Logitech G27

Recent developments in the automotive industry have pointed toward self-driving cars being closer than we might expect. Firms like Alphabet (the parent company of Google) and Apple are leading the way in autonomous car investment.

One annoying issue that sim racers faced when the PlayStation 4 was released was steering wheel compatibility. Owners of wheels like the highly popular G-series from Logitech (G25, G27) or older Fanatec items quickly found out that they wouldn’t be able to use their existing wheels to play racing games.

The Logitech G27 remains one of the most popular and widely used wheels in sim racing, thanks to its sturdy construction and nearly ubiquitous compatibility with console and PC racing games. Although it can’t quite offer the same range of features or technology that today’s high-end wheels provide, it is still one of the most affordable ways to upgrade from a controller.

Kazunori Yamauchi has been fielding questions from fans on Twitter over the past few hours. The tweets are in Japanese, but with a little help from Google and medhi_san, we can get a pretty good idea of what he’s talking about. Here’s the highlights:

Check out this 25% off coupon on all Logitech gaming products, including their steering wheels. This drops the price of the G27 wheel from $299.99 to $224.99 ($23.50 less than Amazon), and drops the Driving Force GT from $149.99 to $112.49 ($17.50 less than Amazon) with free shipping. Just apply the coupon code LOGIGAME-910 to your order from the official Logitech online store and you’re good to go.

Web retailer Amazon.com has updated their Gran Turismo 5 listing to include a special promotion: pre-order the Standard Edition of the game with them, and get $10 off your next purchase from their “Video Games” department. Fortunately, that just so happens to include both the Logitech Driving Force GT and Logitech G27 steering wheel, providing a handy little discount if you don’t have the hardware yet or if you’re looking to upgrade before November. Also, keep in mind that Amazon is still offering “release-date delivery” for about $2.

Logitech’s new steering wheel has finally arrived! They’re in stock right now at Amazon.com for $287.38, plus shipping. Reports in our forums also indicate the G27 is showing up on shelves at Best Buy in the United States. The obvious question, then – should you pick this up? According to the reviews, here’s the simple answer: if you’ve already got a G25, you’ll appreciate the hardware upgrades, but you shouldn’t feel too pressured to pick up a G27. If you’re in the market for your first steering wheel (and don’t mind spending the extra cash over the discounted G25 prices), you’re going to get one of the best wheels on the market.

GTPlanet independently verified leaked shots of the new Logitech G27 a while back, but many of you still weren’t convinced.  Earlier this week, however, a VirtualR reader just happened to stumble upon the new wheel at Logitech’s own web site.  He wisely nabbed screenshots while the pages and images were still online to verify his discovery.  Although there doesn’t appear to be any new technical details revealed in the Portugese product description visible in the screenshots, it confirms the exterior design (including the six wheel buttons, thicker wheel, shift light indicators, and the suspiciously absent shift mode selector switch).  It’s becoming more and more likely, however, that the G27 is simply an evolutionary update to the G25, as opposed to a radical new design with lots of additional features.  We’ll keep you updated, of course, as more information is released.

The Logitech G25 was one of the first steering wheels to introduce a clutch pedal and gated 6-speed shifter.  It’s success has prompted other wheel manufacturers like Fanatec to jump in the game, fueling competition in this niche market to new heights.  Now, with the G25 pushing 3 years old, everyone is watching Logitech to make a move.