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Archived from The Control Center, 1999. Hardware, prices and links are historical.

Logitech WingMan Formula Force

Originally published on joy-stick.net, 2 December 19995/5 sticks

Wingman Formula Force Wheel

Manufactured By: Logitech

Retail Price: $149.99

Review Date: 12-2-99

Logitech released the WingMan Formula Force Wheel a while back. It received rave reviews with only a few complaints. Users complained about the pedals wishy-washy response and seemingly weak force feedback effect strength. Some users actually rigged squash balls to sit under the pedals to give them more spring. Someone at Logitech was listening to the complaints and reading the reviews. Later updates to the WingMan software greatly improved the force strength. Now the pedal issue has been addressed.

Logitech has recently released an updated version of the wheel. The only two differences between this and the previous version are stronger springs in the pedals and cosmetic changes in the packaging. You can easily find the newly improved pedals bundled with wheels packaged in boxes with a red background.

And yes, the wheel is still RED! The WingMan Formula Force will not win any beauty contests. I intended on covering the wheel with a cover but the surface is great to hold so it stays.

Features 92%-

  • I-Force 2.0 Force Feedback
  • Newly improved pedals on large base
  • 2 Euro-style gear shifters
  • 4 programmable buttons
  • Combined or split pedal axis

Appropriate For-

  • Racing Games (Need For Speed, Powerslide, Midtown Madness, Star Wars: Racer, etc.)

System Requirements-

USB Port (and Windows 98) or Serial port and Windows 95 or higher.

Price-

The WingMan Formula Force Wheel is not a bargain wheel but its one of the best FF wheels available. Well worth the MSR price but bargain hunters can usually find it online for $20-30 less.

Warranty-

1 year limited.

Performance 95%-

Rock and roll! The performance of the Formula Force Wheel is stellar. From the force effects to its ergonomics the wheel is a top performer. I tested the wheel using both a serial port and USB connection. No difference was seen in function or response although the USB port is more convenient since I have a 4 port USB hub on my desktop.

The button and shifters are well placed. To use either you can still keep a firm grip on the wheel and easily find them. This is a great feature since the force effects will require you to keep a good grip on the wheel. At the default settings the force effects in most games are realistic. I actually turned down the force effects a bit to make it less tiresome to use the wheel for long periods.

As with all force feedback devices- the quality of the force effects depends heavily on the game programming. Most of the current games supporting force-feedback have been programmed well and the quality of the effects should not be an issue. However, don't judge a FF device based on one or two games alone.

That considered I have used the Formula Force Wheel with a huge variety of games. Need For Speed III, NFS: High Stakes, Midtown Madness, Re-Volt, Star Wars: Racer, Andretti Racing, Powerslide, and more. Performance with each was great with one minor observation. The wheel has but 4 buttons and the 2 shifters. This gives you a total of 6 features that can be setup for gaming (only 4 if you use a standard transmission). In some games this will have you unhanding the wheel and reaching for the keyboard; an action that can cost you time, points and your cyber lives.

Setup 89% -

The WingMan Formula Force unpacks and setups with minimal work. The wheel should first be physically setup. The only assembly required is mounting the wheel base to your desktop and connecting the cables. The Clamping system for the wheel consists of 2 screw down (or up) clamps on either side of the wheel. They do a great job of holding the wheel down while you push, pull and twist it (not to mention the forces coming from the wheel). The pedals can be placed where you desire (thanks to the large base they'll stay where you put them).

The Cables for the WingMan are different than others I have seen on a wheel. The power adapter and serial/USB plug come from the pedal base instead of the wheel base. Its easier to run the cables under the desk, out of the way. A second cable then splits off the serial/USB cable from the base and plugs into the wheel base.

Once physically setup the power supply can then be plugged into a socket. The power adapter has an in-line converter with the power "brick" in the center of the line. This makes it much easier to connect the plug into a power strip or outlet since it doesn't hog multiple outlets due to its size. The left green LED on the wheel should be lit once the power is connected. Don't connect the wheel to the serial/USB yet though.

Power up your system and install the WingMan software. Once the automatic install is complete restart your system as directed. When the system shuts down connect the wheel to either the USB or serial port. The restarted system should detect the wheel. Enter the game controller applet to test the wheel and setup is complete.

** Software 90%-

** For testing the 3.30 WingMan software was used. It is available for download from the Logitech site. An earlier version ships with the wheel. The WingMan software allows you to test and configure the wheel and pedals; program the buttons for specific games and access the on-line help files. The software also allows you to test the wheels force feedback effects.

I'm not typically a user of button programming utilities but did test the profile software for function. It works well. It is easy to create a game specific profile. One nice feature of the profiler software is the ability to setup the pedal axis specific to the game. Many games now support split axis setups but don't try and run a split axis configuration where its not supported- the pedals won't operate. Having the ability to automatically run the optimal pedal setup for each game is the biggest benefit of the profiler.

Documentation 85 %-

The documentation accompanying the Logitech WingMan Formula Force is sufficient to get you up and running. The manual describes setup of the wheel and installation of the drivers. It also features a troubleshooting guide and brief care guide.

The Logitech website offers minimal information on this and other WingMan controllers. I suggest a visit to the more comprehensive WingMan Team website. This site features excellent information, new drivers, a discussion board and more.

Overall Rating 92.3%-

Looks aside, the WingMan Formula Force Wheel is a stellar FF wheel. OK, its red and only has 4 buttons but everything is well placed, the wheel is comfortable, the surface easy to grip and the pedals are on a heavy and wide base.

The designers at Logitech listened to the consumer, made improvements on the initial design and came up with a FF wheel The Control center can highly recommend. It may not be as inexpensive as some FF wheels but the money spent is well worth it.

Pros-

  • USB or serial port connection
  • Great FF effects
  • Nice pedals
  • Split or combined pedal axis (game specific with profiler)

Cons-

  • Price may be prohibitive
  • Its red!

Similar to-

Review date as printed on the original page. Images from the original page are not reproduced.