Sim Racing Products Available at Ricmotech

PRO – DIAMETER

The 30 cm diameter of the CSL Elite really is the perfect size for an all around wheel like this.  Due to its price point, there’s a good chance the CSL Elite is the only wheel you’ll have so it needs to be a “jack of all trades.”  This is what the 30 cm diameter accomplishes.  It’s big enough to work with production cars and stock cars but small enough to work with open wheel and GT cars.

PRO – RIM

The alcantara wrapped rim is a major upgrade from the old CSL Elite (now just CSL) wheel.  The old, hard, rubber wrapped rim wasn’t very inviting.  On the other hand, the new rim is very inviting with nice alcantara around the entire rim – in comparison to the alcantara and leather PS4 CSL – and the right amount of padding underneath.

If we have one minor gripe, it’s that the rim is on the thinner side.  A little thicker bolsters to hold onto would be nice.

PRO – WEIGHT

Wheel weight saps force feedback.  It’s less of a concern as you move up in wheel base strength but it’s still something to keep in mind.  Well, the new CSL Elite’s weight is not a concern.  Coming in at 970 g (2.138 lbs), the new CSL only sheds 200 g off of the old CSL – most likely due to the rim’s material change – but it sure feels a lot lighter.  This results in a nimble wheel with no perceivable lose of force feedback due to its weight.

PRO – SWAPPABLE BUTTONS

Like the PlayStation 4 version of the CSL Elite, the new Xbox wheel receives swappable buttons as well.  They’re still not the easiest to remove but it’s nice to have other button options when you race on the PC.

PRO – COMPATIBILITY

The CSL Elite Steering Wheel for the Xbox One (and PC) is designed to be used with the CSL Elite Wheel BASE for the Xbox One (in Fanatec-land, Steering Wheel + Base = “Racing Wheel”).  But, the new CSL Elite wheel has a party trick up it’s sleeve.  It can turn the PS4 version of the CSL Elite wheel base into an Xbox One compatible racing wheel.

This is a big deal because Sony and Microsoft – understandably – don’t play nice with each other, leading to PS4 compatible wheel bases or Xbox One compatible wheel bases.  The CSL Elite wheel changes this.  Thanks to the wheel, you can pick up the PS4 compatible CSL Elite racing wheel and the CSL Elite steering wheel for the Xbox One and be able to go back and forth between consoles with just a switch of the USB cord, steering wheel and push of the “Mode” button on the PS4 wheel base.

That’s pretty slick and a big plus to those who play both sides of the console fence.

NEUTRAL – SHAPE

The round shape of the CSL Elite steering wheel has it’s pros and cons.  On the pros side, it allows the wheel to be used with any type of car.  On the cons side, there are cars where the round rim does feel out of place, like when running open wheel cars.  It just is what it is for this kind of wheel that is trying to be accessible no matter what form of racing gets you going.

NEUTRAL – PADDLE SHIFTERS

Besides the heavy, hard, rubber wrapped rim, there was one other major con of the original CSL Elite steering wheel, the paddle shifters.  They were just mushy, with no semblance of a positive click.

This issue has been corrected in the new steering wheel.  The new wheel features “Snapdome(!)” paddle shifters that now provide some positive – audible – feedback.  The throw of the paddles still starts out on the mushy side but they finish with a click.  We still wouldn’t qualify them as great – or even good – but they are at least passable now.

NEUTRAL – SEMI QUICK RELEASE

The semi-quick release system of Fanatec’s CSL line continues on with the new CSL Elite steering wheel.  The system continues to have the same pros and cons it’s always had.  On the pros side, it’s simple and not as expensive and heavy as the Universal Racing Hub’s actual quick release system.  On the cons side, the bolt it utilizes is still keen to escape and potentially be lost.

NEUTRAL – PRICE

The CSL Elite Steering Wheel sells for $170 (€180).  This is spot on for the quality of the wheel.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The new CSL Elite Steering Wheel P1 for the Xbox One from Fanatec is a solid wheel.  It corrects the major complaints we had about the original wheel and thus really does nothing wrong.  It’s also particularly appealing if you spend your time jumping between the Ps4 and Xbox One.  Does it feel super special or high end?  No.  But that isn’t the objective of the wheel.  It’s objective is to provide a solid all around wheel no matter what system you race on and it succeeds at just that.

The post Fanatec CSL Elite Steering Wheel P1 for the Xbox One Review appeared first on Inside Sim Racing.

Sim Racing Products Available at Ricmotech

PRO – AESTHETICS

Have we mentioned yet how good the Evolve looks? Racing simulator aesthetics can be subjective but we are big fans of the minimalistic look of the Evolve. Every part looks purposeful and is made out of / finished in some of the best paint / powder coating in the industry.

PRO – STABILITY

On camera, the Evolve shows some movement. The wheel deck does wonder a little, the pedal deck shows a little flex towards the top and the seat also has a little deflection. But in use, the Evolve feels very solid. During standard use with a range of wheels from the Thrustmaster TS-XW to Fanatec CSL Elite to SimXperience AccuForce, I never noticed any of the movement.

Yes, if you want to make the wheel deck move, you can. But in normal driving conditions, I never detected any movement.

PRO – PARTY TRICKS

For lack of a better label, the Evolve posses a couple cool – and handy – party tricks. First, there are two casters on the front of the rig that allows you to easily move it by yourself (although it should be noted that the small casters might not work great on carpet). Every simulator should either come with casters or have it as an option.

Second, the front of the rig can pivot up, allowing you to save some space when not racing. I did find this pivot action can cause the bottom frame to not entirely rest flat on the ground but the adjustable rubber feet on the bottom take care of this issue, leveling the rig.

NEUTRAL – SEAT

I love the seat on the Evolve. The carbon fiber on the seat is really well done. It has an excellent tool surface finish and even visible details like the ply buildups at the hardware points.

I also found the seat comfortable for long periods of time. At first I struggled with the fixed seat because I’m a “gangsta lean” driver myself, and the very upright position was bothering my lower back. But then I placed the front seat bolt to the middle of three hole locations (I already had the back bolt at the bottom location) and this gave me the right amount of lean to make me happy. Since then, I’ve enjoyed the “fall in and hold you close” nature of the deep seat.

So if I like it so much, why do we have it it the NEUTRAL category? Because this is a one size seat.

The Evolve’s seat is about as tight on me as I would want any sim racing seat to be. The issue is I’m 5’6”, and according to the interwebs, that puts me at about the 5th percentile for height of male American adults. So if this seat fits a – relatively skinny – 5% male nicely, what does it do to someone in the 50th percentile? Or 80th? Or even as low as 25th?

Well, I found out. I had some friends over one night and I had them try out the Evolve. My friend Steven, who is 6’2” and in much better shape than me, said that while he could fit, it was tight on his hips and he couldn’t race like that for a long time.

You can remove the padding pieces from the rig, but once you do that you’re left with fabric wrapped carbon fiber, which isn’t very comfy.

So while I’ve grown to really like the seat in both form and function, I think there’s going to be a vast swath of folks out there that just won’t fit in it, which isn’t good.

NEUTRAL – WHEEL DECK

On the positive side, the wheel deck on the Evolve has no problem accepting any wheel out there. It even has the front third hole for Fanatec wheel bases, although it’s only accessible when you run the wheel deck in the most forward position. If you try to push it back, the bolt hits the wheel deck assembly’s frame.

Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of some frustrating design elements of the Evolve.

Unlike most wheel decks that just have a deck attached to the frame, the Evolve uses a three piece box approach. There’s pros and cons to this design. You get a good amount of tilt options thanks to the outside box rotating between the frame and the smaller inside box’s angle adjusting inside the big box. One thing of note though, the inside box’s angle is fairly limited because the front of it only aligns with two of the four holes at anytime. Besides further angle options, the inside box can also be raised up, giving you height adjustment which is very handy.

Another unique characteristic is that the wheel deck plate is actually designed to be removed. At first blush I thought this was a great idea. Avoiding the awkward acrobatics of securing a wheel to the wheel deck sounded great. But you still have to put it on the rig and this process is even more awkward. Due to the design, you have to squeeze your hands into the box assembly and turn the knobs that go onto the plate’s welded on threads. It’s barely doable, especially when the wheel isn’t at one of the higher positions.

CON – PEDAL PLATE

On to the pedal plate and it’s a similar – but much more frustrating – story. The knobs needed to tighten the two piece design are under the pedal plate, instead of being in an accessible spot on the side like pretty much every other simulator out there, so it forces you to awkwardly tilt the Evolve on it’s side and have it rest on you while you frantically snug the pedal plate down to the tilt adjustment carriage under it.

I mean…most people don’t change out their hardware that much but if you ever need to adjust the pedal’s position, you’re going to be diving under the rig to do so, which really sucks.

Maybe the idea was that you would hinge the front half of the Evolve up to adjust the pedals but for me and many of people out there, that just isn’t feasible with our rig setup. Just easier to go under it.

As for pedal plate compatibility, there’s also a couple issues. While it accepts most pedals, I found that the Fanatec CSL Elite’s are too wide for the plate. In fact, the Fanatec ClubSport Pedals V3 just fit on the plate and I had to wedge them between the pedal plate feet.

On top of that, adjustability on the plate is limited for some pedals. The Thrustmater T3PA pedals have two hole positions that they align with, giving you some up down adjustability. The Fanatec ClubSport Pedals V3 on the other hand only have one position on the plate.

You can slide the entire plate up and down thanks to the groves on the tilt carriage under it but I struggled to get them in the exact position I liked.

I also struggled getting the Fanatec ClubSport V3 pedals to the angle I wanted. I started with the tilt carriage at the middle hole position but my right foot kept sliding up the pedal. So then I went to move it to the top – highest angle – position but I couldn’t because the front of the pedal plate would hit the frame plate that runs under your feet. Ugh.

CON – INSTRUCTIONS

At first flip through the instructions looked great. Lots of images are always good. But once I started building, that impression quickly flipped.

First, some instructions aren’t correct. The instructions to install the red mesh inserts have the bolts going the wrong direction. Minor, but a silly mistake if you aren’t paying attention. Then there’s the accuracy of the drawings. The knobs in the instructions are different looking from the knobs you get, and when there are two different types of knobs in the box, this gets confusing. Also – sans one page – none of the images show washers, yet there are a bunch of washers in the box. So that becomes a guessing game. Pro tip, use washers everywhere. The written instructions aren’t much help either, and for a simulator with as many parts as the Evolve has, this is an issue.

Lastly, there’s a lot of images of knobs in the instructions, but nothing about all those extra M8 bolts in the box…which brings us to our next subject.

CON – KNOBS

F**k knobs. After losing many hours of my life messing around with them, I have zero clue why they are even in the box. Following the instructions, I used only knobs to secure the wheel and pedal assemblies. What a disaster that turned out to be.

No matter how hard I turned them, they would all loosen up while driving. I eventually contacted Sparco because I had a gap between the wheel deck box and the frame uprights that just didn’t seem right and they told me to scrap the knobs and use the included M8 bolts. So I did that and wouldn’t you know I could tighten the pieces together and they wouldn’t loosen up while driving.

As I went on I would remove one set of knobs at a time as it became obvious that none of them worked. I also discovered during this transition that while Sparco includes enough M8 bolts, they don’t include enough washers and nuts and I had to dive into my own collection to finish out the knob purge.

Unfortunately, there were casualties along the way. In my attempt to get the knobs to work, I broke off one of the three threaded studs on both the wheel deck and pedal plate. Apparently my many re-tightens was too much for them and displayed not only the flaw of using knobs, but using welded threaded studs instead of bolts. Now I’m down to two points of contact on each but they seem to be doing the job once I switched to the washer + nut.

Which brings us back to the Pro’s section of the review. Once I removed all the knobs, the Evolve felt solid and nothing loosened up. Again, I have no idea why they are in the box but if you do purchase the Evolve, just throw them away and pick up six more M8 washers and nuts.

CON – ACCESSORIES

The Evolve is currently a very stripped down simulator. It does not have an h-pattern shifter mount – a standard feature in the industry – or less standard accessories like handbrake mount, keyboard tray, monitor mount and transducer mount.

Speaking with Sparco earlier this year, they told me that accessories like these are coming, but without a timeframe at this time, it’s hard to say when and could be a deal breaker for some customers. Plus, that means more money to spend on an already not inexpensive rig…

CON – PRICE

Just because something is $1,300 doesn’t necessarily mean it’s expensive. It just means that the product has to justify the price. Unfortunately the Evolve doesn’t do this.

If the Evolve was a kickass experience, then I think it would be worth the money, even sans the accessories. It looks like a million bucks, has a carbon fiber seat that isn’t inexpensive and of course carries the Sparco name – which whether we like to admit it or not – adds some “want” deep down in our hearts.

But as we’ve seen in this review, it hasn’t been a kickass experience.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Sparco Evolve is a tough product to recommend. If you eliminate all the knob issues we had – since you’ve watched this review and now know what to do – and even the diving under the rig part to change and adjust pedals since that should become less of an issue once you’re happy with the position, then there’s a chance you could have a good experience. But unfortunately, I think a lot of variables have to line up to have a positive experience.

Take my experience for example. I’m short and relatively skinny – less so these days – and I was able to fit in the seat comfortably. I was also able to adjust all the wheels to my liking with the wheel deck box and appreciated that I could raise the height of them. As for the pedals, I had no issue finding a comfortable location and angle for the Thrustmaster T3PA pedals. But when it came to the Fanatec ClubSport Pedals V3’s, I wasn’t able to find a comfortable position with my short legs because the frame gets in the way of the pedal plate when you move it in and try to add angle.

Now take someone taller, like my friend, and I bet the pedal plate wouldn’t be an issue because it would be in front of the frame. But, he was uncomfortable in the tight seat.

So if it doesn’t work for a short person with short legs and doesn’t work for a tallish person who works out a bunch, then who does it work for? A thin average height person? And that’s average height in the US, maybe not for your country.

I appreciate the different take on the simulator from Sparco. I love the look, the carbon fiber seat, the included casters, the rigidity of it, the fact that it doesn’t take up much space. But not only are there big issues that we’ve noted, there are potentially more nuanced ones like, “Do you prefer driving open wheel cars versus GT cars?” If yes, then the very upright GT seating position might not be for you.

By the time you tally all of these – and potential – issues up, we find the Sparco Evolve simulator to be a tough sell.

The post Sparco Evolve Racing Simulator Review appeared first on Inside Sim Racing.

This brings us to the Renovatio SRD-R3 Digital Dash Display. Featuring not only critical car information, but race information as well, the SRD-R3 display vies to give you all information you need in a compact, no fuss, package.

Does it succeed? That’s what we’re here to find out.

Sim Racing Products Available at Ricmotech

PRO – DESIGN

The Renovatio SRD-R3 is packaged really well. Coming in at 113 x 68 x 14mm, it nicely walks the line between big enough to see but not too big to be difficult to mount / see. The curved shape also helps to make sure the wheel doesn’t block any of the screen.

Materials wise, the screen is clear and bright, the rubber-like coated frame feels nice to the touch, and the clear back gives you a sneak peak of what’s going on inside.

Speaking of the back, it features a mini USB port and two M2.5 threaded holes. The location of the USB could be good or bad depending on how you mount it. For me and my custom mounting solution, I preferred it versus a bottom mount. For Darin – who had this unit before me – the USB port got in the way of the velcro attachment route he went with. In the end, I do think the center back position is the better way to go.

The display comes with a long USB cable that shouldn’t have any issue reaching your PC, but if you decide to do something different, you can go to Renovatio’s website and choose from a nice selection of alternative USB cables.

PRO – MOUNTING

Lets dive further into mounting the display. In my opinion, this is one of the biggest challenges of a stand alone accessory. Thankfully, Renovatio goes to good lengths to ease this issue.

As we mentioned earlier, the display has two threaded hard mounts. Although having hard mounts might be a no brainer, there are products like displays and button boxes out there that don’t have these and it can make mounting a real challenge. If I do have one critic, it’s using M2.5 bolts, a size so small that I couldn’t find them at any of my local hardware stores. I ended up going the imperial route and buying 2/56 x ½ inch bolts with #2 washers that seemed to do the trick.

Besides just having threaded holes, Renovatio also offers Wheel Mounting Kits (WMK) for the Logitech G27/29, Fanatec CSR and all versions of the Fanatec ClubSport Wheel Base. This is nice to see as a lot of accessory manufactures gloss over this detail.

If you have a Thrustmaster T300 / TX or TS-PC / TS-XW, then there is a wheel mounting kit offered from Ricmotech.

But since I wanted to mount the SRD-R3 to my SimXperience AccuForce V2 wheel, I went the custom route. For about $10 I was able to accomplish this thanks the the design of the AccuForce wheel button box. I cut out a piece of wood for a backing plate. Attached it to two non-threaded holes that were designed with the idea of you using them for a backing plate. Then I made it black with a black Sharpie marker and attached the display. Then I got a short USB cable I had and ran it to the USB port on the wheel button box.

By the way, in our review of the AccuForce V2, I wondered out loud the need for a USB port on the back of the wheel button box and why the controller needed a second USB cable to the PC. Well now I know why, the USB is for a display and the second USB cable powers said USB port. And now that I know this and use it, I’m very happy for it, because I think this design turned out really slick

PRO – SRD-M3 GAMING SOFTWARE

The SRD-M3 Gaming Software that comes with the SRD-R3 dash is really well done. It’s easy to install, has a good User Guide right there for questions, allows you to pick and choose game plugins, gives you a good number of dash options on an easy to follow screen and allows you to save your configurations. It also gets updated fairly often which is important in a third party software like this.

Besides configuring the dashboard, the SRD-M3 software also has two other tricks, vDashboard and vTelemetry.

vDashboard is a digital dash on your monitor that is nicely laid out and has options like adjusting gauge colors and angle of tachometer. It’s nice but I didn’t find much use for it with the SRD-R3 digital dash blocking its view. You can move it to the side but looks a little odd there.

I did enjoy exploring vTelemetry. It’s not the most dynamic telemetry tool but it does allow you to see a breakdown of your laps, with speed, RPM, steering angle, throttle and brake inputs, etc. I found it useful to analyze how well I was maximizing my braking.

If I do have one minor complaint it’s that you need to launch the game from the software to have the dash work, at least when you first fire up the game. I was able to play the game, exit, then go back in again without having to launch from the SRD-M3 dashboard.

This is a complaint because issues can arise when you have multiple softwares that require you to launch the game from them….an issue I experienced.

Every time I launched Sim Commander 4 for my AccuForce V2, it would shut down the SRD-M3 software that was trying to connect at the same time. Oddly enough, Darin didn’t have this issue running the same hardware and software, but after a lot of problem solving we eventually threw in the towel and found a work around. The work around for me was firing up the game via Sim Commander 4 – like always – then alt-tabing while in-game and running the “check” mode in the display software to bring the display to life. After that it worked fine.

Not ideal but one of those things when you have two pieces of software fighting each other.

NEUTRAL – FUNCTION

When it comes to actually using the SRD-R3, there’s good and bad.

On the positive side, there’s a lot of good information there such as gear, speed, lap time, fuel left and sector splits. And if you want different information like water temperature, position, live gap time, flags, if you’re in DRS zone and more, you can do that in the Dashboard Configuration.

Where things start to go a little sideways is when it comes to shift points. The dash has 16 white LED’s showing the full RPM range, then 6 configurable purple LED’s up top. The issue is, with the all the LED’s being either white or purple, it’s hard to tell when to shift.

While it’s easy for you at home to see when I should shift with the camera focused on the dashboard, when you’re actually driving you aren’t looking at the dashboard, you’re watching the road and only catching the lights in your peripheral vision.

This is why pretty much all racing cars use some combo of green, yellow, red and blue lights to make it easy for the driver to see where they’re at in the rev band. Without this differentiation – as I found out with the SRD-R3 – it can be tough.

To improve the situation I tried a couple things. First I turned the brightness level all the way down to try to differentiate the white LED’s in the rev band. This did help a bit – the band is made up of three different size LED’s, so there was an attempt to differentiate them – but it still didn’t help enough. Plus, while driving it’s really hard to tell if the RPM band is at the last LED, or second to last…or third to last. You don’t have time to count out sixteen lights.

This left the full RPM guage pretty useless.

As for the top 6 purple RPM LED’s, at first I didn’t have much more confidence in them. The default “Full range” setting in the Dashboard Configuration had all 6 of them on pretty much all the time. Not very helpful.

But then I played around with the options and started to make progress. A few of the standard profiles worked well out of the box. The “Green and red” profile – although all the lights are purple, the software labels them as green, red and blue”…go figure – worked well on the Pro Mazda in iRacing. I also found the “F1 Progressive” setting to work well with – you guessed it – the 2017 Ferrari F1 car in Assetto Corsa. The lights would turn on as you would expect they should and the last one lite up lower in the rev range, the ideal spot to shift for current F1 power units.

But outside of those examples, I spent a lot of time manually adjusting the rev light points and saving it as a profile for that car. This process works but it’s kind of annoying to do for every car and the slider to adjust when the light comes on isn’t as accurate as I would like. It pretty much always skips two or three numbers, and when there is a difference between the light coming on at 92 vs 93, this matters. Would be nice if you could just type in the number yourself.

I also played with some other shift indicators on the SRD-R3. I changed one of the “Alarm” lights to “RPM red zone.” I did this because this light is red and I thought the different color would help. The red light is more noticeable but on many cars you are already hitting the rev chip by the time it comes on, making it not very useful.

I also played with the audio “Gear shift” beeps that the display can give out. At times I felt like they were pretty accurate, other times not so much. Plus with me using my speakers for game sounds and headset for voice talk, hearing the beep is near impossible.

In the end, I was able to get the top purple LED rev lights to assist me. Selecting “Red and blue” profile and manually adjusting the final two lights to come on at the car’s shift light seemed to be the best way to catch the purple LED’s out of my peripheral vision. But I’d be lying if it wasn’t a bit of a strain keeping my eyes on the road, while at the same time trying to catch if a little light had come on.

NEUTRAL – PRICE

While 159.00€ isn’t cheap, it’s in the ballpark of other displays and a lot cheaper than its previous price of 229.00€. What is well priced are the mounting kits which only cost 10€ when bundled with the display. Also, it’s 34.90€ by itself which isn’t terrible either.

Lastly of note, the SRD-R3 comes with a two year warranty.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I prefer using the Renovatio SRD-R3 Digital Dash Display versus not. In the pursuit of having the most realistic seating position and field of view with my setup, there are many times when it’s not possible for me to see the car’s digital display. Other times it requires me to keep the in-game wheel on in cars with wheel mounted telemetry, even though I’d prefer to turn it off. Thus, having a digital dash is helpful.

Is the Renovatio SRD-R3 as helpful as I’d like it to be? Not entirely. My biggest pain point of not being able to see the in-game dash is not seeing the rev lights. And while I eventually got it calibrated to a point where the top LED’s did help, it took more work and concentration than I had hoped. It’s just tough to have rev lights that don’t change color when you’re focused on racing.

Beyond the rev lights, I’m happy with everything else. It looks good and is perfectly sized to be mounted on my wheel or a wheel base with one of the optional mounts. Its nice to know the gear, fuel levels, lap times, etc. I also like the software despite the work around I needed for the AccuForce.

Is my sim racing life better with it? Yes.

But despite that, I’m left a little disappointed at what it could be with something as simple as using different color LED’s, or even using RGB LED’s as that becomes more of a thing. If it had that change, then this display would be a no question recommendation. But for now, I understand if you have reservations.

The post Renovatio SRD-R3 Digital Data Display Review appeared first on Inside Sim Racing.

While the Rally Wheel Add-on Sparco R383 Mod is suppose to be a replica, it sure doesn’t feel like it. It comes in at a full 33 cm (13 inches) in diameter. Its thick rim is covered in suede with the right amount of padding underneath to keep you comfortable but in control. It’s also really sturdy feeling, resisting our best efforts to twist and bend it.

Sim Racing Products Available at Ricmotech

PRO – FUNCTION

While the name suggests that the R383 Mod is best suited for rally racing, it also does another form of racing exceptionally well, oval racing. At both disciplines, the R383 Mod is fantastic.

For rally racing, the large, round, rim is ideal. The larger rim helps to keep your hands steady – as steady as they can be in rally racing – and the round shape makes it so your hand can slide on the rim and never lose contact due to a flat bottom or top.

Like in rally racing, the large diameter also assists you in oval racing. Oval racing is all about “quiet hands,” allowing your feet to steer the car. Having quiet hands is much easier with a 33 cm rim then a 28 cm one. Another plus is the rim’s thickness. Not only does the rim keep you from death gripping your wheel – no matter the racing discipline – but in oval racing you can really lean on it and use it to help keep your hands steady.

When we reviewed the R383’s brethren, the Sparco P310 Competition wheel, we thought that it was a fantastic all around wheel and could handle cars from open wheel to oval. And while we still think it can, the R383 clearly showed us that it’s better when it comes to rally and oval racing.

NEUTRAL – BUTTON BOX

The button box on the R383 utilizes the same heavy duty plastic that all Thrustmaster wheels use but this time it features a nice looking carbon fiber pattern on the front. Out back is the usual Thrustmaster semi-quick release system that allows the R383 to be attached to all the wheel bases in the Thrustmaster Ecosystem. This includes the T300, TX, T500, TS-PC Racer, TS-XW Racer and T-GT.

The R383 features 9 action buttons, which is an average number of buttons for a sim racing wheel these days. The buttons are the same as the P310 Competition’s, meaning they are concave shaped and have a positive click. What isn’t the same is the color scheme, with the buttons coming in black, white, yellow and orange. While I appreciate the seasonal color for this time of year, I would have preferred to see the Sparco Red and Black color scheme from the P310 wheel and TS-XW Racer wheel base.

Back to P310 similarities, the R383 uses the same coned shaped d-pad with push function, and like on the P310, it has its pros and cons. On the pros side, the stealthy cone shaped d-pad is a neat design. On the con side, it can be a bit tricky to use. You have to be very positive with your left, right, up, down inputs or you can accidently select the wrong function.

The paddle shifters also carry over from the P310, which is a good thing. They’re metallic, nicely shaped, tall (13 cm / 5 inches) and can be moved in and out to fit the user’s finger reach. And while they don’t have the most positive click we have ever felt, it is far from bad and solid for the price point.

NEUTRAL – PRICE

Speaking of price, the R383 is priced perfectly. At $199.99 (£179.99) the wheel isn’t a steal but isn’t overpriced. It’s priced exactly where it should be for what you get.

FINAL THOUGHTS

We’re surprised how impressed we are with the Rally Wheel Add-on Sparco R383 Mod. While the P310 Competition might be the flashier of the two Sparco / Thrustmaster wheels, when it comes to rally and oval racing, the R383 is the way to go.

The wheel is just so well designed for those disciplines. 33 cm isn’t too big or too small. The thick suede rim is comfortable but gives you leverage. The wheel feels super solid. It’s just an all around good package.

We really don’t have anything bad to say about it, i.e. no CONS. Sure, the Fall color scheme isn’t our favorite and you have to be careful with the d-pad, but those are pretty minor in the grand scheme of things.

In the end, if you are a rally and/or oval sim racer and have a Thrustmaster wheel base, or are thinking of getting one, this is the best wheel for the job.

The post Thrustmaster Rally Wheel Add-on Sparco R383 Mod Review appeared first on Inside Sim Racing.

No, the T-GT is not a direct drive wheel, a rumor that had legs thanks to lost in translation comments from GT Creator Kaz. But it is the best wheel base that Thrustmaster has ever made.

While Thrustmaster wheels usually sacrifice some smoothness for road feel, the T-GT does not. It is a fair amount smoother than the previous smoothest wheel, the TS-PC / TS-XW Racer twins, and you rarely feel any bumps or cogs when you turn the wheel. It accomplishes this without deadening the feel either, giving you the best of both worlds, detail and smoothness.

As for force feedback, it is also a step up from the TS Racer twins. We drove the T-GT and TS-XW back-to-back – with the Sparco P310 Competition wheel on the T-GT to eliminate the effect of a smaller diameter wheel – and the T-GT’s force feedback was about 20% stronger. The bump in force feedback isn’t nearly as notable as the smoothness, but it is an improvement nonetheless.

And if you’re curious, the force feedback difference between the 28 cm T-GT wheel and the – easier to turn – 31 cm Sparco P310 Competition wheel wasn’t much, which goes to show you the strength of the T-GT wheel base.

Sim Racing Products Available at Ricmotech

PRO – GRAN TURISMO SPORT INTEGRATION

Clearly the T-GT is the official wheel of Gran Turismo Sport and we’re not just saying that because it has a big “GT” logo on it. While all the standard PS4 controller buttons make their way to any compatible PS4 wheel, none of them have both the left and right sticks. The “mini sticks” on the wheel not only give you another way to navigate, but more usefully, make painting and taking pictures much easier than any other wheel. Without the T-GT, you’re better off going to the PS4 controller to paint or take photos.

But outside of that, what else does the T-GT offer for GT Sport? Depth Feedback. Depth Feedback adds suspension and vibration effects via the steering column. It’s a pretty cool effect. As the car speeds up or goes over rumble strips there’s a low frequency vibration that you not only feel in your hands but – if you have a simulator – can feel through your seat and pedal plate. I was very impressed how well the sensation was felt across my entire Next Level Racing F1GT rig. It’s very SimXperience SimVibe like – albeit not as strong – but doesn’t require you to get a PC and all the other peripherals needed.

For Depth Feedback to work the wheel must be in “GT” mode and GT Sport is the only game that features it. Hopefully this effect can be supported in other titles in the future because it’s certainly a cool sensation, but for now, a GT Sport exclusive.

NEUTRAL – WHEEL BASE DESIGN

T-GT wheel base design is functional, but not very exciting. It’s smaller and lighter than the TS Racer twins, which is nice for a PS4 compatible wheel that might be getting moved around a lot. It has a nice metal base with padded feet that can be secured via the included clamp or INCLUDED M6 bolts and round feet for them as well. It’s nice to finally see a wheel come with bolts, saving customers from having to run to the hardware store when their new baby arrives. Lastly of note, is an I/O featuring modular power, USB, pedal and shifter connections.

So while that is all good, the T-GT isn’t the most exciting looking wheel base out there. The casing is entirely made of black plastic sans some metallic mesh for cooling. The rounded, non-symmetric, shape isn’t awful but isn’t the prettiest either. The most interesting design element of the wheel base is actually the part you’ll see the least, the Depth Feedback transducer on the back.

All-in-all it’s a just okay looking, especially when next to the TS Racer siblings with their angular design and metal inserts.

NEUTRAL – OPTIONS & SETTINGS

The options and settings for the T-GT mirror all the other Thrustmaster wheels. You can change the degrees of rotation on the fly by pressing the “Mode” button and left or right d-pad at the same time to increase or decrease it by set increments such as 360, 540, 720, 900 degrees. This comes in handy for games like GT Sport that do not have any degrees of rotation adjustment.

Outside of that are the usual setting in the Thrustmaster Control Panel. We were able to up the force feedback strength to 100% without any issues from the default of 75%. And Public Service Announcement, even if you only plan to use the wheel on the PS4, hooking it up to the PC, adjusting settings and installing the latest firmware and driver is a good idea.

NEUTRAL – STEERING WHEEL

The T-GT steering wheel is a mixed bag.

On the positive side, all those buttons are awesome. There are 12 push buttons (not including the PS button), d-pad, 2-mini sticks and – my personal favorite – 4 machined aluminum rotary selectors with 12 positions and push function. All the buttons have a nice resistance to them, particularly the L2, R2, Share, and Options buttons, and the rotary selectors feel great to the touch and are very positive in both rotation and push function.

I loved being able to toggle through the bottom right menu in GT Sport by pressing the bottom right rotary selector and then rotating it to adjust things like ABS, Traction Control and Fuel Usage. Outside of GT Sport – which quite frankly didn’t utilize all the buttons – and to PC land, the amount of buttons on the T-GT might give you pause if you were thinking about picking up a button box. Between the number and variety of buttons, only the most complicated cars – like modern F1 cars – might demand more buttons. Outside of that, there are plenty enough buttons to map.

On the not so positive side, the 28 cm leather wrapped rim is an issue. The 28 cm rim just looks and feels small. If it was an F1 like rim, I think I could live with 28 cm. But for a traditional shaped wheel, I want it to be at least 30 cm in diameter.

Oddly enough, in speaking with Thrustmaster at E3, the 28 cm diameter was a pushed from Polyphony themselves. Maybe they wanted to maximize force feedback strength? Either way, it feels small.

Also not helping the size issue is the feel of the rim. After some really great, meaty and supportive, rims from Thrustmaster such as the 599XX Evo 30, TS-PC Racer rim, and Sparco P310 Competition, the T-GT rim feels underwhelming. While the leather is nice, there isn’t much padding underneath it, making the rim a bit hard and not nearly as meaty as I would like. Also not helping the feel is the silver plastic accent on the bottom. There are countersunk bolts on the backside of the rim securing the silver accent piece. When you’re driving your fingers touch the top bolt hole and that doesn’t feel great.

Then there’s the question of the piece from a design standpoint. I don’t think the T-GT is a bad looking wheel but I think it would look more high end without the plastic silver accent and large GT branded center hub. These plastic pieces take away from the quality materials such as the leather on the rim, the metal wheel spokes and the nicely machined rotary selectors.

NEUTRAL – PEDALS

The T3PGT pedals are fine for their price, but aren’t nearly to the level of the T-GT wheel. Having a bundle that allows you to race out of the box is good, and the pedals, with the conical brake mod installed are good enough to get the job done. But for a wheel of the T-GT quality and price, nicer – load cell – pedals are needed. A load cell brake pedal that translates how much pressure you apply to the brake, rather than how much distance the brake has traveled, is just so much more intuitive and better feeling. It is a must at this price point.

CON – PRICE

Which brings us to price. For as nice as the T-GT wheel base is and how slickly it’s integrated into GT Sport, $800 is a lot of money for a package that has okay pedals and 28 cm rim. For that kind of money there needs to be a very high quality experience across the board from wheel base to wheel to pedals, and while the wheel base possess that quality, the other two components do not.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you’re ride or die for GT Sport, then the T-GT is worth giving a look. The buttons provide you the most user friendly experience out there and the vibration that Depth Feedback sends through your rig is really cool and well done.

But outside of GT Sport, the T-GT becomes a much harder sell. The steering wheel is just too small. It’s a disappointing design choice by Polyphony, especially in lieu of our testing in which the larger diameter P310 Competition wheel only slightly reduced the force feedback of the base.

The pedals are also an issue. For the price and quality of the wheel, the brake pedal needs to have a load cell. Sure the T3PGT’s are competent, but I certainly struggled going back to pedals that just measure distance traveled.

And while the T-GT wheel base is the best wheel base Thrustmaster has ever made, it’s not a big enough step up to overlook the steering wheel, pedals, and most of all, $800 price tag. If it was in the $500-600’s range, then some of these issues could possibly be forgiven. But at it’s current price, the T-GT is really asking, “How much of a GT Sport fan are you?”

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F1GT Simulator Provided by Next Level Racing

PRO – UI

I’ll admit that we – Billy Strange and I – were split on UI. I really like the car / art focus and found navigation – once I knew what was behind each icon – to be very intuitive. Billy also liked the art style but didn’t care for the navigation.

As always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but since I’m writing this review, I’m putting it as a Pro.

The whole package is just attractive, simple and relatively snappy. Plus it’s one of the few games you don’t mind stepping away from for a minute because you’ll be greeted with beautiful images and cinematic videos upon your return.

PRO – GRAPHICS

While I can understand some push back on the UI, if you think Gran Turismo Sport is anything but beautiful, you are out of your mind. From the most gorgeous intro video you’ve ever seen, to the UI, to the loading screens, to the race and to the replay, Gran Turismo Sport’s graphics and art style are on point.

The transformation from E3 2016 to E3 2017 to now is impressive. At E3 2016 Gran Turismo Sport was a mess of jagged lines and okay – but not great – textures and shaders. But fast forward to today and the release version Gran Turismo Sport is way more than okay.

Thanks to a move to physics based rendering the lighting is second to none. The depth of field captured on a flat screen is so good that it’s borderline distracting. A number of times I caught myself gawking over the 3-D effect of the interior and the tree line off in the distance instead of focusing on the race. The ability for the graphics engine to – nearly – remove all jagged lines thanks to some sort of motion blur effect versus raw computing power feels like black magic.

And we’re talking a standard PlayStation 4 here, not a Pro or even gaming PC.

Speaking of the standard PS4, it pushed out these graphics with not much frames per second (fps) drama. I noticed a few times when the game pictured slowed down a bit, but for the most part, both the racing seemed to stick around the 60 fps level.

As for the PS4 Pro that Billy has, playing on a Pro gives you the option to play on “Performance” or “Quality” modes. Performance tones down the graphics slightly to guarantee that the game runs at 60 fps locked, while Quality allows you to lose out on some fps here and there in the pursuit of all the eye candy.

The PS4 Pro also allows you to play in 4K with HDR, something we weren’t able to experience ourselves, but based on what we’ve seen out on the interwebs, looks to also be impressive.

Now is it all sunshine and unicorns for the graphics? No.

The interior windshield reflections are WAY too strong and comically bad on some cars. The reflection is so bad on the McLaren 650s GT3 that for a bit I thought the vents I was seeing where part of the roof design, not just a reflection of the dash below. Many other cars suffer from the same problem, while the rest are just too strong.

Leaving the track, the cut scenes that show the virtual cars driving real world roads can be very cringe at times. Some of them are done pretty well, but a lot of them aren’t and just look odd. If you want to show the cars driving in beautiful environments, just make the environments. Based on everything else we’ve seen in the game, they should be plenty good enough.

But besides those two cons, graphics are a home run and leave us just watching lap after lap captivated.

PRO – PHOTO MODE

Okay Kaz, you win. I like taking photos in GT Sport. After sitting through multiple E3 presentations that talked extensively about something that I thought I couldn’t care less about, I was ready to turn and burn the page on photos.

But, then I tried it. And I liked it. A lot.

You can capture some truly stunning photos. Between the graphics engine and options / ease of use, taking pictures in GT Sport is a painless, enjoyable experience.

PRO – LIVERY EDITOR

Like photo mode, the livery editor is comprehensive and intuitive to use. Between logos and graphics, some truly amazing liveries can be created, and already have been during the game’s demo. If you race with a wheel, you probably want to whip out the PS4 controller so you can utilize the sticks (unless you have the Thrustmaster T-GT). But outside of that, the livery editor is another satisfying addition to the game.

PRO – PERKS

Perks are in games to keep players going and this is no exception in GT Sport. “Daily Workout” pushes you to show up every day and race instead of spending your time trolling the GT Planet forums.

“Mileage Bonus” also rewards you for making laps by allowing you to trade miles driven in for things such as cars, helmet liveries, or paint colors. You can also upgrade your cars – increase horsepower, decrease weight – by using miles, the only way you can update your cars in GT Sport.

It’s a small detail but we appreciate the effort to keep you racing daily and do think that it’s going to compel people to fire up their PS4.

PRO – MULTIPLAYER

The entire premise of Gran Turismo Sport is racing online, and it hits it out of the park. The first part of the equation is the unabashed copying of the iRacing driver and safety rating. Do well, move up on the E-D-C-B-A-S “Driver Rating” scale. Race clean, gain “Sportsmanship Points” which are then applied to your Driver Rating.

The online matchmaking system only places you into races with people that have the same, or close to the same, Driver Rating. In our experience, races may feature two ratings such as A and B or C and D. This resulted in us competing against other drivers who were legitimately trying to race hard and clean, and not just out there running a muck.

But even though the new Safety Rating is nice, it wouldn’t be enough without one more element, ghosting. GT Sport will “ghost” cars that go spinning or even fly into the corner too hard. This element has saved my race and others many times, and the game is very good at predicting when ghosting should be applied.

The ghosting effect is set higher for races with D and lower rated drivers, decreases in races with A, B and C drivers and is actually turned off for the highest rated S drivers. This tiering of the ghosting effect is perfect.

Outside of the Driver Rating – but equally important – is track limit penalties. If you cut a corner, the game will give you a slow down penalty. The longer you take to serve the penalty, the more severe it becomes. Don’t serve the penalty during the race? Then a time penalty will be added post race. Again, another element that is very well thought out and executed.

So while Gran Turismo Sport does a great job of keeping drivers in-check in races, what about the process of joining races? This process is also well executed.

There are three short races that go off at the top of every hour, top of the hour, 20 after and 40 after, that allowed you to jump from one to another without ever having to take a break from racing.

You can also qualify for each race at anytime, and once you set a qualifying time, that time is good for the entire week that the track is used. Just make sure you’re not in a qualifying session when the race kicks off or you’ll miss it because there’s no countdown clock, something I’d like to see changed.

But if you do jump into a race session, which opens 15 minutes before the race starts, there is enough time to set some qualifying laps before the race starts.

Another thing that is interesting with online racing is the choice of cars. Some races – so far only the N300 group only – make you use the cars in your garage, as you’re accustomed to with GT. But the other online races skip your garage and just give you a choice of cars from that group to pick from.

This new approach leaves us a little split on whether or not this is a good thing because it takes the game element of earning cars out of the game but it does allow you to drive what you want and it creates a very diverse and cool looking field.

The game also applies balance of performance (BOP) to the cars, making it so very different cars can competitively race against one another. It’s a little early to declare if the BOP is perfect but so far in our experience of driving, and driving against many different cars, the field seems pretty balanced.

And speaking of the field, 24 car fields online is impressive. Not only is it 24 car max field but the fields actually have 22 or 23 people to race against with similar skills to yours thanks to the popularity of Gran Turismo.

This is one of the most exciting things about the game.

While “sim” racing titles are vying to get their much smaller user base to come online and race – and dividing them up severely at times across different racing series – GT Sport is going to have a HUGE user base that will all be piling into one, or maybe a few, races. This means that fields will not only be full but full with people that are at your skill level, making for much better racing.

And so far we’ve only covered the “Sport” part of the game, we haven’t even talked about online “Lobbies.”

Players can set up or join custom lobbies. The lobbies are easy to setup and allow you to adjust everything you need to to create a good experience. Set number of laps, time, what Driver Rating you have to have, whether to have it be open or closed to friends, class of car, open or fixed setups, BOP, time of day, damage, tire wear, fuel usage rate, etc. If the Sport races aren’t getting it done for you, the Lobby should, especially with the new Driver Rating and ghosting effect keeping things in-check. The only downside we see is the max field size of 16 cars, which is a bit of a let down compared to the 24 you can have in Sport.

If there was one thing that Gran Turismo had to do right, it was online racing, and – for the most part – it’s doing a really good job. If we have one minor gripe, we’re not in love with running the same track for an entire week. The GT Sport Demo only ran at the same track for 24 hours and the changeover of tracks during the week was fun. But for the final game, Polyphony is only changing out tracks every Tuesday, which can leave you running tracks that you don’t care for – any of the ovals for us – for an entire week.  This could result in people sitting out the week, and for a game that’s about showing up daily, that’s not good. So in the name of getting folks to show up every single day, we think going the 24 hour route would be better.

Outside of that change, we are excited to see where the online Sport play goes. We can already see the FIA GT Nations Cup, GT Manufacturer Series and Polyphony Digital Championship scheduled for November, and it will be interesting to see what else gets scheduled. Could we see other, longer, open races? Will multiple races run at the same time? Will they have special one off races?

Time will tell, but there are a lot of cool things that can be done from here thanks to the system.

NEUTRAL – CAMPAIGN

The biggest casualty of the online focused GT Sport is Campaign mode. “Driving School, Mission Challenge and Circuit Experience” aren’t bad, but aren’t the most compelling.

To some degree, Driving School and Mission Challenge is the mixed bag it’s always been in the GT series. Some events are painfully easy and boring. Others are really challenging and take multiple attempts just to pass.

At the very least, Campaign is still a good way to pick up bonus cars, miles and credits.

Lets face it, Gran Turismo Sport isn’t the GT – insert number – of your childhood. Campaign is a shadow of its former self, and replaced with something that has compelling moments, but isn’t the staple of the game. It will be a major turnoff to some, and a non-issue to others.

NEUTRAL – CARS

The car list in GT Sport is going to be polarizing. With 162 cars, a fraction of the 1197 in Gran Turismo 6, it is a significant reduction.

But I would argue it’s a good thing. 162 cars is still a lot of cars. And do we really need 35 different R32 Skyline’s? How do you put the same time and effort into 1,000 cars, or 600 cars, or 300 cars? You don’t.

I rather see less cars that are done well than a bunch of cars with some done well and the rest not.

On the other hand, I do understand that a lot of you play these games for the car collecting element and that won’t nearly be as present here.

As for the cars that are in game, I like what I see, and I am impressed a lot by the fantasy race cars. I usually don’t like fantasy cars but the Group 3 and 4 fantasy cars look like they could be the real thing and make for very interesting looking online fields.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of “Vision GT” cars that muddy up the water in the prototype group thanks to them looking woefully out of placed compared to the sweet real life LMP1 cars. Would love to see them separated from the real life prototypes and put into their own group.

NEUTRAL – AI

The AI in GT Sport’s Arcade mode isn’t bad but isn’t great, which considering the amount of bad AI in racing games today, isn’t a slant against them. They don’t race you super hard, but if you make a mistake, they will pounce and they don’t do anything real stupid like create giant – realism breaking – pileups.

AI comes in three speeds, “Beginner, Intermediate and Professional” which is quickly becoming a dated way to set up AI. It would have been nice to see a 1-10 slider or even a 70-115 slider to give you more speeds to race against. We say this because in short “Professional” races, the AI isn’t that hard. Oddly though, they do become more challenging in longer races, so the game might be adjusting their speed depending on the length of race, even with the same AI settings?

Either way, more options for AI speed would be nice but at least they aren’t out there ruining your race.

NEUTRAL – IN CAR SETTINGS

Unlike past GT games, all the cars in GT Sport have interior views and there are pros and cons.

On the plus side, the interiors are nicely done – except for those windshield reflections – and you can move the seat up / down and forward / back. Unfortunately, you can only do this by pausing while in the car and changing the view in “Advanced Options”. It would be nice to see Polyphony add button mapping support so we could make this key adjustment on the fly.

Another thing of note inside the car is the heads up display. Besides the low quality looking track outline, the heads up display (HUD) looks pretty nice. The issue is – like AI – it’s very restricted on options. HUD comes in three different flavors, “Off, Race Info Only, and Display All.” Race Info Only tells you very little, while Display All fills your screen with more stuff than you need.

I don’t want the track outline. I don’t want the super annoying suggest gear that flashes red every corner. As Kimi would say, “Leave me alone, I know what I’m doing!” For the most part, I don’t want any of the info about the car at the bottom center of the screen.

I want the race information and the options in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. And speaking of those options – which includes helpful things like sector times, ABS / Traction Control / Fuel Maps – it also contains radar.

While I’m glad there’s something to help let me know where the cars are at around me – especially in cars without rear cameras since the mirrors are usually outside the field of view – I can’t help to think that there’s a better way. In the middle of an intense race, it’s hard to look down towards the radar and take my eyes off of the track. A system – like a lot of other games use – that utilizes arrows on the entire screen would be much more helpful.

NEUTRAL – TRACKS

The tracks in GT Sport are well done. The real world tracks feel and look faithful to their real world counterparts and there are some really fun fantasy tracks that not only steal corners and sections from real world tracks, but feel like they could be real tracks. The tracks also have a good atmosphere to them, between the fantastic looking pitroad and people models to the gorgeous skies and lighting.

But there’s a but.

There aren’t enough tracks. There are 17 locations and 40 variants. This doesn’t sound bad, but once you start digging into these figures, the picture turns less rosey.

11 of those variants are the reverse version, a lazy tactic that really doesn’t work on a number of tracks. 3 locations – 6 variants – are off road, which means 13 locations for asphalt and only three for off road. Of those 13 locations, two are ovals, which have always been an awkward waste of space in the GT series and continue that tradition here. This brings us to 11 locations, with only 6 of the locations being from the real world.

Keep in mind, this is at a time when more and more games are offering the best real tracks from around the world. There’s nothing wrong with the fantasy tracks, but if you’re real world count isn’t over 15, then you’re behind.

Plus, while the online function is great, will people get tired of the lack of variety? Possibly, only time will tell.

Time will also only tell what Polyphony’s plan is for future tracks and possibly DLC. They now have the exclusive license to Pikes Peak, so we assume we’ll be seeing that in the future. Outside of that, anyone’s guess.

NEUTRAL – TIME OF DAY & WEATHER

GT Sport lets you choose between six and eight times of day depending on location, with fixed weather conditions for each time slot. The options are nice but the weather conditions being tied to time of day, and no real time progression, makes it a middling experience, so that’s how we score it.

NEUTRAL – DAMAGE

Yay GT has damage! Sort of… While it’s nice to finally see damage in a GT game, it’s a mixed bag of both visual and mechanical execution. Visually, the cars will scratch, break headlamps and show minor dents but you can’t really deform and break them apart. Mechanically, if you do ram into someone or something hard, you can cause damage to your car and it won’t hit top speed. Whether or not you received mechanical damage seemed a bit inconsistent, allowing me to get away with hard contact at times but not all the time.

So while it’s good to see some consequence to your raming ways – especially when playing offline against AI that don’t ghost – there’s still a lot more to be desired.

NEUTRAL – SOUND

We’re not driving a vacuum cleaner anymore! The car sounds are much improved over Gran Turismo 6, but that doesn’t mean they’re class leading. The engine notes are much more believable and less electronic – or vacuum like – but they do have an odd mix to them that makes it tough to tell what exactly the car is doing. Is it time to shift? Are the tires about to break loose as you put power down? It’s hard to tell.

The tire sound is also odd in that the onset of the – still kind of annoying – tire squeal doesn’t mean that the car is about to spin, just that you’re driving it hard but you can still go harder. This makes finding the limit tougher and different from pretty much every other racing game out there.

On the very positive side, the chassis flex as you go over curbs sounds great and we are suckers for the classic GT menu sounds and awesome music.

NEUTRAL – PHYSICS

We had a lot of discussion about how to categorize physics. The physics in GT Sport are much improved, and if we are judging the game from a “simcade” angle, we would probably put it in the Pro category. But judging it against all the other racing games that are out there, including others you can get on the PS4, the physics fall into our Neutral category.

On the positive side, the cars feel very good up to the edge. Drive them at 90% and the cars behave in a believable fashion based off their weight, center of gravity, power and tire choice. But once you start to really hustle the cars – as you do when racing – the physics shortcomings start to creep in.

The all important tire flex that has become a hallmark in our discussions these days really isn’t present. This leaves you with an on top of the track feel and no way to tell that the car is building up to break traction. It just does. And once it does, you’re all hands and elbows to save it.

Similar phenomenon also happens with braking. I found it really hard to find the limit, between not enough brake and locking up the tires.

All of this equaled up to a change in how you drive. You really can’t push the cars in GT Sport, even higher performing cars like the GT3’s and prototypes. You have to be smooth with your braking and throttle and you have to really hit your marks to put as little steering angle into the car as possible. And while these driving techniques are hallmarks of any good driver, they’re highlighted in GT Sport to the nth degree. It just doesn’t allow you to take a high performance car by the scruff of the neck and drive the hell out of it.

You also have to adjust your usual car settings. While I usually wouldn’t run traction control, turning it off is a death sentence in a lot of cars. The default setting of 3 isn’t bad but we found 2 to be the best in most cars.

Once you do make these changes to your settings and driving style, you can enjoy the racing and be quick in GT Sport. But it is an adjustment, especially for those of us who drive other racing games.

NEUTRAL – FORCE FEEDBACK

Like physics, force feedback falls into a middle area as well. While it can be surprisingly strong, it’s not the most detailed.

Under “Advanced Settings” in “Driving Options” the game gives you three sliders to adjust, “Controller Steering Sensitivity, Force Feedback Max Torque and Force Feedback Sensitivity.” Controller Steering Sensitivity is for wireless controllers, so we’ll skip that and talk about the Force Feedback settings.

Force Feedback Max Torque is, how much resistance do you want the wheel to have? Turning it up gives you strength but sacrifices detail. Going down has the opposite effect. For me driving with the new Thrustmaster T-GT – the official wheel of GT Sport – I found the middle ground setting of 5 to be the best. Below 5 the force feedback was lighter than I cared for and didn’t really give me much more detail. Above 5 the wheel would get surprisingly heavy but would lose a lot of detail. So like most things in life, sticking to the middle was the best way to go.

Speaking of the T-GT, the wheel was clearly developed for GT Sport with all the buttons needed, including sticks that make things like painting liveries easier. It also exhibits this low vibration that correlates with what’s happening on screen in GT Sport. The low rumble makes my entire Next Level Racing F1GT simulator lightly vibrate and acts like a transducer using SimXperience SimVibe on the PC. It’s pretty wild, but we’ll talk more about that later in our review of the wheel.

Back to force feedback. It’s part of the three sided triangle that has you driving GT Sport more with your eyes then with your hands. Between sounds that aren’t very descriptive, physics that make you feel on top of the track, and force feedback that isn’t giving your hands the entire story, your left depending on you eyes for where to brake, how much to brake, where to turn and where to get back on the gas. It’s more memory than reaction, which doesn’t bury the game, but doesn’t elevate it either.

CON – ALWAYS ONLINE

The only con we have – and one many of you experienced during the demo – is GT Sport always being online. While Polyphony claimed this was great – and there’s nothing wrong with it when it works – it’s not so great when the server has issues.

When the server is down, you can only play in Arcade mode and any progress you make isn’t saved. Obviously, this is far from ideal.

If the game wasn’t built like this, it would save locally, then update the next time you were online. But alas this isn’t the case, and considering not only the downtime a lot of you experienced during the demo but the downtime we experienced trying to review the release version of the game, this has been – and could be – a major issue going forward.

You only get one chance to make a good impression and we certainly have our concerns about the stability of the game’s server, especially at launch.

FINAL THOUGHTS

At the top I stated that, on paper, we shouldn’t be too excited about Gran Turismo Sport. I said this because we ended up with way more Neutral attributes than Pros. But – as we’ve seen with other racing games we’ve reviewed recently – you don’t necessarily need a lot of Pros to have a good game. You just need a key attribute or two to be done really well, and as long as no major Cons are present to derail those attributes, they can carry a game.

Multiplayer carries Gran Turismo Sport. Multiplayer makes me like this game WAY more than I thought I would have thought.

I drove GT Sport at the last two E3’s and it was just okay. I wasn’t blown away by the graphics, or how the cars drove or how they felt with a wheel. But looking back at both those shows, I did have some pretty good multiplayer races.

Now that the final game is here and some of the things that weren’t polished at E3 – like the graphics and the ghosting system – are, it’s really impressive. I am very surprised how much I enjoy the game and want to keep playing.

There are certainly areas for improvement in GT Sport. A tire model with sidewall flex. Force feedback that transfers more of the road surface detail to you. More informative sound. More real world tracks. More AI difficulty options. More HUD options, and much more.

The wish list isn’t short.

But even with that wish list, the pickup and race online ability of Gran Turismo Sport is second to none and I really look forward to seeing how they build upon this excellent online foundation going forward.

The post Gran Turismo Sport Review appeared first on Inside Sim Racing.

A full fledged Forza Motorsport on the PC?  Awesome!

But is it?

That’s what we’re here to find out.  Does Forza Motorsport 7 need to be the most realistic sim experience ever?  No, it’s Forza.  But it does need to have cars that are entertaining and unique to drive and a gaming progression that is challenging but doesn’t grind you down into a pile of frustration.

Sound fair?  Good, lets get into it.

PROS
02:48 Dash Cam
03:40 Career Progression
04:21 No Intro Race
04:46 Graphics
06:18 Car Selection
06:44 Track Selection
07:27 Audio Options
07:54 Force Feedback Options
08:23 Damage
08:47 Things Not Changed from FM6
09:13 Specialty Dealer
09:50 Adjustable Career Race Length
10:26 Presentation & UI

NEUTRAL
11:18 Driving
15:57 Force Feedback
16:51 Prize Crates
18:25 Car Acquisition
19:51 Sound

CONS
20:58 AI
23:48 PC Optimization
25:28 Mandatory Career Races
27:11 No Throttle & Brake Sensitivity Adjustment
27:49 Camera Issues
28:45 H-Pattern Shifter
29:20 VIP Controversy

FINAL THOUGHTS
31:35 Forza Motorsport 7

The post Forza Motorsport 7 Review appeared first on Inside Sim Racing.

Does the addition of a real- honest-to-God-racing wheel push the TS-XW Racer over the top? Lets find out.

PRO – DESIGN

We liked the design of the TS-PC Racer so we like the design of the TS-XW Racer. The base is quality feeling with a metal bottom that continues to the back and thick plastic sides. Visually, the TS-XW Racer sets itself apart with beautiful candy apple red accents and of course the Xbox One button on the front. The back I/O panel features a fan, modular power and USB connections, and connections for the included Thrustmaster T3PA pedals and optional TH8A shifter.

You also can’t talk design without mentioning the turbocharger shaped power supply that is fun, has holes that you can take advantage of for mounting, and comes with a much longer power cable than the one that arrived with the TS-PC Racer.

All-in-all, the TS-XW Racer design is the TS-PC Racer with red accents, and that’s not a bad thing.

PRO – FORCE FEEDBACK & SMOOTHNESS

Keeping with the theme, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” the TS-XW Racer has the same force feedback strength and smoothness as the TS-PC Racer. This means it’s stronger – about 50% if we had to put a number to it – and smoother than the mid-range Thrustmaster T300 and TX wheels, but it still has a familiar feel.

The belt drive is noticeable – thus “familiar,” – but consistent through the turn and there is enough force feedback strength to compensate for the larger diameter wheel.

Unlike in the past when you were best to run Thrustmaster wheels turned down a bit, the TS-XW Racer has no problem being ran at 100% force feedback strength in the Thrustmaster profile. At 100% the force feedback strength is detailed and strong enough to translate what the car is doing to your hands.

The wheel base has a nice buttoned up feel to it, with no odd creaks or cracks while driving, giving it a quality feel. We also didn’t notice any slipping of the belt drive over long runs, a good sign and an issue that is becoming more and more a thing of the past in sim racing across the board.

Like the TS-PC Racer, the TS-XW is enjoyable to drive and only enhanced by our next topic.

PRO – SPARCO WHEEL

Unsurprisingly, the Sparco P310 Competition Mod wheel is the star of the show. Coming in at 31 cm in diameter and featuring a flat top and bottom, this might be the best “all around” wheel out there. Thanks to the design and size I felt comfortable driving any type of car with it, from GT to open wheel to stock cars. It really is the perfect compromise.

The wheel feels nice to the touch thanks to the suede wrap that has just the right amount of cushioning to keep you comfortable but in control. I also really like how the rim’s thickness and how it tapers in where you thumbs go, creating a nice pocket for you to leverage on.

I mean, it’s like these Sparco guys actually know what they’re doing!

Beyond the Sparco rim, the wheel features 9 buttons and d-pad with push function. The buttons are a refreshing departure from past Thrustmaster buttons with a concave shape and more positive spring back. You also get stickers with the wheel to relabel the buttons if you like.  I do like the how the d-pad stick is almost hidden thanks to its design, but it is easy for you to accidentally push in the wrong direction so you have to be very sure of your inputs.

Something else that’s a first for Thrustmaster wheels are the adjustable paddle shifters. There are two sets of holes that allow you to move them in and out depending on your finger reach and it’s a nice detail to the nicely shaped paddles.

What hasn’t changed – and for the better – is the Thrustmaster universal semi-quick release system that allows you to use any Thrustmaster wheel with the wheel base.

In the end, the Sparco P310 Competition Mod wheel did not disappoint. It looks great, feels great, and is one of the best all around wheels out there no matter what you drive.

NEUTRAL – PEDALS

In isolation, the T3PA pedals are good for the price. For at or around $100 you get three pedals with a brake pedal that features the rubber “conical brake mode” that provides some resistance to the pedal’s travel and makes it feel more believable.

The issue is, we’re not in isolation. While the T3PA’s felt at home being bundled with the T300 or TX wheels, it feels pretty outgunned when bundled with the TS-XW Racer. For the quality of the wheel and wheel base, it should really be bundled with load cell pedals.

Unlike pedals that use potentiometers to measure the distance the pedal has traveled to register the input in game, load cell pedals – and by load cell pedals we mean the brake – measures the amount of pressure you are applying to the pedal. This makes the pedal feel much more realistic and gives you more control.

The issue is, Thrustmaster doesn’t have any load cell pedals.

This means we are left with the – not bad but not great – T3PA pedals. Is it nice to have a full package for those who need a wheel and pedals? Sure. But considering the price point, I’m not sure how many people will fall into this category.

NEUTRAL – PRICE

Which brings us to our next topic, price. Originally, I was going to list the price as a con. $650 is a lot for a package that doesn’t include a load cell brake. But then I stepped back and did some research.

The Sparco P310 Competition Mod rim retails for $250. $250 just for the rim!

This got me thinking, “How much time and money would it take to buy a P310 rim and mod it to have buttons, paddle shifters and mount to the wheel base?” I came up with way more hours than I care – or have – to spend and at least another $100-200, which is inline with other custom wheel’s such as Ricmotech’s MOMO Mod 31 Thrustmaster Add-On wheel that retails for $450.

So when a do-it-yourself rim of questionable fit-and-finish quality costs $400-ish and time you don’t have, the $650 turn-key price tag suddenly doesn’t sound so bad.

CON – THE BUNDLE

In the lead up to this review, the most asked question we received from the community was, “Will they sell the Sparco wheel separately?” I emailed this question to Thrustmaster and the answer was, “No.”

Like a lot of you out there, I would like to see it sold seperately. For people that already have Thrustmaster wheel and pedals, or just a Thrustmaster wheel, it’s a tough ask to have them buy pieces they don’t need.

With that said, I do understand Thrustmaster’s reasoning behind bundling. First, it offers an all-in-one solution for those who don’t have a wheel and pedals, especially those on the Xbox One. Second, the bundling might be masking the “sticker shock” of the Sparco wheel.

As we mused earlier, if the Sparco rim by itself retails for $250, how much would a functioning sim racing version retail for? Are customers ready to see a three digit number that starts with a 2….or a 3? Especially when the current most expensive wheel – the 599XX Evo 30 – retails for $180.

But even if that is indeed a concern, I think the P310 wheel should be offered by itself. And who knows, maybe that is the plan for it down the road? One thing that does give me some hope is that there’s another Sparco Thrustmaster wheel coming, the R383, and we haven’t heard anything about it being bundled. So if the R383 is released as an add-on wheel, maybe there’s hope for the P310 down the line.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If I could sum up the Thrustmaster TS-XW Racer in one sentence, it would go like this. The T3PA pedals are okay, the TS-XW wheel base is good and the Sparco P310 Competition Mod wheel is great.

This conclusion makes it an interesting package to recommend. On one hand you’re getting a deal considering the cost of just Sparco P310 Competition Mod rim. On the other hand, you’re paying $650 and just getting okay pedals whether you need them or not.

The answer to whether or not you should buy this bundle depends on your want of the wheel and your situation. If you want a genuine Sparco wheel that’s a one stop shop no matter what you race – aka saving you money not having to buy other wheels – then it’s not going to get better than this. If you are looking for the whole racing package, then you either need to be prepared to (potentially) spend more money on load cell pedals – and adapter if you’re racing on the Xbox One – or pass and go a different route.  But if you want that authentic feeling experience via your hands, then the Sparco P310 Competition Mod certainly offers that.

The post Thrustmaster TS-XW Racer Sparco P310 Competition Mod Review appeared first on Inside Sim Racing.

Now comes WRC 7, which Kylotonn says will be more sim-like. Hell, forget sim, I just want it to give me some sensation of being in the WRC.

But, what if I told you that Kylotonn is onto something? And by onto something, I mean make a rally game that is much more than the sum of its parts.

Interested? You should be.

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PRO – STAGES

The stages in WRC 7 are awesome in every single way. Every stage is narrower, making every centimeter count, and really upping the difficulty. Also ramping up the difficulty, and realism, is the track surface. The surface is not just bumpier, but has a wide range of grip levels.

Sure, you should feel the difference between gravel, snow and tarmac in a rally game, and you do in WRC 7. But what about the difference between dry Australian gravel and wet Finnish gravel? Or the difference between the ice covered tarmac of Monte Carlo and the fresh powder of Sweden? Or just the difference between dry and wet tarmac?

The ever changing track surfaces are constantly keeping you on your toes, and add a lot to the experience.

Speaking of ever changing track surfaces, these surfaces come bundled with a location, and they don’t disappoint either. There are 13 locations – or rallies – in WRC 7 and no two feel similar. Every single one has it’s own unique feel, whether it’s the layout of the stage, or just the surrounding environment.

There are four stages per rally, adding up to 52 stages in the game. Each rally has two-to-three “Special Stages” – aka standard stage that usually ranges from 4-8 km in length – and one “Epic Stage” that is anywhere from 13-23 km in length and usually uses one or two of the shorter special stages as part of the overall stage.

These Epic Stages live up to their name, taking anywhere from 10-15 minutes to complete, which is a lot of time to not put a wheel wrong.

Some rallies feature “Super Special Stages” that are – for the most part – closed circuit where two cars are racing at the same time. These stages – like all the other stages in the game – mimic the real world World Rally Championship and are a nice change of pace.

Besides these big details, there are small details that help the immersion. There’s a good atmosphere around the rallies, with the right amount of spectators – and livestock – dotting the course, shrubbery that can be kicked up if you run wide and even your competitors wrecked cars on the side of the road from time-to-time.

The quality and quantity of stages really anchor the game and are part of the one-two punch that kept us coming back for more.

PRO – PHYSICS

If the stages are the first punch, then what is the second punch in WRC 7? The physics. Or dare we say, the very sim-like physics.

The cars just feel believable. You can feel the suspension travel. You can feel the backend kicking out on you and you can bring it back in line with throttle and steering input. You can feel when the track surface is giving you grip and when it isn’t. You can feel how the car gets nervous over choppy surfaces. You can feel how the 2017 WRC cars are more stable over the included 2016 cars thanks to their aero upgrades.

There’s just an overall sense of, “this feels right.” In WRC 5 and 6 you had to adjust your driving to what the car’s physics where giving you. In WRC 7, you just drive and the car follows as a willing dance partner.

The 2017 cars really are a lot of fun to drive. They stop and go amazingly well, and can really be man-handled. While not as grippy, the 2016 WRC cars and the 2017 WRC2 cars are also fun to drive and do a nice job of dancing on the edge of adhesion. Lastly, there’s the Junior WRC Ford Fiesta R2T’s that throw a little FWD into the equation.

Is there anything about the physics that we didn’t like?

We do think that the WRC cars stop a little too well, especially in a straight line on tarmac. I’m also not a big fan of the FWD Fiesta that doesn’t give you much – or any – torque steer off of corners and seems to rotate with throttle like a RWD car. On the other hand, my review partner in crime, Billy Strange, thought the car drove fine. Either way, it’s a car you probably won’t spend much time in so it isn’t worth the oxygen to fuss over.

But everything else about the physics is worth the oxygen, because people really should know how good it is.

PRO – GAME MODES

WRC 7 has a good mix when it comes to the game modes. A good chunk of your time will most likely be found in the “Solo” menu that contains “Quick Game, Custom Championship, Career and Driving Test” incase you missed it at the beginning of the game or want to have your driving re-judged.

Quick Game is self-explanatory so lets focus on Career and Custom Championship.  Career takes advantage of the lower class WRC cars to start you at the bottom and make you work your way up. You start out in the Fiesta Junior WRC car and pick a team depending on whether you think you are fast, good at taking care of the car or a combo of both, and off you go to pre-determined rallies. If you meet your objective, you move on to the WRC2 cars, and then the WRC cars. If not, back to the start you go.

The amount of time you spend in Career really depends on how quickly you advance. But even if you do tear through it – from either being fast or dropping the difficulty – it offers up a nice variety of rallies, stages, time of day and weather conditions.

You also get to repair your car at the end of each day but you can’t go over the 45 min repair time rule that the WRC has. Most of the time this isn’t an issue, but if you really wreck it up, then you could get yourself in a hole.

If starting off in lower class cars or religiously following the official WRC schedule isn’t your cup of tea, then you can create a Custom Championship. Pick a car, pick rallies, pick stages, pick what days to run stages, pick time of day, pick weather, and off you go. You can have three Custom Championships running at one time and we found the customization and “drive anything” approach to be pretty appealing.

If you’re looking for some multiplayer action, “Challenges” stands out with its own special spot on the Main Menu. Challenges only last for a certain number of days before changing to a new one. You score points based on your time and “Score Modifiers” such as air time and not getting damage. You can run as many times as you like but your first attempt scores more than any attempts after.

As for actual “Multiplayer,” we weren’t able to check those modes out because we tested pre-release.

But for what we did test, Career and Custom Championship are well done and should continue to bring you back for more.

NEUTRAL – CO-DRIVER

The co-driver in WRC 7 is serviceable. More times than not the he gets the call right. Sometimes he does miss, and the too early “BRAKE!” callouts get old, but again, a majority of the time he’s accurate.

You can adjust how much detail you want from the co-driver and their timing from “Far ahead” to “Very late”. I chosed “Late,” and for the most part, the timing was consistent but there were times when he seemed to get ahead of himself.

In terms of the co-driver’s voice, it’s not bad. It would be nice for him to sound like he’s in a moving rally car going over bumps, but besides that he’s fine.  But if his voice really throws you off you can just turn him to a different language. Sure it won’t help you get around corners but maybe you’ll pick up a little Japanese!

If we had to give a trust factor to the co-driver it would be an 8/10. You’ll take his suggestion but still breath the throttle a smidge around that blind corner.

NEUTRAL – SOUNDS

The co-pilot’s voice isn’t the only sound that is middling. There really isn’t much to say here. The sounds aren’t bad, but they aren’t mind blowing either. The big things, engine note, exhaust cracks, crowd noise are there. But the little details, transmission whine, different types of exhaust pops and cracks, chassis flex, shocks bottoming out, aren’t.

NEUTRAL – GRAPHICS

Graphics ended up in the NEUTRAL category because there are a lot of pros and lot of cons.

On the pros side, the graphics are better than WRC 6. The driver model and fans on the side of the road look pretty good. As mentioned earlier, stages have great details. The shrubbery, fences and markers all bring immersion. The lighting at night looks really cool. Glossy and matte paint on the cars is done well. Dirt on the car looks good and you have 100% control over your wipers to remove it. Tire tracks behind the cars on replays just add to the already very detailed track surface, which probably is the best looking detail in the game.

But there are cons.

Overall, the game looks dated. Color palette looks washed out at times. Cars are kind of low-res looking. The game has built in motion blur which can be really distracting, especially on a single monitor. You can move the seat forward, but not necessarily as far as you like, and no up/down adjustment. Replay mode doesn’t allow you to watch the entire stage from the TV view, it only cycles. Lastly, despite being long-in-the-tooth looking, it doesn’t run great. With graphics on “Very High” and most “Post Processing” effects off, I was only getting about 50-60 frames per second (fps) on my PC that pumps out fps in the triple digits on titles that look much better and have true triple screen support.

To get some fps back, I turned the settings down to “High” and ran in the 80-90 fps range with really no noticeable difference in the game’s appearance.

But despite that, at the end of the day, some nice graphic details are overshadowed by a graphics engine that feels dated.

NEUTRAL – FORCE FEEDBACK

Why is force feedback in the NEUTRAL category? Because it’s just okay. The game transfers enough so you can drive the car accurately, but not much more than that.

The strength is a little low, but most of all, it’s just lacking detail. The Thrustmaster TS-XW Racer that I drove with was pretty much just constantly vibrating. No real differentiation from one surface or scenario to the other. I even turned the vibration down to 70% in-game because the constant vibration was annoying.

Not much more to say than that. Force feedback is good enough to let you know the physics are good and to get you around the circuit confidently, which isn’t bad, but isn’t anything to shout from the rooftops over.

NEUTRAL – DAMAGE

There’s pros and cons to the damage model.

On the pros side, you can mechanically tear up your car in many ways, whether that’s over revving the engine or blowing out a tire on a rock. Once these events do happen, you can definitely feel it. When I blew a tire I had to drive REAL slow to get the car through the stage. It’s also good to visually see the car get beat up with scratches, dents and a few body pieces shifted.

But, there are some cons.

The cars are a little too resilient. You can roll it or hit a tree pretty good and keep on ticking. Plus, visually the cars don’t really deform or shed parts until you pull a Days of Thunder.

While having a somewhat forgiving damage model makes sense for the general player, and should be available, it would be nice to have it be a little more severe when on “simulation” mode.

CON – NO MOUSE / VR / TRIPLE SCREEN SUPPORT

If a game comes to the PC, it needs mouse support to navigate the menus. Using a keyboard and wheel is kind of annoying. What’s even more annoying is if you hit “Enter” on your keyboard when you first fire up the game, the game doesn’t know your wheel exists.

Annoying. Silly. Needs to be fixed.

Also along the lines of “if you’re coming to the PC in 2017” you really need VR and triple screen support. Yes, it’s a niche audience. Okay, a very, very niche audience. But, a niche audience with some of the most hardcore sim racing fans around who I bet are more likely to throw some money your way than your average consumer.

And just to clarify, while I’m utilizing all three of my screens when playing WRC 7, it’s not triple screen support. One image is being stretched across all three screens. Why it looks stretched on the side monitors. Support would be rendering the image three times, one render for each screen.

As for VR, I raced WRC 6 at E3 in VR, and while it wasn’t the best VR experience, it was passable. I’m not sure what’s holding VR implementation up but I do wonder if the graphics engine just isn’t strong enough to deliver smooth fps in VR or triple screens?

CON – WHEEL & PEDAL AXIS DETECTION

Wheel and pedal “Axis Detection” in WRC 7 is a good idea with terrible execution. The whole idea is that if you have an unsupported wheel, you can still use it thanks the Axis Detection.

Side note, we haven’t seen a supported wheels list yet so this is doubly good.

But the issue is, it’s all messed up. For example, I tried to run the Thrustmaster TS-XW wheel with the Fanatec ClubSport V3 pedals. In theory, I fire up the Axis Detection and turn the wheel, and press the pedals and the game recognizes them, applies axis, and off I go.

Instead, it recognizes the wheel, then does nothing with the pedals. I then go to “Button Bindings” and I manually bind the pedals and they get binded as “buttons” instead of “axis”…

And if you go back to Axis Detection after binding them….nothing, same issue of not being recognized.

Surprisingly, someway, somehow, the pedals work fine afterward binding them even though they’re labeled as buttons instead of axis. Was even able to bind the Fanatec ClubSport Handbrake V1.5 plugged into the pedals too.

While it worked in the end, I spent my first three hours with the game trying to figure this out, swapping out pedals, checking my sanity, etc. And funny enough, the next day I got a string of profanity laced Skype messages from Billy with the same issue as he tried to get the game setup.

So, while it’s good that multiple input devices – two or more USB’s plugged into the PC – and it’s nice they have a way to map unsupported wheels, this whole process has to be cleaned up.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I said at the top, “what if Kylotonn made a rally game that is better than the sum of its parts?” I stated this because when I look back through this review, I see a lot of comments like “middling, okay, serviceable, not bad,” even “terrible.”

But despite those observations, I find myself really enjoying WRC 7 because they got the two most important things right, stages and physics. While I’m certainly not one of those people that thinks physics is ALL that matters in sim racing, it’s certainly the biggest piece of the puzzle.

And when you get that right, then nail the other big piece, the circuit – at least top two biggest in rally racing IMO – then you don’t have to be scoring 10/10 in other categories.

I just really like the game because the physics allow me to take on these awesome, challenging and unique stages. It’s all about the stages for me, and I think they’re going to be the reason why people pick up this game and stick with it.

The post WRC 7 Review appeared first on Inside Sim Racing.

But like any new technology, there’s a point where the initial, wild, pubescent rush to manufacturer matures.  Processes are streamlined and economy of scale are applied, rendering savings for not only the manufacturer, but the consumer as well.

Which brings us to 2017.  Direct drive is not only revered in sub-forums anymore, but in mainstream sim racing.  Time has allowed the cat out of the bag via forum conversations and reviews like this one.  The majority is sold on direct drive technology and are now just waiting for the prices to come down to a level that won’t require them to sign divorce papers first.

This brings us to the SimXperience AccuForce Pro V2.  Thanks to significant reductions in manufacturing costs, SimXperience has lopped $450 off of the price of the original AccuForce Pro, with the V2 coming in at $1,299.  But does it take away from the quality of the original AccuForce Pro?  Was the original AccuForce Pro even worth it, even at the new reduced price?  

Lets find out.

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PRO – BUILD QUALITY

The AccuForce Pro V1 had very good build quality.  The wheel + wheel button box, wheel base, and controller box all sported quality materials and design.  For the V2, the wheel and controller box carry over.  But the difference between the V1 and the V2 is the wheel base.

The heavy duty machined metal casing on the V1 base was very expensive to manufacturer.  For the V2, SimXperience went back to the drawing board and designed a less expensive, multi-piece, casing.

But does the new casing cheapen the V2?

Not at all.  While the V1 wheel base casing was very nice, the V2 solution is also nice.  It has good sidewall thickness and nicely designed cooling slots on top.  Plus some of the best design cues from the V1, including the carbon fiber front panel and 3-D chromed SimXperience logo on the side, carryover to the V2.

Possibly best of all, the V2 wheel base is shorter, which can only help when you’re trying to get all the elements of your rig in the exact right place.

As for the carry-overs, the wheel and control box, they have no changes but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The controller box is still enclosed in quality plastics and has four mounting holes designed for the SimXperience Stage series simulators but you can also get creative with the mounting.  I chose to wall mount the controller for a clean look.

The rigid wheel comes in at a healthy 32 cm in diameter and is wrapped in quality feeling Alcantara with soft, but supportive, padding underneath.  The wheel mounts to the wheel button box, which features four button clusters, a center horn that works as a button, paddle shifters, quick release and USB cord to power the buttons and USB port on the back of the wheel.

The button box is made out of thick side-walled plastic and the buttons have a good click but I wouldn’t say it’s as nice as the similarly designed and priced Fanatec Xbox One Universal Hub.  The bottom button clusters are locked into place but the top two can be rotated up for your preference or to fit other wheels between 28 and 35 cm in diameter.  

In total there are thirteen buttons between the four button boxes and a horn button in the middle of the wheel featuring the “AF” logo.  It isn’t the most satisfying button to press but it does come in handy for in-game functions like pausing the game.

The carbon fiber paddle shifters of the wheel button box look and feel very nice.  They can be adjusted in and out to fit the diameter of the wheel, plus have two bolts that adjust the shifter’s throw and engagement point.

The “automotive grade” quick release is as heavy duty as it sounds and locks into place with an assuring click.

The six hole bolt pattern of the AccuForce wheel button box means that you can mount other wheels to it, such as the Fanatec Forza Motorsport wheel, that uses the same 70mm hole pattern.  There are also plenty of aftermarket solutions, whether its a wheel designed for the AccuForce or an adapter that allows you to mount another wheel brand to it.

PRO – TUNING

While the phrase “direct drive” is probably the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear AccuForce – and don’t worry, we’re getting there – there’s another feature that differentiates it from the Logitech’s, Thurstmaster’s and Fanatec’s of the world, and that’s tuning.

Unlike those wheels that have some tuning options – degrees of rotation, force feedback strength, centering spring, deadzone, dampening, etc – if you want to adjust these settings per game or even car, you have to do this every time you want to drive that game or car.

This is not the case with the AccuForce Pro V2.

This is because the AccuForce Pro V2 hardware is paired with SimXperience’s Sim Commander 4 software.  We’ll dive deeper into the pros and cons of the Sim Commander 4 software later, but for now, we’ll give the 30,000 feet overview.

Sim Commander 4 is the hub for the AccuForce.  It’s where you adjust all the wheel’s effects and even launch the games from it.  When you first start using Sim Commander 4, you can have it auto search your PC for all your games and it will come up with a default “profile” for each game on your PC.  These profiles can – pretty much – be endlessly tuned with many different effects to choose from.

The nice thing is not only can you tune each game profile differently but you can “Add” or “Duplicate” a profile you already have and tune it for a specific car or type of car.  Then anytime you want to drive that game or car, click on the profile and off you go racing with your custom tune.

It’s a really cool and important feature that differentiates the AccuForce from other wheels.

PRO – DIRECT DRIVE

Now for that term that probably pops into your head when you hear “AccuForce”, direct drive.  What is direct drive?  Before we answer that, lets have a refresher other drive mechanics.

The vast majority of sim racers use gear and/or belt driven wheels.  Why do companies use a gear or belt system to deliver power instead of connecting the wheel directly to the motor?  Because the motors they use aren’t strong enough for that.  Gears and/or belts are needed to boost the strength of the motors.  Why don’t they use stronger motors?  Cost.  There’s a reason why direct drive wheels start at around $1,000 and go up, the industrial servo drive motors aren’t cheap.

What’s the drawbacks to using a gear and/or belt drive system?  Friction, slip and latency.  

When you turn a belt driven wheel – and especially a gear driven wheel – you can feel the gears and/or belt.  There’s friction and the smoothness of the wheel rotation is negatively impacted.

There’s also an opportunity for the belt to slip when things get hot and heavy inside the wheel, causing force feedback to be lost.

As for latency, when the motor’s movement has to be translated via gears and/or belt, it takes time.  The more you can reduce that latency between what the game is doing and what your hands are feeling, the more in control you can be.

These issues do not exist in a direct drive wheel.

So since the AccuForce Pro V2 has a 13Nm low inertia servo motor directly connected to the wheel, that means it has super strong force feedback and was really smooth right out of the box right?

Well, yes and no.

Out of the box the wheel was strong, but it wasn’t as smooth as the AccuForce Pro V1 that I had driven many times.  It also had some oscillations down the straight away – which drive me nuts on any wheel – and excess vibrations that weren’t there on track.

So what gives?

Remember tuning?  Well there’s a little more to it then what we covered earlier, and it’s important.  Really important.

While there are endless ways to tune the wheel, you can divide it up into three overarching categories; Device Settings, Game Force Feedback and Steering Feedback Foundation.

I started my tuning with Device Settings.  Device Settings is essentially your backup settings if you forget to fire up the game via Sim Commander.  If you just use the Device Settings, then the AccuForce is like any other wheel, no custom profiles per game or car.  

To start, I turned all the sliders off, then went through and adjusted each slider one at a time to see what impact each effect had until I was happy with the feel of the car.  I primarily tuned for the iRacing Mercedes AMG GT3 at Mid Ohio but I also drove other cars and games with it afterwards to make sure they felt okay.

Once I was done, I was much happier with the wheel, in fact I thought it felt great with the Mercedes, but I knew it could be better with other cars, so I jumped into making custom profiles.  

As we noted earlier, the custom game profile or even car profiles, is where the magic happens.  After a lot of time flailing around trying to understand every little nook and cranny of Sim Commander 4 – more on that later – I eventually found a system that worked for me.

Go to default game profile.  Click “Enable In Game On Screen Display.”  More on that later.  Go to “Output Mixer, Device Settings” and change “Degrees of Rotation” to your usual preference.  Mine is 540 degrees.

Now I have a default profile that I’m ready to edit.  Now I press “Duplicate” and go to work.

By default there are ten “Effects” listed on the default “Output Mixer”.  You can even add more via the “Add” button.  But for me, I started simple.  I turned “Game Force Feedback, Game Force Feedback Smoothing, Stationary and Moving Dynamic Oscillation Control” on, and that’s it.  Then I drove.

After I drove for a bit and got an idea of what I had, I would stop on the track, move my mouse towards the bottom of the screen, pull up the SimCommander “In Game On Screen Display” that we enabled, and start adjusting the sliders.

Next I would exit the game and go to the “Output Tuning Wizard,” select my best lap, have it adjust my “Game Force Feedback and Steering Feedback Foundation” based off of the telemetry from the game. This feature is called “auto tuning” and it takes telemetry from the game and creates a profile that shouldn’t induce clipping.

Now I go back into the game and play with the sliders more to fine tune it.  After I got the wheel feeling as good as I thought I could, I turn off “Game Force Feedback” and turn on “Steering Feedback Foundation” and go make laps and further adjust settings while in game.

What did this process yield?

First, more often than not, I preferred the Steering Feedback Foundation that only takes the pure telemetry from the game over the Game Force Feedback that adds effects on top of it to help make lesser wheels feel more believable.

Second, the AccuForce Pro V2 is very good.

The 13Nm motor driving the force feedback is plenty strong.  Quit frankly, on most cars it doesn’t even get fully utilized, because power steering is a thing.  But if you insist on running a heavy wheel, you can knock yourself out.

But what is strength if it isn’t smooth?  The AccuForce is smooth.  Can it not be smooth?  Sure.  As I mentioned earlier, when I first got the wheel it wasn’t as smooth as I expected it to be.  But, if you tune it properly, it can be very smooth.  You really can’t beat the removal of a belt.  While belt driven wheels have gotten pretty smooth for their design recently, there’s just always going to be a point of friction and slipping.  This is not the case with the direct drive AccuForce.

Wheel oscillations drive me nuts.  I feel like realism is broken when the wheel is vibrating away on pitroad or going down the straights.  That’s where the AccuForce comes in.  Stationary Dynamic Oscillation Control made it so the wheel never moved on pit road.  Moving Dynamic Oscillation Control eliminated oscillations on the straights, or at the very least, significantly decreased them.

We talk a lot about force feedback strength, smoothness and sometimes oscillations on most wheels.  But there’s one more characteristic that I want to touch on with the AccuForce, and that’s fidelity.

Like I said earlier, some people lose their mind with direct drive wheels over the servo motor strength.  I don’t play that pissing match.  What impresses me possibly most of all with the direct drive AccuForce is the fidelity.  The wheel just picks up everything in the track so well, even when turning the smoothing up.  If the track has a bump or dip or ripple, the wheel picks it up.  It’s just a level of surface detail that traditional non-direct drive wheels do not possess.

Another characteristic that really impressed me is the feel over rumble strips.  In most wheels, a little vibration motor spins and it kind of feels like the wheel is rattling itself to pieces.  In the AccuForce, the vibration feels deep and realistic, not just a bolted on afterthought.

For testing I created multiple profiles for multiple games and the wheel always felt really good.  As stated earlier, I preferred Foundation over Game Force Feedback a majority of the time but there were exceptions, like DiRT 4 that felt similar with both, and F1 2017 where the profile wasn’t out yet from SimXperience so I adjusted the Device Settings and was still able to make it feel really good.

But out of all the titles we tested, two really stood out, Automobilista and RaceRoom.  Both felt utterly fantastic with Foundation Force Feedback.  Like, I’m never coming in the pits again fantastic!

SimXperience worked with Sector3 Studios on RaceRoom’s force feedback and it shows.  Automobilista just has good force feedback and it showed as well.

I wouldn’t say that I didn’t appreciate direct drive wheels before I received the AccuForce Pro V2, since I had spent a good amount of time driving Darin’s AccuForce V1, and other direct drive wheels briefly.  But being able to drive it off the backs of quality belt driven wheels like the Thrustmaster TS-PC Racer and Fanatec Clubsport Wheel Base V2.5 made me appreciate it even more.

There’s just a fidelity that the AccuForce V2 has that is impressive.  Driving with the AccuForce is like driving a car with traditional hydraulic power steering versus a car with electric power steering.  My old ‘95 BMW M3 had hydraulic assisted power steering and it felt great.  Every little detail in the road was translated to the steering wheel.  The car really spoke to you.  My current car, 2013 VW GTI – like most modern cars – has electric assisted power steering.  This means while it does its best to translate the road surface to the steering wheel, there’s details lost and it just feels less engaging and overall more numb.

This is the best way I can sum up the difference between the direct drive AccuForce Pro V2 and non-direct drive wheels, and it’s a significant one.

PRO – PRICE

The AccuForce ‘Your Way’ kit gets you the AccuForce V2 wheel base and controller box for $899.  Just add wheel to race.  The “Your Way” model accepts any aftermarket steering wheel that has the 6 bolt 70mm hole pattern.

Or you could get the ‘Your Way’ package and add the AccuForce wheel for $988.  You would be hard pressed to drive a direct drive wheel for any less money.

As for the the AccuForce Pro V2 that we’ve been focusing on, $1,299 for the wheel base, quick release, wheel and wheel button box is pretty good too, especially considering how it cost $1,748 not long ago.

Looking at these options, three different purchasing scenarios become apparent to me.

Scenario one.  You’re a NASCAR fan and that’s all you race.  The ‘Your Way’ wheel + AccuForce Steering Wheel is perfect since you don’t need paddle shifters and the AccuForce wheel is very NASCAR like.

Scenario two.  You aren’t interested in the AccuForce wheel but want a different wheel, like a formula rim.  In this case, you can buy the ‘Your Way’ and purchase a formula rim from one of the many companies that have popped up making custom wheels, particularly for direct drive wheels.  Or you can even buy an adapter and put other mainstream sim racing wheels on.

Scenario three.  You road race and want a fullsize wheel.  Then the AccuForce Pro V2 is right for you.

If money is real tight and you want to go the DIY route, then there’s the AccuForce DIY which gets you the ‘Your Way’ sans the V2 wheel base casing and 6 bolt 70mm hole pattern adapter.  But if you don’t mind the naked motor, securing your own wheel and coming up with a mounting solution for the base, the DIY – which includes the Sim Commander 4 software – retails for $704.  Again, pretty well priced.

As for other purchasing options, you can buy the AccuForce Button Box for $400, the AccuForce Quick Release for $89, and AccuForce Pro Angled Mounting Brackets for $45.  The first two don’t make much sense since you would save money just buying the complete Pro wheel versus piecemealing it together, but I do want to touch on the mounting bracket.

I did need the angled mounting bracket and I would imagine that most of you will need it too, unless your wheel deck is up pretty high or has the ability to tilt adjust.  $45 for a bracket kind of sucks but it’s at or below the industry standard for direct drive wheel mounts so it is what it is.

NEUTRAL – WHEEL SHAPE

This point is highly preferential but I wanted to make it anyway.  While the round 32 cm wheel on the AccuForce Pro V2 is nice, zero complaints when it comes to materials or build quality, I would prefer a 28 or 30 cm formula rim.  Most of the cars I drive these days use a formula rim and I like how they don’t block the dashboard telemetry like the round wheel does.

With that said, the round 32 cm wheel is the safer choice because it can be used with all cars.  Plus, there are going to be people out there who prefer it to a smaller formula rim.  It’s all personal preference.

As we already noted, there are plenty of aftermarket options out there.  But with that said, it would be nice to see a formula style option from SimXperience in the future.

NEUTRAL – FORCE FEEDBACK CONTROLLER

I have two issues with the Force Feedback Controller that aren’t big enough for the CONS category but I do want to note them.

First, the fan on the controller is loud.  My speakers are too loud to hear it while driving, but before and after driving, it is the noisiest fan I have around my rig by a fair amount.

My other annoyance are the two USB slots that the controller takes.  While this may sound like splitting hairs, by the time I hook up the wheel, pedals, shifter, hand brake, button box, Oculus Rift, webcam and keyboard, USB’s become a scarce resource.

NEUTRAL – SIM COMMANDER 4

Besides noting annoyances that aren’t CON level worthy, the NEUTRAL category exists as the overlap between the PROS and CONS category.  This is why Sim Commander 4 is noted as a NEUTRAL aspect of the AccuForce Pro V2.  While it has many, many, pros, there are enough cons to knock it down.

Here are the pros for Sim Commander 4, including some that we have covered and some that we haven’t.

Tuning – Nearly endless customization.

Steering Feedback Foundation – Taking pure telemetry from the game and adjusting effects based off of this telemetry.

In Game On Screen Display – Don’t have to leave the game to make a number of changes (tune profiles, change profiles, load and edit dashboard).

Output Tuning Wizard – Auto-tunes profiles with proper steering rack force per car (iRacing only).

Visual Lap Analyzer – Gives you nearly all the information you need to know about the lap.  Really helpful in tuning profiles to ensure that you aren’t clipping.

Launch Tasks – Instead of making sure you start up each third party software before you race, you can have them all automatically open when you click on the profile.

Profiles from Owners Club – Struggling to tune a good profile?  Take someone else’s or share your own.

That is a lot of pros.  Unfortunately, there are cons.  And while there aren’t nearly as many cons, they are note worthy.

Sim Commnader is a maze of tabs and dropdowns on top of tabs and dropdowns.  You do pick up navigating it quicker than you would expect upon first look, but it still could be laid out so much better.

Next, some settings are explained, but most aren’t.  Considering the level of detail that Sim Commander gets into, explanations are a must.

Next – and this could have easily fit into the two previous cons – multiple versions of the same effect show up, and it’s super confusing.  If you go to the “Effects” tab in the “Output Mixer” tab – again, tabs on top of tabs – you have “AccuForce Steering Wheel Smoothing,” then, “Game Force Feedback Smoothing” then if you click on the “Device Settings” tab you have “Overall Smoothing.”

What does it all mean?  Are they the same?  Are they different?  How are they different?  I’m not sure because none of them are explained.

And that’s not even taking into account the “Smoothing Filter” you can add to the Foundation Force Feedback.

All of this adds up to our last con and that’s the learning curve.  Sim Commander 4 takes time to learn.  Is it a crazy amount of time?  Not necessarily.  The primary points don’t take too long to pick up.  But if you really want to uncover every nook and cranny, the time begins adding up.  As I mentioned earlier, I eventually had to stop trying to learn every inch of Sim Commander like the back of my hand, and focus on a handful of effects.  Then if I felt good about those settings, I would branch out from there.

For these reasons, Sim Commander 4 – despite being a very powerful and impressive piece of software – ends up in the NEUTRAL category.  It needs changes to make unleashing all of its abilities easier.

CON – CORD

The cord that runs to from the wheel base to the steering wheel is a frustration on two counts.  First, the fact that there has to be a cord.  Second, the connection point on the front of the wheel base makes no sense.  Besides it being an eyesore, it makes it so you have to run the cord from the wheel, to the back of the wheel base, and to the front of the wheel base again instead of just running it to the back of the wheel base like you did with the AccuForce V1.

In the grand scheme of things does the cord ruin the experience?  No.  It doesn’t bother me while driving, even if it is bumping up against my leg.  But considering the AccuForce is a high end product, the fact that you have to fuss with a cord kind of stinks.  Add on top of that, with the poorly situated attachment point, it becomes a con.

Also want to note, It is best to disconnect the wheel via the quick release when booting up the wheel for the first time of the day. That way the cord doesn’t wrap around the hub during calibration and get stretched out…like mine already is.

CON – MOUNTING

There are a couple issues when it comes to the mounting the AccuForce Pro V2.  First, there should be more clearance given to mount the wheel base to your simulator or to the optional angle mounts.  Fitting even a low profile 90 degree allen wrench into the tabbed in area of the wheel base is very difficult and makes it easy to scratch up your new baby.

Second, while attaching the wheel base directly to my simulator with two bolts was no problem, that wasn’t the case when I got a hold of the optional angle bracket.  When I first used the angle bracket I used the front holes on each side, but due to their location, this resulted in the back of the wheel popping up while driving.

Here’s where the real rub happens.

To pick up the back two mounting locations, I had to drill two holes into the wheel deck of my Next Level Racing F1GT simulator.  The F1GT is pre-drilled to accept Logitech, Thrustmaster and Fanatec wheels.  The AccuForce angle bracket should be designed to utilize one of those hole patterns.  If the angle bracket was about ¾ inch wider on each side, there are four holes it could have utilized.  Instead, owners of non-SimXperience or non-adjustable profile simulators will most likely be forced to drill into their wheel decks.

Is it the end of the world?  No.  But is it an avoidable extra step for the consumer?  Yes.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The SimXperience AccuForce Pro V2 wheel is the best wheel I’ve ever owned.  The ability to deliver really strong, but ultra smooth, force feedback is impressive.  Not only that, but the fidelity at which it translates the on-screen road surfaces to your hands is just as impressive.

While the idea of skipping the developer’s force feedback settings to create your own based off of the telemetry that the developer allows third party applications to have is bold, I’ve become a full-fledged believer in Foundation Force Feedback.  Stripping away all the unnecessary effects, that more times than not I turn off in-game anyway, feels great.

I really was blown away by how good titles like Automobilista and RaceRoom feel with Foundation Force Feedback.  You just don’t realize what you’ve been missing until you have a wheel of this quality.

The cons of the AccuForce Pro V2 do not outweigh the pros.  I would like to see some – or a lot – of editing done to Sim Commander.  Would like if there was one less spiral cord and USB cable included in the AccuForce box.  Would like to see common mounting hole patterns used and a larger, lower RPM, fan used on the controller.  Lastly, an option for a different style wheel would be lovely.

Maybe for V3…or even V2.5.

But for now, the AccuForce Pro V2 more than services as one of the best wheels you can buy in sim racing today, and now you might even be able to afford it.

The post SimXperience AccuForce Pro V2 Direct Drive Wheel Review appeared first on Inside Sim Racing.

For F1 2017 the answer is “Yes.”

Simulators Provided by Next Level Racing

While you can make the claim that the lineage of F1 2017 started back with Codemasters first F1 title, F1 2010, we’d argue that the beginning was F1 2015.  F1 2015 was an improved driving experience masked behind large content gaps and ridiculous bugs.  But if F1 2015 was the outline of the drawing, F1 2016 was the color.

F1 2016 improved further on the driving, but most of all, eliminated the massive holes such as Career Mode and safety cars, and arrived with far less bugs.  It was a proper evolution of F1 2015 and a solid game.

Like F1 2016, F1 2017 is an evolution too.  It builds on the nice Career Mode of F1 2016 and goes way deep, creating one of the best Career Mode’s we’ve ever seen.  It also further refines things like AI and physics, and while they aren’t perfect, they continue to push the ball further up the hill.

If that’s the evolution, then where’s the revolution?  Will classic World Champion F1 cars do?

While throwing in some classic cars could easily be a half-assed money grab, Codemasters has done a good job integrating them into the game and highlighting their unique characteristics.

Lets be fair, it’s a move that didn’t have to be done.  It was a move I even scoffed at when I first heard of it.  I thought, “How about you just work on getting the new 2017 cars right?”  But this attempt at something new does pay off, and the game is better for it.

We wouldn’t call F1 2017 a full-blown “sim.”  But considering the wide range of people that the F1 franchise has to cater too, these sim racing fans found it to be very entertaining and a worthy game for the F1 license.

PROS
00:56 Menus / Settings / Options / Navigation
01:48 Tracks
03:19 Weather
04:02 AI
05:35 Damage Model
07:01 Garage
07:30 Wheel & Pedal Support
07:59 Force Feedback
08:51 Career Mode

NEUTRAL
10:48 Sound
13:07 Graphics
15:07 Physics
16:39 Rules

CONS
17:47 Mouse / Virtual Mirror / VR / Triple Screen Support
19:20 Input Delay

FINAL THOUGHTS
20:05 Billy’s Thoughts
25:33 John’s Thoughts

The post F1 2017 Review appeared first on Inside Sim Racing.

Which brings us to today, its replacement, the ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5.  Sporting, “more advanced electronics and new motor for improved feeling, functionality and even durability,” the V2.5 looks to improve on the already good V2 package.

But does it?  That’s what we’re here to find out as we look at the Pros, Cons and in-between Neutral features of the Fanatec ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5.

Simulators Provided by Next Level Racing

PRO – Design

The V2.5 wheel base design doesn’t stray far from the V2 – and overall – that’s for the best.

The most notable change between the two is the addition of the machined framed Fanatec logo on the face, which we didn’t care for when we first saw the images of the V2.5, but now we actually do prefer in person.  It makes the V2 face look plain now.

Besides that, the rest is same, for better or for worse.  For better, the package is still compact and attractive.  For worse, the hidden I/O is still a pain if you forget to connect your cables before you mount the wheel and we would have liked to seen a black USB cord verse the – off design – grey cord.  It’s minor, but if you’re going to go with the murdered out black-on-black look, go all the way.

The only other design change between the V2 and V2.5 is the new power brick, indicating the new components inside.

PRO – Force Feedback Strength & Smoothness

Before we talk about force feedback strength and smoothness of the Fanatec ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5, lets have a refresher on the V2.

The last time we saw the V2, we noted the pros and cons of the steering feel. We noted how strong the force feedback was – stronger than any other belt drive wheel out there – yet it was able to be smooth as well, not exhibiting some of the slop that it’s lower price Fanatec CSL Elite brethren had.

But there was one thing that we didn’t care for and that was the on-center feel, or more so, how the wheel would fight you at center and fall into an oscillating pattern.

Now to be fair, every belt drive wheel has this to some degree. It was just showing up more than we care for on the Fanatec wheels and throwing a con into the overall positive steering feel.

So with that said, was the V2.5 able to improve on the feel of the V2? Yes, sometimes a little and sometimes a lot.

In terms of pure force feedback strength and smoothness, the V2.5 doesn’t really feel any stronger or smoother. It does feel a bit more “buttoned up” over the V2, with the wheel feeling more consistent during rotation, but overall, it’s a familiar feeling.

As for our complaint about on-center feel and oscillations, this is where things get really interesting.

During our V2 testing in the Head-to-Head Challenge, no amount of adjustments in the Tuning Menu removed that sensation without killing the feel of the wheel. This resulted in us keeping all the settings stock and putting up with the oscillations since it was the least negative option.

Fast forward to the V2.5, and Fanatec has made an adjustment to fight the on-center oscillations in the form of negative values on Advanced Drift Mode in the Tuning Menu. While the positive values on Advanced Drift Mode encourage the wheel to rotate – good for drifting but terrible feeling when driving otherwise – the negative values restrain the wheel’s willingness to rotate back and forth.

The interesting thing is, the effectiveness of this setting is game – and even car – dependent.

When we fired up iRacing and played with the Advanced Drift Mode setting, it didn’t make a noticeable difference from the V2.  We were still getting oscillations. On the other hand, when we fired up Assetto Corsa, we were able to feel the difference of setting Drift Mode to -3,-4 or -5. Although interesting enough, it was more effective on some cars than others.

From what Fanatec told us, it comes down to how the game handles the rotational drag of the wheel. If it doesn’t handle low drag well, it oscillates.

So your mileage may vary with the new Advanced Drift Mode but it’s cool to see it as an option, and when the stars line up, it works. We do have one suggestion though. It would be nice to see an “Oscillations” setting in the Tuning Menu instead of it being a negative value in Drift Mode.  Just let Drift Mode be Drift Mode and have another location in the Tuning Menu were we can play with oscillation settings.

One final point on the steering feel of the ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5. Unlike the V2, the V2.5 motor driver firmware can be upgraded, so there could be updates to further improve force feedback down the line.

NEUTRAL – Price

For most of it’s life, the ClubSport Wheel Base V2 sold at $600 / 750€, which is some serious coin.  The ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5 on the other hand came out of the box at $500 / 550€, still not cheap, but not unreasonable for what you’re getting, especially when what you’re getting is better.

Word of note, if you’re running on the PC only, then the Formula rim at $200 / 230€ is the best bang for your buck and helps to keep the wheel south of direct drive price ranges.

NEUTRAL – Compatibility

After the ClubSport Wheel Base V2 had compatibility on the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for a bit – before losing it when Sony put the kabosh on that – it could be easy to downgrade the PC and Xbox One ready V2.5 compatibility to the Cons category.  But, we don’t see the ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5 as a console racer.  

Sure, you could spend $600 on a ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5 + CSL Steering Wheel P1 or $900 on a V2.5 + Xbox One Universal Hub + Rim, but that’s a lot of money to go race on the Xbox One.  If you want to race on the consoles, there’s plenty of quality, lower price options.

FINAL THOUGHTS

When the ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5 was announced, we wondered why it received the V2.5 name, instead of V3? Well, now we know why.

While the changes aren’t huge, they are for the better, and at a lower price. In all actuality, the creation of the V2.5 was probably due to Fanatec sourcing newer – less expensive – internals and being able to pass the savings onto you, which is cool.

No matter how the Fanatec ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5 came into existence, it does an excellent job of picking up the torch of the ClubSport Wheel Base V2, and leading the way in belt drive wheel technology.

The post Fanatec ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5 Review appeared first on Inside Sim Racing.