CH Racing Wheel

Reviews / previews

Review: CH Racing Wheel

Okay, Ive always been a huge arcade racing fan. Ever since arcade racing games got linked and you could race against up to 15 people, a new standard for racing was set. But that multiplayer arcade experience on my PC has been incomplete, lacking the essential tool of drivingTHE WHEEL. Sure, Id tried a few PC wheels, but none really impressed me. But CH Products has come the closest so far with its new Racing Wheel.

The CH Racing Wheel comes with a sturdy base and adjustable clamps that allow for easy attachment to my desk. Installation was snapI just went to Game Controllers, added a two-axisfour-button joystick, and I was peeling out. Next I cruised over to my favorite download siteif youll excuse the shameless plugat www.pcgames.com/downloads, grabbed the 3Dfx demo for Need for Speed II: SE, and went for a drive.

The CH Racing Wheel comes equipped with four buttons to shift gears, accelerate, and brake. The controls are all right in the 39 oclock area of the wheel, making access to gears very easy. The wheels 160 degrees of motion made it possible to really lead into turns while driving. These easy controls and full range of motion allowed my Lotus GT1 to attack the streets of Italy like Lara Croft on Duke Nukem.

But with every joyride comes a crash. CH didnt add any of the wheel padding thats always present in the arcade-style game wheels. More maddening, especially considering the 160 degrees of motion, the Racing Wheels turning resistance is too loose. Its frustrating when you over-steer out of control when forced to react to a blind curve.

With a street price near $80, CHs Racing Wheel is a pretty slick model. But it may be out of your price range, especially when the salesman finally tells you this package doesnt come with foot pedals. Before you sit down with the finance manager, you might want to wait and check out the other dealerships.-- Marcale Wallace / GamePro