Deciding on a Fanatec wheel, 360 support or not?

[Kjell Eilertsen]

I've decided to go for a Fanatec wheel but not quite sure about which model yet. First off I need to decide whether to get one with support for the 360 or not, as this limits my choices.
While my initial question is about games more than hardware, I'll be following up with questions on specific wheels later on.

I used to play Forza 4 and F1 2011 with a controller and absolutely loved it, but after getting a Logitech Momo wheel I can't stand racing with a controller any longer (can't feel the car, the track, the traction, anything!). With getting the wheel I started playing Race 07 plus demos of rFactor, NetKar etc and loved the more advanced physics and FFB. Now when I tried F1 2011 on my PC with the wheel I was bummed by its physics (or lack thereof), and I don't enjoy it at all.
Now I'm "afraid" that getting a wheel and playing Forza 4 is going to leave as cold as F1 2011 did.
So, to anyone out there who have a good wheel and enjoy the complexity of sims like rFactor etc, how does Forza 4 compare to them?
I know it's not a proper sim but is it completely arcade and "lifeless" or is it good just not great?

Sorry for the lengthy post.

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

Agreed on the image thing, but then again it's not like there's hundreds of options out there in this price range (as far as I know at least), there's only Logitech, Thrustmaster and Fanatec that I know of.
I want something a bit more serious than the G27, and the T500 while being a great wheel is too bulky a chassi for my taste plus the buttons on the GT rim is too far in. Lastly it's swappable but no quick release, and I tend to jump between cars and classes a lot (which is why I suck at them all I guess ).
I also want belt driven due to less noise.
That leaves me with Fanatec.
Now I'd buy the CSW in a heartbeat if I had that kind of money, but I don't and can't see myself waiting until I've saved it all up before I upgrade.

Good to hear about the clamp working for you both, I've heard some bad things about it in reviews and was wondering if it's as bad as they claimed. I really can't hard mount my wheel until we move to a bigger apartment/house.

 

[Jonathan Holmes]

Good to hear about the clamp working for you both, I've heard some bad things about it in reviews and was wondering if it's as bad as they claimed.

Well, if my orders gone through ok (I didn't log in with Paypal or anything (although it was open in another tab)) then I'l give you some more information on the clamp when I get my CSR, if you haven't ordered by that time! I would guess Monday/Tuesday if all goes well!

 

[Marian Zelenka]

The clamping result could be different for different tables and FFB setups. As I said, it works for me fine.

It is maybe a bit more silent because it is belt driven, but when you start fighting with your car it actually isn't. It's still not ideal for berserk night racing if you live in a flat. Maybe I could make some video if I'm in the mood.

 

[Marian Zelenka]

 

[David O'Reilly]

Between the CSR wheel and the GT3 the difference comes down to better feel and better feel from everything I gather!

For people who use their hands all over the wheel the alcantara all around on the GT3 is nicer feel. I personally keep my hands at 9 and 3 ALL the time so I never notice the plastic parts on the CSR, but if you (like me) use paddle shifters regularly then the CSR has arguably the best paddles out there. Nice big paddles in the perfect position with a good positive click when you pull on them. No missed shifts or double shifts. When I race Forza on RD there are a few of us that use the CSR and you can hear the click click click of down shifts through the mics!

Agree with your post.

PS When the pack is heading into a hairpin it can sound like a typing pool as they all downshift. It doesnt happen from the players with headphones only those using speakers and open mic. But quite funny.

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

I wont be ordering one for a good while, still on vacation for almost 4 weeks then after that it depends on how long I´ll have to save up money.
Thanks for the video, a big difference indeed! And it´s not as silent as I had expected it to be. The noisy shifter paddles on the CSR might be a dealbreaker for me even though they feel great to use, I do live in a flat and have 2 kids and a wife to think of while racing.
Actually it sounds like the G27 is pretty darn silent with it´s helical gears, but I was so set on a Fanatec wheel, they look (and seems to feel) so much more "professional" than the toy looking G27 (I think it´s a great wheel, it just looks such a plastic toy).
There´s always the T500RS but as mentioned I think the base is too large on it, the buttons too hard to reach and the price to stiff as I want the Clubsport Elite pedals instead of the stock Thrustmaster ones.

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

I've pretty much decided on the GT3 now after spending hours last night pondering this. It's the cheapest option to get a wheel upgrade and my hands (and feet ) on the CSE pedals. The shifter paddles on the CSR are too noisy for me, and while the GT3 ones ain't as good as them I find it hard to believe they are any worse than on my Momo which I have no issues with.
Now the only thing that I'm really not sure about is the noise level of the GT3 itself, I thought it sounded a bit too noisy on the video. But to get anything better I'd have to buy a (too) expensive CSR-E or the G27 which I don't want cos of the pedals. Grrr so hard finding the perfect wheel at the perfect price

 

[David O'Reilly]

Whichever one you decide on make sure you install the drivers on your PC.
I have gone from a happy CSR owner who had good FFB on Xbox but inexplicably poor FFB on RFactor (see post above) to an ecstatic CSR owner.
Reason: I initially was just racing Xbox, then in ignorance simply plugged wheel into PC (w/out loading drivers). Mapped the wheel in game and it functioned.
Now have loaded the drivers and the FFB is awesome!
Even on the GP2 2011 Mod, but on ORSMs V8 Supercar the wheel was virtually being wrenched out of my hands. (I need to change wheel lock from 270 deg when in these cars and lower FFB). All the visual and audio cues that I was relying on before (in what I thought was poor FFB but was actually no FFB, PC must have treated is as a joystick) are now matched with FFB.
Tonight I start a season in ISI F3!!

 

[Jonathan Holmes]

Ordered my CSR on Wednesday and it says it's still processing in the title, but in the order history it says pending I don't want to wait, tense waiting procedure! Now I've ordered I just want it to come haha!

Didn't get a confirmation email though, did anyone else? I can't workout if my paypal hasn't gone through properly because still no money has been removed

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

@David: So have you now changed your mind on Forza vs rFactor FFB after installing the drivers on your PC? Or maybe even it's physics?

@jonathan: Sorry I've never ordered anything from them so I can't be of any help. But if you where logged in to PayPal on another tab then you already had a session going and wouldn't need to log in again to complete the order, this is perfectly normal.

 

[Neil Harvey]

Kjell, I was running a G27 and is a great wheel. I hated the pedals though, could not get on with them at all. Did plan to get the CS v2 pedals but after the release they were not listed on the old fanatec site. So decided to get the GT3 wheel and CSR elite pedal combo.

The pedals are a huge improvement over the G27 pedals. I'm not much quicker with them but found cars are much more consistent under braking, with far less lock up using a high brake pressure (I'm racing with GSC 2012 and rFactor 2).

Comparing the G27 and GT3 wheels, I prefer the GT3 even though the G27 has a quicker response. It's smoother, and without the annoying chatter (especially in rF2) you get with the G27 wheel. The video above shows the noise from the belt, but I noticed more noise from the fan. But with the sound turned up isn't an issue for me.

When compared to the G27 chatter, it's not only noisy but the feeling through the wheel is horrible at times. And find that much more annoying than the GT3 belt or fan noise!

Overall the GT3 elite combo is a great deal, and very happy with my purchase!

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

Thanks for the feedback Neil! The fan can be replaced by a less noisy one, but it was the belt noise that had me sceptic. I don't want it to disturb my sleeping wife and kids when I go for late night racing. I'm 99% sure I'll be ordering a GT3 by now though, thanks to all the great answers in this thread!

 

[David O'Reilly]

@David: So have you now changed your mind on Forza vs rFactor FFB after installing the drivers on your PC? Or maybe even it's physics?

@jonathan: Sorry I've never ordered anything from them so I can't be of any help. But if you where logged in to PayPal on another tab then you already had a session going and wouldn't need to log in again to complete the order, this is perfectly normal.

Hard one to answer. FFB in Forza is pretty good, in RFactor is massively improved for me but from a zero base.
If you did a straight FFB comparison its prob Forza but its (admittedly F3) gathering dust on my bookself and RFactor is getting played due to what I believe are the incredibly authentic physics- setups etc.
So often when I play I have a moment when something happens and I say " wow that was so real".
To me it is as if I am driving a real car with poorly rendered graphics (as my laptop is at its limit). I have only got Forza 3 and in comparison it feels to me that the tracks and the cars are more of a Disneyland experience.

BTW As I played last night I was consciously monitoring for noise from the CSR paddles. In my view there is very little. Its just across the headsets in online play they make a noise..

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

But then you just answered my initial question which was regarding Forzas physics more than its FFB, it feels more like a game now that you can feel the physics of rFactor working for and against you I reckon.
Then again that's Forza 3, the fourth might be better for all I know. But I've come to realise that I'll not have the opportunity to play Forza with a wheel much since the living room is occupied by my family most of the time, I'll be looking at PC wheels and not Xbox wheels for now.
It's hard to judge the noise by videos since the cams tend to pick up clicks better than other things, plus if you don't have any reference sounds in the video you really have no idea how loud the clicks really are. But judging from said videos the paddles sounds very loud, it won't bother me but it might bother my wife who has already commented on the noise from my Momo wheel on occasions (when she's trying to sleep in the room next door).
All in all I think the GT3 is the right choice for me, I like the looks of the wheel more than the CSR, it doesn't have the plastic which I really can't stand, it's cheaper but it still offers the two most important things for me right now; a wheel upgrade and the CSE pedals.
Besides I consider it a temporary wheel while saving up for a CSW with both rims and a TH8RS.

 

[David O'Reilly]

Yes a club sport is beckoning me. But a fast gaming PC is first.

 

[Marian Zelenka]

About that fan on GT3. It never starts spinning even after 2+ hours with my current FFB setup.

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

Good to know Marian, I'm a more "sensitive" player, I want to feel the effects rather than wrestle my wheel when playing so that bodes well for my fan not being a issue.
Btw are you by any chance croatian or from somewhere around here? Your name has that kind of sound IMO

 

[Marian Zelenka]

Slovakian, but that surname is probably Czech in origin if I'm right. It disappeared from my profile somehow. Strange, but fixed it.