A major reason as to why gamers love Xbox 360 racing wheels is that they let us feel connected to the road. Controllers are great and offer some precision, but when you’re playing a game like the newly released Forza 4, that tangible connection to the road can add a lot more credibility to the experience.
When Microsoft first launched the Xbox 360 wireless racing wheel, it was considered to be the best steering wheel. It provided force feedback and was relatively inexpensive. However, Microsoft decided to discontinue this project. It is still available, but nowadays, it is more of a collector’s item. As a result, the price has skyrocketed. New copies will cost up to $500, and used copies also will be at least a couple hundred dollars. That’s pretty costly so if you’re simply looking for a good racingwheel to get and not something to add to your collection, then this racing wheel is not for you.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has just released the Xbox 360 wireless speed wheel (not yet reviewed) so you may want to look at that.
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Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel: The Design
It has a relatively smooth and clean look to it. The first thing to notice was the Xbox logo in the center. All the buttons are actually at the central handlebar. Unlike the exterior, the central portion of the steering wheel glistens. It’s got a good size and weight to it. Although it might be slightly heavier than most other steering wheels, trust me when I say that you don’t want it to be too small and light. That just adds to the whole “cheap” feeling.
The rubber wheel helps maintain your grip. The base of the steering wheel is also designed to grip onto any surface. Although you can use this on your lap, it’s recommended to mount it onto a table. You will have to find a good table to mount it on (if you don’t have one) or you can purchase a wheel stand.
In total, you get the steering wheel, pedals (will be further discussed later), mounting bracket, cables, and batteries. The reason for the cables and batteries will also be explained soon.
Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel: The Feel
This wheel does the best it can to give you an arcade experience in your living room. At least, it did. There are better steering wheels out there now. Remember, this is more of a collector’s item.
The Xbox 360 wireless racing wheel is not entirely wireless. First, you have to connect a cord from the wheel to the pedals. Luckily, the cord doesn’t get in the way. If you have ever used a steering wheel before, you would know that with all the twists and turns, the cords can get in the way. Thankfully, this cord isn’t a huge problem. You can slide the cord(s) underneath these slots on the pedals. That’s one of the reasons why this is not entirely wireless.
Now, that might not seem like a huge deal, but there is another reason why this racing wheel is not entirely wireless. The racing wheel runs on two AA batteries. If you’re worried about a short lifespan, don’t. You can still pump out hours and hours of playing with just two AA batteries. However, in order for you to play with force feedback, you need to plug in the AC adapter. Therefore, people who want force feedback will not really be getting a wireless racing wheel.
Still, the force feedback is great. It’s very strong and realistic. It jerks and bumps around just like it would in real life. You have to make sure you have a tight grip on the wheel to maintain control. Overall, just the fact that it has force feedback makes it better than some other racing wheels, but rather than just giving a rumble effect, this wheel gives you realistic movements.
You can decide to go wireless and not have force feedback or you can use wires and have an amazing experience. It’s up to the user.
Other than that, this racing wheel is relatively precise. Although it doesn’t feel like an actual car (like something from Fanatec), it gives you a much better experience than most other steering wheels. It’s definitely better than using a joystick that is only able to move a few inches and two buttons to accelerate and deccelerate.
It does not come with a sequential shifter, but you can use the “paddles” behind the wheel to change gears. It’s positioned just right so that changing gears will soon be second nature to you.
Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel: The Pedals
One of the biggest issues with pedals is that they “slide” forward. This applies to all steering wheels whether it’s for the Xbox 360, PS3, or PC. To understand this, you have to imagine the pedals and its base being on the floor. As you press it, you are exerting force that pushes the pedals and its base to down and foward. This forward force is what causes the pedals to slide forward. It is especially bad on smooth surfaces (i.e. wooden surfaces), but the developers also have to take into consideration carpets, marbles, etc. There are just a number of places where you can use these pedals.
These companies have to think of a way for the pedals to “stick” to the ground. The pedals need some sort of gripping mechanism.
The Xbox 360 wireless racing wheel does have the sliding problem. The good news is that the problem isn’t as severe as in other steering wheels. Microsoft has thought of ways to minimize the sliding force. Because of the way the pedals were designed, most of the force is directed downward rather than forward. In addition, there is a place for your feet to rest right in front of the pedals. This helps maintain its position. Finally, you have four rubber bases at the corners to help grip the smoother floors (like wooden surfaces) while the central portion of the pedals helps grip the carpet. Overall, the sliding problem is minimized, but it still may exist. Some people use Yoga mats to help hold it in place, but I’ve never done that since it never really slided that much.
As for how the pedals react, it usually varies from person to person. The bad thing is that you cannot adjust it. Some people feel that there isn’t enough pressure or distance. Nevertheless, it allows you to have more control over the car than a simple off/on button on a controller.
Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel: The Stand
With just the steering wheel, you can either put it on your lap or clamp it onto a table. I highly recommend clamping it onto a table. Driving with it on your lap just does not feel comfortable and can make things difficult to control. You’ll also have difficulty actually keeping it on your lap.
In any case, you should clamp it onto a table. Hopefully, you have a table or a desk. Clamping it will prevent it from moving so it allows for the ultimate experience. You’ll need it to be at the right height though. Most tables tend to be too high so when you clamp it, so you look like you’re driving a truck rather than a racecar. If you know a little something about racecars, it’s that their wheels are low.
Of course, if you want a system that holds both the steering wheel and pedals in place, I highly recommend looking into the Wheel Stand Pro. The only problem with it is the metal bar in the middle between your legs, but it was built and customized to be used with the official Xbox 360 wireless racing wheel.
Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel: The Shifters
There isn’t much to say about the shifters since it only comes with paddle shifters. You do not get a sequential shifter, and you definitely don’t get an H-shifter. Like I said before, you get two paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. You use these to change gears, and they are both on the right side and let side. They are positioned comfortably so that it feels natural to change gears. There are no problems with it.
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Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel: Conclusion
Overall, I would have highly recommended this steering wheel when it was out for $100-$150. Now, it’s too expensive. The price of this steering wheel jumps around a lot so I can’t pinpoint exactly how much it costs at the time you are reading this review. However, it’s generally around $500. You can get an awesome Fanatec Porsche 911 GT2 wheel at the same price, which is superior in practically every way.
It also has a few slight problems that can generally be overlooked. It’s not entirely wireless, which may or may not be a problem for you. The pedals do slide, although not as much as some cheaper models.
If you are looking for a decent wheel to add to your collection though, this is a great choice. It’s better than any joystick. It’s pretty durable, and it has decent force feedback. The controls are precise, but you’ll simply be getting a great experience out of it.
Since it’s discontinued, you won’t find it on any official store. However, you can find it on places like Amazon.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks! I picked one up for $20 at a garage sale and am giving it to the kids for christmas. It’s in perfect condition. maybe I should resell it on ebay?
Wow, that’s incredibly cheap. Haha, you got an amazing deal.
Anyway, that’s entirely up to you. I think that your kids will love it, but if you do decide to resell it, you can make a huge profit.