With the launch of Gran Turismo 5, the steering wheel market is really heating up. Now, however, the bar has apparently been raised with the new Fanatec Porsche 911 GT2. The wheel is receiving high marks from users in our steering wheels forum, and there’s even more kind words from the hosts at InsideSimRacing, who called it part of the “best package” to play the game. Keep an eye on the wheel segment of InsideSimRacing’s Gran Turismo 5 review in the video above (you’ll find the wheel discussion begins at 24:45) for more, or watch Darin’s mini-feature on the GT2 here.
The first production run of GT2 wheels quickly sold out, but Fanatec is already taking pre-orders for the next batch which should arrive later next month.
See more articles on Accessories, Fanatec, and Steering Wheels.
I find it funny they think you still need liscenses
Just noticed that there are NO REPLAYS in 2 player split screen mode.. WHAT IS THIS??? This game is a step backwards.
No way I’m buying a $300+ videogame steering wheel, ever. No matter my income.
Am I the only one who thinks it’s quite sad to have a £200 in your living room, still?
Yep.
I like the review the ISR crew did, there usually pretty balanced, I’ve been watching there stuff for about 12 months now and they’ve done some great reporting. However I do note they’re also pretty tight with Fanatecs founder…just sayin.
What’s troubling me is not that Fanatecs got a great product (if you’ve followed Fanatec story in the last year or so, you’ll know they’ve spent some serious dollars on RD, which has clearly paid off).
What’s concerning me is that PD dont seem to be fully in sync with Logitech where it counts. i.e. where is the full support for the G25/G27? Can they give us an indication of when a patch might be coming to sort the button mapping out?
They tricked us into thinking that our wheels would be perfect for the game and when everyone make a steering wheel purchase they drop a bombshell in the form of the thrustmaster T500RS what a bunch of !’#”[[#!S
I luv my g25 but I’m definitely thinking about upgrading. I’ll wait for the thrustmaster review before I decide if I wanna change to the gt2.
I seem to remember my G25 wheel feeling better in GT5 trial demo, these people are playing with us, they want to seel new technology so they downgrade the G25 feel.. we’re small fries.
The hypocrisy in this thread is amazing. I’m dying laughing at some of the replies. If they took the Porsche logo off and slapped a GT5 in it’s place got rid of the 360 compatibility AND even kept the price the same EVERYONE in here would be professing how this is the best wheel on the planet. But just because Porsche isn’t in the game and the wheel works with the 360 people here are doing the same thing they accuse those who don’t like GT5 do, inventing things just to hate. I don’t even have the newer wheel above, I have the “older” Porsche Turbo GT S AND I have the Logitech G27 and the Fanatec CLEARLY beats the Logitech in every way. And as they say in the review, the Clubsport brakes is almost like cheating with the Fanatec. Sorry guys it is what it is. Hate or not.
PS: I gotta link this thread to some friends so they also can get a good laugh. I’m sorry but some of the replies are just laughable. It’s like reading from kids who couldn’t get the better toy and they start making up reasons why the lesser toy is better than “that old fancy-dancy toy I didn’t want anyway”.
I was thinking along the same lines, but probably more for the reason they’ve all been told for so long that the G25/27 is the way to go and don’t want to let go of what they know. They’ve probably invested into those two and want to keep telling themselves they’ve got the best experience. Newsflash: things change.
I totally agree, it seems everyone with a G25 or G27 simply refuses to believe that a better wheel could possibly exist, I’m sorry but they are just glorified DFGT’s, the Fanatec GT2 and the Thrustmaster T500 RS are now the ultimate wheel’s.
You guys are so right. Guess what, the Thrustmaster could come out and smoke everything up and down the road and if it’s true I’d be the first to praise it as a Fanatec and G27 owner. My only gripe would be for my personal needs it wouldn’t be the best fit since it doesn’t work with the 360 so for my needs the Fanatec would still be king but as a PS3 standalone wheel I’d give it it’s props all day long. Why, because things change and get better all the time. Some time in the not so distant future a wheel will come out and smoke everything on the market now, a little further down the time line yet another will come. That’s how it works.
Take the Porsche logo off? take the logo off? LOL, can you also take the whole design based on a 911 off too?? the shape of the wheel colour texture etc… Porsche aren’t in the game because they are has been fuddy duddies only kept alive by the pipe and slipper people, stuck up cars.. I owned a 911 and a Cayman S, got so much grief from all angles that I couldn’t wait to get rid of them. Sad but true, so I agree with those people.. who wants a Porsche wheel when it reminds you of all the things you hate the most. (sorry just my take) lol
erm…deadzones are important, very important.
if you people think all cars in real life have 900 degrees, you are sadly mistaken. not many cars actually use 900 degrees because its unpractical.
i have been enjoying gran turismo prolouge with the ferrari f1 car, but 900 degrees of steering in a f1 car is absolutely ludicris.
f1 cars use about 180ish degrees of steering…sometimes adjusts for different situations. but 180 and 900, that is day and night difference, cmon, get real…
There is no way I’m going to sit through 50 minutes of that report.
Thats probably why Jordan has given the time when the wheel review begins.
@Bolg: Since when are you using your DFGT? Btw yeah there’s should be Porsche as a DLC!!! I just bought my DFGT last 2 months.. And I’m lovin it.
I got it a short while after it was released so I’ve had it at least a couple of years and it has taken a great deal of violent abuse.
So what’s the difference between the GT2 & GT3 RS? All that testing and they don’t even give a decent explanation. The GT2 looks a great wheel though, I’ll just wait and see what the T500RS is like now before I upgrade my DFGT which is gradually falling to pieces.
I love how during the DFGT review he says there’s major dead zone issue as he is flinging the wheel but you could see on the screen its completely accurate and there is no deadzone whatsoever.
You realize they are talking about “mechanical” dead zone. Lack of tightness in the center. G25 will NOT stay tight down the middle like a real car. Get a car going 20mph or more and the wheel will feel glued to the center, but not the G25, or any logitech products.
actually the DFGT is quite tight in the center when the car is in motion. I’m not sure about the G25, but so much for “or any logitech products”.
Again, when you talk aboiut controllers, the term “deadzone” refers to control imput. If they’re talking about something else they shouldn’t use improper and misleading terms.
great review, I actually watch the whole show, these guys are totally fair with the pros and cons and I like how they want unlock everything first before giving it a final score because no one else was willing to do that
Ironic!!!
There’s absolutely no way I’m spending $500 on a stupid wheel… $250 for my out-of-the-box G27 was a huge price tag to begin with.
I think i watched the babe more than i watched the playing =DD
Fanatec has a cheaper model called the Carrera for just 160 bucks.
YOU CAN’T PAINT THE CAR!!?? BULLSHI*!
Don’t get me wrong, the Fanatec is a great wheel in it’s own right, but their comparison is 100% invalidated by the fact that they mention flaws on the other wheels that simply don’t exist.
For instance the alleged brake problems in which the brake pedals would go 100% input even when slightly depressed on the logitech wheels is completely untrue. You simply need to fully depress the pedal once for it to calibrate, and then it’ll perform spotlessly.
To be honest someone that markets himself as simulated racing experts should know that.
Mind you, the overall review is pretty nice and fair, but the wheels part is simply not realistic.
Exactly what I thought when I watched this. It’s ridiculous when reviewer doesn’t know how to calibrate pedals on Logitech products.
+1 Abriel
whats wrong with having a deadzone? real life cars have a deadzone?
no deadzone will only give you way to much resistance in the middle? and probably oscillation…
It is a little unrealistic actually, like if you jerk back and forth in the first 2 inch range a real car would be shaking violently but in GT nothing happens and therefore gives that initial steering input much less precision than it should. I’m gonna wait for the RS500 review in the near future and pick up the best rated wheel next summer. I’ve used the G25 since it hit shelves in 2007.
I’mnot sure about the G25 and G27, but contrary to their description the DFGT doesn’t have the mentioned deadzone at all. Even the slightest movement of the wheel corresponds to a response of the car.
I think they were referring to a Force Feedback deadzone on the DFGT which it has. I use a DFGT and I’m certain there is little, if any, steering deadzone.
Then he should use the proper terminology, or explain himself. When talking about a controller of any kind “deadzone” refers to the area of input where there’s no responsiveness.
by the way, even for force feedback the “deadzone” exists only when stationary (like in real cars) when at speed feedback will be immediate, I’m testing it now, and i receive feedback as soon as i move the wheel one mm left or right.
Goes to show how much they tested the wheels they didn’t want to put under the spotlight.
This is going to be the most honest review of GT5, thanx to the fact they wait for part 2, with the upadtes and all!
My G25 works great. I Don’t notice a “Huge deadzone”… But whatever. I’d have to try that wheel out before I bought it to see how much, if any, I think it’s better than the G25. Since that’s never going to happen, I guess I’ll never know. PS – getting my sim-seat SR-2 Platinum racing rig today.. Woot!
LOL, for $500, I would sure hope it would be better than the Logitech DFGT I paid about $120 for. I love racing games, but that’s just ridiculous.
That’s way too much for a wheel. Maybe if you live at home or have a lot of disposable income. First off, I can’t afford it and secondly my wife would kill me for spending a month’s worth of rent for a wheel. My DFGT works just fine for $95.
Fanatec does have a budget version of this wheel called the “Carrera” that’s only 160 dollars, Main differences are a cheaper plastic and gear driven force feedback instead of the solid Belt drive.. I do believe it wouldn’t last as long, but for that low price, it’s not a bad deal at all.
Is it possible to use all the wheel buttons @ Logitech G27? Only 2 from the 6 aviable are working here.. what should I do?
lol @ the dude defending 500 bucks spent to play a video game with a wheel is cool
“dude” doesn’t have to defend how he spends his money, if he earns it he can spend it how he wants. I wouldn’t, but then i’ve just moved house and had my first kid so i’d find it pretty hard to justify to the wife.
Never heard of them
The internals and firmware, are the same as any Other Fanatec Wheels. So anyone who owns Fanatec wheel is feeling exactly the same as above.. Its just a new model!
Cool, the new number one on my wheel list then!
Just have to hold out till CES 2011 (Jan 6th) to get more info on the thrustmaster, if that’s not out within the next 3months then I get the GT2 wheel :)
Damn that jessica Lopez. She looks so hot in that shot. Yes and it is very ironic that the porsche wheel is best for gt5!
I just dont get it, you can buy an actually running car for $500, I will never spend that kind of money, I know the experience is better and all that but seriously $500 for a steering wheel setup on a game is insane.
Spending five hundred bucks to drive 200 virtual miles an hour is alot safer than trying to drive a 500 dollar car 30 miles an hour.
Um…my old car was worth about 500 USD and it considerably more than 30mph.
Sleepy-z…a lot of us die hard GT and sim-racig fans are not kids or teenagers but working for a living, so $500 is fair for a product that is built solid. A set of summer sport tires runs about $700-800 for a good car. Everything unfortunately is expensive these days, so avoid “flipping burgers” for a living and you’ll have a chance at thinking about buying a high-end wheel.
some of you guys’ logic is all messed up.
Paying $300 for a cheap (real) car, and actually GOING somewhere is more productive than sitting at home playing video games.
@the comment about flipping burgers: the more time spent at home playing video games, the greater one’s likely-hood at a career flipping burgers.
If you can’t afford to spend $500 on something you like once in your life then I think you need to re-evaluate how you budget in life.
People go out and spend 100,200 a weekend on getting pissed blind drunk, or gambling. With this you’re getting something in return. :)
I went out to Wakefield Park Raceway, which cost about $250 (travelling, fuel, registration for track licence, and day pass) to go around a race track with your own car for about 1.5-2hours. It was the most memorable experience I could have had.
Just how life is. You live once, why hold back when you’re going to be working your whole life…
Well to defend the comments, I already spent $100 a couple times in the past on those steering wheels, used them for a year and now they just gather dust. To drop $500 on a controller for a game just for the emblem on the wheel is insane. They could have dropped a few hundred off the price and not tied porsche into the thing. I have plenty of money but I would not invest it in a steering wheel, I learned my lesson from the past it is not worth that much money. Sorry if you did and you feel the need to defend your purchase or if your trying to back sponsors of the site. I would love to have one, but its 300-400 more then I would ever pay for a steering wheel anymore, its more expensive then the ps3. Dont judge people’s life style based on there opinion of a product, I am 29 married with a kid and doing very well, rather spend money on my kids xmas then invest that much in a steering wheel(again).
I can understand if you don’t think its worth. But you can’t really compare it to a $500 car. It’s like comparing a $20 porno Dvd to a $20 hooker. Why pay for a Dvd when you can have the real thing? Sure she probably will get the job done like your $500 car but its going to be a shitty experience.
test
“They could have dropped a few hundred off the price and not tied porsche into the thing. ”
I sure would be nice if people knew what they were talking about. This sentence READS as if putting the beautiful Porsche logo on the wheel adds a few hundred dollars to the wheel. Nothing could be further from the truth.
After all how many wheels can say this:
“There is no denying that half the appeal of this wheel is the Porsche name, and Fanatec has gone the extra mile to bring you the ultimately designed official Porsche experience. I mean; we’re talking the exact same leather stitched in the same factory where the real Porsche wheels are made. Just that first whiff of leather when you take the wheel out of the plastic bag will transport you to the Porsche showroom, and you can pretend you are climbing in a 911 for a test drive.”
http://www.gamechronicles.com/gear/ps3/porsche911/turbowheel.htm
Would be a lot more appealing without the Porsche branding on it.
Would be a lot cheaper too no doubt.
Actually the porsche branding doesn’t cost nearly as much as Xbox360 compatibility xD
The Xbox compatibility is a worthwhile function though.
A Porsche badge glued to the wheel isn’t, and I bet it costs a lot. Probably around 20-30% of the product price.
Actually, considering theres that new Carrera Wheel for 160 bucks total still has the badge on it, well, i don’t think it’s all that much.
I agree… I have never been a fan of the fanatec wheels, and I tested out a GT3 Fatanec wheel at the Sydney Motorshow… everything felt flimsy compared to the G27. Heck it felt 10x more flimsy than the G25 … I was not impressed.
That and the porsche badge will piss me off when every car I drive is not a porsche in the game, just sad really.
About those saying it’s a lot of money, I picked up my G27 for $300 AU dollars, and I consider it far from a waste of money, and it doesn’t mean you’ll be flipping burgers if you play it too much because with everything in life a balance is what is needed. :)
Cant see how anything can be better than the g25. The feedback is spot on, as far as i can see. Fully supported or not.
Same here for the G27… Although i would gladly take the Fanatec Porsche 911 GT2 as an unforeseen xmas present… Hello, beloved Fanatec company!
It is until the new Thrustmaster wheel cmes out I guess.
Wait for the Thrustmaster!!!!!
You’ve got to feel it to believe it. After 10 months of racing with the GT3RS the G25/27 feels like a toy wheel to me.
I dunno.. My brother uses a G25, i use the plain jane 911 S. Not as feature rich as the newer GT2, but none the less, the complete lack of dead zone and it’s fully tuneable features really make a hell of a difference. The sensitivity alone lets ya casually glide around cars when drafting much more precisely, and i like to think it’s belt driven force feedback makes the go karts all the more hectic to drive.
Ironic that a Porsche steering wheel would be the best for GT5 =S
Maybe Porshe is coming to GT as DLC?
Yeah it really is…
@Sasek: I hope that to… Porsche would be great, but i would probably be glad about every kind of car pack, may it be from one manufacturer or rather a compilation of all european/japanese/american cars for example
“to” should be “too” otherwise that was exactly what i wanted to say… ;)
I just wanna see an AMC car pack ;D
I’m NOT kidding o.o
V8 Gremlin X, 69 AMX, 71 Javelin, 79 Spirit AMX, etc etc <333
Hell yeah my buddy had a 71 Javelin!
Fanatec have no connection what so ever to GT5, so no,thee is Zero irony here..
Damn..that looks awesome.
Don’t you mean SHE looks awesome?
Jessica rocks!
Love that sweater! Oh, the wheel is quite good too!
;)
Jessica’s awesome. but this wheel is the best for 2 apparent reasons. Stronger force feedback, and the brake pedal isn’t so sensitive that you can’t drive without ABS on. Just the pedals alone are a huge inprovement even though personally I think they’re ugly. Logitech is awesome but they should up the FFB and fix their brake pedals. oh and the 911 GT2 WORKS WITH XBOX AND PS3
They almost got all the bases.
There’s a tall and short guy (Darin and Shaun for all the ladies), a beautiful lady for all the old men, and a young guy for those teen girls. All they need now is a 13 year old girl for the pedophiles.
13? Too old.