Logitech, a well known name for mouse products, once again puts all of its efforts into a new market. This product has been out for several months now, and I continue to be impressed, by not only the positive feedback in many reviews but in my experience using it.

Reviewing the Logitech Wingman Force

When I decided I wanted to join in the Force Feedback enjoyment I was not sure which direction to turn. Several companies, all with good backgrounds in making gaming controllers have force feedback controllers of one sort or another. After reading reviews, I had narrowed my selection down the Microsoft and Logitech products.

I remembered trying out the Microsoft product when it first came out on the market. The movements made me feel more like somebody was shaking the joystick, and giving the feedback. In addition, reading what the sensation was going to be, helped to convince me that I was feeling that motion (suggesting by reading the response). I was not impressed after careful thought. In addition, the controller seemed not only too heavy, but fragile, and prone to getting very hot. The addition of gears made it even less likely to be a joystick to last the test of time or gaming stress.

I wasn't sure when I tested the Logitech, that I would change my view of force feedback joysticks. After first grasping it, on a display at a local computer store, I have been blasting, ducking, dodging, firing, and running like mad with it ever since. It even led to the purchase of another Logitech product the Wingman Formula Force (steering wheel and pedals.)

For those not sure of how one can benefit from force feedback, I want to quickly talk about force feedback. It cost more to purchase a force feedback than a regular joystick due to the parts required to provide the feedback you feel. Up until the most recent releases of Direct X, (6 and 7), force feedback was hit and miss. Unless a program provides support either through their program or through Direct X, a force feedback joystick is nothing more than a very expensive joystick. A year ago I would not have thought about buying a feedback controller, let alone recommend one. Now, with so many games providing support, one cannot live without one.

To give you two examples of the value of the feedback controllers, I will point to two games, Freespace 2 and Mechwarrior 3 (I am not endorsing nor reviewing these two games, they are two games to provide illustrations only).

In Freespace you are a pilot in your typical space sim. You are flying around in a one man fighter/bomber destroying other targets ranging from other small craft like yours to large warships (almost like the films you saw on combat in the Pacific in WW2). Like most games of its type, you have your typical radar that tells you where the enemy is. The way feedback enhances this, is that you no longer have to look at bars, charts, graphics, etc., to know you are being hit. With the Logitech controller, you get feedback. Imagine attacking another fighter. You lose focus on things around you. Without force feedback the only way you will know that the enemy wingman is behind you, is when you either see yourself blow up, or your screen starts to flash as your systems are being damaged. Now imagine, you are in that same situation again, you feel a jerk on your joystick, looking down, you see someone is on your tail. That is one of the neat advantages force feedback has over standard joysticks. You know become more immersed in the game, and more of your senses are able to be stimulated. Just like it might feel in real combat, the feedback from the joystick, alerts you to something going on around you, without having to depend on just what your eyes see.

The other example, Mechwarrior 3, is a game where you pilot a huge metal robot against other robots. With these robots weighing in over 50 tons each, the ground will shake. If someone fires at you, the impact will shake your robot. Once again, without force feedback, the only way you know you are walking, or being fired on, is by what the graphics are showing you. With the force feedback, you can feel the joystick shudder as you walk, giving you the feeling that you are moving a large object (over 50 tons remember). Now also imagine you are walking towards a target, and there doesn't seem to be any problems in the approach, suddenly your joystick jerks to one side. Looking quickly at your radar, you see that another target is attacking you from the left side, exactly as the joystick provided in its feedback. This once again shows the benefit of the feedback providing additional inputs/stimulants to your gaming experience.

What happens to games that don't support feedback, the controller does an a good job in the role of a standard joystick. You now have the best of both worlds, a force feedback controller and a standard joystick.

I found the Logitech controller to be both a stable and durable platform for gaming. I can even set the controller on my lap, and get the same feedback as if it had been sitting on the desk without getting burned from a hot joystick, bruises, or having the controller slip from my lap.

Remember that controllers of this nature, require additional power. I like what Logitech did with their power cord. Instead of putting that large block at the end of the cord, it is placed mid way. Hence you only need to use up one outlet on your powerstrip, instead of the 2 or 3 that are used with power cords that have the big block covering 2 or 3 slots.

The most important thing is that this controller is both USB and standard ports. I can't attest to whether you will get all the feedback benefits in a standard port versus a USB port. I have read that people notice a difference between USB and a standard port on their computer. But with the joystick having both connectors on it, you have a controller that can grow with your system, should you not have any USB ports yet.

How about the drivers? Once again, Logitech provides a strong set of drivers for the product. As a Logitech Mouse owner, I am use to very stable, compatible, and up to date drivers for my 2 mice. I have never had a crash or freeze caused by their drivers. I find them very user friendly, and easy to configure. They provide ways of adjusting the level of feedback you get, which is a nice feature.

Who is best suited for this type of controller, and the specifically the Logitech Wingman Force? The answer, anyone old enough to pick up a joystick. For smaller children the joystick might be slightly on the large side for them, but if they can use a standard joystick, this controller shouldn't be a problem.

What about the strain put on your arm and wrist from the jerking? Surprisingly, I have not noticed any problems. I had a bad wrist from a sports injury, and after typing for a few hours I have problems. I can play games for hours with the Logitech controller, and have no problems at all. They have done a great job of balancing the benefits of feedback with the needs to avoid injurying the user. So feedback doesn't mean snapping your wrist back and forth. I even had my mom, who is young at heart (sorry no age post) try the game (hint I am 30 years old) with the Logitech controller. While she didn't understand what she was trying to do in the game, the feedback she was getting gave her a feeling of being in the game. She did not feel that the default settings were too much feedback at all. She even has bought a controller for herself now.

So should you buy a Logitech joystick with force feedback? If you have the desire to involve more of your senses in a game, yes. If you want to have more feedback as to what is going on in a game and what is happening to you in that game, yes. Do you want a controller than can easily be adapted to whatever system you might have, then this is the controller. Do you need a controller that is compatible with most games, then the Logitech can't go wrong.

In summary, once again, Logitech has provided logical and reliable solutions to your technical needs. You can't go wrong by buying the force feedback joystick or even their forcefeedback steering wheel.





Recommended: Yes