Ought to You Purchase it for Xbox Sim Racing?

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Affiliate, Automoblog earns from qualifying purchases, together with the gaming equipment featured right here. These commissions come to us at no extra price to you. For a perspective on how we evaluation video video games, please see our primer on the subject. 

Logitech G920 Fast Take

Logitech just lately despatched us certainly one of their Driving Drive racing wheel and pedal controllers, the Xbox-based G920. The brief model is that the Logitech G920 is priced proper and solely has a couple of usability points.

Just like the PlayStation wheel (the G29), the Logitech G920 hits a candy spot. Primarily based on my expertise, Logitech’s Driving Drive wheels are usually not as technically proficient or over-engineered because the Thrustmaster or Fanatec wheels. Each of these are modular, direct-drive setups which are superb certainly, however, like every little thing else on that stage, they’re additionally pricey certainly.

For those who go the Fanatec route (which was my previous wheel), you higher put aside at the least a grand. Sure, that’s sufficient to purchase a go-kart, and that’s greater than double what an Xbox prices. However, like shopping for a Ferrari, you get quite a lot of efficiency for that money. The Logitech G920 provides you about the identical quantity of efficiency, with the variations starting from the refined to the inconsequential (roughly). As of this writing, the Logitech G920 will set you again $270 on Amazon.

Logitech G920: What We Appreciated

The upsides to the Logitech G920 are many, contemplating the value level. Here’s what stands out.

Craftsmanship

It’s leather-wrapped and smells similar to a brand new automobile. The leather-based is hand-stitched and helps with gripping the wheel.

Customization & Drive Suggestions

Out of the field, it has 900 plus levels of rotation, lock-to-lock. I like a a lot shorter throw than that, and adjusting it to my most well-liked 190 levels was only a menu choice away. You may, in fact, tweak the drive suggestions settings as effectively. 

On their highest setting (the place I normally put them to make issues as immersive as doable), issues work swell on the G920. All that energy and kickback are despatched to the wheel by way of a dual-motor design with metal ball bearings and overheat safety.

On some surfaces and in some situations, in some video games, you possibly can really feel it rattling and attempting to work out which tooth to choose, however like I mentioned, solely in some situations. More often than not, I’m by no means conscious of the drive mechanism.

Setup & Set up

The wheelbase used the identical mounting gap sample as my outgoing Fanatec. It bolted to the Fanatec wheel/pedal base, used the identical holes, and even the identical thread depend on the bolts. I’m unsure if there’s an trade customary or something, however this was an enormous time-saver.

The pedals weren’t as direct of an set up job however labored to the place I may mount them to the stand. It’s apparent Logitech’s thought course of right here is that the pedals will (most certainly) simply be plopped onto a carpeted flooring. There’s a strip of grippy offers to maintain it from sliding round in the event that they’re simply free-standing. After all, mounting them to a wheel/pedal base is most well-liked. For those who want some help with this, see this useful information from Logitech.

Obtainable on Amazon

Logitech G920: What We Didn’t Like

The Logitech G920 has a couple of points. Here’s what I’ve run into whereas utilizing my Driving Drive wheel and pedal.

LED Mild Place & Brightness

The facility gentle on the wheel itself is obnoxious. It’s a white LED mounted on the six o’clock spoke that glows when the wheel is powered up. The issue is that it’s manner too vivid. I imply obviously, nearly blindingly vivid. Enjoying in a semi-darkened room nearly renders the wheel unusable. It’s staring you proper within the face, so it’s not possible to keep away from

My answer, easy although it might be, was to place blue painter’s tape over the sunshine to dim it down. It took 5 layers of tape earlier than it wasn’t brighter than the TV display screen. 5! Logitech ought to discover a completely different bulb or take away it solely. I used to be seeing spots for hours.

Stiff Brake Pedal

The second problem with the Logitech G920 is the brake pedal. It is a recognized problem, as you possibly can inform from the variety of YouTube movies on the subject. Typically talking, you need a agency brake pedal to extra effectively modulate the brakes when they’re proper on the brink of locking up. All critical wheel/pedal controllers have laborious brake pedals – shoot, all critical vehicles, like a Porsche 911, have agency brake pedals.

What Logitech has executed, it could appear, is put a truncated cone of plastic between the pedal itself and the cease on the finish of the pedal’s journey. There’s a return spring, however that chunk of plastic regulates all of the braking drive. I initially thought one thing wanted to be eliminated to get the pedals working, like a protecting transport pad or one thing. However after poking round on-line, I discovered that no, that’s the way it’s supposed to work. And, to make issues probably worse, the brake pedal is non-adjustable. That’s as stiff as Logitech needs it to be.

Obtainable on Amazon

Will The Stiff Brake Pedal Trigger Issues?

Now, my left calf is big, and I’ve grown used to the quantity of drive wanted to cease. I additionally recognize that firmness since I turned the ABS off. Locking every little thing up, then backing off simply sufficient has turn into nearly second nature.

Thus far, I’ve thrashed the daylights out of the Logitech G920, and every little thing appears to be holding up. I all the time attempt to be mechanically sympathetic (thanks, dad!), so I’m not attempting to bust something on function. Nonetheless, typically a man can panic, ? You may get in too sizzling and simply mash the brakes with all ya obtained, or begin sawing on the wheel like Mr. Toad in the midst of “His Wild Journey,” however my Logitech G920 has held up.

There’s some creaking now, nevertheless, from the brake pedal after a number of months of day by day use. It wasn’t current at first, nevertheless it’s began to indicate up regularly. I determine (or hope) that’s from the plastic block deflecting and deforming beneath strain, not one thing within the bracketry starting to provide manner. Solely time will inform.

Can I Repair My Logitech Brake Pedal?

There are tutorials about methods to disassemble your pedals and get that hunk of plastic out, however I made a decision not to try this for a couple of causes. One, I like a stiff brake pedal. Two, I determine I ought to study to dwell with it for the sake of this evaluation. And three, disassembling the pedals seemed like an actual ache within the keister.

Nevertheless, you possibly can alter the place of the pedals to the left or proper utilizing a 2.5mm hex key. This may also help with heel-toe maneuvers or enhance your consolation with the pedals.

Ought to You Purchase The Logitech G920?

After a number of months of utilizing the G920 each day, together with testing my abilities as a monster truck driver, I used to be solely capable of finding two points: the intense pilot gentle and a too-firm brake pedal. That’s all I may provide you with as “improper” on this Logitech wheel and pedal setup. That’s type of like getting the perfect filet mignon you’ve ever had for $25 however having to take care of water glasses that have been too small. In different phrases, I can put up with these “flaws” for a really very long time certainly.

For those who’re moving into Xbox racing, the Logitech G920 is the correct wheel to personal. It really works, and the value is true. On the time of this writing, you possibly can seize a Logitech G920 on Amazon for about $270. We additionally suggest the Driving Drive shifter for $60 as a pleasant complement to the wheel and pedal. 

Longtime Automoblog author Tony Borroz has labored on in style driving video games as a content material professional, along with working for aerospace firms, software program giants, and as a film stuntman. He lives within the northeast nook of the northwestern-most a part of the Pacific Northwest.

Often Requested Questions