Logitech Logitech G29 - First Impressions and Review.

So, the Logitech G29. Should you buy it? Is it really worth the extra pennies over what the G27 was? Or is it better to save up more for the Thrustmaster varients?

First of all, big thanks to The Gamesmen for being extremely generous with their time. I didn't expect to be allowed over an hour to familiarise myself with the wheel and Project Cars, however I was able to try Bathurst with a number of different cars.

What impressed me from the start is that the brake pedal is far more stiff than the G27, as well as the clutch pedal. It actually takes effort to press the brake pedal all the way down, which is big improvement on the G27. Although it must be pointed out that mods for the G27 pedals are not hard to find. The seat had a column right in the middle, so left foot braking was very difficult. The pedals are still too close together, it is very easy to apply the throttle and brake similtaneously when wearing shoes. With no shifter, the clutch pedal was just sitting there laughing at me as it served no purpose apart from a footrest.



I was very keen to drive the #55 RaceOnOZ liveried Aston but it kept picking a random livery, even though I swore I was selecting it. But no matter, that's not what I was here for. What surprised me was that it was hooked up to a PC, not a PS4. This meant some of the on wheel buttons and dials served no purpose and the rev lights did nothing. The wheel itself seems smaller, but the rim is thicker and feels good in your hands.

My muscle memory meant I kept moving my arm down to search for the shifter buttons that weren't there, I had to get used to using my thumb to change view. I can only assume the wheel isn't fully compatible yet, as the pause menu was a disaster. I haven't played PC gaming in years, so I may sound very unintelligent here. I could pause on the wheel, but navigating through the menu with the D pad did nothing. Same when making a pit stop. If you're using a cockpit with a triple screen setup like I was, a wireless keyboard and mouse would be a wise investment.



The biggest factor of all is the force feedback. I must say, I was underwhelmed. Yes, it is much quieter than the G27 but I felt minimal response to bumps in the road and contact. Sure, it did want to pull me back to the centre mid corner, but it did not reef the wheel out of my hands. That said, another customer disagreed and said he could really feel the feedback. Let's just say it didn't feel anymore rough than GT6 with a G27. There was a noticeable dead zone as well, but easily manageable. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt as all the driver aids were forced on. I managed a 2:06.9 which was apparently the lap record of the in store demo so far.

So, should you buy it? Well, if you're stuck with a controller on the PS4 and just want a wheel with enough feeling to give a sense of realism, it is definitely worth a buy. If you're after a more hardcore, white knuckle experience, I'd save up for the Thrustmaster wheels. The G29 (at the moment) doesn't cut it as a full simulation wheel as it is still using ancient technology in a future proofed world of gaming wheels. Logitech's recent stunts have meant I wont be buying one unless the price is severely dropped. Buy one if you need a wheel at all costs, it will get the job done, but if you want a wheel performing at ten/tenths, you're going to be disappointed.

Cheers, Jono.

Aww... I thought they actually gave you a demo unit to take home and use.
It's a bit hard to gauge wheel comparisons when not using identical environments.
And as the PS and PC feelings can vary depending on driver use, it also makes it a bit redundant comparing them in your shoes.

Though.. I must say after reading your disappointing feel for it, I'm pretty stoked I went with the Thrustmaster.

Not surprised in the least at the disappointment Jono. Within 5 minutes of using a TM product I could tell it was light years ahead of Logitech. Very nice of The Gamesmen to hep you and us out though.
I can't speak highly enough of the T300. Works a treat on PCARS, GT6 and F1 2015.

Good on you for taking the time Jono, I'm sure it will be helpful for some ROOZers out there.

I didn't go in with high expectations as I knew its gearing system is basically identical to the G27's, albeit quieter. Don't get me wrong, I love my G27, apart from the spiking pedals it is fantastic for GT6. But it isn't going to last forever, nor will this be the standard. The bar has been raised by Thrustmaster, and Logitech are kidding themselves if they think they can sell this G29 as a "new" wheel. They should have made sure their best wheel was future proofed rather than lie to the consumer and sign a dodgy deal with Sony.

"I'll give it the benefit of the doubt as all the driver aids were forced on."

LOGITECH CAN ....

thanks for that bit of info .. as I am in the process of buying a racing sim at this stage I have been undecided about which way to go..but it sounds like the thrustmaster will be the way to go

Can I just say as a G29 owner that FFB has been great on PS4 so far, also that this wheel also uses hall sensor tech now, add that to the much quieter Gears and you have a different wheel to the G27. The shifter though, it's a little lacking. Feels too plasticy and loose for my liking and I'm not sure whether I like it or not. Having came from a DFGT I can say that it's at least light years ahead of that model. I've never used a G27 though so unfortunately I can't compare.

I'm from DFGT > G27 > G29 and i can say from all the wheels, G29 is the best, HUGE improvment from the DFGT, and a decent improvement from the G27 I'm personally going to disagree with you for the gearshifter though, i like it! Really easy and simple to switch through

All good, to be honest I only ran a few races with the shifter as I was finishing a SuperKart season in career using the paddles and I was getting tired when I reached the end. I would have liked something I could feel more of a satisfying clunk with though. Funny thing is I drive a 6 speed manual every day and it actually looks remarkably similar to the G29 shifter.

Look out for my in depth ffb findings and suggestions. Will be coming from a t300 user but i feel the information will still be usefull.

Will post later tonight.

Found a bit of a problem with the wheel, nothing major but the PS4 won't go into rest mode with the wheel plugged in. It tries for a while and then goes into standby instead. I guess it's something Sony will have to fix in a fw update but for now I'll have to remember to unplug the USB before going into rest.

Played for around 6 hours or so today according to my timer (wife) and have really gotten used to the shifter, had a few comments earlier about being a bit noisy with it but stopped slamming it and instead began gently caressing it into gear, lol. I did have it get stuck in reverse earlier as well when I had it in first, have you ever had this happen?

Lol nope, perhaps you bumped the paddles and downshifted from 1st to Reverse?

That would explain lol.

$337.50 delivered

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/210884

Suddenly that seems like a much more reasonable price...

Yes it does, I paid $463 with the shifter. I feel shafted

Try over $580...... ughhh