Went from G25 to Fanatec GT2 - My experiences

[Forcone]

Hi guys!

(SCROLL DOWN FOR QUICK READING)

I know there are many people like me out there, who find it extremely painful. Waiting for Forza Motorsport 4 that is. Most of these people don't have an Xbox360 -compatible wheel just as I didn't. Now I have, and it is the Fanatec GT2, bought basically just for it's Xbox-support, as I was completely and utterly satisfied with my Logitech G25 which I still have as well.

This write-up isn't pointed just at FM-fans, but to all possible future-Fanatec buyers as I want to share my experiences with this new wheel. I'd also like comments from fellow GT2-owners to compare them with mine!

I knew people had been having issues with Fanatec products, and logistics, and customer service etc. Still I ordered one. I ordered it on a Wednesday morning, and they shipped it the same day. It took 5 days for the package to be on my front door (I live in Finland) – bearing in mind, there was a weekend in between. I also ordered the shifter set. I chose not to order any pedals, as I had read, that the G25 pedals work fine with the GT2 – and they do! Though I must admit those CSP:s are pretty tempting!

This is the second day of my Fanatec ownership. I have to admit, I had pretty high expectations for this wheel, and at first I wasn't actually so blown away by it's superiority over my good ol' G25. Now I realize this is because I chose to try it on FM3 at first, which I have never played on a wheel before. And I sucked. And I thought that the game sucked. This was before I realized to disable those horrible default-deadzones the game has. Now it feels much much more comfortable!

After a brief FM3 session, I switched over to GT5, which I have been playing a lot on the G25. I even consider myself to be a pretty good drifter. Now that all had changed, I sucked, once again! I played with the on-board settings quite a bit and got the wheel to behave a bit more like the G25, enabling ”drift-mode” etc. But still it felt quite different. The Fanatec had more of a ”heavy feel” compared to the G25. Also the bigger, and thicker rim felt really awkward in the beginning.

Now that I've put more hours on it, I really have to admit that I find the GT2 better than the G25. I'm not sure if the FFB is stronger - at least my first impressions were that it isn't, but I haven't tried the G25 now that the GT2 is plugged in. Yet it feels somehow more accurate, and smoother. Switching from the G25 to GT2 isn't so easy, it takes time to learn to work with the completely different force feedback. But once you do, you realize to respect it. Everyone surely knows the GT2 is belt driven, so obviously it is quieter than the old G25, which is nice. The GT2 also feels very sturdy and well-built – as does the G25 (I've never had any issues with it). All the buttons feel nice, and are easy to find – expect for the d-pad which many people seem to find a bit crappy. Well, I haven't had any issues with it, although it has to be said, I prefer the shifter-mounted version of the G25.

I'm not sure if the stock clamp-system it is delivered with is so good, I didn't even try it as I hard-mounted it straight away. Many people say the clamp sucks, and I can believe them. The shifter set seems pretty nice, but the chopstick-mounting system isn't very sturdy as everyone can imagine. Still you can't really notice the movement of the shifter as you're playing. The H-shifter is actually quite a bit better than the Logitech product in my opinion! Many find it a bit ”toyish” but still it feels rather good. It is much much stiffer than the floppy G25 shifter. I think they improved it a bit on the G27 but I guess it's still not that good? Even those clicking noises it makes don't seem to bother me. Maybe I just keep the volume on such a high level... =D

May sound weird, but my absolute favorite piece of the wheel is the ALCANTARA! My god it feels good! =D I think I will be getting the wheel out now a lot more often just to feel this great material! This combined with the thicker rim make for such a nice driving experience. Can't really say anything about it's durability as this really is the second day of using the wheel. Many advice you to wear gloves for keeping it nice and smooth but I don't think I will. It is meant to be used, I don't mind even if it stains a bit, might actually look even nicer! =D

So all and all, I'm pretty happy with my purchase, even if it was a bit pricy for a student. But hell, all hobbies cost! And now that I've got my sight on those CSPs....! Not sure if I forgot to mention something...

I'll try to sum up my personal Fanatec GT2 Pros and Cons with a bit of G25 touch:

PROS:
- Both have a high build quality
- GT2 shifter has a better feel (stiffer)
- I like the thicker GT2 rim better than the skinny G25 rim, makes for a more realistic feel
- GT2's alcantara feels really nice in your hands
- GT2 has great onboard-tuning functions! I would pay many many €€€ for these only
- GT2's multiplatform support
- G25 in my mind, may have slighlty more ”aggressive” FFB (may have something to do with the weight of the rim), as the GT2 FFB is smoother and maybe a bit more accurate, like them both really

CONS:
- ”Chopstick”-shifter mounting system isn't very sturdy. I will be hardmounting mine.
- Haven't tried the wheel's clamp-mount, but I don't see it being very sturdy
- Me NOT having the Clubsport Pedals.

I'll add more as I learn more about this new wheel!

Thanks for reading! Please share your experiences and feel free to ask me anything about the wheels! =) Now I just have to keep practising with my new wheel as I wait for my very much likely new driving game favorite!

Ps. I played a bit more FM3 before posting this, and it's beginning to feel quite good actually! That ”assisted steering” just keeps ruining everything!

 

[phil-t]

Good review!

I've had the MS Wireless wheel, then after playing on a G25 and a G27 at my brothers, I had to get something better!, so I got a Fanatec 911 Turbo S with CSP's, my brother (A logitech die-hard), hated it at first, but once we tweaked it (As you say the onboard adjustability is amazing and priceless!), I left it with him for a week, when I picked it up he was unwrapping a new GT2 + CSP's!!! He's still got the G25 and G27, but they are just gathering dust, he is waiting for the GT2 to break, then he'll use the others whilst it's being repaired! (So he jokes, but I am waiting for the inevitable!)..

 

[Zoom!Zoom!]

The biggest difference between g25/g27 pedals vs CSP is the load cell. You can get a load cell for your G25/G27 brake pedal at http://www.apelectrix.com/ or the next best thing the nixim mod. I have the load cell mod for my G27 pedals and like them just as good as my CSP.

 

[zr1chris]

Congrats on the new wheel.

Add another one to the Fanatec family.

 

[Forcone]

The biggest difference between g25/g27 pedals vs CSP is the load cell. You can get a load cell for your G25/G27 brake pedal at http://www.apelectrix.com/ or the next best thing the nixim mod. I have the load cell mod for my G27 pedals and like them just as good as my CSP.

Hmm, that would be actually quite interesting! I'm also planning on inverting my pedals as it would probably feel more natural for me. It also look pretty damn easy (and nice)...!

What interests me is, would this load cell cause calibration issues when I use the pedals with consoles? I'm pretty sure there's no manual way to calibrate pedals on Xbox/PS3, and I have no idea how/when the GT2 makes it's calibration..? 💡

 

[Forcone]

Alrighty then! Today I took a few minutes of my precious gaming time and took apart my G25 pedals to invert them, and my god what a difference it makes! I took the measurements from my MK4 Golf (OK, probably not the sportiest of arrangements) and went from there. I don't know if I paid so much more attention to my pedal work or if it really made that much of a difference, all I know is: I'm faster, I have better control over my brake pedal (still unmodified) and driving feels better altogether! So long ABS! =)

 

[Zoom!Zoom!]

Hmm, that would be actually quite interesting! I'm also planning on inverting my pedals as it would probably feel more natural for me. It also look pretty damn easy (and nice)...!

What interests me is, would this load cell cause calibration issues when I use the pedals with consoles? I'm pretty sure there's no manual way to calibrate pedals on Xbox/PS3, and I have no idea how/when the GT2 makes it's calibration..? 💡

If you wire the load cell for PS3 (this will work for the PC as well : * Black wire to +V * White wire to SIG * Red wire to GND) then the game doesn't know the difference. Just every time you load up a game and after see your wheel finish calibrating press the pedal as hard as you want to set the "100% braking" mark.

Fanatec CSP load cell has it own knob the adjust (instead of calibrating) how much pressure required to reach 100% braking. The gas and clutch still needs calibrating though.

 

[Forcone]

OK guys! It's been about two months now that I've been a proud owner of a Fanatec GT2. I just want to take a few seconds to list things I've experienced with it so far:

- The wheel has worked flawlessly, well almost -> occasionally I get the FM4-related bug which causes the wheel to "crash" (full lock, full throttle, no response), but I've been told by fellow forum members that it is not wheel-related
- As I was told, the alcantara has started to wear out a bit. It was a bit stained after long sessions but I used a leather cleaning foam on it and it looks nice again. The 9 and 3 o'clock parts, where you hold on have become a little rougher than they were at the beginning. Doesn't affect performance or usability though, feels just a bit different. So if you want to keep it pristine, use gloves!
- My G25 pedals have worked great with it, I'm still happy that I inverted them! I just should move the throttle a bit closer to the brake pedal
- There were some tiny "plasticcy" noises at first with the wheel, all of those are gone, whole thing feels pretty solid. I haven't touched any of those chinese-tightened screws, maybe that would make a difference in some cases?
- The Porsche shifter (H) is better than the one on G25, but it's not that brilliant. Many people are annoyed by the clicking sound it makes, and with lower volume, I'm one of them. It's not that big a deal, but a bit annoying. Also I keep missing third quite a lot because I tend to ram it a bit too much. Somebody posted a thread on forzaplanet.net about a controller board that allows you to use SST Lightning or TH8RS shifters with the Fanatec, I'll have to look into this!
- Still using the chopsticks even though they aren't that sturdy. At least it hasn't fallen apart yet!
- All and all, I've been very happy with my purchase! I haven't really played anything else than Forza 4 with it, nor even plugged it in my PC, but still.

Next thing I need is a better brake pedal. I'm kinda trying to figure out whether to mod the G25 pedals with something like that thing Zoom!Zoom! posted or to buy the CSP's. I think I prefer the idea of separate pedal units, G25 pedals that is - just like the clean look of them! The brake pedal hasn't really bothered me that much, but I love the idea of a load cell brake - haven't ever tried one though.

Thanks for reading!

edit: OH! One thing that bothers me: why on earth did they remove the "look left" and "look right" buttons from the wheel?!! To sell more CSR's I think...?

 

[skazz]

I made a similar transition as you (although I was using a DFGT for GT5 and my G25 is still attached to my PC so I regularly compare and contrast the Fanatec for GT5/Forza 4 and the G25 for PC sims).

I agree about the GT2 wheel feeling very much heavier than the G25. Setting spr and dpr to -3 (for GT5) and drift mode to 3 (for all profiles) was necessary before I really started feeling comfortable with the wheel: By default I found the Fanatec rather lethargic to turn so making those settings changes freed it up a lot.

But to be honest, the clubsport pedals felt like a bigger change than the wheel. Learning to use the load cell brake means switching from braking by angle-of-pedal to braking by amount-of-pressure. It took me quite a while to really get a feel for threshold braking again, because my foot was having to do things completely differently. But in the end I think the CSPs are an improvement over G25 pedals (and lightyears ahead of DFGT pedals obviously).

 

[gslooney]

Having just read this, I'd have to say it almost mimics my own experience. I sold my G25 to a friend and it's still going strong. I went down the route of the CS Pedals and they are great. They also have a separate USB connector so on the PC you get a higher resolution if you attach them via USB. I tried the nixim mod that helped with the G25 pedals, but the load cells and the magnetic sensor technology on the clutch and accelerator of the clubsports is great. I think the feedback in Forza 3 and 4 is way better than GT5 once you get the wheel setup. being able to switch profiles in GT5 is great. want to run on the X2010 just flip the profile to reduce the ffb and go from 900 deg to 270 or 540 or whatever you want.. excellent. And it was me who posted the video on using the TH8RS with this wheel, it just got better again. I spend hours on GT5 last night in manual H shorter mode it's like a game reborn

 

[Forcone]

Having just read this, I'd have to say it almost mimics my own experience. I sold my G25 to a friend and it's still going strong. I went down the route of the CS Pedals and they are great. They also have a separate USB connector so on the PC you get a higher resolution if you attach them via USB. I tried the nixim mod that helped with the G25 pedals, but the load cells and the magnetic sensor technology on the clutch and accelerator of the clubsports is great. I think the feedback in Forza 3 and 4 is way better than GT5 once you get the wheel setup. being able to switch profiles in GT5 is great. want to run on the X2010 just flip the profile to reduce the ffb and go from 900 deg to 270 or 540 or whatever you want.. excellent. And it was me who posted the video on using the TH8RS with this wheel, it just got better again. I spend hours on GT5 last night in manual H shorter mode it's like a game reborn

God I wish I had that shifter and that interfaceone -board as well! How are you liking the TH8RS? It looks really nice and well built! Can you adjust the stiffness to mimic something closer to a real car?

 

[gslooney]

Sorry Forcone, Just caught up on this thread. I believe you can adjust the stiffness but I haven't as for me it's very good anyway. what I have done is slightly rotated the gates. so that as I leave say 2nd gear third is sort of straight forward.. if that makes sense. so in effect there's less left and right movement between gates. I found I missed less shifts.
adjusting the end stops on forza's clutch settings helped a lot as well.

The TH8RS is now coupled with my CSR-Elite..and CSP (thanks you santa!)

My next task for next year is to Design and build a new Rig to house it all.

After that I will be selling a stack of technology GT2, VR3, PWTS and looking at the possibility of creating an affordable motion system cause I think it can be done for less than is being asked by the big boys, and the cost barrier to entry in that space is just way too high at the moment. Given folks are happy to pay £500 for a wheel.. I think there could be a market for a motion system!

that's all I can say about that at this time. It may of course come to nothing!

 

[DallasDad]

First post and hopefully I will find an answer to an issue I have
I have a GT2 wheel and G27 pedals, the pedals do not work either on the Xbox during Forza or dirt 3 on my PC

I have buzzed them out and the pots and wiring is ok, I have checked the GT2 adapter and that is ok

It is beginning to look like the wheel is at fault

I have question relating to using the PC driver for diagnostics
For those of you with the Fanatec driver installed on your PC, with everything connected up, wheel and G25/27 pedals etc if you monitor the pedals via the driver properties screen does each pedal operate the bar graph as expected? My blue bars do not budge or occasionally when operating the accelerator pedal all the blue bars go crazy or disappear.

Is there anything anywhere in the wheel setup I need to enable as I am baffled!

thanks

 

[Hanzales]

Hi,

thanks for your first impressions!

I'm using Logitech DFP (and old MOMO just for clutch) several years and it's time for changing them for new one which can handle xbox360, PS3 and PC alltogether ;o)
I just ordered GT2 with CSR shifter and ClubSport pedals yestarday so you can imagine how much excited I am... Too bad I missed free "tuning kit" for free by 1 day...
I know about possibly issues as well, still I decided go for it and hopefully everything will be all right. At least in case something bad happen anyway I am able to fix almost everything and even solder tinny-tiny parts on graphic cards but hopefully it will not be necessary. At least good to know that Fanatec can send replacement parts for thoose who are able to fix it on their side.

 

[DallasDad]

I have sort of got my G27 pedals working with the GT2 wheel, the wheel seems fussy about the connection and to take ages to detect them but I have sort of discovered a technique.

If I disconnect the pedals and check the voltages on the adapter cable then reconnect it works immediately afterwards both via the driver screen and in game

The three pots in the G27 are wired in parallel
Each pot is 10K ohms so that's 3.33K across the 5V rail

I wonder if until I disconnect them the 5V supply is being pulled down or something

Does anyone know what the resistance of the pots are in the standard Fanatec pedals?

 

[redlinezak]

Having just read this, I'd have to say it almost mimics my own experience. I sold my G25 to a friend and it's still going strong. I went down the route of the CS Pedals and they are great. They also have a separate USB connector so on the PC you get a higher resolution if you attach them via USB. I tried the nixim mod that helped with the G25 pedals, but the load cells and the magnetic sensor technology on the clutch and accelerator of the clubsports is great. I think the feedback in Forza 3 and 4 is way better than GT5 once you get the wheel setup. being able to switch profiles in GT5 is great. want to run on the X2010 just flip the profile to reduce the ffb and go from 900 deg to 270 or 540 or whatever you want.. excellent. And it was me who posted the video on using the TH8RS with this wheel, it just got better again. I spend hours on GT5 last night in manual H shorter mode it's like a game reborn

Do you have a link to this vid please?