GT3 Wheel is multi-platform (Wingman Formula Force GP)

Member Name: darkmine

Product:	Wingman Formula Force GP
Date:	21/08/01 (2021 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: PS2 and PC compatible, solid constriction, fun, fun, fun...

Disadvantages: Needs drivers from the internet for PC

I bought my wheel as a bundle when I got Gran Turismo 3, and haven't put it down since. I swear my wife is going to bin it when I am not looking.

Logitechs wheel is in fact their bulk standard product, but with a change in grip colour and a few GT3 logos splashed on it.

I was first intrigued by a letter to one of the PS2 magazines that implied there were similarities to the point whereby a PC verison of the wheel worked on the PS2 demo of GT3.

I did anticipate that when shipped, Logitech may have altered this so the wheel was PS2 specific. However, I plugged my wheel into my PC and on booting, BINGO ! Windows recognised the wheel exactly for what it was. The next task was the drivers. Just point the driver finder at the Microsoft Update site on the internet, and load in the drivers. Great.

On testing the wheel with a few games, I decided that it was working just as well as a friends Microsoft equivalent, and so mission accomplished.

It's official, the Formula Force GP wheel does work on both a PS2 and a PC.

I downloaded additional widgets for the wheel from Logitechs support centre, but for some reason, they did not want to install. However, they do not really seem important in the grand scheme of things.

So what does this wheel do ?
Well, imagine you are driving around a track with it and some bully takes a sideswipe at you. Instantly, the wheel starts dragging you in the direction you have been shoved, so you have to compensate, but with more effort than usual. Drive over a rumble strip or a high kerb, and the wheel judders in your hands and again requires some correction. Don't get me wrong though, you don't need to have to be butch to use it, just a bit forceful.

The unit comes as a two piece, stering wheel, and pedal set. The pedal set plugs into the wheel base on what looks like a small telephone (or RJ45) connector, and is easy to set up and disassemble. The wheel base
has a great mounting mechanism in my view having seen the Microsoft wheel equivalent and can cater for a wide range of table thicknesses. Personally, my wheel is connected to a long square piece of timber with a paddle at each end to rest on the arms of my armchair, and this serves quite well.

What about the quality of this wheel then ?

The wheel base unit is nicely solid and feels well built. The whole unit gives the sensation that you could beat it quite severely (in racing terms) and it would just keep going. The pedal unit is good although I would have preferred the pedals to feel a bit more solid. Once or twice I have felt a squeak of plastic as the pedal twists a minute amount on its fulcrum. However, don't go thinking that it is badly built. I don't really think there is any better alternative.

Overall, this is a good quality, solid piece of engineering that works on PS2 and PC. Bundled with GT3 you are looking at it costing you £60, and probably about the same by itself. This alone puts it streets ahead of the competition.

Summary: