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Logitech Introduces G29, G920 Racing Wheels For PS3, PS4, Xbox One and PC

Posted by timothy on from the but-can-you-type-with-it? dept.

MojoKid writes: If you're an ardent PC racing fiend, chances are that you either own or have heard of Logitech's G27. The G27 has been a popular gaming peripheral (it supports the PC, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3) that not only includes a steering wheel and three pedals (accelerator, brake, clutch), but also a six-speed "H" pattern gearbox. Today, Logitech is finally introducing successors, the G29 Driving Force Racing Wheel and the G920 Driving Force Racing Wheel for PS3 and PS4, as well as PC and Xbox One racers, respectively. Both wheels are equipped with dual-motor force feedback, 900-degree (2.5 turns to lock) steering, helical gearing, and anti-backlash hardware. Logitech is also hoping to impart a premium feel to its new controllers courtesy of a hand-stitched leather wheel, stainless steel paddle shifters, and steel ball bearings to stand up to abuse. Like its predecessor, the G29 and G920 both come with a separate, floor-mounted three-pedal unit to keep your feet busy when blasting around the Nürburgring. Unfortunately, the six-speed shifter unit that used to come standard in the box with the G27 is now an optional accessory. The G29 will be available this July, while the G920 won't arrive at retailers until October.

67 comments

  1. But... by weilawei · · Score: 2

    Is the damn thing heavy enough to stay in one place or do I need to bolt it down? I clicked on TFL (I know! I know!) and saw what looked like a plastic base.

    1. Re:But... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This.
      I had the old one for the 360 and rarely used it, the suction cups would still slide on the tv dinner stand I used and the pedals would also slide out on the carpet. It collected dust for 4 years. And I play lots of racing games.

    2. Re:But... by Psychotria · · Score: 1

      See my comment below regarding force feedback. There is no practical way to make the base heavy enough to work without clamps due to the force feedback. Possibly you could strap some lead weights to it, but that would be quite a bit more bothersome than some quick release clamps on your desk.

    3. Re:But... by 3dr · · Score: 1

      Probably not. FF wheels are heavy, but every wheel I've owned has greater force than the raw weight can hold. Plus, just driving will move it. I purchased a G27 just last week and it has two ways to mount the wheel and shifter. There are plastic clamps integral to the housing that hold it well, and there is also steel internal nuts in the base for bolting to a surface, like a driving chair/stand. I imagine the G29 has a similar mounting. What I don't like about the new wheels is the fact that it's either PS3 and 4, OR Xbox and PC. The G27 I purchased is supported flawlessly on PS3 and PC, which is exactly what I needed.

    4. Re:But... by cb88 · · Score: 1

      Magnets.....

    5. Re:But... by BadDreamer · · Score: 1

      It's a steering wheel with force feedback. You will need to bolt it down. It won't stay in place, or be precise enough to actually use, otherwise.

    6. Re:But... by TheKidWho · · Score: 1

      And where exactly do these "magnets" go? Do you have to clamp those instead to your table? You are still clamping something down at the end of the day.

    7. Re:But... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      .....how do they work?!

  2. Now make a good joystick again... by Shadow+of+Eternity · · Score: 1

    Preferably one that doesn't cost a THOUSAND DOLLARS.

    --
    A bullet may have your name on it but splash damage is addressed "To whom it may concern."
    1. Re:Now make a good joystick again... by zlives · · Score: 1

      if you charge more ... they will pay more

    2. Re:Now make a good joystick again... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I use the Logitech Extreme 3d for Star Citizen and Elite, works great and only cost like $40 bucks. Its pretty sturdy and doesn't feel too cheap, but has a compact design.

    3. Re:Now make a good joystick again... by guises · · Score: 2

      I wouldn't mind if they made another expensive one, as long as it was for people with normal sized hands. The last good joystick I had was a Logitech: it had two hat switches and three buttons on top, all of which I could reach with my thumb of average length. It was wonderful, ergonomic, had force feedback, and cost me something like $90 many years ago.

      A few years ago I pulled it out and realized that it was unrecoverably broken, so I spent some money and got a Saitek X65F - it's one of those premium all-metal joysticks, build quality was fantastic. The top of the joystick though, the head part, is ridiculously huge. My thumb would have to be at least twice as long as it is in order to reach all the buttons and switches there. (I do not have small hands.) And this problem doesn't seem to be unique to the X65F: all of the premium joysticks have gigantic heads. They can advertise more buttons and hat switches that way, I guess, but they're useless if you have to take your hand off the stick to reach them.

    4. Re:Now make a good joystick again... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      A common stupidity amongst makers of high end joysticks is to copy the design of real military jet control sticks. This ignores the fact that those real jet controls are designed to be used by pilots wearing protective gloves.

    5. Re:Now make a good joystick again... by Shadow+of+Eternity · · Score: 2

      Actually from what I understand the X65F suffers, like pretty much all of saitek's joysticks (and pretty much all joysticks period these days) of a poorly designed centering mechanism. It's like manufacturers have forgotten how to make a joystick that isn't either sloppy in the center or infuriatingly difficult to move past its center detent.

      --
      A bullet may have your name on it but splash damage is addressed "To whom it may concern."
    6. Re:Now make a good joystick again... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The new digital ones are like this, but the old beast I used to use (ch stick, the old thick grey bottom one) had manual center alignment on the bottom. If it was off, it was just a thumb away from toggling back to center. And the thing was always pretty accurate (and heavy enough not to push around).

    7. Re:Now make a good joystick again... by kuzb · · Score: 1

      Except "they" becomes a much smaller group, and most of us will just go "meh" and move on with our lives.

      --
      BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
    8. Re:Now make a good joystick again... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Clearly you've never owned a high end joystick before. Lack of gloves doesn't really matter.

  3. $460??? by mcl630 · · Score: 2

    MSRP for this is $399.99, without the shifter, which is an additional $59.99. Do people actually buy racing wheels that cost more than the console?

    1. Re:$460??? by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

      Well, fanboys are not known for their common (financial) sense ...

      That said, peripherals have never been best sellers so they have to jack the price up. i.e. Memory Cards, Steering Wheels, Flight Sticks, etc.

      /oblg. /r/pcmasterrace :-)

    2. Re:$460??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The G27 racing wheel, while great, is generally considered "entry level" in terms of cost in the "sim" market. You'll find that flight sim and racing sim enthusiasts often will have payed several thousands of dollars for their gear. That said the people who buy this stuff are not getting their gear for Gran Turismo or Tom Clancy's Hawx but for real sims such as FSX (or X-Plane), DCS World, iRacing, Project Cars and Asseto Corsa.

    3. Re:$460??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Peripherals might sell better if they weren't price gouged.

    4. Re:$460??? by Skynyrd · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Sim racing can't replace the real thing, but it's still better than not racing.
      So while $460 is a fair amount of money, its a drop in the bucket compared to racing actual cars, even at the lowest amatuer level.

      Friends and I put $15,000 into a single season of racing a "stock" VW bug offroad. We got back about 1/3 of that when we sold the car.
      All our (now ex) wifes and girlfriends would have been much happier if we had just spent $1,000 on a console and wheel.

    5. Re:$460??? by mcl630 · · Score: 1

      I know flight sim fanatics spent big bucks on their gear, but I didn't realize racing sim fans spent so much.

      I'll stick with cheaper virtual hobbies...

    6. Re:$460??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Have you seen how much race cars actually cost? http://www.race-cars.com/carsales/complist.htm
      $400 is a bargain compared to a single track day fees. http://www.myfirsttrackday.com/costs.html

      Plus you don't have to worry about damaging your car.

    7. Re:$460??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'll stick with cheaper virtual hobbies...

      The funny thing is, the cost is quite often exactly why people turn to simulations. Consider that getting a private pilot license is going to cost upwards of $20k or the very real consequences of becoming a genuine fighter pilot. Consider the cost of getting into racing on a real track. The cost of the car, the track days, the insurance, etc.

      Simulations are generally considerably cheaper and certainly a lot safer. There's nothing wrong with sticking with cheaper hobbies, just remember that these simulations are around for enthusiasts that for practical or pragmatic reasons can't follow their passion any further than the fantasy and immersion that simulations provide.

      Take me for instance, I wanted to be a fighter pilot when I was younger. However, I've never had any desire to kill people and the reality is that every time I was up in the air in a fighter jet that would be precisely my goal. I'm not comfortable with that so I stick to simulations and try and make them as immersive as possible.

    8. Re:$460??? by gTsiros · · Score: 1

      How can it be better than not racing, when it is not racing?

      --
      Looking for people to chat about multicopters, coding, music. skype: gtsiros
    9. Re:$460??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's a niche market, which probably is part of the reason why they are kind of spendy. It's not something most people really purchase unless they are very into racing games.

    10. Re:$460??? by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 2

      MSRP for this is $399.99, without the shifter, which is an additional $59.99. Do people actually buy racing wheels that cost more than the console?

      Why not? It's cheaper than upgrading a car. Besides, I think most of us have spent over $2k on a machine that is mainly used to browse porn. I'm certainly not willing to cast stones.

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    11. Re:$460??? by mgscheue · · Score: 1

      Some iRacing folk have extremely elaborate setups, though that's by no means necessary. Multiple screens, racing seats, frames to hold everything in place, etc. Console game people, probably not so much.

    12. Re:$460??? by TheKidWho · · Score: 1

      A sim is a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a race car, driving to the track, racing your car, potentially losing your car, fixing your car, getting new tires and brakes, etc.

    13. Re:$460??? by BoogieChile · · Score: 1

      The RAM to go in my own battlestation* cost more than that. I find, even at about five grand all told (so far+), it's still cheaper (and more achievable) than piloting any of these bad boys in the real world. Let along things that actually leave the ground.

      The Xbox and Playstation compatibility is probably more to do with standards that any actual work that went into making it so.

      * Not my actual battlestation, but a pretty fair example of what I'm talking about.
      * I live in a country where we pay about twice as much for hardware as in the US, too, which doesn't help.

    14. Re:$460??? by boomer_rehfield · · Score: 1

      It's exactly what the other two said. A three day class at a skip barber class to drive the "skippy" or the skip barber F2000 open wheel car, is going to cost you several grand. In iRacing they laser every track and there's no bs. There are pro drivers that run it like Will Power and Dale Jr. for instance and even they say that every bump in the tracks are there. If you're going to do something, to me anyway, I'd rather run 3 - 24" monitors in eyefinity with a serious wheel and pedal setup with a big amp and surround sound, than run it on a laptop with one small screen and an old logitech wingman wheel. To each his own though.

      --
      Carpe Canem - Seize the Dog
    15. Re:$460??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I suspect you've never driven a realistic sim.

    16. Re:$460??? by boomer_rehfield · · Score: 1

      I am one of those iRacing people, but I'll say that the triple screens is absolutely necessary. Ok, it's really not, but I'd be screwed trying to drive with one monitor now if I tried it. The ability to look our my left and right windows is crucial, let alone my side rear view mirrors. As a joke I loaded up Need for Speed Most Wanted on my xbox last year. I was stunned at how I remembered it to how it compared. I can't believe I used to play that now....

      --
      Carpe Canem - Seize the Dog
  4. 500 bucks for a steering wheel? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    Hell, my first car costed less!

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  5. Did you forget to adjust for inflation? by weilawei · · Score: 1

    That sum of money would be approximately $13,500 in today's money by my estimate.

    Does the car still run?

    1. Re:Did you forget to adjust for inflation? by weilawei · · Score: 1

      Botched the link AND the estimate. It's only about $7000 in today's money.

    2. Re:Did you forget to adjust for inflation? by zlives · · Score: 1

      see so its only 1000 bucks (console+controller) to go nowhere

    3. Re:Did you forget to adjust for inflation? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Nope. But only 'cause someone was dumb enough to crash into it head first. A Volvo built in the 1980s. Built like a tank, handled like one and it actually acted like one in the crash.

      It took a while to reconstruct the puzzle the other car turned into to find out just WHAT hit me...

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    4. Re: Did you forget to adjust for inflation? by Type44Q · · Score: 1

      Actually, while Volvos were known for being some of the safest cars on the road during the 80's, one of the ways they achieved this was through aggressive use of crumple - zones [that would often render the car completely worthless after a fairly low-speed impact].

  6. No support for SteamOS? by deragon · · Score: 1

    That is one of the problems for SteamOS; lack of controller support. SteamOS does not support force feedback yet, AFAIK.

    --
    Remember the year 2000? They promised us flying cars. They delivered the PT Cruiser...
    1. Re:No support for SteamOS? by RyuuzakiTetsuya · · Score: 1

      HOW?! Force feedback has been a part of the HID spec for ages.

      --
      Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
    2. Re:No support for SteamOS? by deragon · · Score: 1

      Cannot give you the details because I am no expert, but under Ubuntu 14.04 LTS Trusty Thar, I have no force feedback on my Logitech joysticks and wheel, with any game. I recall reading that the Linux driver for force feedback is immature, but I cannot find the article. Also, Logitech controllers, I believe, use a proprietary protocol.

      --
      Remember the year 2000? They promised us flying cars. They delivered the PT Cruiser...
  7. well, it beats thumbsticks! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Seriously, thumb sticks are up there damned close to the worst gaming controller ever invented by man. They're so bad it takes game engines giving auto-aim assistance before thumbstickers can even begin to compete with people using a mouse.

    And for driving games a wheel is 100X better than a thumbstick. And for RTS, a keyboard and mouse are 100X better than a thumbstick and buttons.

    It's time to let thumbsticks die.

    1. Re:well, it beats thumbsticks! by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      They're so bad it takes game engines giving auto-aim assistance before thumbstickers can even begin to compete with people using a mouse.

      There was only one game I'm aware of that had PC and console users playing an FPS together. And THAT was a Saturn game, so not really a fair comparison. (The saturn controller sucks) And it was a while ago, shooters weren't as common so fewer skilled players.

      And for driving games a wheel is 100X better than a thumbstick.

      Oh, I agree, but some people don't want to shell out money for whatever overpriced wheels are out there. That stopped me from buying any racing game after GT4, the games became too oriented towards wheel-users.

      And for RTS, a keyboard and mouse are 100X better than a thumbstick and buttons.

      Are you sure about that? Because the first ever RTS was a console game, Herzog Zwei. The genre originated on consoles. And there are several console ports of the games. in most of them you use the d-pad to control a pointer which isn't "that" different from a mouse. (with a button to enable fast movement) Some, depending on game/console have mouse support as well, but the games are playable without it.

      Red Alert on the PSone.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

      Warzone 2100
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

      Dune 2000
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

      Warcraft II on the PSone:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

      Starcraft 64
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

      It's time to let thumbsticks die.

      European Master-race type? Analog movement is a good thing, you should try it sometime.

  8. Fixed by DrYak · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I clicked on TFL (I know! I know!) and saw what looked like a plastic base.

    I don't own this peculiar item, but all the Logitech gaming gear I've used (mostly WingMan joysticks) have a rather heavy-ish metal base, to keep it stable.

    And all the steering wheels I've seen have special attachment to clamp/screw them on the table.

    (See Logitech official page)

    --
    "Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
    1. Re:Fixed by weilawei · · Score: 1

      Weight without cables: 2.25 kg (4.96 lb)

    2. Re:Fixed by Psychotria · · Score: 2

      I don't own this peculiar item, but all the Logitech gaming gear I've used (mostly WingMan joysticks) have a rather heavy-ish metal base, to keep it stable.

      And all the steering wheels I've seen have special attachment to clamp/screw them on the table.

      (See Logitech official page)

      Are you forgetting about the force feedback? Without clamping the wheel to your desk the wheel is going to jump around like a piece of cooking popcorn and that's before you even get to the first corner. To turn the wheel overcoming the force feedback generated by the turn wouldn't really be possible unless the base weighed 100kg (ok, maybe not that much but it'd have to be a darn heavy base). I suppose it might be possible with force feedback turned off but then what's the point?

    3. Re:Fixed by mgscheue · · Score: 1

      Yes, they screw down quite firmly. Though I always check before I start an iRacing session. Though do tend to loosen.

    4. Re:Fixed by boomer_rehfield · · Score: 1

      Absolutely nothing worse than being mid race and having the damn wheel come loose off the desk! Cheers to iRacing!

      --
      Carpe Canem - Seize the Dog
  9. Being a G27 owner by ledow · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So, not being funny - what the hell does this do that you'd want in a steering wheel? Because it looks like nothing more than the same stuff with a cheap controller slapped on. Trust me, if you can afford one of those - even second-hand - you can buy your own damn controller that'll be better than that junk.

    Seriously, the G27 has all that - anti-backlash, helical gearing, etc. and, as pointed out, comes with the six speed shifter as standard too.

    Honestly, Logitech, what the fuck do you think you're selling here?

    1. Re:Being a G27 owner by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I wonder if this is a compromise B$ licensing agreement between the respective Sony and Microsoft consoles.

    2. Re:Being a G27 owner by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My thoughts exactly (as a fellow G27 owner). Perhaps the only people this will appeal to is console gamers, since the familiar button layouts will likely make it much easier to use the wheel exclusively in video games on the console. But for PC racing enthusiasts, these new wheels look shit, have less functionality and cost more than the G27.

    3. Re:Being a G27 owner by Psychotria · · Score: 1

      I also own a G27 and won't be "upgrading" to that G920. If I was going to spend that money I'd be looking at getting something that offers more than the G27 does, and quite honestly my first upgrade would be the pedals -- specifically the brake pedal, first -- rather than the wheel itself (although I might upgrade the G27 brake pedal using a Perfect Pedal or maybe a load cell or something I hack together myself)

    4. Re:Being a G27 owner by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Console compatibility is a big one. G27 isn't really compatible with the PS4, for example, unless the game dev's go out of their way to write driver support directly in their game (kind of unusual).

    5. Re:Being a G27 owner by BadDreamer · · Score: 1

      It has improved bearings and gears, steel shift paddles and a leather covered wheel. All those are things I want in a steering wheel. I do not want a six speed shifter, so removing that makes the wheel a lot more interesting than the G27.

      The controls on the wheel are for selecting things in driving games, not for use as a controller for games where the wheel is not used.

    6. Re:Being a G27 owner by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      Standard PC wheels don't work on the PS4? That's surprising since standard PC HOTAS do in War Thunder.

    7. Re:Being a G27 owner by ledow · · Score: 1

      My G27 has...

      Improved bearings and gears.
      Steel shift paddles.
      Leather-covered wheel.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      Again.... what's new here apart from the incredibly ugly and crappy joypad-like controller shoved into the middle? (G27 has D-pad on the wheel on the shifter etc. there too but never mind).

    8. Re:Being a G27 owner by BadDreamer · · Score: 1

      Your G27 does not have bearings and gears as good as the new ones. That is the main difference. If you don't want that, then don't buy it!

    9. Re:Being a G27 owner by boomer_rehfield · · Score: 1

      A good brake spring is a cheap and VERY good upgrade to the stock G27 brake pedal. If you haven't done this, I highly recommend it. I'm doing load cell soon, but it's a good upgrade in the meantime.

      --
      Carpe Canem - Seize the Dog
  10. MOMO Force by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Will it be as good as the Logitech MOMO Force? That was a great steering wheel for Racing games.

  11. G27 price dip by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    Look for incredible deals on G27s soon. Hooray!

    Anybody built their own shifter? Did you use Honda, or something else?

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    1. Re:G27 price dip by 19thNervousBreakdown · · Score: 1

      Ugh, give me a shifter that actually grinds if you screw up the clutch. As it is, it'll let you go to neutral without clutching, but then you can't get back into gear without clutching with no feedback at all--the lever still moves into gear. So you think you're in gear, but you're not. Once you realize that, your forebrain is fully into figuring out this thing, and good luck making up that time.

      --
      <xml><I><am><so><damn>Web 2.0</damn></so></am></I></xml>
    2. Re:G27 price dip by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Ugh, give me a shifter that actually grinds if you screw up the clutch.

      That seems doable. I'd generate the sound electronically, though. A relatively simple lockout mechanism on the control cable ought to do the job. That strongly suggests running the shifter cables from the shifter to the clutch pedal box, so that gives me a good idea o ohnwgt'm o ohw'm ohw'm k ohw'm
        ohw'm ohw'm
      Well, I haven't seen that bug in a while. Firefox, linux, if the browser chokes and you keep typing, it permanently fucks over the input buffer so that only garbage comes out of it. Seriously Firefox, instead of fucking up your interface every few days, why not fix some long-standing bugs? I hear it's the thing to do among responsible developers.

      anyway, that gives me a good idea of how long the cables need to be on the shifter I'm going to pull. I do think I'm going to get a honda shifter. they seem to be very smooth. Now I just need to figure out which one has relatively long cables.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  12. clamps by DrYak · · Score: 1

    And all the steering wheels I've seen have special attachment to clamp/screw them on the table.
    (See Logitech official page)

    Are you forgetting about the force feedback? Without clamping the wheel to your desk the wheel is going to jump around like a piece of cooking popcorn and that's before you even get to the first corner.

    Hence the clamp-attachement-thingy that is on nearly every single wheel I've seen, and that's clearly visible on lots of the picture on Logitech's official website.
    They even have a paragrph about mounting it securely.

    I suppose it might be possible with force feedback turned off but then what's the point?

    To simulate the steering wheel of an actual real-world everyday car. You know, the things which got equipped with "Power Steering" for the past few decades, and which you can almost steer around with a single finger. :-D

    ("Reality Is Unrealistic" trope again).

    (Well I get the point that the "racing wheel" are for playing car racing games, which simulate cars with differently configured steering column.
    But still, a steering wheel with the forcefeed-back turned as low as possible is the closest thing to the normal car that you use to drive around)

    --
    "Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
  13. Knocking noise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I really hope they've done something about the loud knocking noise whenever anti-clockwise torque is generated

    Judging by stills in Logitech's marketing video, the internals seem to be nigh-on identical to the G27, so I don't expect it to be any quieter.