Logitech Driving Force Wireless

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CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
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Product summary

The good: Wireless operation; one-piece steering wheel sits on your lap with no clamping required; force feedback; relatively lightweight and easy to stowaway; also works with PS2.

The bad The bad: Build quality and overall feel is a step down from the Logitech Driving Force GT; no battery option, so this "wireless" wheel still needs an AC cord.

The bottom line: Logitech's Driving Force Wireless for the PS3 may not be for hard-core racers, but what you give up in performance you get back in ease of use and set up.

Specifications: Form factor: External ; Compatibility: Game console ; Battery size: None ; See full specs

Price range: $79.99 - $97.15

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: David Carnoy
Edited by: John P. Falcone
Reviewed on: 10/17/2008

Logitech makes three current steering wheel models for the PS3. At the top of the line is the $300 G25 Racing Wheel, a superpremium "simulator-grade" product that boasts a hand-stitched leather wheel, a six-speed shifter, and metal pedals. Further down the line is the Logitech Driving Force GT. It's a more mainstream version of the G25 that still features force feedback and 900-degree rotation, but the wheel, gearshift, and pedal setup are all downgraded a bit--saving you half the price of the G25.

The Driving Force GT was still a wired model that required you to connect a cable to your PS3, clamp the wheel to a table or desk, and deal with the foot pedal setup as well. That's why Logitech created new a entry-level model: the Driving Force Wireless. It's a one-piece steering wheel that--as its name implies--is wireless (except for the power cord) and is designed to sit on your lap without any clamping required. The gas and brake "pedals" are flaps positioned just behind the wheel. To hit the gas or brake, you pull up on either flap with your hand. (Wii users take note: Logitech offers the nearly identical Speed Force Wireless, which is optimized for the Nintendo console.)

The Driving Force Wireless lives up to its billing as being simple to operate and easy to set up. You plug a USB dongle into one of the USB ports on your PS3, then connect the AC adapter to the steering wheel, and plug it into a power outlet. (For whatever reason, the wheel doesn't use the PS3's built-in Bluetooth, which is why you're required to use the included dongle.)

To test the wheel, I sat down on a couch, fired up Gran Turismo Prologue, and set the wheel in my lap, adjusting the contoured, expandable lap rest until the wheel felt comfortable on my thighs. The contoured edges keep the wheel affixed to your legs fairly well, but you won't feel the wheel is truly secure, as you would with a wheel that is clamped.

See more CNET content tagged:: wheel,; Logitech,; Sony PS3,; feedback,; setup

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