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When I was a little kid, I used to play Gran Turismo with a handy controller. Although it felt satisfactory enough for my needs at that time, imagine my envy when I saw my friend’s racing wheel and watched him driving about in Grand Theft Auto 3. That’s when I realized I needed to save up for a nice racing wheel, which I did. I haven’t looked back since then.
The best thing about utilizing a racing wheel to play a racing game is that it transforms the whole racing experience, bringing your immersion to whole new levels. This is especially true if you’re using a high-end racing wheel with haptic feedback. It genuinely is a unique sensation that cannot be recreated with a joystick or a keyboard. Is it, however, genuinely worthwhile?
Is it worth it to buy a racing wheel?
Yes, indeed. The quick answer is that the racing wheels are well worth the money, as well as the hoopla that surrounds them. Racing wheels are sometimes disregarded since they only serve one purpose, which is to play racing games. Sure, you can play with a joystick or even a keyboard, but the feeling afforded by a racing wheel just cannot be equaled.
If you’ve ever played Project C.A.R. or Gran Turismo titles, you’ll know that these games are among the greatest when it comes to presenting automobiles that seem authentic. When it comes to actual racing games, most people want something more realistic. While you will receive it from the game itself, since it will provide you with a racing experience as near to genuine as possible, the one element that will bottleneck the whole scenario is the peripheral you are using.
Here’s where racing wheels come in handy. They are well-known for giving a genuine experience, as if you are driving an actual car. When you combine this with the experience that the game provides, you get the ideal combination of racing experience that you have been looking for.
Trust me when I say that if you’ve never played Gran Turismo on a racing wheel, you’re missing out on a lot. It’s as if you’ve been transported to a new world, that’s how much fun it can be.
Why should I get a racing wheel?
When it comes to games (Dirt3, NFS) or simulations (Assetto Corsa, iRacing), having a racing wheel only makes the experience more fun. Since you can truly feel the weight of the vehicle and the contact patch of the tires via the best racing wheels, you feel much more linked to the automobile with which you’re racing. This helps you to immediately counter any possibility of over or understeering.
Controllers do not allow you to feel track bumps, which may impair vehicle control at braking moments or during bends. With laser-scanned circuits becoming more common these days, it’s more crucial than ever to be able to feel the bumps. That being said, it may not necessarily improve your lap timings, but it may surely make the experience more pleasurable.
Utilizing simulation software (like iRacing or Assetto Corsa) with a suitable setup may really improve your driving skills, too. Knowledge of the physics of a vehicle at its limit may not only assist to improve lap times on the track, but it can also offer a deeper understanding of your car in circumstances when it is at its limit.
Is it difficult to use a racing wheel?
This may seem unnecessary or even counterintuitive to many people, but when you use something like a racing wheel, you will notice that it increases the difficulty as well. It won’t necessarily increase the difficulty from inside the game. The game will function similarly. However, since the racing wheels attempt to replicate real-life steering wheels as much as possible, grasping the physics will take some time especially if you don’t drive in real life just yet. You could even get irritated throughout the procedure. The important thing to consider is that you have to be patient to see things through to the end.
Is racing with a wheel easier than using a controller?
It depends on the kind of game you are playing. But if you are playing sim games, gripping the steering wheel and accurately twisting it seems to be much more precise than softly moving an analog stick. Pushing the pedals to offer just the right amount of brakes makes navigating those crucial sudden corners much easier.
Should I invest in a racing wheel?
Racing wheels are a terrific addition to the sim racing set-up. Take it from someone who has been racing since he was a child. When you combine a solid racing game with a nice steering wheel, I can assure you that your total experience will be wonderful. If you have funds to spare, definitely buy a racing wheel!