Better With Age
Logitech’s G29 improves its position with price
Logitech has been around since 1981 and has produced well over a billion mice during that time. As most companies have found out through the years, if there is no differentiation in products then there is a greater risk of suffering dips due to changes in demand or missed product cycles. Through acquisitions and smart hiring, Logitech has continued to grow and have addressed markets well beyond the mice that they have been famous for.
The G29 is compatible with the Driving Force Shifter from Logitech. This leather wrapped shifter features 6 speeds and a reverse in a self clamping package.
The move to gaming controllers was started decades ago and Logitech has a pretty significant lineup under the Logitech G brand. These gaming oriented products have proven to be quite popular due to their features, construction, and overall price. Initially Logitech opted for joysticks, but have broadened their reach with other controller types. Eventually they produced their own racing wheels and have found a moderate amount of success there. The earlier G25 and G27 products became quite popular due to their overall featureset and relatively low price. The previous G27 was originally released in 2010 so it was prime time to design a new product that would address the PC and console markets.
In 2015 Logitech released the G29 for the PC and Playstation and the G920 for PC and Xbox. The difference between the two wheels is limited to button placement and functions. The internal mechanism is the same as well as the pedals and mounting. This is primarily due to licensing limitations from Sony and Microsoft. The design philosophy that powered the G25 and G27 wheels is retained for this latest generation. There are some differences though, and they were not exactly positive.
At release the G29 and G920 wheels were priced at $399. This is a significant hike from the $299 price of the G27. Also significant is that Logitech did not include the manual shifter that was packaged with the G25 and G27 models. A far higher initial price which did not include an optional shifter was not a popular decision with consumers. While reviews were generally positive for the wheel, it seems as though Logitech had priced themselves out of the market compared to what the competition could give.
Now that we are a few years from that launch we are taking another look at the G29 now that prices have dropped significantly from $399. On Amazon and Newegg the wheel is listed at $266, and I have seen prices as low as $230. MSRP is still at $399 according to Logitech’s site, but in reality the price is far lower and much more in line with expectations and the competition.
Packaging is pretty minimal with no styrofoam or extra packing. It arrived in excellent condition with cardboard inserts and good compartmentalization.
Click to continue reading about the Logitech G29 Racing Wheel review!
Digging into the G29
The first thing we need to talk about regarding the G29 is the use of materials. I believe a big part of why the G29 was initially priced so high was due to materials more than the technology that went into it. On devices from Fanatec and Thrustmaster we do not start to see leather wrapped wheels until we get into the $500 range for both base and wheel. The hand-stitched leather wrapped wheel is a huge upgrade from the typical rubberized units that we see in this price range.
While the housing is primarily plastic, Logitech has implemented quite a bit of metal around the design. The paddle shifters are polished stainless steel that are nice and rigid, without feeling heavy. There is a good, positive feedback from changing gears with these units. The steering shaft is steel as well to decrease overall wear and keep the action smooth. The primary mechanism here should not need any maintenance for the lifetime of the product. It features a 16 bit Hall Effect sensor system, much like that provided in midrange and higher end Thrustmaster products.
Once opened the contents are pretty simple. Wheel, pedals, power, and a quick resource guide. Not much else is really needed.
The wheel spokes are anodized aluminum and feature a nice brushed finish. This decreases overall wheel weight while providing the necessary rigidity for quick, fast movements of the wheel and an adequate transfer of forces from the motors. The wheel itself feels as though it is a steel rim covered in polyurethane. The prized material here is the hand stitched leather wrap over the wheel. The primary surfaces are perforated for increased ventilation and wicking away sweat from those palms. At the top of the wheel is a very nice looking blue anodized aluminum strip denoting center.
Well written and fair review.
Well written and fair review. At little more than $200, the build quality and much better durability make logitech wheels a good introductory choice, as thrustmaster still seems to have higher failure rates.
But man should you listen to some actual speakers if you’re citing logitechs as excellent examples of engineering.
For computer speakers, they
For computer speakers, they are good. For Home Theater or Audiophile grade equipment, they are middling at best. Speaking from an average consumer if I had bought these that long ago, and used them for PC audio for gaming and streaming, the Logitech speakers I have are great. If I were focus on audio quality to the highest level, I would get a full blown receiver/amp and get much more focused on what speakers I was using. For what was offered and delivered, the Logitech speakers are very good for the price and what they are focused on. Opinions will vary, but I like my Logi 5.1 set.
The Logitech computer
The Logitech computer speakers from that era were – and are – awesome. Clear sound and serious bass. Like, small home theater bass. I kept the bass on my Z2300 speakers turned down most of the way and they had the potential to vibrate the floors at 50%. Anyone who questions the the Z5500 or Z2300 era Logi speakers should check out the current used selling prices on eBay. They aren't cheap, and shipping isn't cheap either as you're getting a heavy box if you buy a set.
Thanks for the review.
My G27
Thanks for the review.
My G27 still going strong after 7 years of abuse. I changed the springs in the pedals for stiffer one and got a wheel stand. Very happy with it. The lack of buttons on the G27 wheel is the only reason I’d get the G29 especially for newest F1 cars.
Logitech do make long lasting products. I still use my Z560 4.1 speakers that I got in 2001. They sound great after 17 years 🙂
Z560’s were pretty
Z560's were pretty interesting speakers at the time. They competed well with the Klipsch units at the time, but were just a cut below. I remember the precursers to those had a terrible hiss problem that was partially improved by swapping the control unit, but was never truly solved until the Z560s.
Also, what do you think of the wheel size of the G27/G29s? I'm a bit disappointed they aren't a little bit larger. Not that the size is uncomfortable, but they just seem… tiny.
I have a Logitech MOMO wheel
I have a Logitech MOMO wheel from 2005 that still works fine. I imagine this would be quite an upgrade. I wonder if the G29 has stronger force feedback? The MOMO was quite powerful for 2005.
Bought mine to use with VR.
Bought mine to use with VR. Bought the shifter but they do need to make a e-brake add on.
I use a cheap, old Saitek
I use a cheap, old Saitek joystick as my e-brake. Thrustmaster also has a USB/Sparco unit that is pretty nice from what I hear.
seems a fair review, i also went back to trying a g29 after now owning a t300RS GT for a while and the g29 does not feel good when you have tried something a little better, the mildly notchy feeling feels very notchy indeed and so far from reality its not great.
what really is frustrating with the g29 and the reviews of it are they dont seem to pick up on the negatives of the pedals, they get high praise for being ”well made” at this price point but the functionality of them is really bad, and what makes them bad is they dont self calibrate on startup like say the t300 GT pedals. this leads to so many problems in so many games, if the game does not offer pedal calibration you often find yourself in a frustrating loop of adjusting braking saturation in order to achieve 100 percent braking at a reasonable force and even at max braking in game you just cant get enough pedal travel going on to achieve 100 percent, often you only get 50-60 percent braking when your pressing really hard. people say you should remove the rubber stopper etc but this is a workaround you shouldnt have to do because the brake feels better with it. the T300 ( gt pedals at least ) offer self calibration when you turn the wheel on meaning your first press of the pedals sets the maximum travel so you press the brake just as hard as you like and it sets the 100 percent to there meaning it works in every single game with the same pressure you set yourself. so many reviews dont point this out and so many people get burned by it, it simply shouldnt be that level of frustration. then theres the resolution of the pedals which is really pretty low but hard to spot why its an issue, that is until you use higher resolution pedals and spot the resulting smoothness of the inputs on the onscreen brake and accelerator guides. with the wheel being pretty notchy and the feedback being jerky rather than smooth it adds up to what is a pretty bad wheel for me, but yes the price of it is often very very low, low enough this should for sure be picked over cheaper options offering none or plain bad feedback.
anyway nice review thought id share my opinion on it having used it too.