Sim racing wheel

A sim racing wheel is a control device for use in racing games, racing simulators, and driving simulators. They are usually packaged with a large paddle styled as a steering wheel, along with a set of pedals for the accelerator, brake, and clutch, as well as transmission controls. An analog wheel and pedal set such as this allows the user to accurately manipulate steering angle and pedal control that is required to properly manage a simulated car, as opposed to digital control such as a keyboard. The relatively large range of motion further allows the user to more accurately apply the controls. Racing wheels have been developed for use with arcade games, game consoles, personal computers, and also for professional driving simulators for race drivers.

A race of Forza Motorsport 6, utilizing a racing wheel controller, at the EB Games Expo 2015.

One of the earliest racing wheels for the PC mass market was the Thrustmaster Formula T1, released in 1994.[1][2] It had no force feedback, only some form of spring-based centering resistance proportional to the steering angle.[3] Two of the earliest FFB wheels for the consumer PC market were the Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Wheel,[4] released in 1997, and the Logitech Wingman Formula Force.

Force feedback

Force feedback sim wheels have motors to simulate steering kickback. Racing wheels started off as simple plastic wheels hooked up to a rotary potentiometer, which were sprung by springs or bungees. These spring-based wheels had a reactive torque that increased proportionally only to the steering angle, without regard for the simulated vehicle dynamics.[5]

Eventually manufacturers began to use electric motors in the controllers, in place of springs, in order to achieve a level of force feedback (sometimes abbreviated FFB), first seen in Microsoft's Sidewinder wheel. At first this technology simply provided the centering force and other artificial effects such as shaking the wheel in a crash or other vibrations. However, as driving simulations have evolved, their physics engines have become more elaborate, allowing also for linking the force feedback close to the simulated vehicle dynamics of the in-game physics.[5] This allows the user to truly feel what forces go through the steering rack, instead of just artificial effects, and genuinely enhance the realism of the game. A fundamental factor for an adequate subjective steering-feel and perception of drivability from a force feedback wheel, is the transfer function from steering torque to steering angle.[6][7]

In 2015, a preliminary comparison of gear-driven and direct-drive wheels in the 0–30 Hz frequency range, for a study on hard real-time multibody simulation and high-fidelity steering wheel force feedback, concluded that direct-drive wheels are preferable.[8]

Buttons
A Logitech G29 racing wheel.

Sim racing wheels, like real-world racing steering wheels, can have many buttons. Some examples are cruise control or pit-lane limiter for the pit lane, button for flashing lights, windscreen wipers, radio communication with the team, adjustments to the racing setup (such as brake balance, brake migration, differential braking (entry, mid+, exit, hi-speed; to make use of torque effectively at different points in a corner[9]), traction control (amplitude and sensitivity), anti-roll bar adjustment (front and rear), engine program (strat mode/ engine mode to get extra power or conserve fuel and engine life), engine braking (the engine's throttle or absence of throttle when there is no input from the gas pedal, i.e. whether the engine contributes to the car slowing down or is keeping its speed), etc.), seeing sideways or in the mirror, or to browse various menus (for example using a 7-way «funky switch»).

Comparison of racing wheels

Subsections by motor type: no FFB, gear- or belt-driven, and direct-drive wheels.

No FFB
Manufacturer Product Year Max Rotation (Deg) FFB Clutch Shifter Brake Sensor Pedal Type
Atomic Lamborghini Gallardo Evo Racing Wheel 270 No No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
BRD Sim Pro Wheel, Speed7 Pedals (<=2013) 290 No Optional Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Thrustmaster Formula T1 1994 No
Thrustmaster Formula T2 1995[10] No
Thrustmaster Ferrari Wireless Gt F430 Scuderia Edition Cockpit 270 No No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Thrustmaster Ferrari GT 3-in-1 180 No No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Microsoft Sidewinder Precision Racing Wheel 1999 240 No No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
ECCI Trackstar 6000 Series Wheel/Pedals 270 No [lower-alpha 1][11] Optional Paddles "Pressure Modulated" Standing
ECCI Trackstar 7000 Force Feedback 900 — — — — —
Thomas SuperWheel TSW Wheels, Pedals 720 No Optional Paddles, Sequential Load Cell optional Standing
A1 A1 GT Wheel 500 No [lower-alpha 2] — Paddles — —

Earlier products
Manufacturer Product Year Max Rotation (Deg) FFB mechanism Wheel detaches from the base Wheel cover material Clutch Shifter Brake Sensor Pedal Type
Fanatec Le Mans SE  ? Yes No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Fanatec Speedster 2  ? Yes No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Fanatec Speedster 3 (<=2005)[12] 210[12] Yes No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Guillemot Race Force-Feedback[13] (<=2000) Yes
InterAct FX Racing Wheel Review (<=1999) Yes
InterAct V4 Force Feedback[14] Yes
Thrustmaster Ferrari 458 Italia 270 Yes No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Thrustmaster Ferrari F430 270 Yes No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Thrustmaster RGT FFB Clutch [lower-alpha 3] 270 Yes Yes Paddles, Sequential Potentiometer Standing
Thrustmaster FGT 2-in-1 Force Feedback 180 Yes No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Saitek R4 Force Wheel[15][16] (<=1999)[17] Yes
Saitek R660GT 180 Yes No Paddles, Sequential Potentiometer Hanging
Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel 2006 270 Yes No No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Defender Extreme Turbo (PRO) 180 Yes No Sequential — Standing

Gear-driven
Manufacturer Product Year Max Rotation (Deg) FFB mechanism Wheel detaches from the base Wheel cover material Clutch Shifter Brake Sensor Pedal Type
Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Wheel 1997 240 Gears[18] No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Act Labs Force RS (Force Racing System) (<=2000)[19] 270 Gears[18] No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Logitech Formula Force 180 Yes No No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Logitech Driving Force EX 180 Gears No Plastic + Rubber No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Logitech Wingman Formula Force Wheel[18] (1998)[20] 180 Steel belts and motors[18] No
Logitech GT Force 2001[21] 180 Yes
Logitech MOMO Force (Red MOMO) 2004[22] 270 Yes No No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Logitech MOMO Racing Force 2005[22] 240 Yes No No Paddles, Sequential Potentiometer Standing
Logitech Driving Force Pro 900 Yes No No Paddles, Sequential Potentiometer Standing
Logitech Driving Force GT 2007[21] 900 Yes No No Paddles, Sequential Potentiometer Standing
Logitech G25 2006[23] 900 Gear-driven (with straight-cut gears)[24] No Yes Paddles, H-shift, Sequential Potentiometer Standing
Fanatec Porsche 911 Carrera Wheel 2009[25] Gear-driven[25] Potentiometer
Logitech G27 900 (helical) gear-driven[24] No Leather[26] Yes Paddles, H-shift Potentiometer Standing
Mad Catz Pro Racing Force Feedback Wheel 2014 900 (helical) gear-driven[27] Yes Suede leather[27] No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Logitech G920 2015[28] 900 Yes No Yes Paddles, H-shift Potentiometer Standing
Logitech G29 2015[28] 900 Gear-driven[29] No Yes Paddles, H-shift Potentiometer Standing
Logitech G923 TRUEFORCE Sim Racing Wheel 2020[28] 900 Dual-motor geared force feedback

Hybrid gear and belt-driven
Manufacturer Product Year Max Rotation (Deg) FFB mechanism Wheel detaches from the base Wheel cover material Clutch Shifter Brake Sensor Pedal Type Pedal Unit
Thrustmaster T150 RS 2015 1080 Hybrid No No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Thrustmaster TMX 2015 900 Hybrid No No Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Thrustmaster T150 Pro 2017 1080 Hybrid[30][31] No Yes Paddles Potentiometer Standing T3PA
Thrustmaster TMX Pro 2017 900 Hybrid No Yes Paddles Potentiometer Standing T3PA
Thrustmaster T248 2021 900 Hybrid[32] No Plastic, Fake Leather Yes Paddles Contactless, Magnetic Standing T3PM[33]
Thrustmaster T128 2022[34] 900 Hybrid[35] No Plastic No Paddles Contactless, Magnetic Standing T2PM

Belt-driven
Manufacturer Product Year Max Rotation (Deg) FFB mechanism Wheel detaches from the base Wheel cover material Clutch Shifter Brake Sensor Pedal Type
Fanatec [lower-alpha 4] Porsche 911 Turbo S Wheel (<=2009)[36] 900 Belt-driven — Paddles — —
Fanatec [lower-alpha 4] Porsche 911 GT2 Wheel (<2011)[37] 900 belt-driven Mabuchi 550 motor[37] Alcantara — Paddles — —
Fanatec [lower-alpha 4] Forza Motorsport CSR Elite Wheel (<=2011) 900 Yes — Paddles — —
Fanatec [lower-alpha 4] Forza Motorsport CSR Wheel (<=2011)[37] 900 belt-driven Mabuchi 550 motor[37] — Paddles — —
Fanatec [lower-alpha 4] Porsche 911 Carrera Wheel 2011[38] 900 belt-driven[38] Yes Paddles, H-Shift — Standing
Fanatec [lower-alpha 4] Porsche 911 GT3 RS Wheel (<=2011)[38] 900 Belt-driven[38] — Paddles — —
Fanatec CSL Elite Wheel 2017[39] 1080-degree[39] Yes, single non-ribbed belt-drive,[39] up to 6 Nm torque[40] — Paddles — —
Fanatec [lower-alpha 4] ClubSport Wheel (CSW) v.1 (<=2013) 900 Single belt drive (Single gear toothed belt drive), brushless servo motor[41] Yes — Paddles — —
Fanatec [lower-alpha 4] ClubSport Wheel (CSW) V2.5 900 dual belt-drive, up to 8 Nm torque[40] Yes — Paddles — —
Thrustmaster T300 RS[42] 2014[43][44] 1080 Dual-belt-driven,[29][45] brushless motor, hall sensor with 65k positions resolution[46] Yes[47] Rubber[26] Yes Paddles Potentiometer Standing
Thrustmaster T500 RS 2011[48] 1080 Brushed motors[45] Yes[47] Yes Paddles Potentiometer Standing/Hanging
Thrustmaster TS-PC Racer 2017[49] 1080 dual-belt-drive,[50] brushless motor (about 6 Nm torque), hall sensor with 65k positions resolution[51] Yes Pseudo-alcantara[51][52] — —

Direct-drive bases or wheel + base combos
Main article: Direct-drive sim racing wheel

Other types / uncategorized
Manufacturer Product Year Max Rotation (Deg) FFB Clutch Shifter Brake Sensor Pedal Type
Frex Simwheel [lower-alpha 5] V1[53] 2008[54] 1080 Yes — — — —
VPP Wheel, Hyperreal Pedals (<= 2006) 270 Yes Optional Paddles Potentiometer Standing

Pedals

Other features by which pedals can be compared are whether they can be inverted (hanging pedals), build material (plastic, aluminum), adjustability (position, pressure, travel), measured pressure, travel length, sensor resolution.[55]

Potentiometer-based and magnetic brake
Manufacturer Product Year Max Rotation (Deg) FFB Clutch Shifter Brake Sensor Sensor Resolution Pedal Type
Fanatec [lower-alpha 4] Standard Porche Pedals — — Yes — Potentiometer 8 bit[56] Standing
Fanatec [lower-alpha 4] CSR Pedals 2011[57] — — Yes — Potentiometer 8 bit[56] Standing/Hanging
A1 A1 GT Pedals — — Yes — Potentiometer Standing
Act Labs RS Pedals — — Yes — Potentiometer Standing
Redline Pedals — — Optional — Potentiometer Hanging
Thrustmaster T3PA 2014[58] — — Yes — Potentiometer Hanging
Thrustmaster T3PA-Pro 2015[59] — — Yes — Potentiometer Hanging
Thrustmaster T3PM 2021[60] — — Yes — Contactless, Magnetic 10 bit[33] Standing

Loadcell brake
Manufacturer Product Year Max Rotation (Deg) FFB Clutch Brake Sensor Sensor resolution Pedal Type
Fanatec Porsche Clubsport Pedals 2008[61] — Yes[61] Yes Load Cell Standing/Hanging
Fanatec [lower-alpha 4] ClubSport Pedals 2009[25] — — Yes Load Cell 10 bit[56] Standing
Thomas Super Wheel TSW Load Cell Pedals 2010[62] — — Yes Load Cell Standing
Fanatec [lower-alpha 4] CSR Elite Pedals 2011[56] — No[61] Yes Load Cell 10 bit[61] Standing/Hanging
Fanatec Clubsport Pedal V2 2013[63] — — Yes Load Cell Standing
Derek Speare Designs (DSD) Wilwood Load Cell Pedals 2014[64] — — Yes Load Cell Standing
Fanatec Clubsport Pedal V3 2015[65] — Yes[65] Yes Load Cell 12 bit[65] Standing
Fanatec CSL Elite Pedals 2016[66] — No Optional Optional Load Cell upgrade Standing
Frex Sim2Pedal — — No Hydraulic w/ Load Cell (HydroBrake) Optional
Frex Sim3Pedal — — Yes Hydraulic w/ Load Cell (HydroBrake) Optional
A1 A1 Pro Pedals — — Yes Load Cell Optional
CST (Cannon Simulation Technologies) Pedals — — Optional "Pressure Sensing" Hanging
REVZALOT P36 Pedals — — Yes Load Cell Standing
Thrustmaster T-LCM[55] 2020[67] — No Yes Load Cell 16 bit Standing
Simworx Pro GT V3[55] — — Yes Load Cell Standing
MOZA Racing SR-P Pedals 2022[68] — Yes Yes Load Cell 16 bit Standing

Shifters
Manufacturer Product Max Rotation (Deg) FFB Clutch Shifter Brake Sensor Pedal Type
Fanatec [lower-alpha 4] Porsche Shifter — — — H-shift, Sequential — —
Fanatec [lower-alpha 4] CSR Shifter — — — H-shift, Sequential — —
Frex HShift+ — — — H-shift — —
Frex Shift+ — — — Sequential — —
A1 GearBox — — — H-Shift — —
Act Labs RS Shifter — — — H-shift — —
Logitech G Driving Force Shifter H-Shift

Notes
  1. Utilizes fluid dampening.
  2. Future FFB addon possible.
  3. Includes two separate analog paddle axis.
  4. Components may be packaged together in some cases and sold as a bundle.
  5. Includes hub mechanism only; wheel and adapters not included.

See also

References
  1. Andrew See (1994) THRUSTMASTER FORMULA T1 DRIVING SIMULATOR CONTROLS by Thrustmaster, Game Bytes Magazine
  2. DARIN GANGI Throwback Thursday: Thrustmaster T1, AUGUST 22, 2014
  3. Thrustmaster Formula T1/T2 Profile
  4. Julien Jay SideWinder Force Feedback Wheel review
  5. Dell’Amico, M., Marzani, S., Minin, L., Montanari, R., Tesauri, F., Mariani, & Tango, F. (2007) Design of an adaptive feedback based steering wheel, p.181, in Marvin J. Dainoff (Ed., 2007) International Conference on Ergonomics and Health Aspects of Work with Computers (pp. 180–188). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
  6. Chen, W., Chugh, T., Klomp, M., Ran, S., & Lidberg, M. (2017) Design and control of the steering torque feedback in a vehicle driving simulator, in Maksym Spiryagin, Timothy Gordon, Colin Cole, Tim McSweeney (Eds., 2021) The Dynamics of Vehicles on Roads and Tracks, ch.7 (pp. 213–219). CRC Press, p.215
  7. Harrer, M., Pfeffer, P., & Braess, H. H. (2017). Steering-feel, interaction between driver and car. In Steering Handbook (pp. 149–168). Springer, Cham.
  8. Pastorino, R., Desloovere, M., Vanneste, F., Degezelle, P., Desmet, W., & Optidrive, N. V. (2015) Development, implementation and validation of a hard real-time multibody simulation for high-fidelity steering wheel force feedback, in Proceedings of the ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Multibody Dynamics, Barcelona, Spain (Vol. 10).
  9. What all the controls do on a modern day F1 steering wheel
  10. The Red Chip Review, Issues 2–6, Crown Point Publishing, 1997, p.40
  11. ECCI TrackStar 6000, Jan 21, 2009
  12. Fanatec Speedster 3 (Xbox) Review, Gabriel Vega, neoseeker.com, Sunday, June 12th, 2005
  13. Fabio "Bill" Cristi Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Wheel – Review
  14. "InterAct Racing Wheel V4 Force Feedback – wheel and pedals set – wired Overview – CNET". www.cnet.com. Archived from the original on 30 August 2016.
  15. Saitek R4 Force – wheel and pedals set – wireless Specs, at cnet.com
  16. Saitek R4 Review, August 1st, 1999
  17. William Gall Saitek R4 ForceFeedback Wheel Review @ RDGR, 3D Gaming World Hardware Review, March 21, 1999
  18. Gonzo Wingman Formula Force Wheel, arstechnica
  19. Yingzong , Hardware One, 12/01/00
  20. Logitech Wingman Formula Force Installation Guide, Copyright 1998
  21. Andrew Evans Logitech G Teases New Racing Wheel, Reveal Due August 5, gtplanet.net, August 4, 2020
  22. Logitech Momo Racing Force-Feedback Wheel, Joel Santo Domingo, pcmag.com, Mar 17, 2005
  23. BEN KUCHERA Logitech G25 Racing Wheel review, arstechnica, 10/25/2006
  24. "Logitech G27 a Step Up From the G25?". Tekcore Magazine. 7 November 2011. Archived from the original on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  25. Porsche Carrera Wheel Review & Clubsport Pedal Preview, Inside Sim Racing, Feb 14, 2009
  26. Andrew Williams Thrustmaster T300 GTE Review, November 3, 2014
  27. Catz Pro Racing Force Feedback Wheel Review, Inside Sim Racing, Aug 10, 2014
  28. Logitech G923 Review: Mainstream Mainstay, August 22, 2020 (updated Aug 24, 2020), Andrew Evans, gtplanet.net
  29. Sim / By FLOW RACERS Thrustmaster T300RS GT Review
  30. Smoljic, Hrvoje THRUSTMASTER T150 PRO RACING WHEEL REVIEW: ENTRY LEVEL EXCELLENCE, keengamer.com, 2020-04-18
  31. t150-pro-forcefeedback at thrustmaster.com (retrieved October 2021)
  32. "Thrustmaster T248 Wheel Kit Review, Sim Racing Garage". YouTube. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  33. "Thrustmaster T3PM". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  34. "T128: The Force Feedback racing wheel to get started in racing simulation". Thrustmaster website. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  35. "Thrustmaster T128 Wheel Kit Review, Sim Racing Garage". YouTube. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  36. Fanatec Porsche 911 Turbo S Wheel – Review
  37. "Fanatec Forza Motorsport CSR wheel and Elite pedals review". Engadget. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  38. Fanatec Porsche 911 Carrera Wheel – Review, virtualr.net
  39. Williams, Andrew (1 January 1970). "Fanatec CSL Elite racing wheel review". PC Gamer. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  40. Fanatec ClubSport V2.5 review, at techradar.com
  41. CSL Elite Wheel Base V1.1 at fanatec.com
  42. Thrustmaster T300RS GT Review, Sim Racing Garage, Feb 17, 2018
  43. T300 RS: THE FIRST OFFICIAL FORCE FEEDBACK WHEEL FOR PLAYSTATION®4, Thrustmaster official Press release, Los Angeles, June 10, 2014
  44. T300 RS, the first force feedback racing wheel for the Playstation®4 System !, Thrustmaster official Press release, New York, 09.15.2014
  45. Andrew Williams Thrustmaster T300 RS Review, trustedreviews.com, October 27, 2016
  46. Thrustmaster Racing Wheels Benchmarking, thrustmaster.com
  47. Thrustmaster T300 RS review, from isrtv.com, beracer.com
  48. Greer, Jordan Thrustmaster T300RS Review, gtplanet.net, February 9, 2015 (updated Jun 26, 2017)
  49. Matej Inside Sim Racing Reviews Thrustmaster TS-PC Racer, January 9, 2017 (updated Jan 24, 2018)
  50. Sim Racing Garage Thrustmaster TS-PC Ferrari 488 Challenge Edition Review, Oct 14, 2018
  51. Josh Walrath THRUSTMASTER TS-PC WHEEL REVIEW: A GENUINE LEAP, pcper.com, Feb 27, 2018
  52. GamerMuscleVideos THRUSTMASTER TS PC RACER WHEEL REVIEW, Dec 13, 2016
  53. Frex Sim Wheel v1
  54. Frex Sim Wheel Review by SRT at InsideSimRacing, Aug 25, 2008
  55. The 5 Best Sim Racing Load Cell Pedals, flowracers.com, 2020
  56. Fanatec CSR Elite Pedal Review, Nov 22, 2011, Inside Sim Racing
  57. Fanatec CSR pedal review, Inside Sim Racing, Nov 22, 2011
  58. Thrustmaster T3PA Pedal Set Review by Inside Sim Racing
  59. Thrustmaster Thrustmaster T3PA-PRO Pedal Set Review
  60. "Thrustmaster launches affordable T248 hybrid drive wheel and pedal set".
  61. Fanatec CSR Elite Pedals – Review, at virtualr.net, January 2, 2012
  62. Fanatec CSR Elite Pedal Review, Inside Sim Racing, Mar 16, 2010
  63. Fanatec Clubsport Pedal V2 Review by Inside Sim Racing, Apr 18, 2013
  64. DSD Wilwood Load Cell Pedal Set – First Look by Inside Sim Racing, Jun 15, 2014
  65. Fanatec ClubSport Pedals V3 Review, Inside Sim Racing, Dec 30, 2015
  66. Fanatec CSL Elite Wheel Base and Pedals First Look, Aug 28, 2016
  67. Thrustmaster T-LCM Pedal Review – Thrustmaster's FIRST Load Cell Pedals!, Sim Racing Paddock, Feb 22, 2020
  68. MOZA SR-P Pedals Installation Tutorial, Jun 7, 2022
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