If you have a gamer on your Christmas shopping list that is really into racing sim games, this is THE gift for the holiday season. The Logitech G25 is a fantastic racing wheel that offers force feedback and much more for a more realistic driving experience than other wheels on the market can deliver. Read on for the full details on the Logitech G25 Racing wheel.

The G25 is the product from Logitech that I have looked forward too more than any other item they have launched or announced in a long time. Seems like it took forever to finally get one in my hands. Boy was it worth the wait! The first thing I noticed upon extracting the G25 from the outer shipping box was the graphics on the retail package. You get a good idea of what lies inside the box with shots of the pedals, including the first real clutch pedal on a racing wheel, the gated shifter and the wheel itself.

Once I opened the box, I got a whiff of the real leather that Logitech used to wrap the wheel. I was quite impressed by the quality of the materials Logitech used for the construction of the G25 Racing Wheel. The aromatic leather and brushed stainless steel set against the matte black plastic they used for the casing of the wheel is quite attractive.

Once I extracted the wheel, shifter and pedals from the box, I could get a good look at what Logitech has done with the G25. The shifter is large and feels very realistic as you shift gears and move through the shift gates. The shifter also has a large dial that allows you to change the shifter from gated mode to sequential mode. Above the dial, you get a D-pad and eight buttons that you can map to various game controls.

Logitech has used an improved retention system for the shifter and the wheel over what they previously used on the Momo Racing Wheel. The new retention system keeps the shifter and wheel in place even during hard driving. Both the wheel and shifter have two clamps on each side that screw down with knobs that latch down low into the wheel and shifter body so they don't get in the way. The shifter also has a single larger clamp further back on the bottom of the shifter than helps add more stability since you will banging through the gears.

The wheel itself has the sequential shifters behind the wheel for those looking for a more F1 like driving experience. One the steering wheel spokes you also get two buttons you can map to different game controls. On the bottom of the wheel is where the shifter, pedals and power supply connect to run the wheel. Logitech built in a cable management system so the wheel sits flat with the four cables running in and out of the wheel.

The pedals Logitech used are fantastic and not just for the inclusion of a clutch pedal. The feel each of the pedals has is the most realistic of any racing wheel I have ever used. Each pedal has its own unique feel making them very responsive and greatly increasing the realism in your racing games.

On the bottom of the pedals, Logitech used a strip of short spikes that holds the pedals to the carpet, helping to keep them in place during use. I wish that the carpet spikes would lock in place as they would fold back up on occasion and allow the pedals to move. Those that will use the pedals on hard floors will be glad to know that Logitech used some grippy plastic pads to help keep the pedals in place with hard floors.

To test the Logitech G25 in gaming situations I used rFactor and GTR2. Both games are recommended by Logitech for use with the wheel and support all of the G25's features. I played lots of GTR2 using the G25 and the force feedback was absolutely phenomenal.

Logitech used a dual motor force feedback system that is much quieter than the system in my Logitech Momo wheel. The force feedback is highly accurate in the way it reproduces the feel you get from the wheel of a car as it drives, the movement is smooth and just fantastic. I have never used a racing wheel that integrated force feedback that worked as well and as realistically as the Logitech G25.

Blasting down the straights slamming through the gears in the gated shifter at redline with the DTS 5.1 surround sound blaring all around me with all the lights off was almost surreal. The inputs from the G25 allowed me to feel every ripple and groove in the pavement. I could feel when the tires began to loose grip or when I pushed to hard and ended up on the curb on the corner the car fought me for control. Flawless is a great word to describe the experience, the only way to get more realistic is to book a weekend at the track with a real racecar. The pedals are arranged perfectly to allow heel toe shifting allowing you to drive just like a real racing car adding even more to the realism.

I also played lots of rFactor with the G25 racing wheel. rFactor is a fantastic PC racing simulation that you buy online. Notice I said racing simulation and not game, games like rFactor and GTR2 take the PC racing experience to the next level when coupled with the Logitech G25. Using rFactor, I was able to map the controls of the car to the G25 and use the gated shifter to drive as if I was in a real car. Stomp the clutch, pull the shifter back for a fast 2-3 up shift and nail the throttle on the G25 as you exit the corner and rocket down the straight to the checkered flag.

Moving from a stop in rFactor even becomes a simulation, just like in a real car give the vehicle too much throttle and you get wheel spin, give the vehicle too little throttle and you stall. rFactor and the G25 are racing realism at their finest on the PC. rFactor has great graphics and force feedback built in, using the Logitech G25 unlocks the subtle nuances that take you from playing a game to racing a car.

Verdict

Overall, I just can't get enough of the Logitech G25. The only place for improvement would be a better way to keep the pedals in place during hard driving. If not for this one small point, the G25 would be perfect. If you are a fan of racing games, the Logitech G25 is the only wheel to own.

Pros

• Fantastic force feedback feel
• Superb materials and build quality
• Excellent pedal feel
• Includes a real clutch pedal and gated shifter

Cons

• Carpet spikes folded up a few times allowing the pedals to slide around duing hard use