Community Question | Your First Sim Racing Wheel

[Paul Jeffrey]

Us sim racers tend to quite like our toys... from rigs, to wheels, pedals, button boxes, VR headsets, apps, software, PC's and plenty of stuff in between.... and for those of us lucky enough to own a wheel, I'd love to know which one was your first...

Not everyone runs with a wheel and pedals, but of those of us that do, I'd like to know which one was your first, and what you thought of that hardware and how in impacted your experience playing racing games and simulations.

For my part, my very first wheel was the little white plastic Microsoft Xbox 360 wireless unit - I thought that was the absolute pinnacle of technology back in the day. Oh, how the hobby got serious after that!

Although ownership of a racing wheel came late on for me, I also clearly remember playing IndyCar Racing over at my mates house using a really old, spring force PC wheel. That piece of kit brought the whole experience to an absolutely unthinkable level of immersion. The passage of time has dulled my memory of its name now, but suffice to say I was very, very envious of that bit of hardware...

Anyway, have fun reliving days gone by in the comments section below!

 

[roadyroad]

My firts wheel was the one on the front page, a blue thrustmaster formula t2, mainly used with grand prix 2 and papyrus' indycar (maybe with a few arcade games but I can't remember).

My next wheel was a wingman formula force gp, used with f1 challenge, nfs underground 1 and 2, gp legends, gtr1, maybe nfs most wanted.

When I'll needed to be more competitive, I bought a logitech driving force pro and I used it almost daily during years with gtr2, gtl, f1 challenge, nfs series, richard burn rally, colon mcrae ramly series... It was my best investment for racing games. This thing is unbreakable, I still own it and I used it ultimately and it still operational.

After this, I needed a more refined feeling, with an h pattern gear stick and a clutch, I bought a g29, thinking I would get the same reliablility from logitech. I was wrong. The wheel broke (and you can't use the same fix than the g25 and g27 which have often the same issue), the gear stick broke. Logitech replaced the wheel (coming with pedals) and the stick. The new stick was broken when it arrived, I got another one from logitech.

I was disappointed, although logitech replaced the broken elements being under warranty, and decided it was time to upgrade my gear. I sold my new wheel, keep a pedals set and my gear stick, and bought a ts-pc racer.
I'm glad I did. And being able to use wider rims for some categories is great.

After all these years, I still think the old logitech driver, for the wingman formula force gp and the driving force pro, is unmatched, being able to save parameters for any game.

 

[Vitor M Sousa]

G25 a loooong time ago. Still using it. This thing is indestructible. Upgraded to V3 pedals this month and thinking of either a CSW 2.5 or a podium wheel in the near future.

I really need more buttons

 

[Balazs Magyar]

Logitech Wingman Formula Force in ~2000

 

[ACFAN]

logitech g25 w shifter and pedals, still using it. thinking of an upgrade soon though, both buttons on the wheelrim are dead. might go for a 3drap wheel mod and then upgrade the rest later

 

[Equipe Matra]

Boeder Top Racing Wheel, mainly used for Grand Prix 2.

 

[Paul McCluskey]

My first was the Logitech WingMan Formula Force

At first, I was mostly playing Mobil 1 Rally Championship with it. Very fun!

Same wheel here and was awesome fun with Rally Championship 2000, hurtling down those narrow Irish stages and the feedback was so strong my monitor would jump around

 

[manu68]

Thrusmaster grand prix, then Microsoft sidewinder,
I have used many years a speedway wheel.
No FFB, but a great Wheel.

then Logitech G25 (currently)

 

[Riblo]

Logitech Formula Force GP

I bought it in 2002 to use it with GT3 on PS2 and other racing games on PC (there was also a dedicated PS2 wheel with PS2 connector but i got this one cause it has USB connection and could be used on PC too) i used it until 2012 when i bought the Logitech G27 i still use now

 

[SuperMonacoGP]

Thrustmaster T100 -- T150 -- T300 -- CSW 2.5 -- OSW 20nm -- SC2 Sport
All in about 2 years, that escalated very quickly

 

[Michael Krone]

Well it started with this toy when I was two years old or so...

Seriously tho, a few years ago (maybe 2-3, idk when it was first released in early access) I was playing reckfest on m+kb and decided to pull out my old interact v3 Dale edition just to see if I liked it better than the keyboard.. Fast forward to today and Im constantly having to justify these stupid purchases to my wife daily..

She dont understand why I cant "just use that old wheel you used to sit on".. XD

(Not my pictures but everyone likes visuals, right?)

 

[BrainsBush]

Is it ok to admit that I forgot which was my first wheel.
I think Atari2600, VIC20, ZX Spectrum didn't have real steering wheels?

If I remember right I also had that X360 wheel and a Logitech Momo, MadCatz. Don't know anymore in which order...
Then about 10-15 years nothing and (re)started 4 year ago with a T80, T150, T300RS, Fanatec CSL Elite and now a DD1.

Like this old grumpy the gear is getting better and better over time

 

[efzbazza]

Salut ou as tu acheté ton systeme de refroidissement stp ?

 

[Antony Snook]

It was a Thrust master one. No pedals i used gear levers to accelerate and decelerate. I threw it out as it was a pain to setup and shook the table like crazy. I got one on amazon but the pedals hurt my legs. And it was uncomfortable and a pain so i sent it back. Now i kick it old school with a Joystick. I have been using Joysticks since the 80's I have a Xbox game pad for some steam games. Wheels are nice but you need a fancy rig to hold it together and fit you're comfort zone. And that is outside my budget. If i win the lottery i will do it.

 

[Michel vL]

Bought my first wheel around the GP2 / Papyrus Indy games era. I cannot recall the name of that device.
It was a black steel tube which bolted on to a plastic plate on which your CRT monitor was placed to hold it in place. Steering wheel itself was a blue plastic molded afair shaped like an Momo 27c. Two metal shifters and two buttons were provided. with lights on top of the wheel which would light up on button / shifter press.

After that a long list of Logitech momos, a ferrari branded Thrustmaster, G25, G27s, and finally a Simucube 2 Pro .

 

[Fat-Alfie]

I went:
1) cheap plastic wheel with rubber band resistance (no FFB) - present off my wife and it never got used.
2) Logitech DFGT - amazing compared to 1) and got me into RBR and LFS.
3) Second hand T500RS - free gift off a client I made Bilsterberg circuit for (they had moved on to DD wheels)
4) Thrustmaster TS-PC 488 CHallenge Edition - after the T500RS broke something inside.

Ideally I would love a low-powered DD wheel, but I think new pedals will come first, when I can justify the expense.

 

[Sheu Ho]

gallery

This was my first ever race wheel at age 5. Never looked back. It even had 4 gears.

 

[MrBraindown]

Thrustmaster T150 for me. My first and only wheel! Got it a couple of years ago and it’s still going strong.

I remember one of my mates having a MadCatz wheel for the PS1 back in the day, I was so jealous that I made a vow that I would save up and buy a wheel for myself.

Only took 25 years but I got there!

Thinking of upgrading, but need to justify the outlay to the boss.

 

[MirNet]

The Thrustmaster Nascar pro early 1990's. Spring mechanism was a rubberband, wich actually had quite a nice progressive feel to it.

before that a lego wheel that was connected to some keyboardkeys.

View attachment 364453

Than a upgraded G25 for years, now an Simucube Large Mige.

My first wheel for the PC too. Remember it weighing quite a bit built like a tank, but it slipped too easy if you were firm with it.

 

[Filip Carlén]

Full story: Logitech Wingman Formula Force GP (the red version, though not mine, but dads when I was a kid, and that is where I started. Played lots of Colin McRae games and Race Driver GRID on it) -> Logitech MOMO Racing (so many hours of Race 07 on that badboy as well as some DiRT 3) -> Logitech G27 -> T300 (with G27 pedals and shifter + DIY handbrake)

 

[yl012]

I started with a PXN Pc that was good for beginning and now that i am a more serious sim racer i bought a Thrusmaster TS-PS Racer with a GT omega Pro cockpit. Wow wath a difference from my beginning.