Sitting at home wishing the tracks of Forza were a real place for you to hug those corners? Logitech has something, but it’ll cost you.
With so many gadgets popping up lately, the past few weeks have seen a pretty solid showing of phones and computers, and next appears to be gaming controllers. Specifically one that carries with it enough tech to turn the world of gaming into one that feels deliberately more real.
It’s something coming from Logitech in the not-too-distance future, and given how many of us are spending time at home lately, could make life in a video game feel that much closer to life in general.
The new gadget is a controller that aims to bring more realistic force-feedback to video game driving, with a proprietary system that processes information at up to 4000 times per second and relays that to the wheel itself.
It’s coming in the Logitech G923, a steering wheel and pedal combination that doesn’t just aim to deliver the feel of the road as you virtually drive, but also the engine rumble and traction control through the wheel itself.
Logitech says its Trueforce technology is about letting you feel what’s being communicated by the game, rather than by a pre-defined set of force feedback vibrations, which typically arrive with steering wheels. Rather than pull from that library, the system means surfaces, tire contact, bumps, crashes, and weather are part of what the wheel can interpret in different vibrations, resulting in more realism. When coupled with a solid screen and sound experience, it could result in more realistic video game driving and racing altogether.
Available for both the Xbox and PC, plus with a variant for the PlayStation 4, Logitech’s G923 also includes LED lights to show the in-game RPM, gaming controls on the wheel itself, and materials for the wheel that feel like the real thing, with aluminium, steel, and leather.
“For the last few years, we’ve been working with sim drivers, and professional race car drivers to develop a full-featured, realistic driving experience like no other,” said Ujesh Desai, General Manager for Logitech G.
However it’s also an experience that comes with a cost, with Australians set to pay $799.95 when the Logitech G923 launches locally later this month. We’re told the Xbox and PC model will be compatible with the Xbox Series X when that launches later in the year, and you can probably expect the PlayStation variant to be PS5 friendly later on, as well.
