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SteelSeries Simraceway SRW-S1 Gaming Steering Wheel - SteelSeries
Mad CatzSee Similar
Wireless Force Feedback Racing Wheel for XBox 360 - Mad Catz

Side by Side Comparison of: SteelSeries vs Mad Catz

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SteelSeries http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41FwAX8pqOL._SL160_.jpg
SteelSeries Simraceway SRW-S1 Gaming Steering Wheel - SteelSeries
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Mad Catz http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41kd3xA92cL._SL160_.jpg
Wireless Force Feedback Racing Wheel for XBox 360 - Mad Catz
Rating info
eComparisons Score
eComparisons ScoreThe "Comparison Score" Is calculated based on the average number of times this item was compared with other items in this category by our users
6.8
7.2
User Rating (Amazon)
User Rating (Amazon)

Five Star Reviews:

43%
For the Sim Hobbyist, it's perfect. and Portable!
October 21, 2015
I'm a beginner at the Racing sims and this works perfect for me. If you are not a hard-core Sim player, this will work perfect for you. Portable, lightweight, and easy to use. I used it in iRacing and Simway Raceway. If you are using it for iRacing, some features like the shift lights and on wheel settings won't work (of if they do, I haven't figured out how to set them). The paddle shifters and brake and accelerator work perfect in iRacing. When racing in SWR, all features work perfectly. Shift lights, all settings. I would recommend this for any Non-HardCore Racer.
A simply amazing racing wheel.
August 3, 2015
SimRaceway is an amazing game and this wheel has been instrumental is making the gameplay a joy. Acceleration and braking are performed with the lower rear paddles and getting used to this took only minutes for me. Best part is, it's compatible with other racing sims I play. Note, however, that I have not been able to get it to work with F1 Race Stars [Online Game Code].The wheel is well constructed and feels great in the hand. Paddles have a great action to them and feel solid. A single finger for each of the four paddles is all it takes. The rotary indents are clear and precise, while the buttons have a short action for quick use. Ergonomics are very good. Everything is is within easy reach with either thumb. Smaller hands may find the reach a little long (I have a size L hand).Pretty certain you'll be satisfied with this wheel. Compared to an old Logitech NASCAR-branded wheel and pedals set I previously owned, the SteelSeries is levels above the Logitech. I could could only get a few games to recognize the Logitech and when they did, the controls were unnatural and didn't reflect real world physics.
Best racing wheel I've ever had.
June 14, 2013
Part of the reason I've always sucked at racing games is the joy of controlling the vehicles with a keyboard or a tinny POS that tried to pass as a wheel. The controllers that clamped on the desk got in the way and were difficult if impossible to calibrate. This wheel does neither--it sits nicely on the desk on either the holder that was part of the package or the points of the rear flaps and the front of the wheel if you were not prescient enough to keep the holder handy. It is also infinitely calibratable. Now if I suck it's due to not following the right lilne through the curve, pushing the engine toward the redline too far...I can't blame that on the wheel. Good piece of equipment. The software rocks as well, although the "pay to win" model kind of turns me off. Great package overall.
Great Wheel
April 9, 2013
I played using a game pad in the past and was never really interested in a wheel set up. When I saw this online I jumped at that chance to have what filled the bill for me. A game pad that had the look and feel of an F1 wheel. At first it was hard to get used to and very frustrating to learn all of the buttons and shift paddles while holding this wheel in midair. It took about a week of picking it up, playing for a little while, putting it down and then coming back to it. It feels natural now, one key is that you don't extended your arms out in front of you. Watch any in car camera or pictures of a race car driver and you will see arms to the side, bent at the elbows and that is what makes this wheel comfortable. Keeping your elbows at your sides and extending from the elbows. Another key feature is getting the steering sensitivity set right. Setting the steering sensitivity dial on the wheel to match you games wheel setup is key to enjoying this wheel. I use it on F1 2012 and i am glad I made the move away from the traditional game pad. This is a great addon if you what to use it on a laptop and need mobility. Just take time to get the steering setup and get familiar with holding it and you will be rewarded with many hours of gaming.
Worth It
March 31, 2012
I bought it about a mouth ago, While at first i thought it was a bad purchase. The wheel felt too big and I couldn't use all the buttons while driving. But then after a couple of days i got used to it and now I'm in love.I have only tried it with Rfactor have yet to download Simraceway. All the buttons get recognized in the Rfactor and are able to be mapped to any function in the game. The shift lights and dials don't get recognized or work at all. There is a driver for the shift lights available but considering I spent almost all of my time looking at the screen instead of the wheel, i would probably turn them off if they even had worked.My final thoughts are that it was a good investment. Coming of a using an Xbox controller for driving games it gives a whole new feeling and challenge. I really believe it also helps with driving skills in real life. So down right to it its worth it
Close to perfect
January 20, 2012
I've had the SRW-S1 now for about three months, and let me say, it is ingenious. I have four standalone racing games, GTR2, Dirt2, Dirt3 and F1 2011, and now, with the included card to play online with SIMRACEWAY, a race game made specifically for SRW-S1 as well. All the games I've tried so far, GTR2, Dirt3 and F1 2011 , all work flawlessly with it. All buttons on the wheel can be re-mapped to the games. However, the shift LED-lights along the top do not work for the games other than SIMRACEWAY with the exception of F1-2011. A patch is now provided by SIMRACEWAY which will incorporate the shifting lights. One additional caveat, DIRT3 will not retain your wheel control setting. Hopefully, either Steelseries or CODEMASTERS will release a fix for this.The precision of the wheel was a very pleasant surprise. I had seen videos before purchasing of people driving, but had no idea the precision and response would be so crisp. Its precision is close, or the same, as the Logitech G27.I've read several reviews that one of the perceived drawbacks is its main positive attribute, and that being you have to hold it up since it is unmounted. The argument is, your arms will fatigue over time. True... IF that is the way you hold it the entire time driving. But you will quickly find you can rest it on your lap, and even better yet, lay back in a recliner, get comfortable, rest it on your lap and race for literally hours. So to me, being unmounted and being very light weight, is now the way to go.There is another considerable advantage the wheel has over mounted wheels, and that is its ability to control the car by moving the wheel laterally WITHOUT rotating the device. This adds a subtle layer of control. It may hamper someone new to the wheel, but once you become familiar with the nuance, you will have a slight advantage over a mounted wheel, at least in respect to control.Now. . .there are a couple of legitimate drawbacks. Since it IS unmounted, it is difficult in the middle of a race to have both hands free, even for a second. As I said, you can perch it on your lap for a second or two, but it's difficult since the slightest non-horizontal angle will make the car drift off course. The good news is, the brake and acceleration paddles allow it to rest on a flat surface upright. To save weight, it is corded (not wireless, no batteries) and does not have force feedback. And since you, more or less, turn it in the air, there is also absolutely no turning resistance.Yes there are drawbacks, no force feedback, must have control if it at all times during a race, but if you can live with these small quibbles, I highly recommend it.
39%
Awesome for the price range really brings forza 4 to ...
March 2, 2015
Awesome for the price range really brings forza 4 to anew level ! Very responsive and lots of metal so it didn't feel cheap
Fun for hours!
January 15, 2015
My son loves it! It works great even after several hours of play time. The gear shift is a little cheesy. It broke off not long after he got it. All in all, he enjoys playing Forza with it. Definitely worth 5 Stars!
Great Product
January 5, 2015
My 11 year old grand son absolutely loves it. The only problem is that his parents have to limit the time he is on it now Otherwise he would be on it all day.
Works good and great material!!
November 3, 2014
It works pretty good. Specialy with Need For Speed. In some games we do not gave the best experience, but We know this accessories does not Fit well to every game. OuR family is enjoing the wheel, that by the way is made in a very good material (ruber, metal, non slipery pedals...).
MadCatz is a TEN!
April 7, 2014
This wheel turns your desk or table into a car. Has a wireless connection to xbox 360 but produces NO LAG. Great force feeback effect makes driving easier in whatever race game your playing. Overall - awesome and goes beyond expectation!
Old Fart likes it!
February 20, 2014
This racing style wheel and pedal set (and I assume others, as well) is exactly why I waited until retirement to get an X-box. I'm an old pinball???? guy. I was around for Space Invaders when it first came out. Just got the box, and tried the hand-held wheel, pretty cool. Then I found this device. It seems to have been the last on Earth (I don't really know), too bad. It is great for the money, and that is said by a guy who thinks $150.00 IS expensive. I've slid the pedal assembly all over the carpet, trying to escape capture in NFS. I've death-gripped the wheel, also trying to allude. It's held up well. It's still pretty new, but the reviews I read seem to indicate a long life. Shipped pronto. If I'd had this in college in 1970, I'd still be in school. Congratulations to all gamers who graduated ( or even came close )!

Four Star Reviews:

26%
Footloose (Look ma! No feet!)
January 3, 2016
After one day of owning this wheel, I'm ready to give it my initial review.The first thing I noticed about the wheel is just how well packaged it is. The manufacturer packaging is smart, attractive, and strong, and will make a wonderful storage case for the wheel without hiding it away. And why would you want to hide it away? This is a very well made controller, and very beautiful, and could easily be stored in the open as a display item when you're not using it.In the one day I've owned this wheel, I've played F1 2012 with it. Setting the wheel up for basic function with Windows 10 is as simple as plugging it into the USB slot, and changing the input device settings in the game. You can download legacy drivers from the SteelSeries website for this wheel that allow the gear shift lights to light up correctly, this is also a very simple install.The controller itself has a comfortable weight to it, and doesn't feel light or flimsy in hand. All button presses and dial turns feel very positive, with no play in them. The accelerator and brake (lower back) levers have a very smooth action, with a constant pressure throughout the movement range. It is just as easy to hold the pedals at 10 percent as it is at 100, however, because the wheel is so big in my hands, it can be a bit difficult to keep contact with the pedals while using buttons on the faceplate.And the size is the biggest problem with this wheel... I have fairly typical-sized hands for a woman or teen boy, and the controller is just a bit too big to be perfectly comfortable. For those with smaller hands, in games that allow you to configure the accelerator and brake sensitivity, you might consider adjusting it so that you don't move the levers through their full range of motion, this will alleviate some of the problems the large size causes. Using the buttons and dials on the front plate while using the rear levers is very challenging. I have to plan ahead and use the buttons when I know I can get a hand free - this perfectly explains Lewis Hamilton's famous "Don't talk to me through the corners!" radio transmission - using the buttons on this takes multitasking to a new level, which is made even more challenging when you can't easily reach many of the buttons and still keep contact with the throttle and brake levers. If this wheel was mounted to your desk like conventional racing wheels, this problem wouldn't be so pronounced, because you wouldn't be trying to support the weight of the controller in the hand currently holding the pedal.The ability to adjust the wheel's turning sensitivity on the wheel itself is an absolutely beautiful feature, and takes a lot of the guesswork out of configuring the wheel. My suggestion would be to set this first, then go into game settings for your racing game of choice to adjust on a finer scale.The hand throttle and accelerator are, for me, the biggest selling point for this wheel. For people who don't have space for a full racing rig, or who have a disability that makes using conventional wheel and pedal sets difficult or impossible, this wheel offers a wonderful solution.Regardless of the type of game controller you're coming from, there will be an adjustment period while you learn to use this wheel. The lack of resistance while turning may feel peculiar at first, but I can see this being a big positive in long races, since your arms won't have to work as hard. That lack of auto-centering will also teach you good driving habits - you will learn to keep control of the wheel throughout the entire range of motion. It will also take time to learn to control the throttle and brake with your hands. Gear shifting will be especially tricky, since you need to train your fingers to act much more independently than most wheel racers are used to - it's easy to plan to press the gear shift lever, and end up also pressing the accelerator or brake too - but keep at it! Alex Zanardi uses hand controls when he drives, and so can you!
Wheel peddles and buttons in one small portable package.
March 24, 2015
I have this wheel. I actually have two. One is for racing at lunch, the other is for home. I get better times on my home computer I'm guessing because it's newer/more capable, more memory better video card. The times are the difference between 1rst and second but it messes up your braking points. I've never switched the wheels to see it was the wheels themselves which I doubt. I use them on Simraceway and Iracing. Recently the return spring broke on the gas paddle so I'm looking for a replacement. They feel really good, have programmable buttons. I love the rubber on the grips. I had to send one back and it was replaced but I'm not sure which one it is. I believe I paid around $70 so for that price I'd say these are great gaming wheels if you don't want to invest in peddles and a shifter. I love their convenience and having throttle, brake, gear up and gear down on the wheel.
Fantastic wheel for the price
April 4, 2014
I'm quite a big fan of sim racers, especially F1. Needless to say, using a controller was becoming a bother for me, so I decided to get this wheel, since it was cheap and compared to older similar wheels that you can get for the same price, superior. And indeed it is. Even though it uses accelerometers to do the steering and that the wheel pretty much floats about, steering is pretty accurate. It steers smoothly, and I barely notice some jitter here and there, if at all. The steering sensitivity knob works great for just finding the sweet spot for each game. The two knobs next to it only work for simraceway, but you do have plenty of other buttons for anything you might need. I was also a bit skeptical with the gas and break throttles being on the wheel itself, but it feels fantastic, the paddles are also pretty responsive, and have a satisfying click sound to it. Weight-wise, the wheel turned out to be lighter than I expected, so long races haven't hurt my arms yet.So, why only four stars? Well, it's simply because of the lack of feedback, but I guess that could probably mess with the sensors. However, you can find tutorials online to mount the wheel on bases for logitech wheels.
Nice for the price!
January 14, 2014
As other reviews have said, this is a well-built wheel. I managed to rig up a mount on my desk for it and that makes it even better. The manual that comes with it mentions an Optional Desk mount available for purchase, but it must be next to the Unicorns because I could not find anything anywhere. The wheel is solid and worked great for iRacing straight out of the box. The RPM LEDs do not work(for iRacing), but they would be distracting anyway. I have not tried their Simway racing game. The hardest thing to adapt too is holding the wheel (if you do not mount it), no Force Feedback, and using the paddles for brake/and gas. This wheel is priced right and good for the casual racer who doesn't want a huge rig taking up space. Try it out. You will probably like it.
Look Ma ! No Feet !
January 14, 2013
The product is a bit on the expensive side ( althought I have paid like $150 for a FFB with pedals, and gas and brake and shifter paddles ). I really DISLIKE having to use Pedals for gas/brake and shortly after Thrustmaster was acquired by Guillemont, there haven't been any good wheels with gas/brake on the wheel. (Dancing on the pedals just wears me out).The paddles seems pretty sturdy. So far, I'm favorably impressed. The position sensors, for turning, take a bit of getting used to. It works quite well in SimRaceway ( free game download and 3 free cars - and with this wheel I got a free $10 gift card to spend buying cars or entering "prize paying" races) and many of the features of the wheel are preprogrammed to be functional. I think for other games (like F1 2012) I'll need to go into the games' "setup" and adjust the "Dead Zone" and some other parameters.I'm using it with Windows 7 -- I haven't tried it with Win XP ( my older wheels worked with XP but aren't recognized by Win 7 - Fooey ! )I bought a second one of these so my son and I could take them to LAN Parties without trying to clamp the old wheel to somebody else's folding table. ( I figured I'd get them while they were 'on sale' because I've never seen them locally ).So far so Good !
Pleasantly Surprised
January 3, 2013
I am entirely happy with this product, and be advised that this review is written from a vefy narrow point of view. I generally do PC flight simulations and avoid "platform gagmes" (X-box, Atari, Sega, whatever....) altogether. As a result my computer is USBd to death with throttles, sticks, pedals, gauges, add-on panels ad nausium. It's really quite pathetic. As a result a racing wheel is pretty much out of the question because of space considerations alone, not to mention having to swap out rudder pedals for break and throttle components during a gaming session. For a game like ARMA-2, Battlefield or Take On Helicopters where you can FPS, Fly, or Drive it made things a bit unreasonable. Enter the Simraceway SRW-S1 driving wheel. For me this thing is a godsend because I can set it aside while flying, or FPSing, and pick it up when entering a vehicle. Since the throttle and brake are on the wheel there is no need to swap out rudder pedals for break and throttle pedals when switching from driving to flying situations. The SRW-S1 woks similar to a Wii controll sensing motion,and changing that movement into game motion. This eliminates the need for the unit to be mounted to the computer desk. It is much more enjoyable driving around the ARMA-2 / Operation Arrowhead landscape with this wheel than careening about with the mouse and keyboard combination. I won't review the simraceway driving game because I'm not interested in it. Others will take care of that I'm sure. I have yet to try this thing out in TOH, I may throw another review your way for that when I get around to it. Right now I'm having too much fun driving around the mind boggeling number of vehicles in ARMA 2. All the buttons mapped just fine in the in-game profiler with the exception of the gear shift paddles which ar not supported in ARMA 2 anyway. The 3 dials don't seem to be supported either, and the LEDs at the top of the wheel don't work in ARMA eith, (BFD) which is no big deal. The throttle response is a little uneven but that's a game issue, because the Thrustmaster Ferarri wheel I tried in the game had similar results. There is a little learning curve as the wheel is not mounted to anything and you must manually center it. You have to "stay out ahead" of what you are driving and anticipate because of this. This is similar to what you have to do when flying anyway, so it's no big deal in my not so humble opinion. Recovering from an "oversteer" will involve ditches, fences and buildings until you get the hang of things. While not striclty "realistic" (and what FPS/Flight/Driving hybrid can be considered truly realistic?) because of the hand brake and throttle it is a lot more fun/efficient/intuitive than driving with the mouse and keyboard. I'm running Windows 7, with an over-the-hill gaming machine and this product works as advertised. It is more effective that I had immagined. It is built well, and feels solid in my hands. Just the right size. I even bought one for my son so we can ARMA on line! Lots of fun.
18%
Pretty good
August 6, 2017
Did not really love it for the driving gmae but he liked it.
"I absolutely love this racing wheel
January 24, 2016
Bought this for my teenage son. He says,"I absolutely love this racing wheel. It is very realistic and the force feedback feels great. It is also very well weighted. Also, the REAL METAL paddle shifters feel amazing, like MadCatz sourced them directly off a real race car!I broke nearly all of my previous track records on Forza 4, Dirt 3, and Grid Autosport on the first or second try-- and I always try to put up very competitive times--that's just how good this wheel is!My only (minor) complaints are the pedals and shift lever. The pedals will slide a bit under hard acceleration/braking, and the shift lever, while fun for rally games like Dirt 1/2/3, is completely loose. When you up/downshift, the only way you know the gear has changes is what you see on the screen. The lever is just numb. Fun, but numb.However, these issues are nothing in comparison to the brilliance of the paddle shifters and the actual wheel. I would highly recommend this to anyone!"
A very nice wheel
September 9, 2013
I like the wheel. It is my first force feedback wheel, so take that into account. It probably isn't the best wheel out there, but for the price I'm very happy with it. I've played for about 30h now, and put 3000 miles on cars in Forza 4. Sensitivity is nice, and feedback is decent. As someone who actually does track my real car, I do miss the 'seat of the pants' feedback, but the wheel does a decent job of communicating the road back to the driver.The wheel physically has a good feel, and is a good size for me. I use the paddle shifters, not the stick shifter. So far I've used this on my lap entirely because I have nowhere to affix to a table. The stick shifter is mostly useless if you have this on your lap... there would be just too much shifting around. Otherwise, on the lap works well with the paddles.Would I buy it again? if I was on the same budget, yes. Otherwise, I might spend a little more and see if there is something even more realistic.Note, "wireless" in this sense means no wire connected to the console, you will still require a plug from the wheel for power (AC) and from the wheel to the pedals. Still, "wireless" does prevent a USB port on the console from being taken up.
Good wheel
July 30, 2013
This is a great racing wheel it feels great with the rubber grips and is very sturdy. The only issue I have with it is that it jerks very hard when it is slightly off center left or right. It seems to be pushing harder when it is slightly off center than it would when it is turned half way away from center. If I leave the wheel sitting it randomly jerks back and forth as if it is trying to move the wheel back to center. Other than that I have had no other issues and work recommend this wheel to others.
good entry wheel
April 27, 2013
this wheel works well for a basic user as long as your not to picky about racing wheels it works well for forza 4 forza 3 and need for speed most wanted and many other games the only con to this wheel is that when turning it really fast it makes a whining nose like the gears are having troubles keeping up with the fast turn other than that the wheel is great it provides nice feedback to the wheel and the shift paddels are nice but the paddels and the shift lever dont offer any feedback to "confirm" that the car has changed gears feels like the shifters are disconnected. the feedback consists of the vibration of the wheel as well as oposite force to simulate road conditions and other factors. the wheel also is well made i have had mine for a year now and it still works nothing has broken and nothing has gone wrong this wheel has never given me anytrouble
Quality Build. Very Fun.
February 25, 2013
A solidly built wheel that is a lot of fun. The driving games I have tested so far all supported the force-feedback (NFS titles such as Shift 2 and The Run, Test Drive 2). The force-feedback adds a lot of fun and feel to driving and I'm glad I spent the extra money on it. All of the buttons are very solid, better quality than even the standard XBox 360 controller.The force-feedback motor is fairly quiet. Due to the force feedback motor electrical requirements, there is no battery option for this wheel, so it can't be made completely wireless.The wheel shifter paddles and shifter handle share the left and right button functions, so one can't be re-assigned to something else unless both are re-assigned. With some driving games, such as Test Drive, where the sticks are used for off-track portions of the game, the wheel doesn't give full functionality. The wheel does not seem to have any right-stick functions or the left-stick button function. All other buttons and triggers are on the wheel and pedals (RT, LT, RB, LB, X, Y, A, B, D-Pad, Start, Back, Home).

Three Star Reviews:

6%
Not for Mac unless Boot Camped Win
August 27, 2015
Windows only, will not work with Mac unless Boot Camped. Works with most games but not all features work.
OK for a floating controller.
June 25, 2013
It is what it is. Takes a little time to setup for different games, and does an OK job of control, considering it floats in air. It has a slight lag time and deadband not as adjustable as I would like. Not very good for serious racing games. OK for tooling around in games like TDU2.
It's a really nice wheel but......
April 7, 2013
This is a quality built wheel that offers many hours of fun. The only drawback is a person just getting into this type of gaming has a horrible time figuring out all the inns and outs of the games and wheel operation. There is absolutely no worthwhile / informative instructions that come with the wheel. Nor any worthwhile / informative instructions to be found on there web site. If your new at this like I am, you are made to feel like your illiterate when trying to use there help forum, to ask basic questions about how the wheel and site works. To bad because there is the possibility of many hours of fun, but you have to know how it all works beforehand or your plain out of luck. I'm seriously considering returning my wheel because of the lack of support, and the problems trying to use the different menu's on there site.
9%
Outdated, outclassed and overpriced.
December 2, 2015
I bought this wheel three years ago around the same time I bought Forza 4. From a gameplay point of view, it's an amazing wheel. The wheel fights you in the corners and tells you when the car is at its limit.If you want a longer description of how the wheel plays, read the other 5-star views.However, I think this wheel is way, way, way overpriced. Within the first year of use, the wheel started to show its age. When new, this wheel should turn 90 degrees to the left, then back to center, then another turn back to the right. I'm guessing this is an auto-calibration or something along those lines. When turned after the first year, it simply vibrates for a second or two, and then stops. The sequential shift knob stopped working on year two, that was a bummer (the paddles are fantastic, though, no complaints there). Third-year the wheel just doesn't wheel as lively as it once did. It doesn't fight or kick back as much. Even the resistance seems far weaker than it once was. If this was a $99 or even a $175 wheel, I would be fine with this. But this wheel was selling for over $300 at one point, I'd figure it'd last quite awhile.I'm now seeing wheels on the market that you can buy for around this same price point that come with a 6-speed manual shifter. With that in mind, I'm not sure why anyone would buy this one.
A good entry-level wheel, until it broke.
February 8, 2015
This is a great entry-level steering wheel. I don't know much about sim-racing and higher-end hardware, but this satisfied me. Up to a point. After about a month of heavy use, a tooth in one of the gears that controls the force feedback broke, completely ruining the force feedback. There's no instruction manual or guidelines as to how to properly use this, so I couldn't say if it was due to misuse, a factory error, or just the result of heavy use.I would say if you're looking for a cheap wheel, this is a great buy. If you're wanting to get into sim-racing, and are hardcore about it, skip this. The quality just isn't enough to suit you and without a clutch pedal and limited wheel rotation, you'll get annoyed very fast.
Nice wheel
January 23, 2013
For a budget simulator, its great. Force feedback is nice althought it tends to have some blind spots at time. I`ve used it on FM4 so far and have to say the experience is very different from the remote.I would have liked the wheel to be a bit larger.Other than that, so far good product.
Decent wheel, but way overpriced
February 15, 2012
The Mad Catz Wireless Force Feedback Racing Wheel for XBox 360 would be a decent wheel at a lower price point. At its MRRP of $250, I feel it's overpriced by $100. At a lower price point, I might have given it 4/5 stars. For $250, I just don't see the value or quality that I expect for that sort of money.For starters, it's 95% made of plastic (and I feel that other 5% percentage is being very generous!). For this MRRP, I expected a lot more metal (ie: quality and durability) given the 'part metal construction' claim. The only visible metal is the center face plate (where the buttons are), the F1 paddles, and the cap on the shifter. To be fair, there may be more bits of metal lurking inside that I can't see; I sincerely hope there are! Even then, this 'metal' is die-cast, and I'm just not impressed. Sorry.See my theme here? This wheel is way overpriced for what you get!WHEEL: 3/5 starsAll told, the wheel does have a nice feel to its steering movement. The button placement is good so that you can reach them all with your thumbs, and the F1 paddles are within easy reach of my fingertips. The sides of the wheel have a grippier covering than the top and bottom, so you won't slip while cornering with sweaty palms in a close race. The shifter is within easy reach, and, in a nice touch, is mountable on either the left or right side of the wheel, depending on your personal preference. It is, however, just a plastic shifter within in a plastic mechanism, and a die-cast cap on the end.I tested the Mad Catz Wireless Force Feedback Racing Wheel with "Forza 4" and "Dirt 3." The wheel has good force feedback and vibration (the strength of which can be set within the individual game), as well as a good road feel. I did, however, feel some vibration within the XBOX menus (ie: while not in a game) that was noticeable enough for me to mention it here. While not in a game, this wheel should be dead 'silent.'It's nice to be wireless from your Xbox, however you're still tethered to the power brick (which is too short; you'll need a power extension cord if you intend to sit more than 4 feet away from your Xbox) and the wire coming up from the pedals. This wheel is power only; it does not have a battery mode like the cheaper wireless Mad Catz wheel.PEDALS: 2/5 starsThe pedal design is great, featuring top-hinged accelerator and brake pads like a real car (no clutch). However, the construction of the pedals leaves a lot to be desired. They are constructed of 100% plastic, and not even heavyweight plastic at that. The whole pedal assembly feels lightweight and cheap. For this MRRP, there should be some metal here. After all, these are the parts that gamers will be stomping on! I predict the pedals will be the first things to break for many.The pedal footrest folds slightly (about 90 degrees) for storage purposes, or detaches completely for mounting in a racing frame/seat.MOUNTING: 3/5 starsThe Mad Catz Wireless Force Feedback Racing Wheel features two ways to mount--desk or lap. The lap attachments actually work better than I expected, keeping the wheel more sturdy that I would have thought. Lap mount has actually become my preferred mounting way, as well as making it easy to pack up and store it when I'm done playing. The two lap mounts screw into the bottom of the wheel, and have to be removed if you intend to use the desk mount, so really, you have to pick one way or the other, or risk stripping the plastic threads.The desk mount attachment is (again) all plastic, with a plastic nut. It hooks into the bottom of the wheel's base and then clamps down on your desk/racing frame. It seems to me that it would be incredibly easy to over tighten this and strip the thread completely.SETUP: 4/5 starsThe Mad Catz Wireless Force Feedback Racing Wheel easily connected with my Xbox 360 by pressing the sync buttons on the wheel and on my Xbox. The headphone jack on the back of the wheel is for the newer Xbox headsets with in-line mute. Old style Xbox headsets with the mute switch on the plug will not work.It's nice to have a firmware upgrade option. In order to upgrade the firmware, the wheel must be connected to a PC via a USB cable (not included).CONCLUSION:Overall, the Mad Catz Wireless Force Feedback Racing Wheel is not a bad wheel for the Xbox 360, it's just way overpriced. Given the 'mostly plastic' construction and the other points I mentioned here, I feel there needs to be some serious adjustment in order for it to appeal to the average gamer.On the other hand, serious racers will be expecting a lot more from the high MRRP, and the claims of 'part metal' construction, and thus (I feel) be very disappointed with what they get.The Mad Catz Wireless Force Feedback Racing Wheel for XBox 360 gets 3/5 average stars from me.

Two Star Reviews:

10%
At the present time I can't recommend this product
March 5, 2017
I purchased this idem from amazon. I then went to the Simraceway website to use it and the website was totally unfunctional! When I clicked on the "sign up" button nothing happened. When this device is connected to any of the USB ports on any of my computers (various different windows operating systems) they all recognize the device but tell me the device is not configured properly. I assume that if I could sign up on the Simraceway website that whatever drivers this thing needs could be downloaded but as previously mentioned, this was not possible. I realize that this is a problem with Simraceway and not Amazon but Amazon (to whom I have been a loyal customer for many years) has chosen to make this product available to their customers and therefore should have some responsibility for ensuring that it functions as the manufacturer says it will. I have sent an email to the Simraceway support group and am awaiting there response. At the present time I can't recommend this product.Dwfiddler
The SRW-S1 is the best portable gaming wheel on the market
January 27, 2016
The SRW-S1 is the best portable gaming wheel on the market.The problem? They all have electrical faults in them, and as such: they stop working anywhere from one day to nine months after purchase.As such, they have an extremely short usable life.Do not buy unless you only want one for a short time!
Fun
December 14, 2014
This wheel is really fun. I use it exclusively for Iracing and it does everything I would want it to and more. I really like the on the fly steering sensitivity change because it makes it a lot easier to find out the perfect sensitivity and control from track to track. All of the buttons on the controller aside from the two knobs on the lower left are customizable within the game and work well. The throttle and break levers have a very solid feel to them and the gear change pedals are very nice as well.As much as I'd like a true racing setup, I just don't have the space for it currently. This certainly fits the bill, and its the only controller of its kind thats really easy to just stow away when you don't want to use it.EDIT: Within two days the product stopped working; all of a sudden when I booted the computer the wheel was no longer detectable on multiple computers. All that happens is that the LED lights turn on! Its a darn shame, it's a great feeling controller, but I'm not too thrilled with its reliability.
Good concept, horrible device
February 4, 2014
After a month of use I plugged the device in and it is no longer recognized by ANY computer.SteelSeries support is issuing an RMA for warrant, but the quality of this product is poor. There are several reviews of similar nature, do not ignore them. Also, the wheel has been discontinued, and for good reason.
Technical issues!
April 29, 2013
First, when the wheel works, it is great. I travel 50%+ and this wheel allows me to take my sim-racing hobby on the road. I also have a G27 & Fanatec wheel. In terms of sim-racing, I primarily use iRacing. By comparison, I get the best lap times and performance from the Fanatec ClubSport Wheel, then the G27, and then the SRW-S1. However, the times are comparable enough to make the SRW-S1 competitive, particularly when traveling.So why the low review; quite simply, the internal design quality is flawed. The wheel recently stopped working and, after a search online, I have found my problem is not unique and appears to be a common issue. The cause of the problem is not clear, nor has it been addressed by SteelSeries. The wheel has worked fine since December 2012 and then, yesterday (April 28, 2013), it was no longer recognized by Windows (8). It no longer loads the driver, and from the web, it appears the only solution is to send it back for replacement, at your cost, to SteelSeries.So why two stars instead of one. Because, when it works, it is the best solution for the mobile sim-racer. Sim-racing, like real-racing can be an expensive hobby. Four months is far too short to replace a wheel that costs ~$110-120. However, the wheel itself is the best in its class and if they fix the quality issue, it could easily be a 5 star device.SteelSeries: As this is a known issue, please either develop a firmware update or make the replacement process easier and at your cost.Update: December 2013. I have now owned 4 (!) of these. 2 have failed and the other two still work fine. I also see that the wheel is now selling for $69.99. To me, this is a good deal just realize that you may get only a year's use from it, perhaps less. That said, for sim racing 'on the road', it is the best device available. Still a shame that they have not fixed the quality issue.
This is an ingenious design
February 11, 2013
It is well thought-out, well-designed, and well-engineered. My one complaint was that it was not entirely "programmable," as I had expected. If you buy this "wheel" to be used in earlier racing games (GPL, NASCAR 2003), you will have to use some third-party software (e.g., JoyToKey.com) to have it accomplish what the manufacturer software should have accomplished in the first place. That having been said, for ease of use, transportability, and sheer gaming happiness, this is a stand-alone delight. It has no other flaws.UPDATE: After several months of use, the spring in the right-lower paddle broke. This is the paddle that will normally be used as the accelerator, so it naturally will be subjected to more use than any other part of the device. I replaced it with a ballpoint pen spring that is significantly weaker. Earlier this year (2015) I bought another SRW-S1; it too broke the same spring within a few months. I attempted to contact the company via their on-site e-mail address but they haven't seen fit to reply to my request for help. I am therefore reducing my original five-star review to two stars.
13%
5 Stars if I hadn't gotten this issue below
June 27, 2015
After around 40 hours of use the wheel started to spasm when making very slight turns. Because the wheel has Force Feedback, it has magnets; these magnets have an odd spot where it will flicker and rapidly change direction right where the magnets begin. This happens even when it's not connected to a computer/xbox. While extremely annoying, it can be controlled - that is until you get another wheel.The onset was sudden so it may get worse, but I've already ordered a G 27 to replace it.***On the other hand it may be just mine so what's good about this wheel? Everything else. - The wheel itself feels VERY sturdy. It won't snap, crack, or bend. - The solid construction still applies to the paddle shifters - The removable stick (which you can place on left or right) is flimsy and feels cheap. - The lap mount is stable and should fit most laps. It's secured with screws and not easy to remove and put on quickly. - The pedals are good without much force needed to press. Bare feet, socks, or shoes won't slip. - Foot rest is less of a rest and more for heels to grip onto while using pedals. - Desk mount and pedals all stay put. Mount can be screwed as tight as needed, pedals dig into carpet and stay put.It's a very very good lag-free solid wheel. But the spasms I experience are loud, cause you to stray off course, twitchy, and annoying. If I hadn't experienced this I would give it five stars.
ouch
December 26, 2013
Amazon price gouged at Christmas and charged a hundred dollars more for the same item I bought from them a week earlier, I e-mailed them about the price fixing for the holidays and they said ya we uped it since last week a hundred bucks and that was that, they change the price based on demand, more demand more money.
Fun While it Lasted
September 2, 2013
I have had this wheel for may be a year with occasional playing, logging may be 400 hours. Now the gears are stripped and feedback is no more. It started to act up several months ago, jerking back and forth erratically when it should be still, e.g., at menu selection. Now it just whines and no more feedback.Overall the unit performed well, giving feedback and rumble when appropriate. I like using the GTI, FWD. When starting the race, the feedback lets me know whether the front tires are spinning or not. Over the rumble strips, the feedback is nice. The steering goes light over grass, etc.If you're will to take the risk of it breaking prematurely, it's fun while it lasts.
Try out the force feedback system before you buy it
September 18, 2012
I have to say that my expectation on this controller was really high... until I start using it with Forza 4 and Formula One 2011. The finishing is okay as it is the overall build quality and materials. However, I got very disappointed with the force feedback system. As it is my first time using such a feature I must say that I do not have other product as a reference. So I don't know it the problem is of this model of controller, or with my specific unit, or even a characteristic of XBox itself. To summarize the feeling, the feedback is slow and non linear (with some unexpected bumps). It is impossible to have the right feeling when doing rapid over steering corrections. I tried to turn the feedback off but then you loose it completely as there is no spring whatsoever. I sometimes still play with my Microsoft wireless wheel.

One Star Reviews:

15%
Could not get it to work
September 4, 2017
Did not work for me on Windows 10. Was hoping to use this with Project Cars but Windows did not recognize this wheel at all, with or without drivers. Very frustrating.
Should have known better.
December 29, 2015
Pros:1. Arrived fast with Prime shipping.2. Good weight, not too heavy.3. Appears to be of sturdy construction.Cons:1. Technically only for one racing game, Simraceway. Account creation to download that free game never worked.2. Electrically broken right out of the box. Causes games such as Grid 2, Dirt 3, and Dirt Showdown to crash when configuring the controller. Also, cannot calibrate it properly as the Y axis is pinned all the way up, making the cursor scroll constantly in games.After reading other 1 star and 2 star reviews I should have known better. Thankfully Amazon is awesome with returns for bad items.
3 months and nothing !!!
November 29, 2014
I usually don't do reviews but I feel compelled to do this one. I'll make it short and sweet. DON'T BUY IT. BROKE IN 3 MONTHS WITH VERY LITTLE USE. Go search online and you will find that if all the led's on top light up it will not work anymore. Did not find a fix. At least I got it at the discounted price.
Lasted from March 25 2014 to April 21 2014
April 23, 2014
It was great while it worked. Now it is a $60.00 loss. The first thing to show wear was the up shifter. It had a loud click which eventually stopped clicking.. This wasn't a problem for me really as the click was annoying. Later I learned that both the down shifter and up shifter were supposed to click. In my case the down shifter never clicked which means that this item SOLD AS NEW BUT WAS NOT NEW. Why does Amazon put up with this? Anyways the main reason that I am trying to return it in which the window is closed already. It closed April 21st which is totally amazing because I bought it on March 17 it got to my house on March 25th with 2 day shipping mind you and it stopped working on April 21st. Lemon laws anybody? The right paddle used for the accelerator functions mechanically like it should but it is not recognized by Windows anymore which means that something on the board inside the controller failed. I purchased a 2 year warranty from Squaretrade to have myself covered and apparently that is just a sham because they didn't even list my wheel in the warranty. The instructions on how to get the warranty done are not to be found. I would go through Steelseries but I've already had the run around with them a long time ago with a XAI mouse and wish to just not waste my time with them.AMAZON!STOP SELLING USED ITEMS! What happened to this place? It used to be great but this is the second item purchased from AMAZON sold as NEW but was really USED. The other item was an EVGA graphics card. Thank goodness for EVGA. At least they were professional about it.
Throttle and brake levers broke in less than a month
September 26, 2013
I contacted steelseries twice, requesting new levers. Both times they told me to send it back at my cost and they will determine if they will replace it. All I want are the parts to do it myself. Its seems they didn`t even read my request, more like a computer generated response. If this thing breaks this often and no parts are available, what after the warranty runs out? I have to admit, I really liked the wheel, but thinking I should have just spent the money for the g27. My momo force feedback lasted me almost ten years with minor problems, and Logitech sent me replacement parts to fix it myself. At no cost to me.UPDATE: Here is the newest response from support for this product(if you call it support?)Copy and paste from my email.Unfortunately we do not have replacement parts or repair services for this product. The primary reason is because the cost to order parts individually, although counter-intuitive, is as much if not more than the cost of the product in addition to shipping costs. Repairs are even more prohibitive in terms of cost.We are looking into solutions for the future but at the time, we cannot offer a replacement part or repair service for this product.Thanks for your understanding.Good luck if you buy this product. This line is my opinion.
21%
Junk
June 16, 2015
Waste of money and time. Had trouble with this wheel just shaking and rattling around. Felt like you got all four tires loose and ready to fall off. It would jerk back and forth and couldn't drive in a straight line. The mounting screws stripped out of the bottom of the housing in week. Called for support and no answer, wrote for support and took forever to get back to me. No Help, just told me to adjust the settings. Didn't help. I found a old used Microsoft X-Box 360 wheel for a cheap price and it puts this MadCatz to shame. Wish there was a better choice of wheels to pick from for the X-box 360, but very limited. Good luck, Denny
Don't buy it
May 9, 2015
Didn't work waste of time and money
didn't work!
March 1, 2013
i brought this for my grandson, but it didn't when it come out the box. Had to send back and order him something else.
Waste Of Money!
January 24, 2012
This Mad Catz Wheel is a massive waste of money. If you want an honest review of this item, check the Inside Sim Racing review on YouTube. I agree completely with them. My main issue with this wheel is the cheap set of pedals! And those crappy gas and brake pedals are your only compatible option. My next issue is that the wheel is only compatible with Xbox360. It's not going to work with any PC or PS3, and there is no guarantee that it will work with the next generation Xbox. Xbox360 is nearing the end of its development cycle!My final issue is the price. I think Mad Catz has gone "Shutter Island" mad! Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars for this crap? For that money you could buy a Logitech G27, which I know is only for PS3/PC. But compare the quality. If you are mainly going to play on Xbox360, get a Fanatec CSR Wheel for $250. You are better having no pedals, rather than complete trash pedals. Use the "A" button for gas and "B" for brakes. That's less of a handicap. Plus the Fanatec CSR is compatible with Xbox360, PlayStation 3 and PC! Fanatec even offers a CSR Wheel and Pedal Combo Pack for $299, which is the best deal for any racer.Don't waste your hard earned money on this Mad Crap!
broken on after an hours use.
January 18, 2012
Bought this steering wheel and it broke less than an hour. The overall feel of the steering wheel is superb. It has quality build parts but it broke. The rumble broke and it would not center with motor mechanism because it broke. Returned it. It is the best steering wheel but why it broke is beyond me. used it for forza 4
great at first, disappointment later
January 5, 2012
This wheel was great when I got it. I played Forza 4 only and just 1-2 hours a day roughly. But it broke in less then a month!!! I don't think that this is unacceptable for a product that costs more then $250.00
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Pricing info
Old Price
Old Price
Price
Price
$64.89updated: Mar 19, 2020
$249.88updated: Mar 16, 2020
from 1 sellers
Features
Age Rating
Age Rating
Rating Pending
Rating Pending
Answered Questions
Answered Questions
-
Article Number
Article Number
5707119011877
0728658030735
Binding
Binding
Personal Computers
Video Game
Brand
Brand
SteelSeries
Mad Catz
Color
Color
Black
-
Currency
Currency
USD
USD
Formatted Price
Formatted Price
$119.99
$149.99
Genre
Genre
-
action-games
Hardware Platform
Hardware Platform
pc
Xbox 360;
Height
Height
157.5 in
488.2 in
IsEligibleForTradeIn
IsEligibleForTradeIn
-
1
Language
Language
-
Array, Array
Length
Length
315.0 in
574.8 in
Manufacturer
Manufacturer
SteelSeries
MadCatz
Model
Model
69005
MCB47502NM02/02/1
MPN
MPN
69005
MCB47502NM02/02/1
Number of Items
Number of Items
1
1
Number of Parts
Number of Parts
69005
MCB47502NM02/02/1
Operating System
Operating System
-
Xbox 360
platform
platform
Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP
Xbox 360
Product Group
Product Group
CE
Video Games
Product Type
Product Type
COMPUTER_INPUT_DEVICE
VIDEO_GAME_ACCESSORIES
Publisher
Publisher
SteelSeries
MadCatz
Quantity
Quantity
1
1
Release Date
Release Date
-
2012-01-09
Reviews
Reviews
Score
Score
7.6
6.6
Studio
Studio
SteelSeries
MadCatz
Warranty
Warranty
1 year
-
Weight
Weight
6.8 oz
46.7 oz
Width
Width
393.7 in
566.9 in
Feature
Feature

15 fully programmable buttons and directional pad for a personalized set-up

Customizable steering sensitivity coupled with quick rotary dials for driving aids

Interactive in-game: RPM and Shift Indicator lights that respond to Simraceway online gameplay

Real-feel: Rubberized racing wheel comfort grips with realistic racing wheel shifters for true to life racing experience

Quick set-up: plug and play while racing in the online Simraceway platform

Force Feedback Provides Realistic Resistance. Just like in a real car, the wheel reacts to what is happening on the racetrack and provides resistance when you turn. Enhance your gaming performance as you get in tune with the road.

Feel the Game with Vibration Technology. Feel what's happening whenever your vehicle takes damage or changes terrain. Drive over the racetrack's edge or trade paint with the competition and Vibration Technology kicks in to enhance realism.

Upgradeable Firmware via USB. A convenient USB port helps future-proof the racing wheel just connect the wheel to your PC to download firmware updates and get up-to-date. A convenient USB port helps future-proof the racing wheel.

Powerful Wireless Connectivity. Boasting a wireless range of 40 feet, enjoy lag-free gameplay from anywhere in the room.

Non-Slip Pedal Set. Reserve drifting for the racetrack - hit the gas or slam on the brakes and their non-slip surface helps the pedals stay put. Give your inactive foot a supportive break with the detachable foot rest.

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