SteelSeries the high performance gaming peripheral maker is hitting the race tracks fo the world with the SRW-S1 Simraceway Racing Wheel. This handheld PC racing wheel is specially crafted for the recently released online racing title Simraceway. The SRW-S1 wheel is a USB motion-controlled wheel that doesn’t require a bulky set-up like other racing wheels on the market, and boasts many specialized features to improve your game like the many other SteelSeries devices.
At first I was a little leery of the wheel. Having used other motion control wheels in the past I was worried that I wouldn’t get the control I was use to with my full fledge Logitech G27 wheel. But as soon as the green flag dropped I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of control I had on the track. WIth other motion controls and racing games I always felt that the controls were not sensitive enough leading to wide turns or to sensitive leading to me bouncing around the track. That wasn’t the case right out of the box with the SRW-S1. The controls aren’t anywhere as tack sharp as a true racing wheel, but they are solid enough that I was able to turn decent times on my first drive.
The SRW-S1 is an all in one package. On the backside of the wheel there are 4 paddles. 2 for shifting and two for your gas and brake pedals. While most casual racing gamers won’t mind it much, for those like myself who have had pedals will feel a little off. Once you do get your bearings though the pedal controls are very good and have a good sensitivity to them. Unlike generic console controllers I felt that the pedals on this wheel has much better pressure sensitivity. You have a fairly good range with the accelerator that allows you to feather the gas well through the turns.
The first thing you’ll notice about this wheel is all the buttons. Yes it seems like a lot, but all the Simraceway controls have been placed on the wheel. So there is no need as you are racing to fumble with a keyboard to make on the fly adjustments. You can make many adjustments with either the press of a button or the twist of one of the selector wheels. Everything from game assists to brake balancing adjustments can be made on the wheel. As you get further along in Simraceway you’ll be racing some powerful and high-tech automobiles and using these adjustments during races will be very important.
The feel of the wheel is pretty good. I felt it a little on the small side, but the peddel and button placements are laid out well. The rubberized hand placements also give you a good gripe. But the best part of the wheel design is that it’s easy to take with you to a friends for a racing lan party, no need to lug a bulky housing and a set of pedals.
The SteelSeries SRW-S1 is a pretty solid all-in one motion control racing wheel. It’s perfect for the more casual racing gamers. While it’s specialized for Simraceway it will work in most other racing games, however functions might be limited to steering and the pedals. While I was surprised with the controls I had in game, the wheel won’t be replacing my full fledge G27 wheel. Obviously a handheld controller can’t have force feedback but a simple rumbler would give you a little better feel that you are in the game. If you aren’t looking to slap down 400+ dollars or have limited space for a full racing wheel, yet still want better controls in racing games then the SteelSeries Simraceway wheel is a solid buy.
A SteelSeries SRW-S1 Simraceway Steering Wheel was provided to us for this review from SteelSeries.
