MENTION Thrustmaster and any flight simulator fan (especially those over 30) will remember the serious joysticks of old, including some that were replicas of actual fighter plane joysticks.
The same company is behind the Ferrari GT Experience wheel, which comes complete with paddle shift levers on the wheel.
What's the big deal, when every Japanese and Korean car out there now has a paddle shift?
Well, if you are Ferrari aficionado, this thin three-spoke circle, complete with foot paddles,will give you a taste of revving it up in that expensive Italian sports car that few can afford.
The wheel works with the Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2) and 3 (PS3) consoles as well as the PC.
Installation is easy.
A PS2 game port connector hooks up to the older console, while the PS3 and PC both use the USB cable supplied.
All you have to do is move a switch on the wheel before connecting to the PC or console.
There is no need for an additional power supply for the vibration effects as was the case for older models.
I first tried the wheel on a PS3 and with another Ferrari-licensed product, the Ferrari Challenge game.
The game automatically detected the wheel and let me configure the 11 buttons,D-pad (directional pad) and gear shift levers.
Another plus was the realistic resistance that the wheel and foot paddles offered.
The other wheels that I tried sometimes spun around too much like a toy and were too smooth to be realistic.
One downer when using the PS3 console was the lack of support for force feedback vibrations.
That did not happen when I plugged the wheel into the PC. I felt all the effects of bumps on the road and heavy crashes.
The popular racing game Grid did not detect the wheel on its own but I managed to configure the wheel to make it run smoothly.
Turn after turn, I felt as if I was racing down the slopes of Japan, as in the movie Initial D.
Yes, as the box states,you can employ the heel and toe racing moves that real racers use to speed around corners.
My main grouse was the foot paddles they could have been made more sturdy.
In the heat of a race, you might end up moving the entire Ferrari GT paddle device, as I did several times.
This article was first published in The Straits Times, Digital Life on August 20, 2008.
