Draco-REX Posted January 14, 2012 Report Share Posted January 14, 2012 So, my MS wheel kicked the bucket and since MS wants people to buy a fucking double-ended dildo to play racing games with, I had to find something else to replace it with. There was a similar thread recently and a great wheel by Fanatec was linked, but I wanted a quick replacement and didn't want to pay $500. I thought I'd give the new Madcatz wheel a shot. In the past I've been unimpressed by Madcatz build quality so I didn't have high hopes. I went to my local GameStop to get one only to find that they don't have any. I ask the girl to see if any nearby stores have it and a few do. I have her call the Georgesville store to make sure they've got it. No answer. ... But she hands me a printed list of the stores that have it. Really nice. I call the Georgesville store myself and get an answer. GameStop Employee: (insert welcome spiel) Me: I'm looking for the MadCatz force feedback wheel for Xbox360. GSE: Uhhh... a wheel? Me: Yes. GSE: Umm.. for like racing? Me: ... Yes. It's the Madcatz wheel for Xbox360. It has forcefeed back and it's wireless. The only one you can get for Xbox360. Your store is supposed to have one. GSE: Let me see... Well we got one, but I don't think it's wireless. Me: Hold onto it, I'll be there in a few minutes. So, I get there and find out the one Dumbass The Mighty picked out is the wrong one. Once I get him to actually use his terminal and one of his two brain cells, he finds it in the back room. First piece of wisdom: The Gamestop at Tuttle is good. The one in Georgesville is manned by an idiot who shouldn't be allowed to breed. Back to the wheel. Turns out, though it looks cheap, it's actually a solid piece. MadCatz needs to improve the visual design past Fisher Price level. But the wheel itself is heavy with plenty of metal in the makeup and feels like it'll be durable. The gearbox sounds a little off, but it might just need to be broken in. Paddle shifters are actually metal, so they should outlast the rest of the wheel. The gearshift was a surprise. Again, it looks like a cheap plastic handle, but it's actually a heavy piece of metal. The pivot actually has some throw to it too, instead of just being a lever with two switches at the base. It gives a good sense of actually moving a shift lever. There's also a place to put it on the left of the wheel if you want that tite JDM style yo!. My only complaint is that the knob has a plastic post to put into the base. I see that fatiguing over time. The pedals are this wheel's weak point. The optional base for your heels is nice as you can go without if you have a driving setup. But the pedals are nearly flat. I can see that they wanted a more realistic position with a higher pivot, but they're a bit awkward to use. It wouldn't be so bad, but the rubber pad they put on the pedals for added grip (good idea) make it difficult for socked feet to slide over the pads as you press down (bad idea). The gas pedal spring pressure is very weak, as is the brake pedal which is an ongoing problem with most pedal sets. My only other complaints are the short power cord and only 300 degree rotation. Logitech has shown that wheels with a full rotation can work. There's no reason to stick with the old 270 degree setup. Driving is precise and the force feedback is strong. The table clamp is solid; probably the best single-point clamp I've used. After a couple hours gaming the wheel didn't budge at all and I didn't have to use velcro to stabilize it like the MS wheel. I haven't tried the lap pads, but they are removable (unlike the MS one) and come uninstalled. Overall, I was surprised by the improvement in MadCatz's build quality and the design of this wheel. Short of a full Fanatec setup, this is the wheel to get for XBox360. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaewsky1 Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 Is it really worth $250? Are there any others cheaper besides the MS one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draco-REX Posted January 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 Is it really worth $250? Are there any others cheaper besides the MS one? Not if you want Force Feedback. There are plenty of crappy wheels out there, but MS apparently charges a bundle for Force Feedback licensing and only Fanatec and MadCatz are currently paying it. As wheels go, it's pretty good quality. Only the shifter post gives me cause for concern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draco-REX Posted January 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2012 Update: This wheel is a piece of shit. Madcatz still has piss poor build quality. The right hand shifter started double-downshifting after just a couple days of use, and then the shift handle broke right where I thought it would. I'm NOT hard on my controllers. My MS Wheel lasted for YEARS. But this piece of junk failed within a month. Don't bother. Get a Fanatec. I'm just pissed that I lost $250 on this piece of junk and now I have to spend more of my BRZ fund for a reasonably good XBox wheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross Posted January 29, 2012 Report Share Posted January 29, 2012 I bet you wouldn't have a single problem getting a refund for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draco-REX Posted January 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2012 I bet you wouldn't have a single problem getting a refund for that. I've already tossed the box and I'm sure they'll look at the broken shifter handle and tell me to pound sand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross Posted January 29, 2012 Report Share Posted January 29, 2012 I've already tossed the box and I'm sure they'll look at the broken shifter handle and tell me to pound sand. It's still worth a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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