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Driving Force Pro Force Feedback Wheel
Score: 100%
Developer: Logitech
Device Type: Controller



Function:

Many companies make steering wheels. Some are good, others not so good. Logitech?s Driving Force Pro Force Feedback Wheel is an excellent steering wheel, but with its pedal cluster, its formula-style shifter, excellent force-feedback, and 900 degrees lock-to-lock on the wheel itself, this is less steering wheel and more arcade-style racing simulator.

Performance:

It all comes down to performance, doesn?t it? Well, use the Driving Force Pro in conjunction with Gran Turismo 4 and you?ll breathe new life into your PS2. Your friends will be amazed (and be fighting over who gets to play next). That?s assuming you want to bother spending all that time to maintain friendships after you?ve got the Driving Force Pro Force Feedback Wheel and GT4 in your possession. (Enter a hissing ?My precious? here.)

The force feedback on the Driving Force Pro is quite excellent. This is not a ?vibration feature,? but is fully articulated force-feedback. You can feel the variable resistance you have against the road as your vehicle loses and regains traction or as you race on different surfaces. You feel the jolt in your hands knocking your wheel towards the opposite direction when you make contact with another vehicle. This realistic feedback not only makes racing games more enjoyable, but also has the effect of making them a bit easier. With realistic actions, your natural reactions can be helpful and useful; when you feel less resistance in your attempts to turn the wheel, you automatically reduce how much you?re trying to turn. If you were using a gamepad, you?d just keep right on turning. This leads to a lot of oversteering problems when playing with a gamepad.

The rubberized wheel is very comfortable to use, allowing for long playing times and good grip. The pedal cluster is nicely weighted, preventing the common problem of pedal slip that often occurs with wheels with lightweight pedal clusters.

The controls on the front of the wheel are easy enough to get to; it?s not like you?re going to need to use them heavily in a racing game, but having them there prevents the need of using a gamepad to select things in menus and such in addition to the steering wheel.

All-in-all, I found the Driving Force Pro to be an excellent steering wheel, providing a racing experience more readily expected from an arcade than in your living room.


Features:
  • 900 degrees Lock-to-Lock (2.5 turns)
  • Automatic 200 degree compatability mode
  • Comfortable, full rubber wheel
  • Two-pedal cluster (brake and accelerator)
  • Two-clamp clamping system (with spacers)
  • Wheel-mounted paddle shifters
  • Stick shifter on wheel assembly
  • Smooth, reliable steel bearing construction
  • Precise optical sensing control

Drawbacks & Problems::

Although the Driving Force Pro Force Feedback Wheel has a built-in clamping system with spacers that can be attached, there are no standards for table thickness in the furniture industry, as far as I can tell. I found that my coffee table from IKEA was too thick to be able to attach the Driving Force Pro to it. Once I switched off to a wooden TV tray table, I was good to go.

Other than the unavoidable need to find something to clamp the controls to, the Driving Force Pro is an excellent controller. I highly recommend it to any racing enthusiasts with a PS2 and GT4 ? or plans to get them. For that matter, this controller makes the investment of getting a PS2 and GT4 worth it ? even if you don?t already have them!


-Geck0, GameVortex Communications
AKA Robert Perkins

Sony PlayStation Portable AC Adapter Sony PlayStation Portable Car Charger

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated