More Installation and Impressions
Overall it is a very easy set up. Clamp the wheel down, place the pedals where they are comfortable, run the software, and plug in the USB connection. The wheel will turn a couple of times to calibrate and it will be ready to go.
The leather wrapped wheel is very comfortable to grasp and keeps that way throughout long racing sessions. The paddle shifters have a nice amount of travel. Not too short and not too long. There is an audible click when those engage and that tactile sensation is not overblown or underrepresented.
The wheel is surprisingly compact once it is assembled and mounted. Other competing units are quite a bit larger. Then again, they typically feature more complex motors and pulley assemblies.
Driving with this unit is a bit of a mixed bag. Though this features a dual motor design and dual helical gears, the force of the feedback is not all that great. It is far less than what one would get with the Fanatec CSL Elite and Thrustmaster TS-PC (more than twice the price), it is also less than the Thrustmaster T300R and TX units (slightly higher priced). I would say the best comparison is slightly above that of the Thrustmaster T150 and TMX units ($199 and below). It has pretty good feel and vibration, and it is easy to feel when the tires have traction or are slipping. Some of the subtleties are missing though. It does not feel as natural when centering itself after a corner and letting the wheel slide through your hands. Some of the reactions that one would expect are very muted or nearly non-existent.
The helical gears are somewhat immune to the “lash” that pulley systems can have. Force feedback is direct and pretty much instant. Wheel action is slower than competing pulley based systems and there is some notchiness with the gears. It is not nearly as bad as in previous generations of Logitech products, and this wheel does not “feature” the dead spot when centered that previous wheels did. The gears are a good way to cut down on some of the complexity and give a more direct drive experience. Sadly it is still not a direct drive unit and it is underpowered as compared to more expensive units.
There are other aspects that work perfectly fine. The rumble of rough asphalt, the transitions from road to dirt, the bite drivers will feel when the tire is firmly gripping. The wheel has a good heft to it without feeling overly heavy. The transitions with the helical gears may feel slightly slower than perhaps a pulley system, but it is not nearly enough to ruin a game or the experience. The leather wrap is very comfortable and the rim is nice and firm. Users will not be able to sink their fingers into the rim to cause deformations, but it is not rock hard or uncomfortable.
From this angle it looks like the front of a 2012 Ford Mustang. Or close enough. A fun, stylish choice that does not affect overall performance one way or another.
Software support for this wheel is very good. It supports both PS4 and PC. On the PC it is natively recognized by most racing titles stretching from 2014 on. All of the very latest titles have native support and often extra features for use with these Logitech wheels. The rev lights are very handy in the applications which support it.
Well written and fair review.
Well written and fair review. At little more than $200, the build quality and much better durability make logitech wheels a good introductory choice, as thrustmaster still seems to have higher failure rates.
But man should you listen to some actual speakers if you’re citing logitechs as excellent examples of engineering.
For computer speakers, they
For computer speakers, they are good. For Home Theater or Audiophile grade equipment, they are middling at best. Speaking from an average consumer if I had bought these that long ago, and used them for PC audio for gaming and streaming, the Logitech speakers I have are great. If I were focus on audio quality to the highest level, I would get a full blown receiver/amp and get much more focused on what speakers I was using. For what was offered and delivered, the Logitech speakers are very good for the price and what they are focused on. Opinions will vary, but I like my Logi 5.1 set.
The Logitech computer
The Logitech computer speakers from that era were – and are – awesome. Clear sound and serious bass. Like, small home theater bass. I kept the bass on my Z2300 speakers turned down most of the way and they had the potential to vibrate the floors at 50%. Anyone who questions the the Z5500 or Z2300 era Logi speakers should check out the current used selling prices on eBay. They aren't cheap, and shipping isn't cheap either as you're getting a heavy box if you buy a set.
Thanks for the review.
My G27
Thanks for the review.
My G27 still going strong after 7 years of abuse. I changed the springs in the pedals for stiffer one and got a wheel stand. Very happy with it. The lack of buttons on the G27 wheel is the only reason I’d get the G29 especially for newest F1 cars.
Logitech do make long lasting products. I still use my Z560 4.1 speakers that I got in 2001. They sound great after 17 years 🙂
Z560’s were pretty
Z560's were pretty interesting speakers at the time. They competed well with the Klipsch units at the time, but were just a cut below. I remember the precursers to those had a terrible hiss problem that was partially improved by swapping the control unit, but was never truly solved until the Z560s.
Also, what do you think of the wheel size of the G27/G29s? I'm a bit disappointed they aren't a little bit larger. Not that the size is uncomfortable, but they just seem… tiny.
I have a Logitech MOMO wheel
I have a Logitech MOMO wheel from 2005 that still works fine. I imagine this would be quite an upgrade. I wonder if the G29 has stronger force feedback? The MOMO was quite powerful for 2005.
Bought mine to use with VR.
Bought mine to use with VR. Bought the shifter but they do need to make a e-brake add on.
I use a cheap, old Saitek
I use a cheap, old Saitek joystick as my e-brake. Thrustmaster also has a USB/Sparco unit that is pretty nice from what I hear.
seems a fair review, i also went back to trying a g29 after now owning a t300RS GT for a while and the g29 does not feel good when you have tried something a little better, the mildly notchy feeling feels very notchy indeed and so far from reality its not great.
what really is frustrating with the g29 and the reviews of it are they dont seem to pick up on the negatives of the pedals, they get high praise for being ”well made” at this price point but the functionality of them is really bad, and what makes them bad is they dont self calibrate on startup like say the t300 GT pedals. this leads to so many problems in so many games, if the game does not offer pedal calibration you often find yourself in a frustrating loop of adjusting braking saturation in order to achieve 100 percent braking at a reasonable force and even at max braking in game you just cant get enough pedal travel going on to achieve 100 percent, often you only get 50-60 percent braking when your pressing really hard. people say you should remove the rubber stopper etc but this is a workaround you shouldnt have to do because the brake feels better with it. the T300 ( gt pedals at least ) offer self calibration when you turn the wheel on meaning your first press of the pedals sets the maximum travel so you press the brake just as hard as you like and it sets the 100 percent to there meaning it works in every single game with the same pressure you set yourself. so many reviews dont point this out and so many people get burned by it, it simply shouldnt be that level of frustration. then theres the resolution of the pedals which is really pretty low but hard to spot why its an issue, that is until you use higher resolution pedals and spot the resulting smoothness of the inputs on the onscreen brake and accelerator guides. with the wheel being pretty notchy and the feedback being jerky rather than smooth it adds up to what is a pretty bad wheel for me, but yes the price of it is often very very low, low enough this should for sure be picked over cheaper options offering none or plain bad feedback.
anyway nice review thought id share my opinion on it having used it too.