Logitech wheels on ps4

  • Thread starter paulpg87
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It has nothing to do with either Logitech or Sony.

PRIME ISSUE is licensing the TouchSense SDK software that runs all Logitech wheels and that license is held by the Immersion Company.

Sony has NOTHING to do with it in the initial step.

Logitech should first resolve the licensing of their wheels for the complete new platform (PS4) and negotiate terms of usage for the patents and licenses that are held by Immersion.

Once that *small* step is done, then Logitech and Sony can negotiate the licensing for the Logitech technology (SDK and drivers) for the PS4.

However, until Logitech - as a hardware manufacturer and actual TouchSense licensee - does not resolve the licensing issues with the Immersion Company, Sony (or whoever else) can't do ANYTHING about it.

Write to Immersion Company and ask them to allow the usage of their patents, licenses and various intellectual properties for free on PS4, without any compensation. You never know, maybe we all get lucky.
 
Given T500RS is getting supported for free, there is hope that Logitech will deliver. Maybe they will announce something closer to release of a car racing game. @amar212 Is licensing not potentially done on per wheel basis?
 
Amar
you are not right on that. As soon as Sony wants to add a wheel then they can do it at anytime. Only Sony decides that and if they don't want to add another wheel then that's it.

And Sony only wants to allow support if a wheel maker is ready to sign a license deal. I cannot speak for anybody else but for us this is no obstacle.
 
Fanatec...
Amar
you are not right on that. As soon as Sony wants to add a wheel then they can do it at anytime. Only Sony decides that and if they don't want to add another wheel then that's it.

And Sony only wants to allow support if a wheel maker is ready to sign a license deal. I cannot speak for anybody else but for us this is no obstacle.
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Finally some concrete answer, thx Fanatec
 
amar212
It has nothing to do with either Logitech or Sony.

PRIME ISSUE is licensing the TouchSense SDK software that runs all Logitech wheels and that license is held by the Immersion Company.

Sony has NOTHING to do with it in the initial step.

Logitech should first resolve the licensing of their wheels for the complete new platform (PS4) and negotiate terms of usage for the patents and licenses that are held by Immersion.

Once that *small* step is done, then Logitech and Sony can negotiate the licensing for the Logitech technology (SDK and drivers) for the PS4.

However, until Logitech - as a hardware manufacturer and actual TouchSense licensee - does not resolve the licensing issues with the Immersion Company, Sony (or whoever else) can't do ANYTHING about it.

Write to Immersion Company and ask them to allow the usage of their patents, licenses and various intellectual properties for free on PS4, without any compensation. You never know, maybe we all get lucky.
Click to expand...
What you are speaking of are mere technicalities. Effective business people do not let technicalities stand in the way of getting things done. Sony could easily bring themselves, Immersion and Logitech together at a table and say, "Ok guys, what's it going to take to get this done?". Sony can make this happen if they really want to. If it doesn't get done, the ultimate responsibility still lies with them.
 
Hi Thomas!

Great to know it is a no obstacle to F.

However, my main question remains: who is paying royalties and patent-usage to Immersion Company *IF* Logitech "legacy" wheels are allowed on the PS4?

I really do not see Immersion Co. letting it go without additional compensations for the new platform.

Of course, I would so love to be wrong on all this.
 
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Fanatec...
Amar
you are not right on that. As soon as Sony wants to add a wheel then they can do it at anytime. Only Sony decides that and if they don't want to add another wheel then that's it.

And Sony only wants to allow support if a wheel maker is ready to sign a license deal. I cannot speak for anybody else but for us this is no obstacle.
Click to expand...

So what is the obstacle that keeps your wheels from being supported on PS4, then?
 
Fanatec...
Amar
you are not right on that. As soon as Sony wants to add a wheel then they can do it at anytime. Only Sony decides that and if they don't want to add another wheel then that's it.

And Sony only wants to allow support if a wheel maker is ready to sign a license deal. I cannot speak for anybody else but for us this is no obstacle.
Click to expand...
All i hope is that every step possible is done by Fanatec/ Logitech/ Sony/ Immersion whoever, so us customers don't end up standing with our flutes in the wind and an expensive piece of hardware gathering dust, because a bloody license deal couldn't be agreed on.
 
Fanatec...
Amar
you are not right on that. As soon as Sony wants to add a wheel then they can do it at anytime. Only Sony decides that and if they don't want to add another wheel then that's it.

And Sony only wants to allow support if a wheel maker is ready to sign a license deal. I cannot speak for anybody else but for us this is no obstacle.
Click to expand...
Fanatec...
Amar
you are not right on that. As soon as Sony wants to add a wheel then they can do it at anytime. Only Sony decides that and if they don't want to add another wheel then that's it.

And Sony only wants to allow support if a wheel maker is ready to sign a license deal. I cannot speak for anybody else but for us this is no obstacle.
Click to expand...

First, thanks for giving us a clear answer on this.

Is it a matter of $ or exclusive rights?
 
You could say whether you, as Fanatec, are actively seeking out to Sony because you plan to make your wheels work on the PS4, or not. Because saying "it is no obstacle" isnt the same as "we want to do it".
 
FLX1981
You could say whether you, as Fanatec, are actively seeking out to Sony because you plan to make your wheels work on the PS4, or not. Because saying "it is no obstacle" isnt the same as "we want to do it".
Click to expand...

Read the comment above you, Felix.
Fanatec is waiting for an answer from Sony on whatever it is that needs to be answered. This means that Fanatec has already contacted Sony about their desire to do something for the Playstation 4 platform. Which basically answers your question with the answer "we want to do it" and that if they have to buy (I reckon it is not free) a license "it is no obstacle". ;)
 
edit: never mind. Ugh. I WILL revive this topic should the day come that you need to choose a Thurstmaster or Logitech wheel in order to play on PS4 with a Fanatec wheel.
 
LogiForce
Read the comment above you, Felix.
Fanatec is waiting for an answer from Sony on whatever it is that needs to be answered. This means that Fanatec has already contacted Sony about their desire to do something for the Playstation 4 platform. Which basically answers your question with the answer "we want to do it" and that if they have to buy (I reckon it is not free) a license "it is no obstacle". ;)
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Or that it is no obstacle for them because they plan to pull the same cheap trick as on PS3 and emulate a Logitech wheel and therefor wait until Logitech has their license in place. Or that their old wheels wont work, but they plan to make a shiny (and of course 🤬 ing expensive) new one that will work for PS4. Etc etc etc.

It is a simple yes or no question @ Thomas: Do you plan to make your existing wheels PS4 compatible?
 
FLX1981
Or that it is no obstacle for them because they plan to pull the same cheap trick as on PS3 and emulate a Logitech wheel and therefor wait until Logitech has their license in place. Or that their old wheels wont work, but they plan to make a shiny (and of course 🤬 ing expensive) new one that will work for PS4. Etc etc etc.

It is a simple yes or no question @ Thomas: Do you plan to make your existing wheels PS4 compatible?
Click to expand...

I definitely don't wish for emulation personally.
Hardware differs from wheel to wheel, and to me PS3 mode never felt right.
Plus I don't think it has been decent personally towards Logitech if there has been no mutual agreement. Something we will never know, and frankly I think that's something for both companies to work out in private.

There is one little issue though with going your own way. Will Polyphony Digital include Fanatec as an official supported wheel? Those chances are very slim I think. One thing is for sure, and that is that SMS will add support to pCARS on the PS4 when it becomes available.


"Do you plan to make your existing wheel PS4 compatible?"
Good question. One that comes down to the licensing demands on the hardware. From what I have seen so far is that Sony demands you'll at least add a PS and SHARE button on your steering wheels.
With that in mind we can already drop the Fanatec wheels with non-interchangable rims.

- Porsche Wheels
- CSR Wheel
- CSR Elite Wheel (discontinued after all)

Which basically only leaves the ClubSport Wheel to possibly get packaged with a PS4 rim to make it licensed/compatible on a hardware level.
To me and from my point of view, albeit personal speculation, would indicate that the chances are low that existing wheels will be completely compatible with the PS4. With compatible I mean working both in the XMB Menu and in the game.
It could be technically possible to put backwards compatibility into the drivers (like the T500 riding on the officially licensed T300 drivers), which means that while older wheels might not work in the PS4 XMB Menu but will work in-game. This in the same way that the T500 is working in-game on the PS4, but it is not working with the PS4 XMB Menu. Making the T500 not fully compatible, and even the new T300 has a PS3/PS4-switch to switch compatibility.

So personally I would say that from the above logic I wouldn't get your hopes up for full compatibility, but hopefully Fanatec's wheels will be able to ride on the PS4 drivers of a new officially licensed wheel in the future. The old stuff might not work in the menu but at least it will work in games that have the Fanatec driver included.
Well, that's at least my hopeful good ending for this stressful situation of every sim racer.
 
For me I have enough of this talk now. Looks like I have to build an gaming pc and become open minded for some other racing sims too.

After insulting my Fanatec wheel with the gt series on ps3 for the last 3 years, I just have seen the wheel came alife on pc with Assetto Corsa.

That weak effects on the ps3 are a shame and its a shame that fanatec did not supported the wheels directly on ps3 and let them run on an Logitech emulation mode. I did not knew this untill now. If I would have know that I would have bought some Logitech or thrustmaster wheel.
 
Fanatec...
I cannot say much about it other than it is fully and only in the hands of Sony at this point.
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First, good job paskowitz on deciding to invest in a gaming PC. Really smart, forward thinking on that decision.

Looks like SCE just wants too much money for Fanatec to make a sound business case making PS4 licensed wheels... which begs the question... does SCE really think this is a lucrative strategy? It must be an upfront licensing fee (instead of per unit royalty) (or even worse both). Maybe once we get a couple more racing games in the market and there are more potential PS4 Fanatec customers the climate will change.

If I was Fanatec (arm chair advice here), I would heavily lobby Polyphony. While they are probably still close with Thrustmaster, their new products do not have GT branding. IMO the QR&hub systems would be perfect for all the trade shows. PD could afix the specific rims of the cars they are demoing (Corvette, Nissan, etc).
 
as a g27 owner I fell like we have been shafted.ps4 games will lose much revenue if the g27 is not supported. it should just be a given that the g27 works on ps4.logitech and sony need to whatever it takes to get them working. I will not buy any racing games until this is sorted. I didn't spend 250 quid on a wheel for it not to work on next gen
 
shoemaker
as a g27 owner I fell like we have been shafted.ps4 games will lose much revenue if the g27 is not supported. it should just be a given that the g27 works on ps4.logitech and sony need to whatever it takes to get them working. I will not buy any racing games until this is sorted. I didn't spend 250 quid on a wheel for it not to work on next gen
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I am a G27 owner as well and it will be a shame if nothing got done to support a G27 for PS4.
 
I couldn't care less if my G25 doesn't work with the XMB, as long as it drives cars in games I'm happy, also great to see some answers from Fanatec. Getting somewhere finally.
 

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