Driving Force Wheel for PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3

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. . .but whether or not you are truly a "wheel person" at all. The Logitech Driving Force Pro is a highly-regarded accessory for the PS2. Many serious enthusiasts of racing games will tell you that it's the only acceptable controller for the ultra-popular "Gran Turismo" and "Need for Speed" series. I'm not here to dispute any of that this is far and away the finest wheel available on the market today. However, given the number of impracticalities that come bundled with any wheel controller, anyone who's not a purist should honestly consider whether or not they'll get enough return on this hefty investment.

The chief impracticality is that any wheel must be anchored to something absolutely immovable in order to get the full effect out of it and how many among us happen to have a chair directly in front of the TV that is angled like a car seat AND a table in front of it that's oddly enough taller than a coffee table but shorter than a dining table? Exactly almost no one. Why do you think that stands custom-made for the Driving Force Pro sell on EBay for $80 and entire steel-framework cockpits with pre-set mounts are available at $500+ per? Your only other alternatives are to cook up a half-solution yourself. I've read how other reviewers have crafted lap desks out of boards or modified TV tables to be sturdier, but again, it raises my chief concern with any wheel controller: will you use/enjoy it enough to put in the extra money and effort necessary to properly use it?

The easiest solution is to sit on the floor and bolt the wheel to a coffee table, but that eliminates the possibility of using the pedals, which severely limits the realism. Plus, you'll feel more like an old lady hunched over the wheel about an inch from the windshield rather than a highly-skill professional guiding a performance vehicle toward the finish line. Finally, even this watered-down option won't work without cutting some foam to fit the base of the wheel; otherwise, its hard plastic will almost immediately scratch your tabletop.

The second issue is with gameplay the wheel has a very steep learning curve in the beginning. I consider myself an expert-level player in GT3, but making the switch to the wheel with GT4 almost took all of the fun out of the game for the first several days. It was difficult to even drive in a straight line, much less execute the maneuvering necessary to succeed in any worthwhile driving game. The purists will say that once mastered, it becomes second-nature just like riding a bike and that's true; however, the road to achieving that level of mastery is a frustrating one, and if you're a casual gamer who enjoys more of an arcade racing experience, the Driving Force Pro may simply be too demanding for you.

The third issue is that when you consider the wheel, the pedals, and whatever mounting apparatus you choose, it's going to eat up a lot of storage space. The pedals are even too tall to simply slide under the couch when you're not playing, so no help there. And given the number of cords (AC power, wheel-to-PS2, pedals-to-wheel) that are required, just leaving it around when not in use looks pretty sloppy and would be easy to trip over.

Once you've finally gotten your physical setup in order and gotten acclimated to using it, the wheel is excellent. It is solidly constructed and the force feedback is a real treat. The 900-degree mode offered in select games like "Gran Turismo 4" creates a new standard in realism; however, given the stoutness of the resistance in the motor and the relatively compact size of the wheel (other reviews have hit it right on the head it's sized like an Indy car, not a street car), your hands, wrists and/or forearms can get fatigued pretty quickly playing that way. Its motor is also pretty loud, which will be annoying to anyone else in the room not interested in hearing a never-ending symphony of mechanical grinding sounds.

(...)

The Driving Force Pro represents the best of the wheel controllers for both console and PC gaming. However, all but the most avid racing gamers would be hard-pressed to justify the undertaking of mounting, configuring and learning how to use the wheel on top of the steep price tag.

PROS

* Solid construction and nice rubber wheel wrap

* 900-degree turning really immerses you in the driving experience (for the handful of games that support it)

* Also compatible with many PC driving games via USB port

CONS

* Absolutely needs to be mounted in order to use to its fullest, often requiring a weird work-around or expensive add-on solution

* Creates a messy maze of cords when in use; very bulky to store when not in use

* A steep learning curve may frustrate more casual gamers who prefer an arcade racing feel

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I wasn't very sure of my purchase at first, given the price tag on this PS2 Wheel.

As the racing game freak I am, I decided to give it a try.

A couple of years ago I bought a MadCatz racing wheel for PC, I played with it for two or three weeks, and decided that it was easier and, in fact, more fun, to play with the keyboard instead of the wheel.

This totally changed when I got the Driving Force Pro.

The looks of this wheel is the first thing that let you realize that you made a good purchase, it looks really cool, and feels comfortable in every way. It doesn't feel like a cheap wheel at all.

Hooking it up is really easy because of its clamp system, which makes it very solid if you attach ot to a table...in my case I put a board across the arms of my Tv chair and attached the wheel to it. I works pretty good like that. The pedals feel real, the brake pedal is a little harder, just like in a real car.

When you connect the wheel and restart our PS2, it automatically turns left and right and finds the center point for you.

Once playing it takes a little while to get used to it...it took me about 1 hour to start matching my times on Grand Turismo 3, and about 2 to start cutting time down.

Now I'm playing Pro Race Driver, and it can't be better...I can't wait for the release of GT4 to test this baby on 900 degree mode!.

If you are thinking about buying a racing wheel for the PS2 this is the way to go, the money you pay for it is totally worth.

There's only one thing I didn't like too much about this wheel: there's too many cables hangin' around the pedals (power, connection to the wheel, and connection to the PS2), and sometimes you get those around your legs....no big deal though, just try to put them away, on the side, and you won't have anything to complaint about.

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This thing rocks when it comes to driving games. There are a few things I wish were changed though.

First, the clamping mechanism needs to open just a wee bit wider. I mean, like 1 mm. That's all I need to be able to attach the thing to a countertop. However, even having it on a countertop would not work really well, so I need to find something else to mount it to.

The other problem is the manual there really isn't one. This caused me a bit of confusion when I hooked it up the first time to play Gran Turismo 4 The thing powered on, did it's self centering, then proceeded to be ignored by the game. Only after some time spend messing around did I figure out that you need to remove the Player 1 joystick from the console when you want to use the wheel.

Other than that, this thing is killer.

Read Best Reviews of Driving Force Wheel for PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 Here

I'm a wheel newbie, but I liked the looks of this wheel when I saw it in a local retail store. It's very well made and solid, and includes gas/brake pedals and a +/gearshift as well. The diameter of the wheel is a bit small, but it doesn't really detract from the experience. Besides, I've noticed Indycar wheels are small.

The wheel is a little hard to turn, feels like manual steering. But you get used to it quickly. I'd rather have some resistance instead of just a freely-spinning wheel anyway. The force feedback effects are great. In Grand Turismo 3 when your car is going close to it's limit, you can feel the car lose adhesion to the road and pull left and right irregularly. If you pop over a hill and go airbourne for a second you can realistically feel the wheel lose turning resistance.

Burnout 3 and Grand Turismo 3 are a BLAST with this wheel.

Here are my tips:

1. You must have a table or similar surface to mount it to. Something flat and around 2 or 3 inches thick and sturdy, I would guess. You cannot hold it in your lap. I've got mine mounted to a wooden chair turned sideways for now, not an ideal setup but still fun nonetheless.

2. Plug it in the top USB port on your PS2, otherwise some games will only want to use it for player 2. I don't think the picture "manual" tells you that.

3. This wheel also works on a Windows PC. Download drivers at I'm not clear whether force feedback can/will work on a PC but I tried it in Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2 with good results. I've heard you can get the 900 degree mode working in a PC but haven't got that far yet.

4. You'll need to plug in the wheel to a standard electric outlet, so plan for that.

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All right, let my start by saying that this is indeed the best wheel on the market, but that doesn't say very much since 95% of the wheels out there suck. The Driving Force Pro and the Mad Catz MC2 are really the only ones worth paying for. If you are shopping for a wheel I'd suggest looking at the MC2 also. It is a lot cheaper and has a few better qualities than the DF Pro, although it doesn't have force-feedback or 900-degree steering.

The Driving Force Pro is Logitech's second attempt at a steering wheel for a game console. Its most notable feature is the 900 degrees of steering, which is something that no other wheel on the market has. However, the 900-degree steering is only compatible with certain games. I am not sure which yet, but I do know that Gran Turismo 4 (scheduled for release in January/February 05) will. It will automatically switch to 200-degree steering for games that do not support 900-degree. The wheel's other big feature is the force-feedback. It is a little loud, but it really brings the game to life. Since it has force-feedback it has to be plugged in, so make sure you have a free outlet.

Other features include a textured rubber grip, easily adjustable clamps for your table or set-up, very nice styling with a steel GT (Gran Turismo) logo in the center of the wheel, paddle shifters which move with the wheel, L3 and R3 buttons, a sequential stick shifter, USB connection to the PS2 (Works with PC's too, but I haven't been able to get the Force Feedback to work with it yet), and a very functional carpet gripping system for the pedals. I do have a few complaints about it. For one, the wheel is a little bit small at 10 inches in diameter. The MC2 is about 11. It also doesn't have dual-shock (vibrating motors) like the MC2, but this is made up with the force-feedback. The addition of a sequential stick shifter is good, but I personally feel that they put it a little too close to the steering wheel. It also doesn't have much movement when you shift, which kind of takes the fun out of it.

Pros:

-900-Degree steering

-Force Feedback

-Nice design

-Steering unit and pedals stay in their respective places well

Cons:

-No Dual Shock

-Shifter leaves something to be desired

-No calibrating controls or throttle guage

-Price

I should also mention that I had a little bit of trouble with it freezing up briefly while playing GT3. It has happened a few times, but I'm not sure if it's a defect with my unit or an actual incompatibility with the PS2 or GT3. I plan on exchanging it for a new one soon to see if this is a universal problem. I hope this has helped.