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Logitech® G25 Racing Wheel | ||||
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Wiring
Carpet
Skid
Conclusion - Kevin Nakano | | |||
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| Review System |
| Projector:
Mitsubishi HC5000 Full-HD 1080p LCD Projector |
| Review at a glance |
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Features
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Six-speed shifter is only supported by PC titles (as of 5/9/06) Package Contents
Company
Information Part Number
624402-0403 URL: www.logitech.com |
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While
gaming consoles and computers have made huge leaps in performance and realism,
the human interface often gets left behind. Advanced game consoles such as the
PS3 still make use of a standard controller. While they do offer motion sensing
and are wireless, they do not give the user the real-world experience like the
more expensive simulators. Gamers can now rejoice with the realism offered by
Logitech's new G25 Racing Wheel. The G25 is a premium package that features a
premium force-feedback steering wheel designed for simulated racing and includes
the world’s first dual-configuration gaming shifter that changes with a flip
of a knob. In one of the modes there is a six-speed gated shifter with a separate
reverse gear and in the other mode a sequential up/down shifter. This enables
the system to deliver a great experience on games that don’t support a full
six-speed shifter. Out of the box, the G25 is designed to deliver an experience
to remember with impressive performance and a great feel.
The
G25 package includes a high quality 11-inch steering wheel wrapped in leather
for the best driving experience. Even the leather smell gives you that feeling
of a real steering wheel. The spokes and two paddle shifters on the steering wheel
are made of stainless steel. A full 900-degree wheel rotation (2-1/2 turns lock-to-lock)
give the G25 the feel of a real car. While the look and feel of the G25 is superb,
the real advantage is the Two-Motor Force Feedback system, which features the
industry’s first two-motor force-feedback mechanism. This design provides
a stronger and more precise feedback to the user. Logitech claims that with the
second motor, the directional forces are more realistic and evenly distributed
throughout the wheel. Now the driver can feel everything from the bumps in the
road to impacts with walls, structures and other cars. Much like a real driving
experience, the G25 always tries to center the steering wheel position. While
it wasn't perfect on the PS3, it did give us some nice feedback while driving
the Formula-1 racing game.
The cabling
for the G25 Racing Wheel all meets under the main steering wheel assembly with
dedicated wire channels for each of the cables. The pedal, shifter and power cord
run into the base, while the USB cable runs out to connect to a PC or game console.
Adequate cable length is provided. The pedal and shifter cables have standard
subminiature 9-pin connectors with opposite genders to prevent connecting the
cables into the wrong interface. 
Pedals
Many
customers will undoubtedly use the pedals on carpet and thanks to the innovative
design of the base, that is not a problem. An anti-slip bar flips down and effectively
prevents the base from moving when the user works the pedals during use. We initially
didn't realize the anti-slip bar existed until we looked at the design. It just
so happened that we experienced the base moving while playing the F-1 racing game.
Once we flipped out the anti-slip bar we didn't have a problem. It is a great
design and offers the flexibility needed for the large user base out there.
The
Logitech G25 shifter offers a sporty short-throw design that includes six forward
gears and a reverse gear. Once mounted to a solid surface, the shifter provides
a stable and high-quality feel thanks to the steel latch pins and shifter shaft.
The shifter snaps into each gear and stays in place with the steel ball and spring-loaded
detent design. If sequential shifting is preferred over the six-speed shifting,
the user can place the shifter in neutral and rotate the mode selector knob located
just above the shifter. This mode moves a set of latch arms into place that restrict
the shifter movement allowing only forward and backward motions. Switching back
to the six-speed mode is as simple as pressing down on the shifter knob and rotating
the dial 180 degrees back into the original position. The narrow design of the
shifter allows it to be optimally placed on a variety of surfaces. Since the steering
wheel, shifter and pedals are completely separate, racers can customize their
racing environment to fit their personal preferences. Ideally users may want to
mount the shifter at a lower position than the steering wheel.