Logitech G25 Racing Wheel
by Logitech
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Our Price: $549.98 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $449.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech G25 Racing Wheel
Customer Review: Good value for money
Summary: 5 Stars
Logitech's G25 has been on the market for a while, but I had been content to use an old Microsoft wheel up until recently for my PC racing sims (rFactor, Grand Prix Legends). A wheel upgrade was long overdue, so I finally took the plunge on Force Feedback after seeing screenshots of rFactor 2 popping up on the net.
My expectations of mainstream wheel/pedal rigs have always been low, so it was a pleasant surprise when I began doing laps with the G25 and found the controller to be precise and responsive. The force feedback's value to lap times is debatable, but it does add an element of physical information that I would not give up after having experienced it. Install the Pits' NAGT mod for rFactor, turn the FF effects to their maximum settings, switch on RealFeel in the Upgrades menu for your vehicles, and you will feel curbing, road texture, and steering weight that can be eerily realistic. The build quality seems to be high, the software installed with no issues on my Vista64 machine and the wheel is fully functional in rFactor and Grand Prix Legends, doing its job well in both. Unfortunately, those are the only two sims I am running at this time, so YMMV in other apps.
The shifter works well in rFactor and can be overridden at any time by moving the shifter to neutral and using the wheel mounted paddles. I did not investigate H-pattern shifting compatibility in GPL, so I cannot comment on its performance there.
In just about every way that matters, this wheel is comparable to much more expensive controllers I have used in the past. My old BallRacing F1 with its all-metal construction and Personal F1 wheel wrapped in suede was probably more comfortable, but it also cost twice as much as the G25 in 1990s dollars and lacked force feedback as well as USB connectivity. A modern premium wheel can run to $1000, but for the casual to serious sim-racer, this wheel is probably the best value for money on the market today.
The throttle pedal could use a bit more travel in order to make throttle modulation less knife edge, but the stiff brake and light clutch are well placed and comfortable for my size 12 feet. Anyone wearing EE shoes might have an issue with the spacing, particularly if they want to left foot brake. I would actually prefer a D-shaped wheel, as it spreads your hands further apart, which helps comfort and feel, but the G25's wheel is no problem after a couple hours lapping the `Ring in GPL.
Compatibility with consoles is an added bonus, as this wheel works flawlessly on my PS3 in titles like Grid and Dirt. Most of my virtual racing is done on the PC, but the added compatibility and additional options only add value to an already potent package.
A note on the software: If you are running a 64-bit OS, Profile v5.04.110 is a must. Earlier versions installed without issue, but did not launch properly and were ultimately unusable. Not a huge issue, since rFactor has no issues with the wheel, but to get the most out of GPL, some tweaking is in order, so the latest Profiler becomes a necessity.
Pros: Good feel, precise, strong force feedback that is highly adjustable via the Profile application, excellent value for money, build quality is surprisingly high for mainstream wheel/pedals
Cons: Included Profiler software is useless in Vista 64 as shipped, throttle needs a bit more travel, needs more wheel-mounted buttons(apparently this is coming with the G27), clamping system barely accommodates the leading edge of my computer desk - beware if your desk's clamping surface is more than 1.75" tall
Of course, Amazon dropped the price $12 the day after my wheel shipped, but at anything near $200 this wheel is good value. How unfortunate the price drop guarantee is no longer in effect. C'est la vie.
Customer Review: Simply Awesome
Summary: 5 Stars
The Logitech G25 is nothing short of incredible. Right from the box you realize that unlike other wheels, it is a leather wrapped, metal wheel. Right away, it gives a better sense of realism than most wheels. It takes only a few minutes to set up and plug in, and before long you will be addicted to the simplest of racing games all over again.
Before you buy, you will want to make sure you have a sturdy place to mount it. The force feedback is not rip your arm off strong, but it is enough to shake and break flimsy desk like mine to bits. You will also need to consider a spot for the 6 speed shifter, because whether you use it or not, all of the buttons but 2 are located on it. My shifter is located next to my wheel on the desk, which is an awkward way to shift.
The force feedback of the wheel is one of its greatest qualities. It has the usual ability to vibrate like crazy. More importantly it has precise and strong force feedback. The force feedback allows you to tell how each corner of the car is acting like a real driver by simulating forces on the steering column. Not only does this increase the realism of your driving experience dramatically, it is a competitive advantage that an experienced sim racer wouldn't drive with out. I must point out though that the force feedback is only as good as video games make it; it is up to the game to tell the wheel what these forces should be. Some games don't provide realistic feedback or any at all.
I do have a few specific complaints about the wheel though. When you turn it quickly, the ffb motors generate quite a bit of noise. When you really get sawing on the wheel, your wheel will be noisier than your speakers. While very durable (I can yank left and right till my desk breaks without hurting it) the shifter feels very flimsy. After spinning the car and angrily smashing the shifter into reverse, I manged to break reverse gear. Now every time I go for reverse I get 6th. The pedals are also way too close. I can drive without a problem in socks, but in shoes my clumsy feet find everything but the brake.
Overall it is a great wheel. I have had it for 2 years and still enjoy every second on the track with it. If you are really in to simulation racing and have the money, go for it. It is a quality product. Arcade style racers will find less use for the features and miss having twelve buttons on the wheel itself for nitrous and super backflip ejecty thingy buttons, but it is still one of the best wheels on the market. For a sim racer it is a great buy and you will love it.
Customer Review: WOW! It's Well Worth Every Penny!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Logitech G25 Racing Wheel is a real pleasure to use: beautifully hand-crafted leather-wrapped aluminum wheel, 6-speed automatic/manual transmission, and aluminum racing pedals. It's not just eye candy, however. The wheel and pedals behave almost like their counterparts in a real car and help to add realism to sim racing:
Force Feedback Wheel
Logitech did a bang up job of the Force Feedback Wheel! It vibrates when you're on rough road conditions just as a real steering wheel would. The wheel even straightens out like a real steering wheel as you complete a turn. The resistance of the wheel is also variable, depending on the speed of the car and on road conditions.
Note: In some driving simulators like GTR, I find that I have to check the option to "Reverse Force Feedback" in order for the wheel to properly simulate the behavior of a real steering wheel.
Pedal Response
Logitech has made the resistance of the clutch, brake, and gas pedals feel a lot like those on a real car. For example, the brake get progressive stiffer as it is depressed more whereas the gas pedal and clutch has a more of a uniform resistance. The clutch and gas pedals both have the right amount of springiness to make them feel authentic.
Shifter
The component that provides the least realism is the shifter. There is barely any resistance in the shifter. However, the Force Feedback Wheel and the Pedals more than makes up for this deficiency.
The Logitech G25 Racing Wheel has provided me with hours upon hours of fun. For me, it was definitely worth plunking down [...] on.
There is a successor to the G25 - the G27. The G27 has a few improvements. The improvements include the addition of 4 buttons on the wheel, the addition of an indicator on the wheel that tells you when to shift, and adjustable pedals. It's probably not worth upgrading if you already own the G25. If you don't, the G27 might be the way to go.
Customer Review: The G25 is top-drawer all the way
Summary: 5 Stars
After having one of the trusty ol' Thrustmasters many, many years ago, and then making do with various joysticks for a decade of piddling around with my Sims, my wife surprised me with this Cadillac (neh, a Ferrari and Rolls Royce all rolled into one). All I can say is, Wow... With nearly six-decades on the planet, younger/faster reflexes will often beat me, but the G25 is a great equalizer for those of us who'd really like to hang around the track in real-time again, but don't have enough hours left in the business week to keep a car competitive, let alone haul it back and forth... Anyone who has hung around real race-teams even at the local/amateur level will love the realism of the G25, and the easy trip to the exotic tracks of the world -- all while sitting behind first class equipment and not needing a second mortgage to do it.
Installation was quick on my workhorse XP machine -- although there is a basket of wires to get sorted through, but essentially a no-brainer... The G25 seems totally comfortable with my older Sim software (but now offers a compelling, and irresistible, reason to upgrade), and the separate mounting of the gearshift console makes getting the ergonomics right, very easy... Haven't begun to use all the features yet, but my track times dived almost immediately - largely due to the accuracy, precision and correctness of the movement - subtle moves translate into subtle moves, not jerks and sporadic twitches that separate this machine from lesser mechanisms... The smell of leather after a sweaty hour of racing Steve Kinser or Tony Stewart adds measurably to the realism and enjoyment, and the force-feedback is almost transparent... it does the usual wheel twitch when something "hits" the front wheels, but also handles the more subtle feel of the front-tires starting to let go at the beginning of understeer/push... nice, really nice... the grin factor is huge.
Customer Review: Brilliant
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this wheel primarily for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue and that is what I have used it with. It's my first videogame wheel and as such an expert on sim games and wheels probably shouldn't listen to me too much. But I must say the experience is absolutely, absolutely incredible!
The setup was fairly easy, but before you get it think about how it is going to be set up. Right now I am using a TV tray as a hack but I bought a more suitable solution and am waiting for it. Build quality of the components are excellent, I wish the shifter was a bit tighter but I have not gone into detail with "H" mode, sequential works fine.
Anyway, onto the usage. With the wheel, you can feel the road, you can make adjustments, its easier to fully analyze the race conditions and adjust as necessary. The force feedback is absolutely phenomenal, somebody in another review who described it as a "3d matrix" of effects has it spot on, you really feel all the subtle effects going on. It's incredible. For example, while racing as a Suzuki Cappucino (a small kei car which is a personal favorite of GT's producer), I was able to feel when the car was starting to understeer, start to get a bit squirrely and adjust. These sorts of things are just so much harder to pick up on with a gamepad.
It's hard to describe, but with the wheel and the more advanced physics of GT5P (playing it on pro with all assists turned off and sequential shifting, I don't have good access to the clutch with my setup), the game feels "right". Its more fun just driving around the track trying to improve times than ever before. This has been literally some of the most fun gaming I have ever had and I have been playing games for a loooong time, way too long.
If you like racing games, and you like simulations, you really owe it to yourself to buy a wheel and the G25 is an excellent choice.