27 May 2023 , 11:00
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Following the popularity of their G920/G29 and G923 racing wheels, Logitech's G Pro Racing Wheel is their first foray into the direct-drive market.
But whereas the racing wheels listed above are aimed squarely at the entry-level market, for beginners and casual players, Logitech's G PRO Racing Wheel is aimed at serious sim racers, and it has a price to match. The G Pro Racing Wheel is available for £999 / $999, you get a wheel and wheel base for that, but no pedals. We tested the PS5/PC version of the wheel, with there also being an Xbox Series X|S version, that isn't compatible with PC.
Compared to the competition, it's priced the same as the Thrustmaster T818 Ferrari SF1000 simulator edition, which is £999 / $1099 and also includes a wheel base and pedals. But, it's priced significantly above the Fanatec CSL DD (8 Nm) at £499.95 / $499.95, although you don't get pedals or a wheel included.
Logitech G PRO Racing Wheel - Design
Although the shell of the Logitech G PRO is largely plastic, it's very obviously well built, which is backed up by its sheer mass, tipping the scales at 7kg, with the wheel coming in at 1.5kg separately.
Although the shell of the Logitech G PRO is largely plastic, its very obviously well builtThe wheel itself is leather and features a brushed metal front plate, which only features four buttons, with all of the important buttons being placed on attached islands, keeping them closer to your hand on the wheel. There's also a handy nipple switch that you can use to navigate menus and such, which is a nice change from a standard D-pad.
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At this price point, you would expect this wheel to make an impression, and it sure does. The black, metal and light blue colour scheme works really well.
Logitech G PRO Racing Wheel - Features
Although Logitech's direct-drive offering doesn't feature RGB like the Thrustmaster T818, it goes one better, having an integrated LED display and RPM LED patterns, allowing you to switch between racing profiles. The magnetic paddles are very satisfying to use, and they should be, as they feature contactless hall-effect sensors that have a mechanical feel.
There are also two additional analogue paddles that can be used as a clutch, handbrake, accelerator or brake, allowing you to customise your controls depending on the game. It also has a quick-release wheel mechanism, but at the time of writing, there are no additional wheels available to purchase, so this isn't really a useful feature right now.
In the box, you get a table clamp, USB cable and power supply, but you really shouldn't be using a clamp if you want to extract all the performance, and thankfully, the wheel has pre-drilled mounting holes on the bottom allowing to attach the wheel to a dedicated racing cockpit.
Although Logitech's direct-drive offering doesn't feature RGB like the Thrustmaster T818, it goes one better, having an integrated LED display and RPM LED patternsIf you want to grab the Logitech Pro Racing Pedals, they'll set you back £349.99 / $349.99, but are just as good quality as the wheel, featuring a load cell bake and a fully customisable design. But, you can also use the pedals from the G923 kit.
Logitech G PRO Racing Wheel - Performance
Boasting 11 Nm of torque, the Logitech G Pro is more powerful than both the Thrustmaster T818 (10 Nm) and the Fanatec CSL DD (8 Nm), which are its direct competitors, and there's only more on offer if you wanna spend £1199.95 / $1199.95 on a Fanatec Podium Wheel Base DD1, which doesn't include a wheel or pedals.
In addition to a custom direct-drive motor, the wheel also features Logitech's Trueforce technology, which delivers kinaesthetic and tactile force feedback through the wheel, allowing you to feel the virtual track surface and feel every snap, bump and in my case, crash.
In addition to a custom direct-drive motor, the wheel also features Logitech's Trueforce technologyAs an experienced sim racer myself, I turned the wheel up to 11 Nm and tried to optimise the in-game force feedback, and boy, this thing packs a punch. After just a few laps using this thing on F1 22, my arms were beginning to ache, such was the force going through my arms and shoulders.
Turning it down slightly gave me a much better experience, and due to how much feedback comes through the wheel, thanks to both the direct-drive motor and Trueforce, I quickly found myself completely immersed. Getting a direct drive wheel won't make you a better sim racer, but it will give you a better opportunity to be one, it all depends on what you do with that additional feedback and how you react to it.
Overall thoughts on the Logitech G PRO Racing Wheel
Logitech's first direct-drive offering is a strong proposition, offering superb performance and excellent build quality. It's also available for all platforms, console or PC, unlike the T818.
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At £999 / $999, frankly, it had to be this good to justify its price point. If you're an inexperienced sim racer, this wheel might not be for you, but for an advanced sim racer, there's no better direct-drive wheel on the market right now for less than £1000 / $1000.
Review score: 5/5