Logitech Driving Force Pro Steering Wheel: Experience Racing in Your Living Room

Logitech makes many high-quality products, including mice and keyboards, speakers and even video game steering wheels.

To enjoy any racing game to its fullest, you will need some kind of steering wheel. And at around $100, the Driving Force Pro is the best one you will find.

First let me say that the wheel itself is very easy on the hands. It is somewhat small, but has a nice grip to it. It has paddle shifters, but there's also a sequential stick shifter, which I absolutely love. The paddle shifters seem somewhat tough, like they need to be broken into, plus they are somewhat small making it a little difficult to press them when driving. On the other hand, the stick shifter is truly awesome; when you are flying down the track and need to up-shift, reaching for the shifter is really cool.

The pedals are replicated well. There is no clutch however, which is somewhat disappointing, but nonetheless expected. Logitech offers another steering wheel for about $250 that does have a clutch. The Driving Force Pro has the brake and gas and they each feel like their real life counterparts. The brake pedal is tough, while the gas is looser.

Moving on, you get a bunch of things in the box. The steering wheel, the pedals, and the power adapter are included. The power adapter plugs into an outlet which goes into the back of the steering wheel, a plug from the pedals also goes to the back of the steering wheel, and the steering wheel plugs into your console or PC using a USB cable. Sounds like a lot doesn't it? It is.

That's one thing I do not really like about using the Driving Force Pro. In my house, I have my consoles in our family room, so I cannot just keep this laid out all the time. If I want to play I have to set everything up and clean up when I am done. This can be a pain at times.

Setting up can also be difficult for some people depending on the layout of their gaming area. You'll need somewhere to sit and have the pedals in front of you with the steering wheel on some kind of table also in front of you. I got lucky because there's already a table with chairs where my consoles are; only thing is I have to drag out the table in front of the TV when I want to play.

If you are thinking of buying the Driving Force Pro, consider this first. Make sure you have an acceptable table and chair where the table cannot be thicker than around an inch or so. The clamps on the steering wheel are not that big.

If you have concluded that your area is suitable for the steering wheel than you will enjoy it. You have to remember though that if you are more into arcade style racing, this might not be for you. It is meant for racing simulators.

Speaking of racing simulators, the game that fits this wheel absolutely perfectly is Gran Turismo 4. It is a somewhat older game for the Playstation 2, but using the Driving Force Pro on Gran Turismo 4 is perfect. You really cannot beat it. I have tried many other games with the wheel, but it's just not the same. GT4 is one of the few games that support the 900 degree rotation of the Driving Force Pro, which helps with realism. Other games might not, and the wheel doesn't work well with some of them.

To conclude, if you are looking for a true racing experience in your living room for under $100 and you have the space and right kind of table, the Driving Force Pro is for you. If you are more into arcade style racing, I would say avoid it. The wheel is constructed very well and provides a good deal of racing realism.