The G27 gets a facelift
It’s been six long years since Logitech introduced the popular G27 steering wheel, and a lot has changed since then. The PS4 has become the console of choice for serious gamers looking to supplement their PC addiction, while Fanatec and Thermaltake both shook up the steering wheel world with their monumental leap forwards in force feedback technology… and prices. Logitech’s answer to these changes is the G29, a revamped version of the G27.
For five hundred bucks you get a wheel and pedal kit that is compatible with both the PS4 and PC. Note that PS4 compatibility is a bit of a grey area – developers are free to code support for older controllers into their games, despite early talk of wheels needing a special security chip to function, which has since been proven to be untrue. Unlike the G27, Logitech has removed the six-speed shifter from the base kit, which you’ll have to fork out another $80 for. Thankfully the G27’s shifter will work with it if you’ve got the old wheel, though we doubt you’ll want to upgrade to the G29 if that’s the case.
Logitech has used Hall Effect sensors in place of the optical sensors of the G27, which use magnetic detection to apparently deliver a more precise, accurate wheel. In practice we didn’t notice a lick of difference between the G27 and G29’s accuracy, with both feeling identical. However, the Hall Effect sensors should apparently last better over time, though our six year old G27 still feels fine to us. Force feedback effects are delivered by twin motors, and once again it feels just like the old G27. That’s to say that it does a decent job, but lacks the incredibly fine detail of Fanatec’s offerings or the Thrustmaster T500RS, the latter of which is admittedly much more expensive.
The one major difference in feel is the brake pedal. The pedal kit is identical to the G27 from what we can gather, except for a small rubber insert into the brake. This simulates the progressive feel of a real brake pedal, but it’s a very crude representation compared to the hydraulic methods employed elsewhere.
The only other major change from a user’s perspective is the huge number of buttons that now adorn the face, which make it 100% PS4 compatible. There are 24 in total, and they can all be programmed via Logitech’s intuitive Gaming Software.
The biggest competitor to the G29 is the existing G27, which can be purchased for just $300, and that includes a shifter. Considering the two wheels feel basically identical, and a rubber mod can convert the old G27 brake pedal to feel just like the G29’s for less than twenty bucks, we simply can’t see a reason for users to upgrade. This just feels like a mild update on an existing product, for a huge price rise. On the other hand, we wish Logitech would relaunch its beautiful G940 HOTAS Joystick and Throttle kit, as it’s one of the best force feedback sticks on the market. Now that’s something we’d be happy to pay a 2015 price tag for… BENNETT RING