Logitech Impressions of first wheel (Logitech Driving Force GT)

Yesterday my new Logitech DFGT wheel arrived from the LogitechShop and I could not wait to get home to plug it in and have a go.
Previous to this I have always used the PS controller to play the various car games and I could never really find a comfortable way to hold the controller and drive in manual so I used to leave it in Auto.

So, last night I unpacked the box and plugged everything together (very simple and easy process), turned the PS3 on and the wheel woke up and calibrated itself. Using the PS buttons on the wheel itself is a nice touch and means you don't have to worry about touching the DS3 controller at all, everything is at your fingertips on the DFGT wheel.
I started GT6 and again the wheel calibrated itself. I went into the settings and made sure the mode was set to "simulation", the steering assist was OFF and the force feedback (FFB) I initially started at 6.

Due to the GT6 season 1 opener I have done many laps on the Nurburgring GP/F course in the BRZ GT300 car so I chose this track and car to do my initial practicing. The first few corners saw we go quite wide and getting used to braking the correct amount was a struggle at first, but after about 45 minutes of driving things started to fall into place. I decided to turn the FFB up to 9 and it was SO much better. You can really feel all the bumps on the road and how the wheel goes light when you start to lose grip from the tyres.

After a couple of hours of driving I was able to match my previous lap times done with the DS3 controller with the odd error creeping in still, seeing me either lose time and/or spin off the track. One thing that certainly needs more practice is recovering quickly from a spin. With the controller it is easy to hit reverse, opposite lock the steering with the analog joystick and get back on the track quickly. With the wheel however you need to select reverse, accelerate to get going and get back onto the track, jump back into first gear and make sure your wheel is pointing in the right direction.

The upside to the wheel is it's that much more immersive. I felt I focussed harder and really felt like I was driving the car (instead of navigating a virtual car on-screen). The feedback from the wheel really adds to the experience and even at this very early stage I can see how the input you get back from the wheel can really help you to drive the car to it's limits (and feel when you're at the limit). In particular, the ability to finely turn the wheel as you take corners (I found) was much easier than trying to do the same with the controller. On a few corners I was even able to take them a bit quicker than I had previously and hit and held the apex better.

The wheel istelf is built quite well, albeit plastic and rubber (no nice aluminium or leather), but for the $115 I paid I certainly can't complain. The wheel and all its functions do everything a newbie needs. The motor is a bit noisy when fighting against you but if you are wearing a headset and have the volume turned up you can't hear it (though those nearby can - LOL).

The pedals, as I knew from my research prior to buying the DFGT are adequate but not fantastic. There is some resistance in the accelerator pedal and a tad more in the brake pedal but they are not what you'd call "stiff". I will be trying out the foam mod under the pedals to see how much difference that makes, but for now the pedals do their job and you get used to them. TIP: It is much easier to drive without shoes on.
For those that have used more expensive/better pedals I am sure they feel the DFGT pedals are complete rubbish, but as a first set I think they are OK. I found the the car pulled up a bit quicker than when using the controller however I think perhaps this may be due to me now driving in manual and the engine braking assisting the car to slow....so as a result I had to slightly adjust my braking zones.
The gearshifts. There is a sequential stick to the right of the wheel which surprisingly I really like and use 99% of the time. There are also buttons behind the rear of the wheel which act as flappy paddles. These buttons are quite small so as a result there are a couple of add-on third-party paddles you can purchase that stick onto the wheel and give you actual paddle shifts (which initially I thought I'd need to get), but I quite like the shifter - mainly because no matter how the wheel is turned the gear shifter is always in the same place. The shifter itself does feel a bit "arcade-like", with a solid sounding plastic click as you engage the gears, but if you're driving with a headset on (and turned up), you don't hear that click or the FFB motors whirring as you turn the wheel.

I am looking forward to getting used to driving with the wheel and (hopefully) improving my lap times somewhat. If nothing else it has really made the game come to life and the experience of "driving" seems real now, not like an arcade game played on a controller.

For anyone contemplating ditching the controller and getting a wheel - DO IT! It is THAT much better.
Your intial lap times etc will fall but once you get used to the wheel you will pick your speed back up.
The G27 is obviously a much nicer unit but if you can't afford to spend that kind of money I would recommend the DFGT as a great introduction into driving with a wheel (and is worlds apart from using a controller).

Dave

i have the DFGT and love it

Thanks Stu.
And yes it would be nice to be able to set a dead zone on the pedals....but I'll be happy if PD just fix the bugs in GT6
Still lots of learning to come but its so much more interactive now...I'm loving it!!!

I'll apologise in advance for any major stuffs ups I have (during events) over the coming few weeks as I continue to get used to driving with a wheel...though i'm sure most of you have already been through that in the past

DFGT spring Mod, or you could just put a squash ball behind the pedals.

Thanks Stumbles and Darko. Haven't seen the spring upgrade for the DFGT (only the G27), but I have already seen that spring mod and read about the squash ball/stress ball/dense foam mod for the brake pedal.
I have an old car sponge at home I plan to cut up tonight to see how that works and I have also found some foam here at work which might be a bit denser (if the car sponge isn't enough). If that's still not enough then I might try the spring mod from the video above.

That spring upgrade looks like a reasonable option and would make the brake on the DFGT much better. In stock form the pedals are pretty ordinary, but with some sponge/rubber ball etc.... you can get an easy impression of added 'feel' in the brake. Got a piece of sponge currently, but will look into the spring option methinks.

The actual wheel itself is a good item. I actually prefer my DFGT wheel than my old G25 to be honest. It has good solid FF, and with all of the added buttons and dials it makes setting up your PC or console game that much better. The small paddle shifters don't really bother me, but i could see how the option of some aftermarket paddles would give the wheel a more realistic feel.

The cheap and nasty plasitc gearstick is a waste of space imho.

Had a mate of a mate years ago who rocked up to a LAN with his DFPro. He had a fully working handbrake wired from the wheel and attached to his raceframe. Soo cool, and i'm sure there would be some DFGT users who have done the same.

Just ordered the after market paddles after checking out the link above and postive response. Once they arrive i might have to bust open the pedals and fiddle with the spring too.

Just finished making a quick and easy platform for my DFGT pedals:


Not painted as yet but it seems to do the job just nicely and stops the pedals wandering around and keeps them at a nice angle.

And here's a pic of my setup...very basic, just my PC desk in the study

Nice pedal set up mate. I currently use a couple of straps to help hold both my wheel, and pedals onto my raceframe. The best straps i have found to work and are easily adjustable are those same ones used by doctors/nurses when they want to find a vein and wrap those adjustable straps around your arm.. You know the ones, the one they wrap around your arm, click into place, then tighten to make your veins show.

I work in a hospital, so its easy for me to get them, but i'm sure you could get them from certain chemists or medical supply places. They come in a host of different colors too. Find they really help hold the wheel and pedals firmly into place, and can be tightened to suit many different sizes and brands.

which ones did you get stu there is two types