In addition to injecting an extra level of realism, force-feedback also helps you to gauge speed and cornering in the majority of racing games. While it can be powered by AA/rechargeable batteries, this disables the rumble/force-feedback, which is an essential part of the gaming experience.
In fact, our only real issue with the device is its slightly misleading moniker.ĭespite touting its ‘wireless’ capabilities (going so far as to shoehorn the word into an overly clunky name), the Xbox 360 Wireless Steering Wheel needs to be plugged into a wall socket for full functionality. The wheel feels solid in your hands, is realistically sized and responds as a real one should, with 270 degrees of motion. To this end, all of the Xbox 360’s controls are replicated faithfully, including the navigation button, D-pad, start/back buttons and X/Y/B/A face buttons. If you’re a fan of the Xbox 360’s regular control pad, you should also be happy with how the wheel handles: it’s based on the same technology. Everything from the build quality to the colour scheme perfectly matches the Xbox console: they just look right together, like a Lamborghini Diablo and a bikini-clad model. Unlike other racing peripherals, the Xbox 360 Wireless Steering Wheel has been custom-built by Microsoft to ensure a perfect fit.
As an added bonus, you even get two free games thrown in too. At the risk of sounding like a 1980s Scalextric commercial, it’s almost like having a racing car in your own lounge room. Featuring inbuilt force-feedback with dual ‘rumble’ motors, slip-resistant foot pedals, (semi) wireless functionality, and 270 degrees of motion, it should put a smile on any hardcore racer’s noggin. The product has been on the shelves for a while now, but in light of the recent 25% price-drop, we thought we’d get our butts into gear and give it a proper test drive. The Xbox 360 Wireless Steering Wheel is probably the best offering yet, and certainly the best for this console. Thankfully, things have improved in leaps and bounds since then, with the latest generation of ‘racing’ peripherals finally being worthy of the name. Instead of adding extra realism, they added extra minutes to your personal lap times and made you look like a complete tool to boot.
There was a time when would-be race drivers had to make do with hideous chunks of wheel-shaped plastic that were far less practical than a regular control pad. Step 4: Take 2 new AA batteries and place them in with the corresponding “+” and “-” signs on the controller.Steering wheel peripherals have come a long way since the days of the original PlayStation. If the controller still won't turn on, move to step 4. Step 3: Make sure the battery’s “+” and “-” sides match with the controller’s marked “+” and “-” pictures. The cover of the battery compartment will eject. It will look like a standard eject button with a line and down arrow underneath. Tip: *** Make sure the batteries are placed properly in the controller in that the “+” side of the battery matches with the “+” labeled side on the controller and the “-” side of the battery matches with “-” side on the controller.įollow these steps to check/change batteries:.To do this, you will need 2 AA batteries. If the controller is not turning on - no buttons are lighting up and Xbox is not recognizing controller connection - make sure the batteries are fully charged.