| SteelSeries Simraceway SRW-S1 Wheel |  |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Input Devices | ||||||||||||
| Written by Steven Iglesias-Hearst | ||||||||||||
| Tuesday, 03 January 2012 | ||||||||||||
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SteelSeries Simraceway Features| Ready. Set. Race. - The Simraceway S1 Steering Wheel is a high-performance, handheld PC racing wheel co-designed by SteelSeries and Ignite Technologies. The portable, motion-sensor wheel features a patented throttle and brake lever system that offers a fully simulated racing experience within hands reach. We've collaborated with and tested the SRW-S1 Wheel with top ranked Indy 500 race car drivers and Simracing World Champions. |
| Stay in Control - Everything you need, from brake balance controls to assist setting dials, are always in reach. No other wheel on the market combines this level of customization and functionality. |
| In Your Hands - The wheel's unique design means you can take it everywhere and use it anywhere. There are no pedal sets or bulky seats. The Simraceway S1 is a handheld joypad and wheel combined that brings a true-to-life race set-up to your laptop or desktop computer. |
| Full Range - You can experience full-range acceleration and braking on the back of the S1 Wheel. The right paddle - for acceleration/throttle - allows you the ability to vary the amount of throttle input, from feathering to fully depressing it for maximum acceleration. The paddle on the left - for braking/stopping - allows you the ability to vary the amount of braking input, from feathering to fully depressing for full braking force. |
| Brake Balance Control - Brake balance control (aka "brake bias") allows you to change the brake balance to the front or rear of the vehicle. If a driver were to hit the brakes with a rear brake bias, he is more likely to spin out of control. However, if a driver were to hit the brakes with a front brake bias, his is more likely losing his ability to steer into a corner. A balance must be found. We have a button for that. |
| Plug-and-Race - Plug it in. Choose your game. Play. Sure, you can customize every button, but only if you want to. There is no complicated configuration required when used with Simraceway and most PC racing games. |
| What's Your Style? - The SRW-S1 wheel adapts to your driving style based on the way you steer. You're going to do it in 1 of 3 ways: Over-steer, under-steer and neutral. OVER-STEER Drivers who prefer over-steer like to have the rear of the car loose and the front dialed in. This allows drivers to use the throttle to correct their driving line or to use it to aid in steering. It also means there is more risk of losing control. UNDER-STEER Drivers who prefer under-steer like to have the rear of the car dialed in and the front loose. While it becomes harder to make a turn at higher speeds, it does provide stability and reduces the chances of losing control. NEUTRAL Drivers who prefer a neutral setup like to have both the rear and the front of the vehicle dialed in. This allows drivers to compromise between over-steer and under-steer. |
| Where to? - Everywhere. The Simraceway S1 Steering Wheel can be used with all PC racing games including: iRacing Need For Speed Simraceway GTR Live for Speed + Any other PC racing game on the market. (Some features, including the Assists dials and the shift indicator LEDs, may not be compatible with certain titles). |
| Get a Grip - The rubberized wheel grips have an ergonomic shape that allows you to keep a comfortable grasp to steer as you move around the controller to brake, accelerate, shift, look back, request a pit stop and everything else in order to drive and win. |
| Total Flexibility - While the wheel comes preconfigured to operate seamlessly with Simraceway, many of its controls can be customized, so you can program them to match your driving - and gaming - preferences. Find out more about the simulated racing experience at www.simraceway.com. |
| Used by the Pros - The SRW-S1 Steering Wheel has been tested and approved by professional racing drivers including four-time IndyCar Series winner, Dario Franchitti and double Indy 500 Champion, the late, great and much missed Dan Wheldon. As well as SimRacing stars, David Greco and Bruno Marques. |
Source: Features and Specifications taken from SteelSeries.com and SteelSeries Press Release.
Comments
Did you try pressing your elbows just forward of your ribcage, for stability, and using it like that?
I for one hope there is a mount made as it will turn this fun wheel into a serious bit of kit. Thank you.
So, I sold it and continued to use my joysticks. Just this year a buddy moved in and he owned a nice Logitech FFB wheel. He was enjoying himself so much I decided to purchase one. Again, my scores went down. I got the Logitech Force GT for about $160. I have to admit it's more fun to play with this steering wheel than with a joystick, and if both of us are using our wheels we have a great time. However, if one of us pulls out a stick so will the other. Sticks are just superior for racing because of the movement times involved.
This Steel Series controller is something I have considered but I passed it by. For that price you can still get a pretty good wheel, and I would prefer a wheel over that...controller...any day if I'm playing for fun. If we're competing against each other, out comes the joysticks.
Of course, a big advantage to the Force GT is that you can use it on the PS3 as well.
I think your score was very generous.
Just out of curiosity, what games are you playing where you are better with analogue sticks than with a wheel? And how can you knock this wheel without at least giving it a go.
As for which game I can play better with a joystick, name one. NFS, Dirt, Test Drive, Blur. It's in the reaction time, and that's better with a stick, (I'm not referring to the little stick on a console type controller, but a real PC joystick). It's simple enough just to time how long it takes to move a joystick from one side to the other and compare that to how long it takes to move a wheel from one side of its full turn radius all the way to the other side. Joystick wins every time.
My point exactly, they are the sort of driving games I have always loved to play, with a controller.
When it comes to racing sims though it's a different story bud. The SRW-S1 and your Joystick are at different ends of the spectrum to each other with regards to realistic and arcade style driving.
Here's some remotes (both types):
hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__82__190__Tx_Rx_Systems_Pa rts-Complete_systems.html
Here's a cheap toy with just sticks:
toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=11361547
When I was a kid all our remote controlled cars were using joysticks. I remember being surprised the first time I saw a wheel. Besides, in this type of control system, wheel or joystick really doesn't matter. They're both just variable resistors or coils anyway, what difference does the shape make?
Here is a real car being controlled by a joystick
The problem is that the range of steering which even in Ferraris will require more than 720 degrees of rotation is compressed to a very small arc in the joystick. This, combined with the lack of feedback you get with a wheel mechanically connected to the wheels, makes fine control very difficult for most people.
And, personally, I don't think compressing an arc of movement to the size of a joystick is a problem. As I said, there are lots of RC vehicles out there that use joysticks. I had no trouble at all controlling the digital proportional steering on my RC toys when I was a kid, and I highly doubt their arc for steering is any different than that of a real vehicle.
Here's another one:
#ntho.posterous.com/future-mercedes-concept-car-wi-1
Here's one using an xbox controller:
youtube.com/watch?v=7-39URz4vL8
You can get vehicles today that use a joystick:
vti.se/en/publications/pdf/joystick-controlled-cars-for-drivers-with-severe-disabilities.pdf
Although it is likely custom modified by a speciality shop.
I guess if a disabled guy can drive a car with a joystick, you and I could too.
Here's a wiki article on it:
#en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive_by_wire
I think all this proves you can control a real car with a joystick.
However there is an advantage that NO mounted wheel can hope to achieve, and something that no one has addressed. Since the wheel relies on an artificial horizon for its orientation, you can move the wheel laterally in small sweeps or jerks as you rotate to add an extra layer of control.
So to me, being unmounted, is now the way to go.
Yes there are drawbacks, no force feedback, must have control if it at all times during a race, but if you can live with these small quibbles, I highly recommend it.