WirelessSpeedWheel
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Xbox 360 250GB Racing Bundle totes Forza and a wheel, driving talent extra
Most Xbox 360 bundles focus on shiny colors over extra features. We'll take them any day, but we prefer functional pack-ins like that in the just-unveiled 250GB Racing Bundle. On top of Microsoft's higher-end console, you'll find a copy of Forza Motorsport 4 to build your racing chops and a Wireless Speed Wheel to give a slightly more faithful driving experience. The effect won't match that of a Motion Simulation TL1, but at $299, you'll have money left over to buy a real car when the Xbox bundle arrives in mid-June -- and only a slight premium over the usual 250GB console's $249 price tag.
Xbox 360 Wireless Speed Wheel hands-on
Okay, so the U-shaped contraption you see above won't get a motorsports enthusiast's blood boiling quite like the Fanatec CSR Elite wheel we tested earlier, but for a lot of gamers the CSR is a bit too much. The Xbox 360 Wireless Speed Wheel, on the other hand, is rather more manageable -- and affordable, with a $59.99 price. It's a simple, lightweight thing, with an over-sized trigger on the back of each grip. These have very low resistance, so they tend to clap against the back when you mash the throttle, but this plus a long throw means it's easy to be precise on the gas or brake. And that, of course, is what they're intended to be used for. On the right prong are the four face buttons, on the left a D-pad. Start and Back are in the middle along with the Guide button, but sadly the L and R shoulder buttons didn't make the start. That's a mighty shame, making us wonder what compatibility will be like for racers that use those for up- and down-shifting. Regardless, with Forza Motorsport 4 the wheel works like a charm. There's an almost imperceptible amount of lag between you turning the thing in air and your reaction being conveyed on screen, but it's not a problem. The triggers feel great and, while shifting using the D-pad is a little clumsy, it works. Ultimately and predictably the Speed Wheel doesn't deliver the most hardcore of racing experiences, but it'll be a lot more couch-friendly than your average wheel and pedal setup when it ships this October. %Gallery-126043%
Xbox 360 Wireless Speed Wheel will arrive in early October for $60, give you something to hold on to
Microsoft's Kinect motion controls may be infiltrating all sorts of games at this year's E3, but the Xbox maker isn't neglecting those in need of a more tangible control scheme. A new Wireless Speed Wheel has just been revealed, with a reasonable $60 price tag and an early October launch date. As you see above, it's technically three-fourths of a wheel, but that does allow for extra green bands of lights to be applied and, slightly more importantly, a set of directional and action buttons to be added to the handles of this steering implement. There's a rumble pack inside for force feedback and a pair of trigger buttons on the underside for smashing the gas or dabbing the brakes. Another image after the break.
