  Pedal base has good grip on hardwood
  Very realistic responses
  
  Cons
  
  Pedal base has no grip on carpet or rug
  If you want force feedback, you have to plug the wheel into an AC outlet
  
  This is my first racing wheel ever and I am extremely pleased with it. But beware of the fact that it does take a couple of days to get used to. At first, i was thinking about returning it but after an hour of play i was already matching some of my records. Counter steering is difficult to get a hold of with this wheel but it is much more effective than the controller when it is mastered.
  
  ***Note: My wheel came in with the brake pedal pushed in. It took me a little bit to figure out why i was going so slow. If you go to the telementary screen while racing in Forza 2 by pressing up on the d pad, you can see how much pressure you are applying to the gas and break. That is how i figured out that the brake was always engaged. I also think there are options in the game to set where the dead zone of the pedals are but i didn't have to mess with that because i just pulled the break out of the position it was stuck in.
  
  
• The wheel is amazing just like the real thing.
  By A1PWHJ703CQBHA on 2008-02-17
  This is the best wheel setup that I have used to this point, I don't see how there could be anymore improvement made.
  
  
• Not for us
  By A11TCXHEMZZ0PV on 2008-02-22
  I bought this as a gift and he has said it's heavy, hot and wobbly on your lap so he hasn't played the game or used the steering wheel after the first day.
  
  
• Xbox Fan
  By A1N6DPJ1NL9L80 on 2008-04-05
  Great addition to the xbox system. We have many driving games and using this item is much more fun than using the controller. The force feedback feature is great and installation was simple.
  
  
• It's too dificult to control the car...
  By A1HKQY1NHFW8CA on 2008-04-06
  I've been using for 2 weeks now, and the precision of this device is not what I expected.
  
  
• best gift ever
  By A2DSDY8IALONQU on 2008-01-12
  i bought this for my husband and he told me it was the best gift ever!!!
  i was thrilled that i finally hit the jackpot with a great gift! - he is a big racer online for xbox 360 and he uses this wheel with Nascar 08 and he just loves it !!!!
  
  
• Buggy at first, but loads of fun now
  By A1AACWZCT7BDN0 on 2008-02-06
  When I got the racing wheel, the pedals didn't work but all the wheel and all the buttons worked fine. After some troubleshooting I was able to fix the problem by doing the following: with the wheel and console on, disconnect the cable that connects the pedals to the wheel, hold both pedals down, then reconnect the cable to the wheel. I think I'll add a video demonstration with this technique later.
  
  I think the polarity of the pedals was off when it got shipped.
  
  With that fixed, the wheel performed pretty well. The position was uncomfortable when attached to my coffee table and sitting on the couch. It left me hunched over with my elbows on my knees in a very unnatural driving position. I'll have to figure something with a chair and table-height platform like a TV-tray.
  
  The force feedback is okay, but when your car gets loose and you have to correct, you really put a bit of force against the force feedback and you hear the motor give a little whir sound. This has me a bit worried about longtime longevity as another reviewer stated.
  
  I've only played a few races with the wheel, but so far I don't see any improvement in my driving. I got pretty good with the controller (in Forza 2 with ABS, STM, and TCS all turned off so I have to modulate brake, throttle, and steering pretty carefully). I like how the force feedback gives me an earlier response when I'm loosing traction, but because I have to overcome the force to correct, it makes it harder to stay in control.
  
  The paddle shifters are AWESOME. Transitioning from GT1,2,3, and 4 where I used my index fingers on the top shoulder buttons to shift (L2 and R2 on the PS1/PS2), I got fumbled up a bit shifting in Forza w/ my thumb on B and X. The paddle shifters have put things back in place for me.
  
  The wheel definitely adds to the fun factor and, in my opinion, would be an EXCELLENT device to teach young kids how to drive (I swear I'm a better driver now for playing GT1 and 2 in jr high and high school before getting my license). Having to work the wheel and pedals adds a lot to the driver training already afforded by controller play.
  
  
• XBox 360 Wireless Wheel
  By AHTVUPZWQI585 on 2008-02-14
  This product enhances the realistic physics of the game. It also greatly improved my lap times and reduced crashes. I use it primarily for Forza Motorsport 2, with the intent of purchasing other racing games. I just wish that Microsoft would put feedback in the gas and especially brake pedals, but I don't believe any of the current racing wheels have that feature.
  
  
• Great-wish more games used it
  By A1U1FUAKYPRRV6 on 2008-02-20
  The wheel is awesome, it's just too bad more games aren't fully compatible. EA does not "fully support" the wheel so games like Burnout Paradise work best with regular controllers. The wheel is fully functional with Paradise, but features like Showtime are a little awkward. Still, it was a great purchase and it makes games like PGR3 & 4 absolutely amazing!
  
  
• Very good feel, a must have for racing games
  By A3JCLTCDUA3011 on 2008-02-23
  Great product, offers so much more than is possible with a normal controller. Has a good feel but could offer a more forceful feedback with crashes and bumps. A little awkward when using on your lap and I would like some adjustability of the sensitivities. Overall a great product and must have for racing enthusiasts.
  
  
• Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel
  By AJZBKGPI07OPU on 2008-03-25
  Works very well but does not have the enough force feed-back to give you a true driving experience.
  
  

• Playseats Tony Stewart #20 Licensed Evolution Gaming Seat

• Forza Motorsport 2
• Project Gotham Racing 4
• Xbox 360 Quick Charge Kit
• Dirt
• NASCAR 09