I’m planning to get a Thrustmaster Spider racing wheel since I’ve heard good things about them.
So, my question is this. Do racing wheels give any advantages over controllers and which do you prefer?
What about the Spider in particular? I’ve heard good things about this wheel but wanted more imput.
No advantage, wheel over controller or controller over wheel. It is an age-old argument, but very quick drivers are that way most of the time using either device.
This wheel does NOT have Force Feedback, it has a “bungee cord system” which offers resistance in corners. I would save up for the Thrustmaster TX for a better experience.
This. I bought this heel as the budget choice - you’re much better off playing with a controller and saving up a bit longer for the TX.
I also can’t leave my wheel set up out so I put it away and use it for racing on weekends. Depending on time, I still find it quicker and easiest to grab the controller and play for 15-20 minutes. The wheel is really only good for long[er] term sessions.
Excellent advice Snowowl!! I agree
I believe there are inherent advantages to racing wheels but that most of them aren’t “worth it” to most people. I’ve tried out a few wheels but still prefer a controller – probably more for comfort and mobility than anything else.
For me, the most noticeable difference is how much easier it is to turn smoothly. It’s nothing you can’t learn on a controller; it’s just inherently smoother on a wheel.
When I watch top replays, I try to pay attention to their steering. If the wheel never jerks or twitches, I generally assume they’re using a wheel.
Thanks for that info about the Spider racing wheel.
Having gone from the Microsoft Wireless Wheel to the Fanatec (in FM4) and now the Thrustmaster TX, the difference between controller and wheel is like my wife said when I asked for the MWW for my birthday the year it came out, “I was wondering when you would ask. You don’t drive our cars with a controller.”
A racing game deserves the best wheel, the best feel for us as players. We don’t turn down all the color so the game is in black and white, or play with the engine sounds and tire squeals off. You deserve Force Feedback.
Or you could go for the Logitech G920 - surely endorsed by T10 with their recent release of the Logitech G Car Pack.
In spite of the case for there being no difference between controllers and wheels let me add that I really enjoy driving with a wheel after struggling for many years with a controller. The driving is more fun and easier to control. I may not be as fast as I was with a controller but I’m not dirtying my laps as much either, so I’m getting higher on the leaderboards.
I made the transition from controller to wheel just over 2 weeks ago. It took me a week of playing as much as I could (my gf got annoyed with me) to close in on my controller times. Another week on and progress is slower but it’s up there now.
I got my G920 while it was heavily discounted but I still had to buy a wheel stand to mount it to. I ended up spending a bit more than the price of a new Xbox One. If you just want fast times, I have to question its value proposition, I was already fast enough by my reckoning, with a controller.
From an immersion perspective, I think it is awesome. Having the wheel stand helps, a full on cockpit rig would be even more so, but I don’t have the room or budget for it at this time.
Adapting could be frustrating. The complaints with FFB are quite well documented elsewhere on this forum, so you can have fun reading the almost 20 pages of thread stickied to the top of this forum.
Set your expectations right if you take the plunge. It may not feel intuitive at all at first and could even be a bit different to what you might be expecting once you are used to it.
Much has already been said, I would like to add that you cannot set the rotation angle with the spider. Also, as far as I know, you cannot add the TH8A and T3PA
I have the TX with the Wheel stand pro, for me it is so much more fun to drive with a wheel. But in my case, I was a bit disappointed the first few days I was driving with the wheel. Not having any experience racing with a wheel, my expectations where high. Nevertheless, the first races where frustrating. I don’t know if my times are better with the wheel, never tried it. Like others said, that should not be the reason to go for a wheel.
I think it pretty much comes down to cost.
If you’re able to spend the money on a Force Feedback wheel without issue, go for it.
Personally, I’ve been looking at getting a Logitech G920 sometime next year as I think there’s not a whole lot more I can gain in Forza using a controller, a wheel would provide a fresh challenge.
If you are going to get a wheel, get a ffb like the logitec, thrustmaster tx, fanatec (very expensive), or maybe catz (not the best option). The tx is really the way to go because it has been out awhile and there’s constantly discounts on it, but buy it new not off eBay or something. But I honestly could never recommend getting a wheel just to play forza, it is an expensive investment to make for one game. Do some research, see if there’s any other racing games you’d also want to play, and see if it’s worth it or not. It’d be sad to see you get a wheel and your next post be “I just spent $500 to play forza, what the hell is going on.” Just do yourself a favor and do some research about this and some other games before dropping all that money.