Web Site: Logitech's Product Information
Cost: $99
Availability: Now
Now Sharky Extreme usually tends to focus on PC devices and not get much into console game systems; but it's impossible to not have gotten caught up in the buzz surrounding the release of
Gran Turismo 3 A-spec for the Sony Playstation 2. From the time the PS2 was released, almost a year ago, owners and would-be owners started waiting for the release of this game, that was expected to be the PS2's equivalent of the "killer app." And along with the release of the game itself, came the release of this official force-feedback gaming wheel from the folks at Logitech.
Unlike its PC cousin, the Wingman Formula GP, the Logitech GT Force is far from being a no-frills value game controller. At around $99 for a controller that currently works with only 4 games, in fact, it might be a little too rich for your blood. Yet when Gran Turiso 3 A-spec was released, people were willingly dropping $150 ($50 for the game plus $100 for the wheel) just to play this game as they, and I'm sure Logitech, feel it should be played. Is it worth it?
This PS2 racing wheel is about as good as it gets, or at least as good as it's gotten so far. The wheel responds as realistically as those of us who have never actually driven real race cars could expect. Handling the turns with the GT Force was a completely different experience from playing with the PS2's DualShock2 controllers, from the improved control to the realistic force-feedback effects to the feel of the wheel in one's hands and pedals at one's feet. And as with the Wingman Formula GP, the wheel has 4 buttons on the front and 2 shifters in the back, offering the ability to be in total control of the game right from the wheel.
Installing it a no-brainer; just plug in the cables and you're ready to go. The trickiest, part, really, is figuring our where to mount it. Though the dual clamping system is identical to what is used with the Wingman Formula GP, many of us have our console games as part of entertainment centers, and so don't always have desks in close proximity to clamp the wheel onto. But for those who do, the racing experience will get worlds better... in games that support it.
And that's where the downside is with this wheel. As more and more games come out that support the wheel, this may well move toward being worth the $100 price tag. But with so few games available, it's hard to recommend spending so much money on a wheel just to play Gran Turismo 3 A-spec and the three other games that currently support it (Motor Mayhem, Nascar Heat 2002, and Tokyo Extreme Racer).
Housen Maratouk
Managing Editor