Buyer's Guide to Video Game Steering Wheels for Your Computer

Computer steering wheels enable racing games to be controlled more easily and realistically than other input devices. Steering wheels of this type can be purchased at some electronics, department, and office supply stores, as well as many shopping web sites. There are a variety of features and capabilities which become available on computer steering wheels as the price increases.

They are not a difficult item to find, although each individual store is unlikely to have more than one or two choices available. Computer steering wheels can be purchased at Target stores, WalMart.com (can be shipped to home or nearest store), Best Buy stores, eBay.com, Staples stores, QVC.com, and various other online shopping web sites. New prices usually range from about $35 to a few hundred dollars. More expensive models usually have a greater range of steering wheel rotation and other additional features. Used racing wheels can sometimes be purchased locally at CraigsList.org.

Most computer steering wheels connect to the computer's USB port. If you have an older computer which lacks USB ports or has an operating system which doesn't support them, it will probably need to be upgraded to use one of these, unless you can find a game port racing wheel and your computer has a game port (most common on mid/late-1990s computers). Be sure to determine the steering wheel's system requirements before purchasing it; some can be used on IBM-compatibles and Apple/Macintosh computers, while others are compatible with one or more types of computers and video game systems. Make sure it is not a wheel which is designed only for video game system usage. Most wireless steering wheels are for the Sony Playstation or XBox 360, not computers.

Brands which make computer steering wheels include Logitech, Microsoft, Genius, and Saitek. Features to look for (usually at additional expense) include pedals, a built-in shifter control, steel and/or leather materials, or realistic wheel vibration. Try to determine which features are supported by the racing games you play, to know if it is worth purchasing a racing wheel with such features. Units with pedals usually have an accelerator and brake, but some of the more expensive models also have a clutch pedal as well. Most shifters are built into the steering wheel unit, but a few are separate. Try alternately using the search phrases "pc steering wheel" and "computer racing wheel" to find more results for computer steering wheels when shopping online.

Overall, the best computer steering wheel to choose depends upon what type of computer system you have, which features are supported by the racing games you own, the type of ports your computer has, and what sort of racing wheel could most conveniently be set up in your computer area.