Logitech G920

8.0
8.0 score
[Editors rating (8.0)] = (TheGearHunt) score (8.0)/10


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Editor rating: 8.0 / 10
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Logitech G920 Review Facts

Pulling into the finish line and hitting that pedal to the floor as you cross, flying by with not another car in the rearview, can give a euphoric feeling like none other. What if you could do that from your favorite gaming chair in front of your high def screen? Pull on that wheel to make the greatest drift around the final curve to your favorite racing game and make a fool of the AI that has seemingly crushed you with next to no effort for the last several months and just leave yourself feeling that pure exhilaration with this controller built to take you into an immersive sense of any racing game you can set up. Can it really leave us feeling like we are in the front seat of our very own Lamborghini though? Or will we just end up feeling like we did as kids and just more frustrated than ever as the lag does what the game didn’t need help with- destroying any hope at first place? That’s what we are here to find out, so let us take a look at what players had to say about this steering wheel and pedal combo for our racing games.

 

Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Easy/fast steering
  • Has a gear stick
  • Realistic steering feedback
  • Reprogrammable buttons
  • Upgrades available
  • Warranty
  • Price
Cons
  • ‘B’ button instead of actual handbrake
  • Bad gearshift location
  • Wheel can end up upside down
  • Stiff pedals

Hardware

This is one of the more alluring game controllers for serious racing game fanatics. It comes with all the pieces to make you feel like you are truly driving a car. While most consoles over the years have offered a steering wheel controller of some kind, most only offer just that, and its buttons on said controller base that acts as brakes or gas (likely directly on the wheel near your thumbs) but this promises to give you an even more of an authentic feel. A set of pedals that take you just that one step closer to being in the car of your choice. Why three? Well, the controller wheels we have experienced in our childhood that actually had pedals only supported an automatic shift feeling while we raced, so we only needed gas and brake. Logitech felt that this left out a key enjoyment for a lot of thrill drivers who prefer manual shifting when in arcades or laying at home, so they added in the clutch, so you can play it as it would really be.

This is great, but the hardware could have used just a little bit of tweaking on both ends of things. The steering wheel, for instance, can be accidentally set upside down, which can cause some issues if you are using manual- since the gear shifts would be reversed in every way. This means taking that extra care and time setting up to make sure you have it sitting correctly. The pedals themselves are also a little stiff or at least require more pressure than most players feel they should do to the pressure resistant rubber used to give it a more realistic feel. While a quick fix of slicing it down to size might be your immediate solution, this voids the warranty. Not every set appears to have this same issue, as well, which means it isn’t so much the design as a luck of the draw.

Design

The overall design of this gaming gear is actually pretty awesome by the standards of most players. Giving you the option to play with either automatic or manual drive in the game, this controller has both the gear shift and the clutch pedal for a more realistic touch to driving one. Some players have complained, however, that the design gives a 50/50 chance of grabbing a lemon when it comes to this part of the controller though. This is due to the way it was built using rubber pads at the base of the pedals which can cause the player to have to press much harder than they should to switch gears or get the brake to kick in at 100%. The reason for the design was to give the same feeling of resistance a real car would apply, unfortunately, some of these were either stiffer than intended or were cut too high.

A quick fix is also a void to the warranty, which leaves the buyers in a catch 22 position of returning the product only to get another with the same problem or fixing it themselves and possibly making it unplayable. The other design aspect that could have used a little more thought was gear shift and button placement. These can be altered somewhat when setting your wheel up, but one thing you will have to make sure of is that the wheel is right side up, because unfortunately, you can accidentally set this thing the wrong way on the table in front of you and not even realize it.

Performance

If your biggest area of choice for a controller is in how well it performs, you will find yourself satisfied in most of the aspects of this one. While it does have a few hiccups in design (mentioned above), this wheel is actually very impressive for a standard level issue steering wheel for at home use. Not only do you have the wheel and its hardware to work with, but this particular product took a unique idea and made it a reality. While most wheels and pedals will have the basics down, allowing you to turn faster and move with the track, this one actually has the ability to sense what the drag would be on your turn based on how fast you are going and even if your drifting or hit something during your turn. The wheel will give you the feeling of the pull on the tires to work against or with your turn. You will actually get that same feel as you would behind the wheel of the car that tells you your car needs to be straightened or you need to pull out of a situation before it causes a crash. This gives full-on immersion to the game so that you don’t just feel like you are in a chair with a steering wheel, but actually in the driver's seat.

The same premise, however, is what caused the largest downfall. The pedals were made to have a pressure feel so that you had to press more to get different reactions from the brakes, gas, and clutch. Unfortunately, the attempt to do this lead to some performance issues because just as many that came off the line allowing a 100% brake at the right pressure, came off with needing twice as much pressure. Regardless of this one fall back, players still feel this is only a step away from the much more expensive ‘professional grade’ steering wheels available on the market for much less.

Connectivity

We want to talk a little about this aspect of the steering controller because it does seem to be a key point for quite a few players. As great as this controller is, it is not a wireless set up. What does this mean? Well, it means if you don’t have your Xbox one where it is possible to plug the wheel in, you won’t be able to use it. It requires the USB port to connect and thus you can bet that you won’t lose your connection during play, and it is less likely to lag out too. Unfortunately, it does make whether or not you will want to use it come into question if you have kids or any reason to believe the cord could get yanked out or the Xbox down because of it. It also makes it questionable for use with what gamers call ‘rage players’ for the same reason.

There are also some players who prefer to keep their console in a completely different room than the one their screen is in, which obviously takes this out of the picture (though we honestly aren’t sure why they do, this would be something of high interest to learn). If having your controller be wireless is not an issue, though, then you will be happy to have this one in your collection, after all a cord means you don’t have to worry about batteries dying or a lost connection mid-game.

Use

While many controllers are versatile in how they can be used today, and with what, getting a specialized controller like this one does limit what you can use it on. Firstly, this was designed specifically for an Xbox One, and that means you won’t be switching it up for a different console though it is usable with a PC as well. Due to the program designs, the chance is that it won’t work with a Mac which can be a disappointment for some gamers who are looking for a great experience for less that top of the line price. When buying a steering wheel style, you are likely to accept that this controller won’t be used outside of racing games- but unless your careful, you may find the game you bought it for is also not compatible with this particular controller. In fact, it varies within the same line of games. What you can use in Forza 6 is not always able to be used for Forza 7. So when shopping for a controller to race with, assure that the one you are getting works not only with the console itself but also with the game of your choice.

Price

This is not the cheapest controller of its kind on the market, but it is also not the most expensive by a long shot. The thing you can be certain of with it is that you are getting a noteworthy level piece of gaming equipment at a decent enough price to make it is one major flaw able to be overlooked. This product will be one you still have to save up for most likely, sitting at about $218 brand new on Amazon. So, to say it’s cheap would not be entirely true.

However, considering that most higher-grade controllers of its type sit closer to $400 or more, you can take note that you are getting good quality for a price that is comparably much better than you would expect it to be. Those who have had the opportunity to compare it to other wheels in the same price range say there really isn’t much of a challenge to which is better, so you know you are getting the best at this range that you can hope to. If you need more than that, you are going to have to be willing to put the extra couple hundred dollars forward to really find it.

Key Features

Realistic resistance play
Manual and automatic
Reconfigure buttons
Works on Xbox One and PC
Quality playability

Bottom Line

If your love lays with the world of racing video games, you will want to have a controller that lets you experience this with the most immersive feeling you can. If you need to know that the controller will not only respond to you but respond to the in gameplay which gives you the feeling that you are really behind the wheel and not just imagining what it might feel like, this controller gives it. While it may not be completely flawless, it has been credited to the closest you can have to professional grade at a decent enough price to not completely blow your bank. So, get ready to feel the burn, literally, through your controller and ramp up your Xbox one gameplay with this awesome looking and playing set up.

Don’t let your game be less than the best it can be when you can put the pedal to the metal and speed past that AI with a vengeance all of your own. Let the control of your favorite car really sit in your hands and pick whether you want to shift the gears or let the game do it for you. No matter what your favorite track, you are bound to find yourself enjoying every curve possible!