Dreamcast Steering Wheel

[CosmicMonkey]

Now, I don't really play many 'proper' driving games because, to be honest, I'm crap. How you're supposed to play GT2 with a joypad I have no idea... Hence me only really playing Mario Kart and F-Zero. Put me on a Sega Rally arcade machine with a proper wheel and pedals however, and I suddenly become Colin McRae :D

So, I've decided to get a DC steering wheel for some arcade action. Although the Rally2 conversion was wrong and shocking, there's still MSR, F-355 and Daytona. Oh, and I suppose CrazyTaxi.

So can anyone recommend a good DC steering wheel please? I'd like one as close to arcade set-up as possible, with pedals, proper handbrake and gearshift lever (as opposed to paddles). Does such a wheel exist? Or is it best to save my cash, and just go for the official DC wheel or the Ferrari one?

[diskoboy]

The Interact Concept 4 Racing wheel.

God, I loved that steering wheel. Plays good with Sega GT and MSR. I never used a wheel with Crazy Taxi, so I wouldn't know about how it plays.. The arcade version with the steering wheel seemed harder to me so I always stuck with the DC's controllers.

I know the Concept 4 didn't work with Monaco Grand Prix, though...

[J2games]

We have the DC Sterring Wheel in stock, if you're interested.

check out www.j2games.com under systems and accessories, Dreamcast.

Happy Gaming!

[CosmicMonkey]

We have the DC Sterring Wheel in stock, if you're interested.

check out www.j2games.com under systems and accessories, Dreamcast.

Happy Gaming!

Yes you do, don't you. Thing is, I asked for people's opinions and advice, not a sales advert. When I find the best wheel to get, (cheers diskoboy, will look into that one) i'll then find somewhere to buy it. In the UK. :angry:

[tylerwillis]

I'm not a fan of wheels myself, but I've heard good things about the MC2 by Madcatz.

[sisko]

I'll second the Concept 4 wheel. Sturdy construction and good response. No, it isn't the BEST wheel out there (Logitech Driving Force Pro - PS2/Xbox), but definitely a solid runner for second.

I'd avoid the MadCatz wheel. While I haven't used one of their DC wheels, I was disappointed in their performance with their N64 and PSX versions.

[Yago]

You do have a few options with the Dreamcast. You can get the MadCatz wheel, but it looks cheap. I never used it, but compared to the others, I don't know, it looks cheap. Then there is the V3 FX wheel. I also never used this wheel and looks to be the better choice over the MadCatz. Then, there is the Concept 4. This wheel I still use to this day. It is very sturdy and built rock solid. The wheel and pedal base can take a lot of abuse with out breaking, it is that good. The wheel itself is built with hard rubber, and not cheap plastic. I highly recommend the Concept 4. I play Crazy Taxi a lot with this wheel and it adds a whole new experience to the game. I won't even play Crazy Taxi anymore WITHOUT using the Concept 4. The Concept 4 is well worth the investment and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face when using it. I actually played BETTER with the wheel than using the standard controller. So hope this tid bit of advice helps.

[goatdan]

I'm not a fan of wheels myself, but I've heard good things about the MC2 by Madcatz.

You must have heard wrong. I got one and I used it ONCE before it broke. The pedals are made extremely cheaply, and while I used it very gingerly when I did use it, it just stopped.

Also, for some reason, a bunch of those wheels seem to have been sprayed with something that seems to be cola. I thought it was just the one that I got, but I found a few others in stores (as it did work pretty nicely for the one time I had with it, which was with Crazy Taxi by the way and I found it to be better than with the controller), but almost every used one that I have found has had the same gunk on it.

I've never used the Concept 4 as I thought it looked not-as-good as the MadCatz one. It's interesting to hear all these good things about it. Maybe I'll search one out.

By the way, I know that my MadCatz was purchased for $9.99 as I got it and then my parents bought it from me to give to me as a gift. That's why it didn't go back -- it was out of warranty by the time I found out how much suck it had in it.

[KingCobra]

Concept 4 wheel all the way! Though I do like the Madcatz wheel for Crazy Taxi, but when it comes down to games like F355 and whatnot, gotta use the Concept 4 wheel.

It used to be cheap on ebay? like less than $20, now that shipping has gone through the roof! it'll cost you like 30-50?

I think their was a killer Trustmaster wheel in the U.K., but I've never had the chance to test it.

[goatdan]

I've got a few stores around town that sometimes sell them really cheap, and I pretty much avoid getting any steering wheels for the GOAT Store because storing and shipping them is a pain in the ass, but I've seen them for $7.99 and $9.99 I believe. If you'd like, I can keep an eye out for one, although I may want to keep an eye out for myself now ;)

[davidbrit2]

So, does the Concept 4 wheel actually make Daytona playable? That game is a huge pile of shit with the other controllers I've tried. It's equally unplayable with both the standard control pad, and the MadCatz wheel (the one before the MC2). Does the Concept 4 actually identify itself as a wheel to the game and make it control properly, or does the game just see it as a control pad?

[Leo_A]

"I'll second the Concept 4 wheel. Sturdy construction and good response. No, it isn't the BEST wheel out there (Logitech Driving Force Pro - PS2/Xbox), but definitely a solid runner for second. "

Hardly is the best wheel, perhaps on the PS2 it is but not beyond that...

It's fully PC compatible, and it's junk compared to the best PC wheels. Typical low quality Logitech gaming wheel.

[davidbrit2]

Yes, but the main issue here is that the best PC wheels can cost you well in excess of $1000. Heh. For the money, I'd say the Logitech USB wheels are a hell of a good choice. You can always add an analog clutch, gated shifter, and handbrake lever later. My only complaint is that the Driving Force Pro uses this weird plastic restrictor arm to switch between 180º and 900º rotation, and it's a bit on the fragile side. Some have said the pedal inputs can fade over time, but I haven't experienced this personally. So BUY THE DAMNED EXTENDED WARRANTY/REPLACEMENT PLAN.

But anyway, anybody care to comment on what wheels make Dreamcast Daytona not suck? Heh.

[Leo_A]

I have a lifetime warranty with my Thomas Superwheel, so no need to buy one. :)

"So can anyone recommend a good DC steering wheel please? I'd like one as close to arcade set-up as possible, with pedals, proper handbrake and gearshift lever (as opposed to paddles). "

I'm not aware of any wheels with a handbrake lever. What exactly are you looking for? The only racing series I'm aware of that currently uses a handbrake is the WRC, and they just the shifter lever for that which also serves as a backup shifter if the paddles go haywire and they have to do it the old fashion way. So just what are you looking for? My pre WRC rally exposure is limited to the 60's, 70's, and 80's before the advent of incar cameras, so I don't have a clue what a proper handbrake is, just that its something virtually no professional racing series makes use of outside of rally racing for hairpins.

[devils advocate]

Yes, but the main issue here is that the best PC wheels can cost you well in excess of $1000. Heh. For the money, I'd say the Logitech USB wheels are a hell of a good choice. You can always add an analog clutch, gated shifter, and handbrake lever later. My only complaint is that the Driving Force Pro uses this weird plastic restrictor arm to switch between 180º and 900º rotation, and it's a bit on the fragile side. Some have said the pedal inputs can fade over time, but I haven't experienced this personally. So BUY THE DAMNED EXTENDED WARRANTY/REPLACEMENT PLAN.

But anyway, anybody care to comment on what wheels make Dreamcast Daytona not suck? Heh.


The concept 4 is superb for Daytona.

The real trick with Daytona is too adjust the analog stick in settings before you play. Idid this, and it even works great with the Sega controller now.

I didn't discover the "trick", it was just well documented in the gamefaqs reviews, and I tried it. Voila! Intstant perfection.

[M1Savage]

I have a couple of Madcatz MC2 wheels because I couldn't pass up the $7.99 price (new!) on them. While they're not the most "solid" feeling wheels, I find that with proper calibration they work well with most DC driving games. My son and I have many hours of F355 link action on them and while they squeek and creak a little, they still work ok.

Edit: I like it for Daytona too after you get the calibration right. :)

[devils advocate]

Yes, but the main issue here is that the best PC wheels can cost you well in excess of $1000. Heh. For the money, I'd say the Logitech USB wheels are a hell of a good choice. You can always add an analog clutch, gated shifter, and handbrake lever later. My only complaint is that the Driving Force Pro uses this weird plastic restrictor arm to switch between 180º and 900º rotation, and it's a bit on the fragile side. Some have said the pedal inputs can fade over time, but I haven't experienced this personally. So BUY THE DAMNED EXTENDED WARRANTY/REPLACEMENT PLAN.

But anyway, anybody care to comment on what wheels make Dreamcast Daytona not suck? Heh.


The concept 4 is superb for Daytona.

The real trick with Daytona is too adjust the analog stick in settings before you play. Idid this, and it even works great with the Sega controller now.

I didn't discover the "trick", it was just well documented in the gamefaqs reviews, and I tried it. Voila! Intstant perfection.

Ooops. Forgot to mention that I adjust it lower (left) by 25%. It starts at 50% by default.

[davidbrit2]

Believe me, I've tweaked the hell out of the analog settings in Daytona, and it still never even approaches the stability of the Saturn version with the Sega wheel, or even a d-pad. The problems seems to be some kind of weird auto-centering of the car's direction that is just way too aggressive in "correcting" the car. So the car is really squirrelly and unpredictable just outside the dead-zone, until you break free of that area, and the car goes shooting off to the side.

This is why I'm crossing my fingers for a PS2 version of Daytona like they did with Sega Rally '95 just recently. Heh.