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'World Rally Championship 6' in VR is full of off-road rage
Virtual reality makes everything better, right? Not so fast. I got a chance to play World Rally Championship 6 with an Oculus Rift and a bucking, hydraulic-powered racing rig with a steering wheel and pedals. As you'll see in the video above, I spun out a ton and caught the VR sickness that's been going around. That's because with all the spinning I was doing, my eyes saw it, but my body didn't feel like it was doing 360s. The result was me feeling sweaty and queasy after pulling the headset off. Oh, and I swore an awful lot too. Sorry Mom and Dad.
Playdate: We've got the 'Need for Speed' on PlayStation 4
It's time to kick some tires and light some fires, folks. The new Need for Speed, out this week, is awesome. More importantly, it shows exactly what can happen when a video game publisher (Electronic Arts, in this case) says that a developer can take a year off to work on a game rather than churn out sub-par sequels on an annual basis. Usually when the word "cinematic" is thrown around to describe a game, that means big explosions and scripted events -- not usually the visual style. The team at Ghost Games doesn't subscribe to that theory and rather than focusing on "water-cooler moments" that only happen once, it instead made Need for Speed look as much like a movie shot on film as possible. Need proof? At 6PM Eastern / 3PM Pacific Sean and myself are broadcasting two hours of the game on Twitch.
Racer 2K Drive now available for iPhone and iPad
2k Games has announced that its latest racing simulator, 2K Drive, is now available for iOS devices. The game puts players in the driver's seat as they speed around an international set of tracks. Players are rewarded for completing challenges to unlock upgrades and new cars. 2K Drive also features an interesting personalization feature that allows players to take a picture of themselves and put it on their driver's face. Granted, it looks like your driver is wearing a skin mask of your face, but it's a nice added layer of detail. As with seemingly every game released these days, users are given the option of paying US$0.99 for coin packs for immediate upgrades. Players can race solo or against live opponents via the multiplayer mode, though thanks to the promise of updates and new challenges from the developers, those of us who lack friends to play with should have plenty of content to look forward to. You can find 2K Drive right now in the App Store for $6.99.
Sony PlayStation Move Racing Wheel hands-on (video)
After Sony's PlayStation keynote last night here at E3, PlayStation.Blog made a sort-of-surprise announcement when it officially detailed the $40 Move Racing Wheel -- something we only caught passing glimpses of during our liveblog. Naturally, we decided to drop by Sony's booth to find out whether the peripheral might potentially pass muster for you serious virtual racers out there. Our verdict after some racing in LittleBigPlanet Karting? Definitely not, but it sure is interesting despite a few quirks. Join us past the break where we'll break it down with text and video. %Gallery-157252%
Sony reveals $40 PlayStation Move Racing Wheel for LittleBigPlanet Karting and more
We didn't spot it on stage during the pre-E3 2012 press conference, but Sony's PlayStation Blog is showing off a new PS Move Racing Wheel on the way. This framework apparently fits around the Move, featuring different grip styles with twist throttles and paddle shifters depending on what kind of racing you'd like to do. The "precise motion tracking" afforded by the Move appears to be targeted at titles like the upcoming LittleBigPlanet Karting, but it's hard to see how this will be real wheel, or even controller, alternative for serious gamers. It certainly seems to be fair competition for Microsoft's Wireless Speed Wheel that was introduced last year or the Nintendo Wii Wheel, but frankly we're surprised that's a battle anyone else wanted to be in. Either way, we expect to get our hands on it this week before it hits stores this fall for $39.99. %Gallery-156981%
Who needs feet? SteelSeries Simraceway SRW-S1 steering wheel puts pedals at your fingertips
Time to face the facts -- your tiny apartment just doesn't have room for a fancy wheel and pedal setup, but clunky gamepads aren't getting you any closer to the winners circle. What's a racing fanatic to do? SteelSeries has an idea: keep the wheel, kill the pedals. Boasting enough buttons to make an authentic F1 steering wheel blush, the SteelSeries Simraceway SRW-S1 steering wheel swaps the traditional foot petal peripheral for a quartet of finger ready paddles saddled on the controller's rear. A motion sensor gives the wheel a tinge of Mario Kart flair, and eliminates the bulky, mountable steering column. The SRW-S1 will set you back $120, and score you just enough room for that La-Z-Boy you always wanted. Check out the wheel's official press release and a demo video after the break.
Thrustmaster unveils Ferrari F458 racing wheel and TH8 RS shifter, dares you to get fast and furious
Is that regular ol' Xbox 360 controller leaving you unfulfilled after a marathon session of Forza Motorsport 4? Don't fret, Thrustmaster has announced the launch of its Ferrari 458 (F458) Italia Racing Wheel for Microsoft's gaming console. The 11-inch wheel features a rubberized grip to stay comfy, built-in metal paddle shifters, a Manettino dial for mid-lap adjustments and progressive resistance to keep you on the straight and narrow. Not wanting to leave PS3 and PC racers in its dust, the company also revealed the TH8 RS gear shifter -- which connects to the T500 RS or the outfit's other PC wheel controllers via USB. This bad boy lets you release your inner Michael Schumacher with either H-pattern or sequential configurations plus 360-degree rotation adjustment to tailor the gearbox to your liking. Both the TH8 RS and the aforementioned F458 will be hitting your garage... er, game room in October for $180 and $90, respectively. Check out the full PR for the pair after the break, and make sure you fasten your seatbelt.
Thrustmaster T500 RS review
For a long time -- a long, long time -- Logitech and Gran Turismo have gone together like rubber and asphalt. Like carbon fiber and fender flares. Like drivers' privates and their Nomex underpants. The two were tight, but with GT5 came a changing of the guard. Thrustmaster, a company world-renowned for its high-end flight controls and its giggle-inducing name, stepped in and bought the license. The purpose? To release the decidedly high-end T500 RS wheel, the controller designed to abolish memories of all the plasticy racing controllers that have come before from the company. Does it succeed, and is it worth the pucker-inducing price of $599? These questions and more answered below. %Gallery-117113%
Exspect launches racing wheel for Wii Motion Plus controllers in the UK
Sure, there are plenty of Wii racing wheel options out there, but Exspect's launching one just for the Wii Motion Plus controller -- and just in time for the holidays! The wheel is also compatible with the plain old Wiimote, but sadly, if you live in the States it doesn't look like you'll be able to get one of these any time soon. The Racing Wheel is available now in the UK and will run you £6.99 (that's about $11.67 if you don't speak "£") on its own, or £19.99 ($33.35) if you buy it as part of a Wii accessories pack.
Study: Racing games may spur risky driving
According to a new study by German researchers (who also make damn fine automobiles), people who play racing games with realistic driving environments are more likely to get into an actual wreck than those who don't play video games. The study questioned 198 men on women on their willingness to take driving risks. The ones that played driving games ended up taking greater risks and were more prone to reckless driving according to the study. Believe it or not.[Thanks to all who sent this in]
KontrolFreek boosts driving game performance
Earlier this month, IGN was sent a prototype controller adapter designed to improve sensitivity in driving games. Those who play racing games know that nothing beats a good wheel and pedal set up, but there are many who don't want to spend extra money on such a peripheral. Control pads, however, are far from optimal. Analogue controllers have ushered in the era of analogue steering, but making small adjustments with an analogue stick can be a pain. This typically results in oversteering and requires constant correction -- something that can really pull you out of the experience.Enter the new adapter from KontrolFreek. The small adapter attaches directly to the left analogue stick easily. The adapter sports little wings on each side to give players extra leverage, making small adjustments easier. The adapter may look silly, but IGN claims that it actually does improve control. Head over to the KontrolFreek website for more info. You can also register to be notified when the product becomes available. So, would you stick some horns onto your controller if it gave you the edge?
