The Gran Turismo official steering wheels (such as the GT FORCE or Driving Force, see the trademark symbols difference) are a series of racing wheels designed by Logitech (a.k.a. Logicool in Japan) in collaboration with Polyphony Digital. These racing games controllers are designed to be used with the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 systems but later models can be used on PC as well due to their USB connection. The GT Force is the central part of a driving simulation cockpit installation. Official kits are co-designed and released in Japan by Logicool and Sparco (distributed by import tuner Endless in North America), while compatible kits are designed and released worldwide by European manufacturers such as Playseat® and MoveTech.
Model comparison
Features common to all models include:
- Force feedback
- Brake / gas pedals
- Paddle shifters
- Clamp base
- Lap attachment
- USB connector
Features that vary between models are:
| Feature | GT Force | Driving Force | Driving Force EX | Driving Force Pro | Driving Force GT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Currently available | no | no | no | no | no |
| Clutch pedal | no | no | no | no | no |
| Gear stick | no | no | no | yes | yes |
| Six-speed shifter | no | no | no | no | no |
| Sequential shifter | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Real-Time Adjustments Dial | no | no | no | no | yes |
| Wheel size | TBC | TBC | 25 cm (10-inch) | 25 cm (10-inch) | 28 cm (11-inch) |
| Steering range (degrees) | 200 | 200 | 200 | 900 | 900 |
| Steering wheel cover | Rubber | Rubber | Rubber | Rubber | Rubber |
| D-pad / action buttons | yes | yes | yes | yes | 20 |
History
The original GT Force first came out in Japan and South East Asia in 2001. It was later released in North America and Europe. The brand soon evolved to "Driving Force" in these Logitech distributed territories. Code product is "LPRC" for Logicool PlayStation Racing Controller.
In 2007, the GT Force line-up was made of three wheels, the entry-level GT Force RX replacing the discontinued Driving Force type (79.99 USD/EUR), the medium-level GT Force Pro (129.98 USD/EUR) and the G25 Racing Wheel which replaced the first as the top level (299.99 USD/EUR).
Both are compatible with PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and Windows PC systems and are supported by Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.
GT Force
The GT Force (LPRC-10000) is a rebranded Logitech Wingman Formula GP, with a blue rather than a yellow rubber grip. It was released on April 28, 2001 as the Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec official wheel
GT Force for Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec (LPRC-10001)
A "GT Force for Gran Turismo 2000" (Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, LPRC-10001) was scheduled for 2001, however due to a game title change it was replaced by the "GT Force Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec" custom version released on April 28, 2001.
GT Force Initial D version (LPRC-10002)
On June 26, 2003, Logicool released an Initial D Special Stage custom version of the GT Force (LPRC-10000).
Driving Force
The Driving Force is the first evolution of the GT Force announced at the London Games Convention in early September 2001. This model is discontinued since it was replaced by the Driving Force Pro in 2003.
Driving Force Pro
The Driving Force Pro (also known as the GT Force Pro (LPRC-11000)) is the Gran Turismo 4 Prologue official wheel released in December 2003.
GT Force Pro for Sega Rally (LPRC-11000S)
A Sega Rally 2006 custom version named was released on January 12, 2006.
GT Force Pro (LPRC-11500)
Manufactured by Logitech for the PlayStation 2 primarily as well as being compatible with select PC games, the wheel featured force feedback and 900 degree rotation. The wheel offers analogue accelerator and brake pedals, a sequential gear shift to the side and paddle shifters mounted on the back of the wheel in addition to the standard PlayStation 2 buttons. The controller was jointly designed by Logitech and Polyphony Digital to be used with Gran Turismo 4, however works in games not compatible with the 900 degree rotation by switching into a 200 degree mode. The wheel received strong praise from reviewers at launch for being an overall good experience when paired with Gran Turismo 4.
The Logitech website lists PlayStation 3 under System Requirements, indicating it is supported. 900° support will be software dependent.
Driving Force EX
The Driving Force EX (also known as the GT Force RX (LPRC-12000) or Driving Force RX (Retail Version)) is the PlayStation 3 official wheel released on the console's launch date, November 11, 2006. It features force feedback and was succeeded by Driving Force GT. The wheel came bundled with Formula One Championship Edition.
Driving Force GT
Main article: Logitech Driving Force GTThe Driving Force GT was released on December 13, 2007.
Developed in conjunction with Polyphony Digital, first introduced at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show and intended for use with Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Gran Turismo 5 and all PlayStation 3 auto racing games, the Driving Force GT is the fifth entry in the company's Driving Force series of game controllers.
References
- GT Cockpit official website
- Playseat®'s official website
- "GTC Professional Racing Cockpit by MoveTech". Archived from the original on 2010-12-08. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
- "Logitech official website - products line". Archived from the original on 2009-05-15. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
- "Newsroom | Logitech". www.logitech.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-28.
- Logicool official website - "プレイステーション２対応 GT Force for Gran Turismo 2000（仮称）（ジーティーフォース グランツーリスモ 2000（仮称））のプレスリリース"
- "Logicool official website - "「GT FORCE 頭文字Dバージョン」予約受付開始"". Archived from the original on 2009-05-15. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
- Logitech Driving Force - Press release "Logitech Lengthens Lead With Driving Force - The Newest Force Feedback Wheel for PlayStation 2"
- "Logiccol official website - ""PlayStation2"対応「GT FORCE Pro」を2003年12月発売開始"". Archived from the original on 2009-05-15. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
- "Logicool official website - "ロジクール、「セガラリー2006」完全対応GT FORCE Pro限定モデル「GT FORCE Pro for SEGA RALLY」(LPRC-11000S)を発売"". Archived from the original on 2010-04-08. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
- "Logitech Driving Force Pro (PS2) review: Logitech Driving Force Pro (PS2)".
- IGN
- "Logitech | Official Online Store". www.logitech.com. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27.
- "Logicool official website - "ロジクール、PLAYSTATION3対応ステアリングコントローラ「GT FORCE RX」を発売"". Archived from the original on 2009-05-15. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
- "Peripherals - Driving Force GT". Sony. Archived from the original on October 20, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
External links
- G27 Racing Wheel official website
- (in Japanese) G27 Racing Wheel official website
- Driving Force GT official website
- (in Japanese) Driving Force GT official website
- (in Spanish) Volante para pc Racing wheels for pc
- PlayseatStore.com
- V12-Racing.com
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