Playstation 3 Logitech Driving Force GT Racing Wheel Review

With the interest in racing video games, I am sure you have heard of the Gran Turismo 5 video game. And of course you have played at least one version before that. I hope you agree with me that this game is one of the best in the car racing category. Everything seems like it is real, the graphics, sounds and the car design.

Now, you will learn how to experience the best moments in your game play. And yes, you will only achieve the best experience by connecting the racing wheel to your Playstation 3 gaming console.

And what would be better then the official Gran Turismo racing wheel? Nothing. After hours and hours of straight, no sleep game racing, I can tell that there is nothing better that actually holding the racing wheel in your hands. In fact, I am not going back to the original Playstation 3 controller when racing. And I am sure, you won\t either.

So what makes this Logitech Driving Force GT Racing Wheel for Playstation 3 so cool?

There are many great benefits and I have no idea if I will have the room to describe all of them, but hopefully it would be enough for you to make your own conclusion about this Driving Force GT Steering Wheel.

First of all, this racing wheel is very durable and the price point is really in a good range. Plus when you play the Gran Turismo 5 game, you will feel really the thrill of your ride. Also I have to point out that when you get this Driving Force GT racing wheel, you will get a surprise bonus inside the box from Logitech.

Because I can not keep secrets, here is the surprise: when you open the box you will find a copy of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue! I know that you might already have it, so you can give it away as a gift to somebody. If you do not own this game, you will be freaking happy about it, I am sure of it. When I have opened my box, I was really pleased what I have found inside. I guess it is a nice gesture from the Logitech company and now I will always go for their brand products.

After spending time with this wheel and especially Gran Turismo 5, I would have to say that you cannot review a driving wheel, or at least this driving wheel, without having a copy of Gran Turismo 5 to test with. The experience is so much better with GT than it is with other "arcade" racers that it's a night-and-day difference. Trust me, I know what I am talking about.

To set up the Logitech GT Racing Wheel, all you need to do is to fasten the base to a desk or table using some kind of clamps that stick to the desk really hard. Also this racing wheel has all buttons you normally find on your PS 3 controller, which is great for accessing game settings etc...

In addition to the full-sized wheel the base unit includes an integrated shifter. The shifter doesn't have much play up or down as it behaves more like those auto-shifters (flappers) you find on some higher end cars that let you drive in automatic or shift automatically if you want. It just clicks up or down as you are driving and a spring re-centers it when you let go. It doesn't click "up" or "down" into position like a gear shifter, it's more of a toggle action.

Of course you have your pedal plate. I'm a size 9.10" and the plate felt like a nice size, sturdy, good resistance on the brake and gas and my foot never fell off it or slipped off. It's really a perfect size for me.

What you should know though, is that the pedal base on the bottom has some small rubber stickers, but they are not able to hold the base still. On hard floor it moves around a bit. If you have carpets, it should stay on one place. If you have hard wooden floors and notice that it moves, you can put something heavy in front of it or buy this sticky mat and it would be fine.

Overall the Playstation 3 Logitech Driving Force GT Racing Wheel is great product compared to its price and features. But if you are looking for better racing wheel, I believe that the Logitech G25 Racing Wheel is a better choice. But that wheel is double of the cost. So it's all coming down to the question:

"How much do you want to spend when going to buy racing wheel for Playstation 3?"

Here are some other people's reviews of the Playstation 3 Logitech Driving Force GT Racing Wheel. These reviews are shortened to fit the text area here and you can visit the Logitech GT Racing Wheel Reviews here.

*****Believe the Hype
by A&E Daddy (PA, USA)

"I did a lot of research before I bought this wheel. A few years back, I bought a wheel (made by MadCatz, not Logitech) for my PS2, and was less than impressed to say the least. So I wanted to make sure of my purchase for the PS3. Almost everything I read review-wise praised this wheel, and let me tell you I'm now a believer. Put simply, the thing rocks.

Imagine trying to play a game like Metal Gear Solid 4, Madden 09, etc with a steering wheel... Wouldn't be fun (or make much sense), right? Well the same goes for playing a racing game with a regular Six Axis / Dual Shock 3. Since I've had this wheel, games like Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Burnout Paradise, etc have gone from good to just plain amazing. When you use this wheel, it's like, "Whoa, this is how it's supposed to be!"

Games that I've played and work with the Logitech Driving Force GT:

-Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (duh...)
-Burnout Paradise
-GRID
-DiRT
-Need for Speed Pro Street
-Ridge Racer 7
-NASCAR 08 / 09

And I'm sure many more to come."

*****Great Product
by K. Crumrine "crummer32" (Chicago, IL USA)

"I bought GT5P and this wheel to treat myself after being a fan of the Gran Turismo series for a long time. I've got to say, its quite an experience. My friends and I built a mount for it and it feels fantastic."