Logitech is releasing their first Xbox 360 wheel next month (July) and we take a look to see how well this $99 DriveFX wheel is for the Xbox 360.
The wheel itself is of good quality and is sturdy. It has a real nice feel to it and is comfortable to hold on to. The wheel has all the controller buttons and d-pad on it. I found the lack of thumbstick to be noticeable in the Test Drive Unlimited demo when I kept trying to look out to the side of the car but this isn't anything really affecting the gameplay. The buttons are, however, a bit small and close together. If you're in a fast-paced race, you might find yourself hitting the wrong/multiple buttons because of this. The start, back and guide buttons are located lower on the wheel and are also small. If you need to pause the game while you are racing, you might find it a bit hard to reach and have to actually slide your right hand a bit off of the wheel to reach it.
Those wanting to use the wheel on their lap may find the wheel sliding around a bit. The best way to use the DriveFX wheel is with a desk and clamping it. No suction cups are provided with this wheel, only the clamps. You may also find yourself with quite a few more wires lying around with this wheel. The wheel itself is powered by the usb to the Xbox 360. The axial feedback is powered by an ac adapter. The pedals also connect to the wheel of course. For Xbox Live play, a headset can be plugged into the back of the wheel.
The axial feedback is the DriveFX version of force feedback. Having a standard feedback like on a controller isn't realistic for a car. Logitech realized that there needed to be some improvements in this area. Axial feedback is here to give a more simulated feedback as if you were in a real car.
One area I'd like to see improved for wheels is the pedals. These are basic pedals that didn't slide around on my carpet during play. There seems to be a lack of difference in pressure when pressing the brake compared to pressing the gas.
Logitech's DriveFX is a solid wheel that performs nicely. Unfortunately, those wanting wireless will have to wait for Microsoft's wheel as they are not allowing third parties to make use of the wireless capabilities at this time. With many racing titles available and coming out for Xbox 360, the DriveFX might be a good investment.
