Promises are made to be kept, so I will talk about this potentially interesting combination that allows using a medium-force Direct Drive on Playstation 5, being the first of its kind from a brand other than Fanatec.
For those who have read both the base and steering wheel analyses as well as the pedals, things will more or less follow the same path, albeit with minor differences. However, limiting ourselves to a single product in this analysis might not do justice to the base or the pedals, because the idiosyncrasy of Gran Turismo 7 makes hardware in this price range seem almost superfluous.
The issue in this particular case is that Gran Turismo 7 is designed so that players with different skill levels can approach the world of automotive racing and enjoy it regardless of their track level. The game is not aiming for hardcore simulation or exact verisimilitude, so it moves in a sought-after ambiguity so that everyone can find their place. And in hardware terms, this means that car control can be just as good with a controller as it is with a 150 euro or 1500 euro wheel and pedal set.
The configuration of FFB parameters in Gran Turismo 7 is reduced to 2 sliders in the options screen; sensitivity and force. It is not entirely clear what each one does, but it seems that force refers to the resistance exerted by the base, and sensitivity to the threshold of track effects to be represented by the base.
In terms of force, the game seems to present an adequate level of representation, allowing for greater or lesser difficulty in turning depending on the setup of the car (suspensions, stiffness, etc.) and the characteristics of the vehicle itself. The interesting thing in the sensitivity section is that, as it increases, it produces a strange rattling that I have not seen with this base until now. It’s a peculiar sound, as if we were going back to gear motors, that I have only seen in this game. It’s not excessively annoying and seems to be due to a particular vibration effect implemented in many of the circuit kerbs, which appear rough instead of stepped.
Overall, the sensation is good, although due to the number of available cars, I don’t think it can be much better. The driving is differentiated in each car according to its traction, weight, and many other peculiarities, and that is a lot if we think about the variety that Gran Turismo 7 offers.
The pedal topic converges to a casual point, as we discussed with the base, and in this case, that favors them. Through the base screen, the load cell value can be changed, so ignoring the change in elastomers, we can calibrate the brake without touching anything else. With this, we can quickly reach the end of the pedal and continuously use the ABS without having to think too much. It’s usually a quick way to control braking and allows us to switch between cars without too much difficulty.
In conclusion, I said it before, and I say it again now, using a wheel and pedals is a huge leap when it comes to experiencing everything these console titles have to offer. Both Gran Turismo 7 and Assetto Corsa Competizione can get much closer to the experience of PC racing, even with the limitations we already know about in other peripherals.
- You can buy Logitech G PRO Racing Wheel clicking here .
Whether you have the opportunity to get your hands on this base or others compatible with Playstation 5, I have no doubt that it will be worth it.
