Logitech

There’s been a lot of interest and debate over the new Logitech G29 steering wheel that was formally unveiled a few weeks ago, but not much in the way of hands-on impressions.

After several leaks, Logitech have officially announced their return to the sim-racing hardware market with the G29 and G920 steering wheels. The two models are roughly identical, though the G29 is compatible with both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, while the G920 is compatible with the Xbox One and does not include the same red adjustable dial. Both models will also be compatible with the PC.

There’s been no official information or acknowledgement of Logitech’s G29 steering wheel, but two leaks over the past few weeks have all but confirmed the accessory maker’s return to the sim racing hardware market.

As you may have heard, news of Logitech’s return to the sim racing hardware market recently hit the web, with pictures of what appeared to be the G29 Driving Force. Now, more details and a new photo of the wheel’s packaging have leaked, via a report recently published by GameReactor.

The sim-racing hardware community is buzzing today after leaked photos and info appear to show a “Logitech G29 Driving Force” wheel prototype.

The Logitech G27 remains one of the most popular and widely used wheels in sim racing, thanks to its sturdy construction and nearly ubiquitous compatibility with console and PC racing games. Although it can’t quite offer the same range of features or technology that today’s high-end wheels provide, it is still one of the most affordable ways to upgrade from a controller.

Yesterday’s release of GT6 update 1.12 brought with it some enhanced force-feedback configuration option for steering wheel controllers, allowing users to adjust the torque of the wheel. Unfortunately, Logitech wheel owners quickly noticed this had a negative impact on the G25, G27, and Driving Force Pro, with drastically reduced wheel resistance.

The future of Logitech’s sim-racing steering wheel products has come under question since the company announced they “plan to discontinue other non-strategic products, such as speaker docks and console gaming peripherals, by the end of Calendar Year 2013,” in their latest quarterly earnings report.

One of the most frequent complaints about the popular Logitech Driving Force GT is the pedals. The brake, in particular, can be quite “squishy”, making it more difficult to accurately gauge the force being applied. Since the DFGT was released, several popular DIY mods have been shared in our forums, but this one is probably my favorite: simply wrap a small bungie cord around the brake pedal and hook it around the base of the unit, as YouTuber megadarren demonstrates above (thanks, TRC_Hunk).

Since the Logitech Challenge cheaters were exposed, many of you have spread the word and contacted Sony/Logitech, expressing your anger with poorly-skilled drivers who were bending the rules to get ahead.  Now, we’ve got official word from Logitech on exactly what is (not) going to happen.   Chris Pate, Logitech’s Global Product Marketing Manager, stopped by the GTPlanet Forums:

A new official competition is afoot in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, and while it may not be quite as good as the ultimate racing cockpit, a trip to the GT Academy, or the Drifting World Championships, you’ve got a much better chance at winning something.  The Logitech Challenge begins tomorrow, and will consist of three week-long events.  The top three finishers from each week will win prizes from – you guessed it – Logitech, including steering wheels, speakers, and more.  Specifics on what cars will be used will only be released at the beginning of each week, but here is what we know so far: