In a surprise shot across the bows of high-end driving wheel manufacturers, Logitech has announced its new direct-drive G PRO wheel — and it will be available from today, for both Xbox and PlayStation.
READ: GTPlanet’s Hands-On Review – Logitech G PRO Direct Drive Wheel
Logitech has traditionally made gear-driven wheels, with steering and force feedback effects delivered to and from one or two motors which connect to the steering wheel shaft by gears. This provides a reliable and robust drive system, but one that’s also quite granular in nature.
Direct drive is an entirely different technology which, as the name suggests, receives steering input from and delivers feedback effects to the steering wheel shaft directly.
The shaft attaches to the motor’s rotor, which turns inside the stator magnets either in response to force from the driver or to transmit force back, for instant responses and a continuous feeling.
Until now, Fanatec was the only brand offering direct drive wheel peripherals for gaming consoles, with the very expensive Podium wheel and the more recent, budget CSL DD (Xbox) and GT DD Pro (PlayStation) wheels. Thrustmaster is also preparing to reveal a PC-only direct drive item, so Logitech’s model comes as quite the surprise.
Available in either Xbox or PlayStation configurations — both are compatible with PC, but not with the alternate console platform — the G PRO is capable of a maximum torque of 11Nm. That’s more than the GT DD Pro even with the boost kit (8Nm), but not quite at the levels of the Fanatec Podium DD2 at 25Nm.
In addition, the G PRO also uses Logitech’s “Trueforce” technology, first seen on the G923 wheels. This provides additional effects intended to reflect general vehicle vibration, and it will be interesting to see how that’s implemented on the direct drive wheel.
The wheel has a redesigned faceplate compared to recent generations of the G wheel, moving most buttons to a rear-mounted module. Even the rev LEDs have moved, now mounted on the base along with an OLED multifunction display.
There’s metal shift and clutch paddles, with Hall effect sensors rather than the sometimes problematic microswitched shifters of previous models. Players can reconfigure the paddles to throttle and brake if required, giving analogue hand controls.
A redesigned clamp system with quick release allows for players to mount the wheel to a desk, while there’s also the standard bolt holes for those who use a driving rig.
In addition, and for the first time available as a separate item, there’s the new G PRO Racing Pedals. This three-pedal set up features a fully customizable arrangement, with the ability to slide each piece laterally or even remove a pedal entirely.
The pedal technology has changed entirely too, with the potentiometer setup of the older G pedals being swapped out for Hall effect sensors in the throttle and clutch and a load-cell brake. This mimics the sensation of real braking better, responding to pressure rather than position. Each has swappable springs and, for the brake, rubber “elastomer” springs.
Unsurprisingly, this all comes at something of a price. The Logitech G PRO wheel comes in at $999/€1099/£849, with the G PRO pedals a seperate item at $349/€389/£299. That’s a rather steep increase over the G923 which, as a wheel/pedal bundle, has an RRP roughly the same as the G PRO pedals alone.
Is it worth it? Well, GTPlanet got the chance to test the G PRO out — so read our Hands-On Review to find out more!
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