Best racing wheels for Forza Motorsport: Gear, Direct, & Hybrid Drive
Xbox/Turn 10Looking for the best racing wheels for Forza Motorsport? We’ve gone hands-on with some of the top picks you can buy right now for a killer sim-racing experience.
When it comes to sim racing with a wheel, the best option is always what matches your budget. But, the level of immersion offered by force feedback wheels can differ greatly depending on how they’re set up.
A direct drive wheel like the Logitech Pro Wheel offers a more realistic feel, thanks to its more detailed feedback, while something like the G920 from Logitech brings back nostalgia from a 90’s arcade racing game. Other wheels seek to replicate the feel of a specific vehicle. With so many options out there, picking the right one for you can get pretty dizzying.
But, we’ve done the hard work and reviewed a whole host of great racing wheels, none of which will let you down. Here are our picks for the best racing wheel options for Forza Motorsport.
1. Logitech G920 Gear Drive wheel & pedals
Dexerto- Connectivity: USB-A
- Compatibility: PC, Xbox
- Force Feedback: Gear driven
- Price: $289.99 with Driving Force Shifter, $229 without
- Features: Force feedback, leather-wrapped wheel, carpet grip on pedals
The Logitech G920 wheel is our pick for the best force-feedback racing wheel you can buy to play Forza Motorsport.
Its price is the biggest reason for this, as you can often get it for as low as $199 for the wheel and pedals. For the shifter, you might have to drop at least another $50. The look and feel of the G920 is phenomenal, and the wheel itself feels like it’s built to stand the test of time.
Logitech has also created its own sim-racing ecosystem by creating the $40 Racing Adapter, as it gives users the ability to upgrade piece by piece by providing full compatibility with the G29, G920, G920, and Pro Wheel and Pedals. On top of that, it allows you to adjust the pressure on the Pro Pedals brake load cell.
It may not provide the highest quality feedback for a game like Forza Motorsport, but its arcade-like feeling is great for games like Forza Horizon 5, Need for Speed Unbound, and BeamNG.drive.
2. Logitech G Pro Direct Drive wheel & pedals
Dexerto- Connectivity: USB-A
- Compatibility: PC, Xbox, PlayStation (Xbox and PlayStation support requires their specific models)
- Force Feedback: Direct Drive
- Price: $999.99 for Pro Racing Wheel, $349.99 for Pro Racing Pedals, $39.99 for Racing Adapter
- Features: Force feedback, Magnetic paddles, quick release wheel, onboard screen, adjustable load cell brake, hall effect sensors, dual-clutch paddles, programmable buttons
The Logitech G Pro Wheel & Pedals definitely aren’t cheap, but the company has made it worth every penny. Both items are extremely well-built, and we can’t see them breaking down any time soon.
Direct Drive is the best way to go with sim-racing if you can afford it, as the wheel directly connects to the feedback motor for the best possible feel. The rim of the wheel is wrapped in high-quality leather and feels just like a real race car.
With the Logitech G Racing Adapter, owners of the G29, G920, or G923 wheels can slowly upgrade piece by piece to the Pro accessories which is easier on the wallet. Hopefully, we’ll see Logitech release new accessories like different wheels, a new shifter, and a handbrake to add to the collection sooner rather than later.
3. Thrustmaster T248X Hybrid Drive Wheel & T3PM Pedals
Dexerto- Connectivity: USB-A
- Compatibility: PC, Xbox
- Force Feedback: Hybrid Drive
- Price: $399.99
- Features: Force feedback, Magnetic paddles, Magnetic pedals, Dashboard display, three Force Feedback settings
Thrustmaster created its own Hybrid Drive setup, which mixes belt and gear drives to create force feedback. It’s unique to the company and is a great option for people looking for a more realistic feel without splurging for a direct drive wheel.
However, the T248X falters with excessive noise when turning the wheel and extremely loud paddle shifters that ruined immersion in our testing.
In addition to the noise, the T248X wheel is almost entirely made out of plastic, which we feel might be prone to degradation over time. The T3PM pedals that the product comes with, however, are stellar, we just recommend getting them with another wheel.
4. Thrustmaster T818 Ferrari SF1000 wheel
Dexerto - Connectivity: USB-C
- Compatibility: PC
- Force Feedback: Direct Drive
- Price: $1099
- Features: 4.3-inch screen, quick-release wheel attachment system, customizable LEDs, carbon fiber faceplate
Thrustmaster’s T818 Ferrari edition setup is nothing to scoff at, its force feedback and build quality are almost perfect across the board, assuming you want an F1-style wheel and don’t want to use it on your Xbox.
At $1099, however, we were disappointed to discover the ABS plastic quick release, which didn’t instill much confidence in us when it comes to the longevity of the product.
You’ll be able to purchase a different wheel to make the T818 Ferrari wheelbase work with Xbox, but that’s just an added purchase that you wouldn’t need to make by grabbing a different wheel.
Drive type explained: Direct, Gear, belt, & Hybrid
Among the four wheels we’ve listed, there are three different drive types being used. But how exactly does that impact the quality or feel of the device? Here’s a quick rundown.
- Gear Drive – Racing Wheels that are gear driven use a smaller feedback motor that is then amplified by the gears. This gives more of an arcade feel than others, which includes noise and less detailed feedback compared to other options.
- Belt Drive – wheels that are belt driven are a similar setup to gear drive options, but instead of gears, their feedback is amplified by two pulleys that are connected by a belt. In turn, it’s a bit quieter and brings more detail into the force feedback.
- Hybrid Drive – This one’s made specifically by Thrustmaster, which we tested in our T248X review. It’s both gear and belt driven, and we found it to be pretty loud. It does, however, give the best force feedback we’ve experienced on a non-direct drive wheel without breaking the bank.
- Direct Drive – The top dog of them all, direct drive, connects the wheel directly to a larger feedback motor, providing the best and strongest feedback than anything else. However, it comes with a price as the Logitech Pro direct drive wheel is $999 alone, and they often go up from there.
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