After a series of rumours, leaked product photos and Amazon listing mishaps, Logitech has finally taken the wraps off its brand new G29 racing wheel for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 – and boy, does it look good. The G29 comes in at a top price of £299 (€399, $399) and will be available in July. The features of the G29 are: a dual-motor force feedback system; a stainless steel gas, brake and dedicated set clutch pedal; flappy paddle shifters; built-in clamps and bolt points for table or racing seat mounting; and – for the purists among us – a hand-stitched leather finish.
There’s also the usual array of standard gamepad buttons, including a D-pad and PS4 buttons for share and options, as well as a mysterious 24-point selector and plus/minus buttons, which Logitech says can be used to “fine-tune “. your driving preferences. The G27’s tachometer LED strip also returns, which should come in handy for quick gear changes on a hot lap.
As always with this kind of specialized hardware, the devil is in the details. Like the G27 before it, the G29’s force feedback mechanism uses the same helical gears (where the teeth of the gears are cut at an angle) used in many automotive transmissions, which Logitech says provides a smoother, quieter and more accurate operation. . Anti-backlash hardware is also provided to minimize gaps between gears and keep steering and pedal input tight. Logitech also uses solid steel ball bearings in the wheel axle, along with a non-linear brake pedal, which should help simulate the performance of a pressure-sensitive braking system.
Those who prefer their Xbox gaming will be pleased to learn that – unlike the G27 – an Xbox One and PC compatible version of Logitech’s flagship racing wheel is also on the way. The G920 has the same features as the G29, except for the 24-point selector and plus/minus buttons, which have been removed, and the addition of the standard Xbox home button. While the price remains the same at $399, the G290 won’t be available until sometime this fall. That ties in nicely with that leaked Forza 6 release date of September 15.
Oddly enough, an optional manual shifter called, wait for it, the “Driving Force Shifter” is becoming available, but only for the Xbox One’s G920 and not the PS4’s G29. It also seems that only the G920 will work with a PC; the G29 will be PS4 only. Other than the odd platform limitations, the six-speed manual gear shifter sounds pretty neat, with a solid steel gear shaft, push back and more of that hand-stitched leather smeared over the trunk and button cover. Unfortunately, there is no price or release date for the shifter yet.
While Logitech’s steering wheels aren’t the first of their kind to land on either console (think Thrustmaster’s T300 RS for PS4 and Mad Catz Pro Racing steering wheel for Xbox One), they’re among the most sought after, thanks in part to their much-loved predecessor the G27. They are also reasonably priced compared to the competition, especially considering the inclusion of a dedicated clutch pedal, something that many other wheels lack.
Update: Contrary to previous information from Logitech, the company has now confirmed that the G29 will support PC in addition to PS4 and PS3. Ars apologizes for the confusion.