Alright, I finally got my copy of GT3 and the GT Force Wheel from playstation.com (it came with a free Perfect Game Guide too). I thought I'd post my impressions of the wheel, since it seems to be a recurring topic in the forum. As of now, I've logged in about 4-5 hours with the wheel.
Hour 1 - my first time using the wheel felt like I was playing GT1 for the first time again. My car swerved all over the track as I fought to gain control. Spin-outs were frequent, and victory was nowhere in sight.
Hour 2 - Success! I managaed to place first in a beginner race on the Super Speedway with a low-end car. I was still hitting the walls a lot/spinning out/swearing profusely on any track with turns tighted than the Speedway (which is all the rest of them).
Hour 3 - Finally starting to get the hang of the wheel, and I placed first in some of the Amateur Series Turbo races. I was now smiling more than swearing.
Hour 4 - Began using the wheel on some of the IB liscences with moderate success. I've noticed that the pedal/wheel combo makes it easier to maintain a precise speed and turning angle (a bonus for the liscence tests). Although I'm probably still better with the Dual Shock controller, the wheel has finally begun to feel comfortable.
All in all, I'm happy with the wheel. It's sturdy, the force feedback rocks, and the sensitivity of the pedals and steering can't be beat. However, if you're like me and have logged over 100 hours into the first two games, this peripheral will take some getting used too. Even after 4-5 hours, I'm still not confident with my driving abilities with the wheel, but with patience I'm sure they'll improve. If it's your first time playing the game, I'd say get the wheel and learn on that, but if you're a veteran of the series, the re-learning curve might be a little too discouraging.
Oh yeah, as many of the others have mentioned, the cables are too damn short!
Hope this helps.
Hour 1 - my first time using the wheel felt like I was playing GT1 for the first time again. My car swerved all over the track as I fought to gain control. Spin-outs were frequent, and victory was nowhere in sight.
Hour 2 - Success! I managaed to place first in a beginner race on the Super Speedway with a low-end car. I was still hitting the walls a lot/spinning out/swearing profusely on any track with turns tighted than the Speedway (which is all the rest of them).
Hour 3 - Finally starting to get the hang of the wheel, and I placed first in some of the Amateur Series Turbo races. I was now smiling more than swearing.
Hour 4 - Began using the wheel on some of the IB liscences with moderate success. I've noticed that the pedal/wheel combo makes it easier to maintain a precise speed and turning angle (a bonus for the liscence tests). Although I'm probably still better with the Dual Shock controller, the wheel has finally begun to feel comfortable.
All in all, I'm happy with the wheel. It's sturdy, the force feedback rocks, and the sensitivity of the pedals and steering can't be beat. However, if you're like me and have logged over 100 hours into the first two games, this peripheral will take some getting used too. Even after 4-5 hours, I'm still not confident with my driving abilities with the wheel, but with patience I'm sure they'll improve. If it's your first time playing the game, I'd say get the wheel and learn on that, but if you're a veteran of the series, the re-learning curve might be a little too discouraging.
Oh yeah, as many of the others have mentioned, the cables are too damn short!
Hope this helps.