Logitech’s G Pro Racing Wheel and Pedals Transform GT7

The steering wheel started shaking violently past 180 mph. Flying down a pitch-black Mulsanne Straight, twin-turbo V8 screaming in my ears, the rack in my hands became increasingly unwieldy the faster I went. Even so, I was transfixed watching the analog tach of my Nissan R92CP endurance racer creep toward redline. The way the needle moved, the way the faded-white clock face was lit by what I was sure was a little incandescent bulb just out of view—in that moment, my brain registered it as a real, physical object mere inches away from my face.

The first of two chicanes finally arrived, and I slammed on the brakes (heavier than I’m used to), the shaking stopped, and I guided the manic, lithe racing car into the bend, each blue-and-yellow rumble strip transmitting a jarring buzz into my hands as the inside wheels crested over them.

As you’ve probably already gathered, I never competed at Le Mans in the ’90s.

Back then, I was sitting in my parents’ living room in my pajamas, mesmerized by the original Gran Turismo. A few years later, the very first purchases I made when I got my first paycheck happened to be a PlayStation 3, a copy of GT5 Prologue, and a Logitech G25 racing wheel. Fast forward another decade or two and there’s a PS5 running GT7 in glorious VR as well as a small cornucopia of Logitech’s latest and greatest sim racing gear in my living room.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to pay for much for this haul (thanks, Logitech) because it definitely doesn’t come cheap, but the sum of all these parts is one of the most compelling racing game experiences—nay, video game experiences, period—available today.

G Pro Racing Wheel ($1199.99)

Let’s start with the centerpiece of the whole rig: that wheel. Able to dole out 11 Nm (more than 8 lb-ft) of direct-drive torque, the G Pro is said to deliver “professional-grade connection” thanks in part to force feedback technology Logitech calls “TrueForce.” Force feedback implementation will vary from game to game but hooked up to GT7, I can confirm that it is extremely convincing.

Not only does the G Pro gear make every car’s steering feel tactilely distinct—a 1973 Porsche Carrera RS 2.7 feels like a very loose goose compared to the deliberately heavy, modern-day track weapon that is the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm—but you can detect grip loading, grip failing, and resistance fluctuating and moving around as you nail a slide. The way the wheel vibrates as you go over rumble strips and other road imperfections is especially eerie, and that’s the TrueForce tech at work, translating data from the game’s audio and physics engines into haptic pulses, like you’d feel in real life.

Magnetic gear shift paddles behind the wheel are big, metal, and operate with a satisfying clack that honestly feels better than a whole lot of paddles in real cars. I’m not advanced enough as a gamer to have used these, but there are also a pair of smaller, smooth-moving clutch paddles underneath that can be configured to serve as gas and brake for differently-abled sim racers.

Not too useful when playing in VR, but there are even shift lights integrated in the main hub part and a little LED screen to let you swap between wheel settings on the fly. In GT7, though, key in-game HUD and driver-assist settings can be set by the two manettino-style knobs located below the left and right spokes. Speaking of, all of the game controller buttons on this wheel operate with a satisfying clickiness that genuinely brings to mind being in a luxury car, as does the stitched, perforated leather that adorns the rim.

Pro Racing Pedals ($379.99)

Similarly solid but not quite as convincing are Logitech’s Pro Racing pedals. Pedal faces are metal and endlessly adjustable, and the gas moves with an appropriate amount of travel and heft for easy modulation, but the party piece here is likely the load cell brake with swappable springs and elastomers. It all essentially lets you physically adjust brake pedal travel and resistance by taking it all apart and changing out these little, different-sized plastic bits inside. The package even comes with an Allen key and a tiny thing of grease specifically for this purpose.

By default, the brake is much too heavy, so I swapped it for the lightest configuration and have no plans on changing it out to anything else. Even so, I find this brake pedal way shorter and heavier than that of most real, passenger vehicles. Perhaps it’s a better simulation of hardcore racers more than anything else, but if you’re simply trying to complete GT7‘s B-1 license test in a Mazda Demio, the brake pedal that feels like it came off of a 787B racer indeed does break the immersion a little bit.

Playseat Challenge X – Logitech G Edition ($299)

None of this would work all that well if it were attached to a loose coffee table or a cheap desk chair, and that’s where Playseat’s Challenge X comes in. Even as one of Playseat’s most affordable sleds, the Challenge X does an admirable job of keeping all your expensive sim racing hardware literally in line. Structurally, it is admittedly the flimsiest-feeling component of this entire setup—the latch that locks down the steering wheel over your lap sometimes moves out of position and the “seat” is essentially a breathable fabric bag stretched taut over the carbon steel frame.

Playseat says its “X-adapt” system lets this chair be used in six different positions—1 sits high but takes up less room, 6 sits low but you gotta clear some space. But, at least with this particular test unit, every position except the lowest one would not hold, scarily falling into position 6 eventually. And before you make a potentially rude comment, I weigh about 160 pounds as of this writing. (162 after I’ve finished this pizza.) The Playseat Challenge X is said to be rated for players weighing up to 359 pounds.

The big pro here, however, is being able to fold the Challenge X up for easy, relatively unobtrusive storage. As a whole, this seat is compromised but considering Playseat’s more rigid Trophy unit is precisely double the price, this is likely as good as it gets for those with tighter budgets and/or space constraints.

Other Attachments

Logitech was also kind enough to send along its RS Shifter & Handbrake attachment ($169.99) as well as a swappable RS Round Wheel ($69.99) and the RS Wheel Hub ($179.99 or $229.99 for added Xbox support) that’s required for any wheel swap. The RS Shifter is not currently compatible with GT7, while the RS Wheel Hub can be used with a PS5 but, according to this Reddit thread, requires a firmware update via Windows to do so. Hence, a test of these accessories involving actual gameplay will have to wait until another day and a different game. Logitech also offers a formula-type Track Wheel rim ($69.99) for F1 gamers.

As items, though, everything here feels as premium and high-quality as the rest of the setup. The RS Hub even comes with little multi-color stickers to let you relabel buttons. Removing and attaching Hubs requires you to pull on the quick-release latch behind the wheel with two hands, making you feel like a real racing driver coming into the pits.

The RS Shifter & Handbrake, as its name suggests, can simulate either a sequential shifter or hydraulic handbrake, and you toggle between the two with a little switch at the bottom. The lever moves with surprising, almost oppressive heft, making operation feel well-oiled and mechanical. Ergo, it comes with a big clamp for nearly endless placement options, but finding somewhere on the Playseat Challenge X where it’d stay secure through actual use proved to be, no pun intended, a challenge.

The GT7 Verdict

Eerily realistic steering force feedback, impeccable build quality throughout, and mostly easy plug-and-play operation make GT7 on Logitech’s Pro racing hardware an even more luxuriously immersive experience than it already is on the couch. If I had a note, the pedals could be calibrated to better simulate road cars, and if you have the extra budget and space, I’d opt for a sturdier Playseat than the compact-but-less-than-rock-solid Challenge X—the Trophy can be had for $599.

If it were my money, you could also definitely do without the shifter attachment or any sort of wheel swaps. Even discounting those, though, this setup costs nearly $1,900 before taxes, the console, PSVR2, or the game itself. Is it all worth it? The only person who can really answer that for yourself is you, but if you have the dough and are looking for the ultimate Gran Turismo 7 setup without spending fairly-nice-used-car money, this Logitech Pro starter pack is hard to beat.

Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach him here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com

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