Logic3 PC GTO Wheel

PC TopDrive GTO

Manufacturer: Logic3

Price: $24.99 (US)

Review date: 10-21-00

Features:

• Small, compact design (8" diameter)
• Gas/Brake buttons on wheel face
• Two buttons on wheel back
• Two shift levers behind wheel

System Requirements:

• Windows 95/98/2000/ME
• 15 Pin gameport

Warrantee :

None specified

Package Contents:

• PC GTO Wheel
• Driver disk (floppy disk)
• Instruction Manual

Setup:

Setting up the GTO Wheel is a simple process. Before starting your system connect the wheel to the gameport. Start the system and insert the driver disk. Select the setup icon in the disk directory and follow the instructions. Your game controller list will now include an entry for "JT226 PC229 PC230". Select this and calibrate the wheel. The buttons on the face control the gas and brake axis and the wheel controls left to right movement. Verify the calibration in the test window and setup is complete.

Alternatively, the software can be bypassed and you can use the generic 2 axis 4 button selection from the selection or create a custom profile for the wheel.

Documentation:

The PC GTO Wheel ships with a simple multi-language manual with 2 pages dedicated to each language. It will guide you through the software setup process and displays proper use of the clamp system. The Logic3 website offers basic product details and driver downloads. No troubleshooting advice is offered either in the manual or through the website. However, operation and setup is pretty easy and should not be an issue.

Performance:

The PC GTO Wheel is a pretty good, no frills wheel. It offers basic function and takes up little space. The wheel offered solid calibration and decent control in testing. It was put to work with a variety of arcade, racing sim and other programs.

The drawback of the wheel is the gas and brake controls. In order to keep the unit compact there are no pedals. Instead these controls are managed with two buttons on the face of the wheel. The buttons are well placed and have a deep press to them. You can control the incrementally but overall the buttons only have about a 1/2 inch range to them. This makes accurate control of the gas and brake difficult. Couple this with the task of steering and you will have a hard time maintaining anything but the extremes of the controls. Another issue I had with the buttons was loosing pressure applied to them after time without realizing it until another car zoomed past me.

The two buttons behind the wheel and the 2 shift levers are well placed. The are easy to use and travel with the turn of the wheel so you always know where they are. Only having 4 buttons to assign to actions in race games can be a problem for more complex games such as those in the Need For Speed series. I needed to use the keyboard for all but the basic actions in these games. Removing your hand from the wheel for a brief period can put you at a disadvantage.

In other games closer to true sims the button issue was not that big of a deal. With Viper Racing, Midtown Madness and Nascar II I set the shifters for moving between gears and the other two button functions for the most useful functions I regularly need. The wheel offers comfortable control and is laid out well. The surface of the wheel is a bit smooth but since the space between the spokes is small your hands stay in the same position without slipping.

Overall:

The Logic3 PC GTO Wheel is not a wheel that will wow you with features or design. Still, if you are looking for a compact device for casual driving/racing the GTO will fit your need. It does not have any advanced features you may find on other wheels (hey, id doesn't even offer pedals!) but at its low price you shouldn't expect too much anyway.

The PC GTO Wheel is not for the hardcore racer. It is put together relatively well, won't take over your desk and does provide good basic race control. The Control Center recommends this wheel to those looking for an affordable, basic racing wheel.

Similar to:

• Saitek R100 Racing Wheel