Well, after five years of owning my Logitech G25 (retrospective review coming soon), it came time for me to invest in an upgrade to my wheel. Already owning a TH8RS and a set of Clubsport Pedals, I just really needed the wheel base. I was narrowing it down to the T500RS and the Fanatec Clubsport Wheel, but I felt the CSW would be more of a gamble running almost twice the cost of the T500.
I was able to score the T500RS on a Black Friday special on Amazon last Sunday, and I was fully planning on doing a video first look and review, but a bike injury to my face decided otherwise. I then decided to do this in-depth review after doing some testing of it. I hope you enjoy this review!
Part 1 - Construction:
I knew this set was going to be heavy when I saw the FedEx guy (who looked to be in relatively decent shape) a little winded carrying the box! The box was pretty darn large, and felt very dense. Opening the box showed why. The wheel and pedels were honestly larger than I expected but they it felt good.
The wheel base is made of plastic, and was quite large. The wheel rim is 12" (300mm) in diameter, and has 9 buttons and a d-pad on it. There are 2 buttons on the base of the wheel. The wheel also boasts 1080 degrees of rotation, and 65536 values on the steering! It utilizes a belt-driven system similar to what is in a car's timing belt system, with a 65W motor powering it. There is a cooling fan that keeps the unit from overheating.
The pedals, in contrast are solidly constructed out of metal, and can be inverted between GT style (hanging down) or formula style (standing up)
Part 2: Driving Feel and Experience
I will say this, stepping up from the G25 to the T500RS essentially redefines your experience of sim racing, in the same way going from a potentiometer brake to a load cell or hydraulic brake does. The Logitech G25 uses a dual-motor gear driven Force Feedback system, which definitely does a good job communicating forces in a quick and efficient manner, at the expense of definite "cogging" feeling.
The T500RS uses a single 65W Force Feedback motor, with the forces being communicated to the wheel via a belt drive system, similar to how a car's timing belt system works. That equates into a quite smooth experience, and it is remarkably quiet and smooth in comparison to the G25. It is not perfect (the FFB motor gives a very slight cogging feeling because of it being a brushed motor, but it does not really detract in my case).
When I first turned laps in the wheel, my first thought is "WOW! This is strong!" It felt maybe 2 or 3 times stronger than the G25, and then I looked at the wheel's settings, and realized it was only at 65%, I looked online and people said about 75% is the sweet spot for the most immersive experience.
I ran a 50 minute race at Sebring in iRacing's Grand Am series, and I definitely felt like it gave my arms a workout! It is worth mentioning that there is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to switching from a gear to a belt drive, so I definitely had some "facepalm" moments of spinning out due to inexperience, but I'm definitely improving.
I think the big thing is that the wheel has given me more confidence in my driving as well. The wheel is also a lot faster than the G25, so I've saved quite a few slides that I would not have been able to with my old wheel, which allows me to push the envelope further.
Now, I said I haven't used the pedals, but I tested them and, while they are better than the G25 pedals, they felt quite weak in comparison to the Clubsport Pedals. I think the pedals are good for someone coming from the G25/27 or another potentiometer based set, but for a person with a load cell set, I would say to stay with that set if possible, and keep the T500RS pedal set as a backup set.
Part 3: Additional Notes
-The fan in the wheel usually kicks in after about 10-15 minutes of driving, and it is a little noisy, but it doesn't really detract from my driving. It does do a good job keeping the unit cool though!
-The Static paddles have a great click to it, but I wish they moved with the wheel. However, they are large enough that 90% of the time, you will be able to hit them just fine.
-The wheel can have a wide variety of add-ons, be it official or unoffical rims, or more
Part 4: Pros and Cons
Pros:
Strong but smooth at the same time
Large variety of wheel rim options
PS3 Compatibility for the wheel and rims
Includes set of pedals
Fairly reliable
Cons:
Static Paddles take getting used to
Fan can be a little noisy for some
Peadals weaker than Fanatec counterparts
Total Score: 88%
The T500RS is a great wheel for the sim racer looking to take his driving to the next level, but not wanting to invest in a $1,000+ sim racing rig.
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