Originally Published: December 16, 2009, on Examiner.com, Lundberg.me, and 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)
There are few games that can offer the sense of realism like a racing game. There is nothing quite like the feel of pounding the clutch as you switch to 5th or up to top gear as you try to pass on the outside as a hairpin turn is approaching. There are few things that match the visceral sensation of actually fighting against the g-force as you drift into a turn at 110 MPH and try to tame the laws of nature itself. Of course, a large part of this comes with the tools that can be added to a racing game in the form of a steering wheel, pedals, and shifter that you need to truly experience all the moments I described above.
So, when you pop in the winner of Spike TV’s VGAs Best Driving Game of the Year (which I agree wholeheartedly with), Forza Motorsport 3, what wheel would provide the best experience to go with the best driving game?
Well, I know a pretty strong candidate for the discussion. Let me introduce you to the Porsche 911 Turbo S Wheel from Fanatec. With two possible gear sticks, three force feedback motors, and a smooth belt drive; this wheel easily provides the best racing experience possible on the Xbox 360 and therefore makes it the best wheel on the market.
I enlisted the help of a friend of mine, Joseph Layton (give a quick shout out to Joe!), who is a gearhead and an avid video game racer (and also sometimes serves as my editor) to try out the wheel and give it a good thrashing. He played with it for four hours straight, rushing through gears, drifting all over the track, and, generally, driving like a maniac. He said the finish of the wheel was excellent and the sense of driving was very lifelike. The hand-stitched leather wheel cover provides a great grip and the authentic Porsche crest looking back at you lets you know this is a special piece of equipment.
After I pried my buddy from the wheel, I stepped into the driver seat myself and looked at the peripheral from a pure gaming perspective and I immediately found myself fighting against the wheel as I tried to take some tight turns a little too quickly.
The term “simulation” had taken on completely new meaning because there was an entirely new world of nuances and fine-tuning that I didn’t get with a regular controller and now needed to take into consideration with this wheel. From knowing when to let my foot turn to led to when to let up and ease on the brakes, this was racing like I had never experienced before and it was good. Even when using the famed Forza Motorsport 3 Rewind mode, the wheel would actually rewind itself as well to the position where my wheels were at that previous point in the race as I prepared to re-do that hairpin turn. The wheel had surprised me and made a great game even better.
I had only a couple of problems with what the wheel had brought to the table. Although my friend said it was mostly authentic to a Porsche’s pedals, I thought the pedals were a little too sensitive and not being able to adjust that on this model was a little bothersome (But that could be the car we used in the game during much of the testing, a racing-spec Porsche GT2, in honor of the wheel).
I was also a little perturbed with the placement of the buttons on the wheel. Often when reaching for several buttons in mid-race, I would press the wrong button and would suddenly be rewinding the race when I just needed a pause for a bathroom break.
Aside from these minor complaints, this wheel does nothing but add to the overall experience of an already great game. Throw in that the wheel is backwards compatible with any racing game that supports the Microsoft Wireless Wheel and is also compatible for the PS3 and the PC and that makes this wheel worth the $350 price tag because it will last you the remainder of this generation of consoles, and since this current generation is expected to last longer than previous ones, it looks like it would be a great investment in your video gaming peripherals.
Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.
Overall: 9.0: Obviously, none of my other usual categories apply to this piece of equipment. Hands down, this is the best wheel on the market and due to its compatibility with previous Xbox 360 racing games and other systems, it makes it a worthwhile gaming investment. Throw in the phenomenal force feedback (the best of any wheel I’ve ever used) and smooth feel of the wheel and I can’t rave about this wheel enough.
Note: The wheel was used with a Rennsport Wheel Stand (also from Fanatec) which made the entire review much easier than it would have been otherwise. The stand itself should also receive a 9.0 because the setup was quick and simple and the overall build quality was very good. I had no problems with the stand, but my friend complained about it sometimes hitting his leg when using the pedals. I just think he was flailing about way too much though.
-Ray Carsillo
RayCarsilloWrites.com 