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I have been looking into iRacing and it seems perfect for what i want, a professional racing simulator. The only thing i need is a steering wheel, I notice on the website they recommend a Thrustmaster t500rs, but these come out at around £350 for a steering wheel??

So what makes the prices vary so much? I dont want a flimsy wheel that will break within weeks, but i also dont want to be spending a fortune, and i have no idea how much the wheel effects performance in game. Can anyone recommend a decent wheel for a decent price?

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A man exists for only a lifetime, a name lasts until the end of time.

if you're going for a sim experience then it's probably worth splashing out for a good wheel if you have the cash as it does have a major influence on your experience, i would recommend the logitech G27 as a more budget like sim wheel.

anyway this should have been posted in off-topic i think

For the best: anything Fanatec (the more money, the better quality)
The best on a budget G25 or G27

Any good wheel will be over $200 USD

The wheel has a major impact on all aspects of performance and realism. There's no way around it, they don't come cheap. The two major suppliers are Thrustmaster and Fanatec, each is unique and I strongly suggest you carefully research to determine your preference. A more modest alternative is Logitech, they build some wheels and pedals that can do the job, although for the serious racer they aren't good enough. Their top of the line model, the G27 straddles the line between price and performance and is what I recommend for serious sim racers on a budget.

But the more serious you get, such things as quality wheels, pedals, and mods like the load cell brake pedal suddenly appear to be necessary. And with wheels and pedals, other bits of kit like triple monitors and serious video cards add into the big picture.

I suggest you check out http://www.insidesimracing.tv, or youtube videos by such people as Todd Bettenhausen to fill out your knowledge base.

It can get crazy...



And when you know who this guy is, then you probably know enough to make an informed decision.

I think we've had a thread like this in the past couple of months, but i'll throw in my 2c again.

The first wheel I purchased was about 4 years ago. GT Force Pro for $90 (they are still a little bit more than that at some outlets) on sale and it served me very well. I'd recommend it to anybody looking to purchase their first wheel. It's popular in my family, as my brother and father have both since purchased their own.

A couple of months ago, I found a G27 on a second-hand website for an absolute steal at $70. I was at the shops last week and somewhere was trying to sell one for $500! If they're in working order, definitely accept higher-end second-hand wheels for the low price. The Pro was good, but (for some reason) I just find it so much more entertaining with the '27. I'm not a tech wiz, so I couldn't say what it is, but there's something about more expensive wheels that provide greater satisfaction.

If you're just starting out in racing sims (you don't state whether or not you are) i'd suggest downloading rFactor first to get to grips with how to drive well. Though ISI wanted people to pay for it it, nobody ever really did and if you say you did online people laugh at you. iRacing is supposed to be better for physics, but i'd suggest learning the basics of a simulator before you start paying a monthly fee.

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I also have one of these.

I agree Toby, (online) sim racing may appear cool, but for some people, they quickly lose the attraction and wind up spending too much money for a dead end. Find a cheap and easy way to give it a decent go, without investing too much money. If you get hooked (warning, it can be addictive and expensive) then you will start getting what you believe makes the experience better.

Besides, you do require a lots of practice to get decent, this is not something you can pick up in a few hours. If you do dip into online racing, be warned, you have to be quick and competent.

I haven't played iRacing, but like the others said, if I were you I'd get something cheap-ish. The Ferrari F430 wheel is a pretty decent wheel and isn't overly expensive. I just bought a 2nd hand Xbox wheel and made a stand with my dad, and it's extremely fun, though it's definitely not easy. It'll take time to get used to it, but it's worth it in my opinion. I wouldn't go for the T500 as my first wheel though, I'd go for a cheap-ish wheel and see if you like the whole thing, then eventually upgrade if you really love it.
This is a pretty good review for the F430 wheel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lwfSUKnmqI

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I don't have either of those games. I have the F1 games for Xbox 360 so my advice is a little bit removed.

I'd suggest that it is worth stumping up extra for force feedback of some kind. My one resists you and can steer the wheel away if you hit an object that would cause it. It also allows you te feel the steering going light and, somehow, it does give you some more subtle feedback as to grip. It's rather odd, and might just be psychological rather than real... I don't know. I've had it for about 2 years now (I got it with F1 2010 pretty much) and it's stood up well to a fair amount of punishment.

So I dunno what wheel to get, but Force Feedback is on of the more important features imo. My wheel is the Microsoft FF wheel and I'm glad I didn't just go for a basic wheel. It wouldn't be a bad move to get the MS wheel and the adapter to let it connect to your computer, but I expect you can get a wheel with same functionality for a better price for a PC.

G27 would bea good bet. Someone mentioned Fanatec prodcuts, these are VERY sexy, but there have been some real cusotmer service nightmares with them, as they are small company. The logitecG27 is a excellent.

I racing is awsome, ive been using it for a while, its truely excellent.

Ok so I've narrowed it down to the Thrustmaster F430 which i can find new for £85, or the Logitech Driving Force GT which i can find a condition second hand one for £69.99. I am swaying more towards the Logitech as it has a clutch.

And i haven't played any real racing sims before, I've played the F1 games etc but their not full sims, so ill have a look at rFactor first, but i don't think it would take me too long to get adjusted.

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A man exists for only a lifetime, a name lasts until the end of time.

Don't underestimate real sims, they are very different from the arcade games. It won't take you long to get used to them but you will have to put in a decent amount of time to become competent.

And it's a bit like a real sport, you either have it or you don't. I have many friends who play rFactor regularly with a wheel but they are no good, I beat them 9 times out of 10 on my keyboard.

So be careful with expectations, racing sims are very addictive, competitive and hard.

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Apparently religious people didn't like my signature, hah! Don't read it if you are so offended by it.

When one person suffers from a delusion it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion. - Robert Pirsig

Yeah i know ill be terrible at the game for some time, im not expecting to win anything for a long long time, i just love racing so that wont be a problem, its just the cost i need to justify but i think it will be worth it.

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A man exists for only a lifetime, a name lasts until the end of time.

The Logitech DFGT doesn't have a clutch pedal. It's a very nice wheel though, and noticeably better than the cheap rubbish companies like Mad Catz throw out.

A word of advice also, being good at console racing games is nothing compared to being good at pc racing sims. When you first play, stick all the aids on, and the AI level to the minimum and work your way up. Nothing kills the love more than pirouetting in first gear after jumping on the noisy pedal too early while the opposition disappears into the distance.

It's worth remembering too that the likes of Greger Huttu and a few others still use G27 pedals. Don't let anyone tell you that you need a load cell brake to be fast.

Are you sure it's not modded though?

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They are probably modded but I know at least 3 drivers in the iRacing DWC who use linear brake pedals

For people that are interested, iRacing has got half price memberships for new members for a couple of weeks. It's only $6 for a month, so I'm going to give it a shot. Hopefully i'll be pleasantly surprised.

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I also have one of these.

I went ahead and got it, and im loving it, only thing that has slightly annoyed me is the fact i have to wait till a certain date to move up out of rookie. Which means i have to be extremely careful not to lose any safety rating. Other than that, its amazing.

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A man exists for only a lifetime, a name lasts until the end of time.

Tried it and am a satisfied with how competitive I am. Racing people from what I believe are higher "leagues" (or rankings) than me, I was clearly the fastest at the only track I've competed at. There's still idiots that go far too aggressive into the first corner, so I've had to pit for repairs on the first lap of just about every race so far, but at the most recent one I was about 4 seconds a lap faster than the lead driver until the last 5 laps where my tyres burnt out and the rear was sliding out at every corner I took even a slight angle through. Frustrating, but looking good.

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I also have one of these.

Stop me if I'm wrong, it's been a long time since I've done any official racing on iRacing but is there not a 'fast track' system for the licenses? If you can keep your SR above 4.0 and do a minimum number of time trials or races, your licence will automatically advance even if it's mid season? I primarily do league racing with OMR, check us out if you're AUS/NZ/SE Asia. http://www.omr.com.au/

Ah i didn't know that! I have just been waiting it out till the official promotion date, i could of probably got my safety rating to 4.0 quite quickly and moved up already.

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A man exists for only a lifetime, a name lasts until the end of time.

I use a G25. It does the job for me on games such as rFactor. If I had the money I'd consider upgrading, but the price of top end wheels is quite frankly ridiculous.

Same happened for me over year ago when i started racing in it. Thought i was really competitive. Got back down to earth with a smash as soon as you get your D-license and switch series.
What track and car is it? And what times are you running?
They only way you can measure someones speed is by looking at their iRating. AFAIK most is below 2000. Some has up to 8000.

To the OP:
At some point your current wheel will not be enough. I had the same actually, but i bought my G27 and the game was a whole new and much better experience

Haven't really played it since, to be honest. The damage system is good, but only when other people don't barge into the side of you and ruin your race. Got tired of doing practice laps for 45 minutes only to be taken out by some fool who doesn't think it's necessary to give me enough room on the track.

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I also have one of these.

I just stayed passive and careful into the first corner, the idiots crash and you just drive past them, the places you lose in the first corner are easily won back if your faster than the people infront, and you dont get wiped out.

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A man exists for only a lifetime, a name lasts until the end of time.