For those who are interested in racing but don’t want to go out and buy an expensive sports car, a simulation steering wheel is a perfect substitute. You get the best of both worlds, the sensation of steering a real car and the ability to load in any car you want to drive, no matter the price.
However, shopping for a simulation wheel can be tricky. Buyers will need to know what kind of racing simulation experience they want to ensure they aren’t wasting their money. Most importantly, buyers will need to watch out for what comes with the wheel since many wheels come with pedals and shifters but not all.
Most simulation drivers choose wheels with built-in force feedback to give them a realistic experience. Force feedback is a system powered by a motor behind the wheel that reacts with the user’s car and the road they are racing on, but not all wheels come equipped with this feature.
These are the five best simulation wheels for PC.
Best overall
Logitech G29
Image via Logitech
The
Logitech G29
brings a force feedback system to gamers for considerable value. This wheel has dual-motion feedback and clamps to keep the wheel from moving around when playing. It comes with pedals, including a clutch. The G29’s pedals are high quality, responsive, and made from stainless steel, giving them a quality feel some cheaper pedals lack. It doesn’t come with an external shifter, but players can use the G29’s paddles if they aren’t interested in buying one. The wheel is wrapped in leather, making it comfortable to use for multiple hours of gameplay.
This product is an excellent wheel for both entry-level and experienced drivers for simulation racing. No other wheel on the market competes with the G29’s impressive force feedback and build quality at this price point. Logitech’s wheel also has more than enough programmable buttons to keep you from reaching for your keyboard in between races. The quality of the G29 wheel is on par with some of the more high-end wheels. But the G29 wheel cannot detach from the base, unlike many of Thrustmaster’s wheels. This means the upgrade options for the Logitech G29 are almost nonexistent.
The G29 paired up with a Logitech G Driving Force Shifter makes for a realistic sim experience at a reasonable price.
See on Amazon
Best budget wheel
HORI Racing Wheel Apex
Image via Hori
Many simulation racers choose wheels equipped with built-in motion feedback to simulate the driving experience. However, for gamers who are turned off by the hefty price tag of a force feedback wheel, there are alternatives like the
Hori Racing Wheel Apex
.
The Hori Racing Wheel Apex lacks force feedback, but it’s fully adjustable and compatible with all the major sim racing games. It has a 270-degree rotation, a downgrade from the standard 900, but players can adjust the wheel’s sensitivity to their liking.
It comes with foot pedals, excluding the clutch. But you won’t need a clutch, as players are expected to drive an automatic or use the paddle shifters on the backside of the wheel.
The Hori Racing Wheel Apex feels more like a racing wheel you would find in an arcade and less like a simulation wheel. This makes the wheel ideal for players interested in arcade-style racing games like
The Crew 2
and
Forza
.
See on Amazon
Best wheel for Formula 1 racing
Thrustmaster TS-PC Racer
Image via Thrustmaster
Unlike the other wheels mentioned on this list, the
Thrustmaster TS-PC Racer
has a 1080-degree rotation, making it perfect for Formula 1 racing. But this wheel does not include racing pedals or a manual gear shifter. The exclusion of a manual gear shifter is acceptable for Formula 1 racers as they won’t need an external gear shifter anyway.
What makes this product great is its adaptability. The wheel is easily removed from the base, making the Thrustmaster base compatible with most Thrustmaster’s wheels. This wheel is designed with ergonomics in mind providing a comfortable experience while racing Formula 1. The buttons on the wheel make multitasking while racing easy, and for Formula 1 drivers, that’s a must. For Formula 1 drivers, a good wheel needs to do more than steer the car. Drivers rely on the various buttons and knobs on their wheel to adjust their car’s performance. Formula 1 drivers can adjust their gearbox, differential torque, and brake balance right from their wheel. The Thrustmaster TS-PC Racer has plenty of buttons on the face of the wheel to assign any car adjustments a Formula 1 sim racer would need.
Unlike the previous products on this list, the Thrustmaster TS-PC comes with an external power supply that gives it a more powerful force feedback system and a faster response time.
Users interested in drifting or rallying will be disappointed with this wheel’s open rim design. But, for those interested in Formula 1, the Thrustmaster TS-PC is a solid choice for a force feedback wheel.
See on Amazon
Best wheel for rallying
Thrustmaster T150 Pro
Image via Thrustmaster
Thrustmaster T150 Pro
has your standard force feedback settings at 900 degrees. The pedals that ship with the Thrustmaster T150 Pro are heavier but more adjustable than the G29’s pedals. Thrustmaster’s wheel is lighter than most of its competitors, making it great for rally racing. Rally racing requires a strong centering spring to bring the wheel back to the center when letting go. With Thrustmaster’s light wheel, the centering spring is faster and more effective at centering the wheel. But this comes at a cost since the T150 doesn’t have an abundance of buttons on the wheel.
The Thrustmaster T150 Pro is uniquely equipped with a silent-belt pulley system in its engine, making it perfect for anyone worried about the noise a force feedback wheel produces.
What makes this bundle more expensive than the G29 is the Thrustmaster TH8A Shifter. It’s a more durable, premium shifter than the Logitech Driving Force. For rally enthusiasts, this is good news, as a quality shifter is essential for clean and fast shifts. Additionally, this wheel is perfect for anyone looking to play rally games or non-racing games such as
Euro Truck Simulator 2
.
See on Amazon
Best direct drive wheel
Podium Racing Wheel F1
Image via Fanatec
For those serious about racing, and we mean serious, the
Podium Racing Wheel F1
is the pinnacle. This product isn’t powered by force feedback but rather a direct-drive system. Direct drive is an upgrade from the traditional belt-style force feedback system. This direct-drive system is powered by an impressive 20Nm of torque. The upgrade in power creates a significantly more accurate and responsive feedback system.
The real highlight of this product is the Podium Wheel Base. It’s a powerful wheel base equipped with an OLED display and transmits data to the user’s wheel wirelessly.
Because the Podium Wheel Base connects directly to the wheel, users can swap out the wheel on the fly. This means gamers can equip a Formula 1 or traditional wheel easily. The Podium Wheel Base is a worthy investment due to its adaptability and quality.
A direct drive wheel base isn’t cheap, but the expensive Podium Racing base gives users an incredibly realistic simulation experience and pairs perfectly with wheels like the Podium Racing Wheel F1.
This article includes affiliate links, which may provide small compensation to Dot Esports.
See Dot Esports Deals
