Logitech G29 / G920 – The Best Sim Racing Beginner Wheel

Logitech G29 and G920.jpg
Logitech’s G29 and G920 wheel and pedal sets have proven for years to be a perfect option for both beginners and enthusiasts on a budget.

Sim racing hardware runs the risk of becoming unnecessarily costly for beginners and those on a budget. Pictures you often see online of massive triple-screen, direct drive and load cell-based systems look awesome, but it’s more than what most people will need, especially as new sim racers.

Both the PlayStation compatible G29 and its Xbox-friendly G920 counterpart are known as great options for the more limited world of console sim racing hardware, but they make great options for PC as well. For beginners or those on a budget, cost and reliability are two primary considerations when choosing a wheel. Logitech’s G29 and G920 offerings check both of those boxes nicely.

2020 was a tough year for finding used sim racing gear, but things seem to have calmed down in 2021. It’s not hard to find a used Logitech wheel in most areas now, with prices sometimes dropping 30% below MSRP. And for those looking for to buy new, major retailers frequently have stock of new G29 and G920 sets.

These Logitech wheel and pedal sets aren’t known for incorporating the most coveted sim gear technology, but they are becoming synonymous with dependability. The nearly 9,000 reviews left on Amazon.com have averaged to 4.7 out of 5 stars. That figure is extremely impressive and speaks to not only the quality of the product, but also the reliability. Logitech’s more recent G923 set uses improved technology but comes with a ~$120USD premium versus the outgoing models, so the G29 and G920 remain a leading option for your first sim racing wheel.

Direct drive wheels give a more detailed level of force feedback than the gear driven force feedback in the Logitech wheelbases, and the load cell used with higher end brake pedals use is superior to the potentiometer utilized by Logitech, but an important thing for new sim racers to remember is that higher-end sim gear won’t immediately lead to better lap times. In fact, many of the fastest sim racers you’ll encounter race with the same technology used in the G29 and G920. Upgrading one’s sim racing gear should be viewed as improving immersion rather than speed.

The G29 and G920 may be aimed toward newer or inexperienced sim racers, but the wheel sets have several impressive features, including clamping arms for mounting the wheelbase onto a desk, a clutch pedal, upgrade compatibility for adding an H-pattern shifter, carpet grips for the pedal set, leather wrapped steering wheel, threaded holes for mounting the wheelbase or pedals to a cockpit, and RPM lights on the G29 wheel.


Buy a Logitech G29 bundle from Amazon for $291.50
Buy a Logitech G920 bundle from Amazon for $304,43
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Logitech is not the only company that makes budget-friendly sim racing gear, of course. Thrustmaster and Fanatec also have great offerings for entry level sim racers, though either company will be a more costly option versus Logitech. There are also racing wheels on the market that come in cheaper than Logitech’s sets, but there is typically a noticeable drop in quality. Logitech seems to have found a healthy balance of price and quality with the G29 and G920 models.

For the new sim racer or those on a budget, maximizing dependability while minimizing costs is key. Logitech’s G29 and G920 are excellent wheel and pedal sets for this demographic. Major retailers and even the used hardware market seem to have consistent stock of either, so these seem like the perfect option as a starter or budget-friendly wheel in the world of sim racing.
About author
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

Comments

Premium
improving immersion rather than speed.
While I did improve my speed going from DFGT to AccuForce, the immersion/fun improved a lot and made the investment well worth it.

Edit: comma.
 
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I don't know how it is for the G29/G920, but with the G25 and G27, you get a lot of reliability for the price, they mount onto quite inexpensive rigs (And don't need very demanding mounting to begin with, even a table is adequate) and it's not a massive investment like a typical Fanatec or DD setup would be.

I know the Fanatec people in particular like to look down on entry level wheel users but the reality of the matter is that a Logitech setup is going to be realistically 1/5 the price of a mid-level setup. On top of that they're easy to configure due to being so naturally heavily damped and low in torque which means that there is not much to mess up. Just about every Fanatec and DD configuration I've ever looked at ranges from a bit unrealistic to catastrophically bad, but it's difficult to achieve that with entry level wheels. For someone who has no clue what they want or what they're missing out on, I think that's a bonus.

They do have limitations, drifting in particular is somewhat too challenging on entry level wheels due to their very low maximum rotation speed cap, but it is what it is.
 
The only issue with going with the cheap wheel is that if you do really get into sim racing you'll probably start looking at an upgrade almost instantly. So you end up spending more than you needed to.

But I do get it, it's hard to invest a load of money in something you may not have even tried before.
I never used any of the Logitech stuff, I went straight to Fanatec although at the time they had a cheap option in the CSR.
 
It's really hard to advise whether to get the G29/G920, or the T150/TMX. There's absolutely no doubt that the FFB is superior on the T150/ TMX but that really is about it, everything else then the Logitech is better. I would say to people if it's highly unlikely you will ever upgrade then the bulletproof Logitech is the best bet, otherwise save your money and get the TM.
 
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I'm racing with a g29 for almost 2 years. It's clamped on a little table so i can move it around when i don't use it. It has like 600 hours of gameplay, including drifting and rallying and it is still going strong. Only the potentiometer in the gas pedal has problems, as I need to open the base and clean it every 2 months. Otherwise, a solid beginner wheel (and a definitive one if you don't have a lot of money to spend) that guarantees a lot of fun! Also, i never regretted buying g29 instead of a t150.
 
I still have my G25 after 8 years, and i had a G29 love the brake pedal. Now i'm falling in love with my Tspc 488 nothing compares to it, but logitech to iniciate in simracing could be a reasonable money to spent
 
Had the G920 for over a year before I upgraded to a Clubsport (and only because I got a fantastic deal). I love the 920 and still use it sometimes when I don't want to set up the Clubsport and seat. Still works perfectly and even though it's nowhere as detailed as the Clubsport, it still provides a lot of enjoyment.
 
Must say I enjoyed my G27 + H-shifter reeally a lot for a decade :inlove:
But for the last couple of years in the wheels lifetime I experienced the electro motors going 'berserk' in older sims, having a direct drive feeling of wheel torque strength far exceeding the standard specs, and sadly the one electro motor broke down about new year day this year :(

Right on the same day I ordered the G920. But I never got it work decently in older sims, it seems like the new Logitec Hub-software didn't wanna play with my older sims in a satisfying manner, and far from my good experience. So I replaced it with a Thrustmaster approach (of which I left in 2011 after 12 years good service of my Guillemotte Ferrari FFB with flexible double paddleshifters so when my pedals brole down, I could use the flexible paddles as gas/brake together with up/downshift with the two other paddles - why didn't the manufacturers continue this brilliant idea??).

Now the last half year, I've enjoyed the belt driven wheel T300RS GT + the excellent T8HA shifter, which I'll still regard as 'entry level'. And now in addition together with the Next Level F-GT very flexible seat of which I use 4-5 different seat positions, and when using the secure locks correctly also very robust too. At a price of ~€275 this is ineed entry level rig, too.

My still simple rig Thrustmaster T300RS GT + T8HA H-shister + NVL F-GT flexible robust seat (+ using my old G27 pedals and sometimes switching to my T3PA's with additional load cell installed) is at a total price of ~€850, but with the right setup and software, it feels on more occations just as good as a more professional rig at a price at 10-20 times my rig.

Not to take anything from Logitec, I have still many good things to say about my experiences with my G27 and the Logitech "TrueForce" dedicaded for more newer sims by now is working fine. And €850 all in all for my above mentioned rig setup may not be defined as 'entry level', but it's damned close to. And to my impression at least 2 levels above what a G920 can offer :thumbsup:
 
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It just occurred to me how ironic it is that no race cars use a belt driven steering system. And direct drive wheels try very hard to simulate the feeling of gears in a steering rack. And geared wheels are probably still deemed inadequate by some.

Gear-driven wheels probably more accurately simulate the slop I feel in the 60's worm gear technology used in the Formula Vees I race...
 
There's something to be said about the reliability of the G27 and especially the G25 compared to the G29. A good G27 will last 10 years at least, but I'm fairly sure a good G25 will last until the heat death of the universe.
Bought mine in 2013 from my friend for about 100€, but it still had original receipt from 2007, everything works perfectly, buttons, pedals, all. No need to buy new wheel, besides - Im not a big sim-racer, just a filthy casual who likes to play AC from time to time, so that beast is enough for me :cool:;)
 

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