A SimHQ exclusive review on the just-announced product from Logitech.
Reviewed by "Chunx"

http://www.simhq.com/_technology2/technology_153a.html

Having just bought a G25 I'm a bit annoyed its replaced already
But the loss of the sequential shifter does lessen the pain

I've only found the H-shifter really worthwhile for TDU.
And Xbox 360 compatability for the next one would be REALLY good, so long as they don't make it look and feel like a toy! My G25 can last till then.

So good review, completely agree.

Cheers,
Keith

Well written and thorough as always Chunx.

I'm surprised they took away the sequential shift. Big disappointment. I understand you can use the paddles, but on my G25, I use them for other things. After all, shifting belongs on the shifter.

On the LED display, I find myself asking "What's the point?" I guess it's cool and glitzy, but I think you get the same thing up on the screen of the sim you are driving, in most cases. So why put it on the wheel? Another distraction from the road, which I don't see as necessary or even an added "feature".

I'm glad to see it comes bundled with rFactor, and obviously they made big strides with the pedals.

Still, I'm happy with my G25.

Damn and i thought my NASCAR wheel was cool. They have leather wrapping and aluminium? pedals Dang.

WOW Chunx... you keep releasing reviews and articles like this, I'm going to have to go back and get a edumication... fantastic writing, good layout, screens, and diagrams... your really starting to mess with the review grading curve here at SimHQ lately.

A very thorough article. Well done and thanks a lot!

From a technical point of view I understand why the sequential shifter had to go, given the reasons described in the article. Nonetheless, this could easily become the major gripe users will have with it. I use the H-shifter rarely, e.g. when trying a Porsche 914 in the 1970 World Sports Car Championship 1.0 mod for rfactor, otherwise I usually go for sequential shifting - if I don't drive with autoclutch anyway, as in the current SimHQ F1 series. But if Logitech had kicked the H-shifter and only went for sequential shifting there would be an outcry too. All in all, I can imagine the developers had very heated meetings about this.

I partially agree with 20mm regarding the LED display. I would have no use for it, but as Chunx pointed out in his article, it might be useful for those who run games in other than cockpit views. PS3 games come to mind here. If I had the G27 and found the LEDs distracting, I would cut a black duct tape stripe into form and the distraction would be gone. But then, I might even like them.

So according to Logitech the G25 shifter won't work with a G27, but I wonder if the new pedals can work with a G25? Regarding improvement they seem to be the best feature to me, apart from the 6 buttons on the wheel.

Regarding the internal helical gears I hope Logitech won't run into trouble with this in the long run, once the wheel is in mass-production. The tolerances for these gears must be much tighter and hopefully they succeed with this.

Having received a G25 just in March this year I have no plans to upgrade though. Besides, even if it (hoepfully never) malfunctions I still have a fully functional Logitech Formula Force EX in reserve, so I don't plan to upgrade in the foreseeable future. If I had no G25 yet I would wait a few months how it fares on the market and then decide. The price would play a role too, as the G25 will be cheaper and a proven wheel as well.

No sequential shift is a deal breaker for me. I likely will be in the market for a replacement for my Driving Force Pro in the next 6+ months and at this point the Fanatec 911 wheels are the main contenders with the G27 now out of the running.

Alan, why not pick up a G25 before they run out? They're down to about $220.

20mm, the LEDs would be best in a sim cockpit where you're seated in a more prone position, like an open-wheel race car. If you're racing in an upright seated position, they are just a trick-looking gimmick, IMO.

Purolator and Magnum, thank you for the kind comments.

Stormtrooper, yes the G25 and G27 are very nice. Hooked to my desk, they look like slick furniture and not some plasticy, Fischer-Price toy. That is indeed Leather and either steel or aluminium for the metal bits. They're nicely executed products inside and out. Because the G27 is an evolutionary product and not entirely new, I don't think anyone would resonably expect people happily using a G25 run out and drop another $300 on a G27. But newcomers will be looking at them, as well as people who wear out their G25s, and need a replacement. You can't argue with the build quality in these wheels, and the G27 certainly builds on experiences gained manufacturing the G25.

I do hope everyone understood that I think the G27, like the G25 before it, is a superb product. I liked just about everything about the G27, aside from not having my beloved sequential shifter. That said, the H-pattern was very fun to use when driving the 1970 WSC mod in rFactor. I can understand and accept that the G27 isn't Xbox compatible, although I know that Logitech will pay a price for that in the marketplace.

Did all of you understand where I stood on the G27 review? Please share your thoughts here.

A great review Chunx and I felt that your point about the G27 being a very good wheel came across very well.

Depending on what a potential buyer wants from a wheel, it could be that some would never miss the sequential shift function. The leather seems to be of a quality that is a bit nicer than on the G25.

I've had my G25 since it became available and it is still like new. I've had absolutely no trouble with it at all.

With the price difference between the G25 and the G27, it looks like I could save some $200 by opting for the G25, I'd be leaning towards getting a G25 again, as I'm not sure Logitech have given me enough reasons to favour the G27.

The LED lights are nice but absolutely non-essential to me, always driving in the cockpit view, never driving anything, that doesn't have a proper cockpit view.

More buttons on the steering wheel are very nice and I wouldn't mind having those, but I find the spokes on the G27 have become visually a bit to cluncky for my tastes and, I've learned to live with what I have.

Recently I applied Niels Heusinkvelds PAD; Pedal Adjustment Kit to adjust the pedals towards being better able to heel and toe, so that's fixed.

Interestingly, InsideSimRacing claim that their G27 felt better and had a smaller dead-zone around the center than the G25, the wheel you reviewed appears to have a larger dead-zone.

Personally I think there is either a difference in the individual wheels, or a difference in hardware otherwise, as I've never felt the often mentioned dead-zone in my G25.

Thank you for the compliment. I am glad people are enjoying the review.

I intentionally did not use the term "dead zone" because FFB isn't 'dead' at wheel center. The FFB response is weak at wheel center. What is most noticable about this is that there is a noticable, rapid ramp-up in FFB resistance just a few degrees off center that seems to accentuate the "soft spot" in FFB response near center. It was most noticable in Race '07 (Steam), much less so in rFactor or RBR. Furthermore, only in Race '07, when driving on the straights I could feel a slight, oscillating tug left and right as the FFB motor fought itself. Again, this was only noticable in Race '07.

Had I not tried the game with Race '07 (which supports the LED function) I probably would not have commented on it, or would have commented in the opposite, as the wheel's FFB response overall is very smooth and precise. I suspect the tighter tolerances and reduced vibration of the G27's helical gears are both the reason why the FFB feels better than the G25, but also contribute to the 'soft spot' issues as the wheel interacts with Race '07. Because this "soft spot" issue appeared with Race '07, it could be that other titles will experience this "soft spot", but I didn't have time to try the game with every possible game title.

I think that, overall, people are making too much of this. As I said in the article, I was "Picking Nits" on the G27, not pointing out major flaws.