OK, you may have seen a few stories on the “internets” about the upcoming Logitech Driving Force GT Wheel. Yup. It is coming out in May. It is the official wheel of the upcoming Gran Turismo 5 game for the PS3. Astute readers will notice that the dates for the game and the wheel do not match. While I cannot be certain why this happened, it sure does not make sense to me. Seems that both companies would want to have the complete solution ready for market at the same time, but hey, what do I know? Well, I got my hot little hands on one and wanted to share the experience with you. 

The fit and finish of the wheel are amazing. Really nice weight to the wheel and it has a gear shifter on the right. British racers can use the optional paddle shifters so we all can get along. Features abound such as a horn button (hmm, wonder what this will be for?) and a more important adjustment feature so we can dial the game in on the fly without having to pause the game and make adjustments. That is a useful feature. The wheel provides some pretty strong feedback and can rotate 900 degrees (2.5 COMPLETE) turns, lock to lock. 

Turning it on and first impressions: The first thing you will notice when you power it up, is that the wheel immediately does its best impression of Linda Blair as Regan in The Exorcist. (Seriously, if you have not seen the 1973 movie, please do not click on the link, it will not be that funny to you. In 1973, the Exorcist was pretty groundbreaking. Those of you who do not remember it, let me just say that Regan, the little possessed girl in the film, spins her head around a few times. That is the only reference you need to know. Save yourself the disappointment and do not click on the link. It really is not that funny). First the wheel spins left, stops, spins right and stops in the center. Why, I have no idea. Do not ask. 

First game on the list was Motorstorm. Man, I was ready to get out there in the mud and get going with the wheel.   Well, I could not get it to work. OK, no worries, let’s go with Formula Un (Formula One, if you have not seen Talladega Nights). After one bad lap, more on that later, I was tearing up the track as Michael Schumacher in my Ferrari. I posted my best laps ever. The wheel was making all of the difference. It is incredibly responsive and just feels right. The pedals do feel a bit light. I could not imagine using them on a tile surface. The carpet in the game room provided enough resistance. 

A few MINOR issues:

1) This one falls squarely on MY shoulders. The sample I received came in a white box and had no instructions. I say it is my fault, because even if it came with “destructions” I will admit, I would not have read them anyway. When I first opened it and tried to put it on my coffee table in the game room, it did not fit. You see the table is pretty thick and the wheel’s opening did not accommodate the table. It was not until after the aforementioned first bad lap and trying to hold the wheel with my knees did I realize that I can knock out the two plastic bits from the bottom and it fits. OK, Logitech is good on this one, but for me, Microsoft’s “clamp” solution on their original wheel was a bit more intuitive and may be a more elegant engineering approach to this issue. Six of one, half a dozen of the other, toMAYto, toMAHto… Just an opinion here. 

2) This one applies to a lot of companies and not just Logitech. MAKE LONGER CORDS! This is the big screen, HD era. A lot of us are investing in big, BIG screen televisions and putting in theater rooms with surround sound and whatnot. The PS3, 360 and Apple TV are the heart and soul of these systems. We want to enjoy great experiences on them. Unlike my childhood when we were playing the Atari 2600 on a 25” Zenith television, MAYBE a foot away from it, many gamers want that full experience and a sitting back in comfy chairs and sofas. Let’s make the cords longer. From power cords to connecting cords, make them a few feet longer. As a gamer and gadget guy, I would rather have too much cord that not enough. I can always zip tie and hide excess cable. I have a more difficult time splicing in new cable in many instances. 

So, overall a positive experience, Logitech engineered in some nice touches into the wheel. I cannot wait for Gran Turismo 5 to come out and really try all of the features of the game and the wheel. Gamers, start your engines!