What’s a better feeling than cruising the roads of Australia, UK or Mexico in idyllic weather in super cars? Forza series of games deliver beautifully crafted worlds and the opportunities to explore them in some of your favourite vehicles.
In order to fully enjoy them, you need the right hardware. You must choose the right peripheral that will give you the most enjoyment and will last you years and years. I have been using some wheels for 20 years now and they refuse to break down! That kind of quality is rare there days but I am always on the lookout for the best stuff for all my simming needs.
For this particular review, the factors that I have considered are build quality, durability, excellent feedback, smooth controls and great value for money. There are indeed racing wheels that cost thousand plus dollars and I do recommend them for other racing sims but they are sort of overkill for Forza Horizon.
1. Best Mid-Range
- REALISTIC RACING SIMULATION DUO: Feel what is like to drive a real race car with G920 Driving Force...
- PAIRED FOR PRECISION: Take full control of the race with G920 Driving Force Racing Wheel & Pedals...
The Logitech G920 has been my mainstay in the mid-range category for many years now. Even after 5-6 years of use, it still looks lie new. They did phenomenal work on the materials on the grip and it still feels as nice on your hands as it did on day 1. Of course there are plenty of plastic components but the stuff that makes contact with your hand is not one of them and feels rich and premium. In fact, i uses a combination of high grade materials like Anodized Aluminium, Leather, Steel, Glass-Filled Nylon, Polyoxymethylene Thermoplastic etc.
The force feedback on this wheel is decently strong. I usually have to lower it quite bit otherwise it can give me arm strain, and I am regular gym goer! The mounting is pretty standard and you can secure it to almost any table with the onboard mechanism without damaging the table. Once secured, it is sturdy enough to withstand significant movement and player force. The link above is to a bundle that also includes the Logitech shifter. That is recommended peripheral if you want the full experience of a manual shifter.
Lastly, we have the pedals which are made of a solid plastic body while the pedals themselves are made of metal. It’s decently heavy and will stay where you put it, especially with adjustable support at the bottom to fix it on carpets or hard surfaces alike.
2. Best Budget/ Entry Level
- Built-in "PS", "SHARE" and "OPTIONS" buttons for easy navigation within the PS4, PS5 system and...
- Ergonomically-designed wheel, optimized for all types of racing games on the PlayStation 4,...
There are plenty of options in the budget category but the T80 stands above most of them because of its build quality. It has a rubber coated wheel which gives a decent grip quality with smooth and accurate control for your vehicles. The force feedback is provided with a bungee cord which is decent considering other wheels at this price point dont have that feature altogether.
There are two pedals which are comfortable and provide realistic resistance when pressed. This is not a high priced, premium product but for what you are paying, you are getting a very decent product. Its an ideal starting point for people who have never owned a wheel before and just want to dip their toes or who don’t want to splurge extra on a racing peripheral.
3. Best Premium
- The TS-XW Racer is a 1:1 scale replica of the Sparco P310 Competition wheel, and is officially...
- Works on Xbox Series X/S, XBOX One and PC
The Thrustmaster TS-XW is my choice for the best premium wheel. It is an actual scale replica of an actual Sparco wheel that is used in real-world coemption and you can see the quality oozing out of this product. If you want to go big, go with this.
A powerful 40-watt brushless motor delivers enough torque to make you feel like you are dealing with the real thing! Combined with the sights and sounds of the game, this additional physical feedback really takes your immersion to the next level. Without a wheel, you will be missing out on this sensory input altogether which is why I always recommend one for all racing games.
The build quality is really top notch because that is what you are paying for here. I own many premium Thrustmaster products and I measure their life in decades, not years.
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