The Logitech G29 racing wheel and pedal set aims to bring an authentic sim racing experience to console and PC gamers at a relatively affordable price point compared to direct drive options. As a long time sim racing enthusiast, I decided to put the G29 through its paces across various racing titles to see if it lives up to expectations for entry-level wheels.

Overview

The G29 provides excellent basic force feedback and pedal feel, making it a very capable option for casual and beginner sim racers. The responsive helical gear system recreates many road details well. Meanwhile, the lovingly crafted wheel, sturdy pedal construction, and console compatibility give it wide appeal. However potential buyers should be aware that aggressive drifting or extended use sessions push the wheel to its limits at times. Customization options are also more restricted compared to higher tier equipment. Overall if you’re searching for a complete sim racing package without breaking the bank, it’s hard to go wrong with the Logitech G29.

Design & Build Quality

One aspect where the G29 clearly beats competing budget wheels is in its fantastic materials and construction quality. From the stainless steel spokes and pedals to the thick premium leather wheel wrap, it looks and feels like a premium racing product at first glance.

The Wheel

The G29 wheel diameter measures over 10 inches across, ensuring a meaty gripped feel when sawing at the wheel during intense races. Meanwhile the full 900 degrees of rotation enables accurately catching slides when they happen if you have the skill.

Tasteful race car styling cues like the RPM indicator LEDs further enhance immersion in the virtual drivers seat without looking gaudy. Between the array of wheel mounted controls and dual paddle shifters, you have all the inputs needed right at your fingertips too.

The Pedals

Unlike cheaper bundles relying on plastic pedal frames, Logitech outfitted the G29 pedals with solid steel arms and plates. This sturdiness prevents flexing under heavy braking while the included carpet spikes minimize sliding.

Each pedal also uses a different material, giving them varied resistance profiles. The nonlinear brake in particular stands out with its progressive pad feel that increasingly stiffens the deeper you push. While requiring some acclimation, this nonlinearity better replicates real brake modulation.

Other Hardware

Connecting everything together is a trio of thick, lengthy cables. You have individual cords for the wheel base power, pedals, and USB to your platform of choice. Extension cables are provided to reach distant ports or outlets. While not an issue when mounted, cable management gets annoying when storing or packing the set between locations.

Performance & Experience

Through extensive testing across varied racing titles on PC and PlayStation platforms, the G29 provides excellent road feel and immersion when used for traditional circuit racing. However once pushed hard in rallycross or drifting scenarios, some shortcomings inherent to entry-level gear driven wheels appear.

Force Feedback

The G29’s dual motor helical gearing system aims to strike a balance between precision, strength, and longevity compared to more expensive solutions. Small road imperfections readily transmit through the wheel thanks to built-in anti-backlash hardware. Combined with the intuitive button layout, this responsive feedback makes correcting oversteer slides feasible…up to a point.

Aggressively catching longer power slides or initiating high angle drifts overwhelms the wheel’s capabilities though, showing the limits of this transmission design. More worryingly, abrupt direction changes at full wheel lock consistently generates unpleasant grinding vibrations and noise through the wheel rim and base. Thankfully when operating within normal steering angles, the G29 otherwise runs relatively quietly.

Control & Inputs

Between the wheel mounted toggles and centrally located twist knob, the G29 grants easy access to all essential adjustments on the virtual dash. I especially appreciated the colored LED RPM warning lights when pushing cars to their limits. They eliminate needing to memorize engine notes for optimal shifts.

However I can’t claim the same love for the paddle shifters. While they work fine for up and downshifts, their short throw leaves no margin for overshooting shifts. Aftermarket extenders or mods to increase rotation range would improve these.

Reliability

Throughout several weeks of testing, the G29 took all my in-game wrecks and clumsy post-race packing without any signs of wear beyond scuff marks on the wheel rim. No reconnects were required even transitioning across PS3, PS4, and a half dozen racing titles either.

I did infrequently notice the wheel centering feeling and force feedback characteristics changing suddenly until resetting or power cycling fixes it temporarily. Hopefully this glitch is software related rather than indicative of hardware issues down the road.

Conclusion & Recommendation

In the end, recommending the Logitech G29 comes easily for certain audiences but hesitantly for others. Casual and brand new sim racers will fall in love with its authentic feedback and rock solid pedals. The inclusion of 3 pedals plus high PlayStation compatibility also means you’re ready to drive straight from the box.

On the opposite end, veterans accustomed to direct drive bases will immediately notice the faint deadzone on center and weaker drift holding ability. Fanatec ClubSport or Thrustmaster TS-PC/T-GT wheels better suit diehard enthusiasts not scared off by their 4 digit pricetags. You certainly get what you pay for.

If like most of us your budget lands somewhere in between though, few wheels can compete with the well rounded G29 package – especially given frequent sub $250 sales. Yes cranking the settings exposes the gear driven limitations through sound long before losing traction. But when exercising a bit of mechanical sympathy and avoiding overly aggressive maneuvers, it’s a thrilling force feedback experience few properly outgrow. That sweet spot balancing performance and value makes me confident calling the Logitech G29 the best entry-level sim racing wheel money can buy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What games are compatible with the G29?

The G29 works on both PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows PCs without any extra software. Xbox support is unfortunately limited to PC. While older titles may see it as a G27, native integration in titles like Gran Turismo Sport, F1 2022, and Assetto Corsa Competizione ensure optimization.

Is the G29 good for drifting/rally racing?

To be frank, aggressive drifting pushes the wheel outside its comfort zone. Between the noisy gear resistance and slow response catching extreme countersteer angles, you’ll struggle controlling long slides or high speed entries. Rally stages fare comparatively better thanks to slower speeds but rapidly varying road surfaces still tax the wheel at times.

How is it different from the G920?

The Logitech G920 is functionally identical in terms of force feedback capability on Xbox consoles and PC. Differences lie in the PlayStation/Xbox ecosystem compatibility, buttons arrangements, and rotation lock tweakability through optional software. Either serve as a great starter wheel though the G29 edged out our recommendation.

What are some recommended accessories?

For wheels, the Logitech Driving Force Shifter provides a solid 6-speed manual experience and conveniently plugs straight into the wheel base. A third party handbrake like those from SHH Newt further bolsters rally and drift versatility. When it comes to mounting, the Wheel Stand Pro effectively prevents desk vibration and movement without permanent installation.