Nice!
Written: Jan 30 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great feel and looks.
Cons: One of the higher priced force-feedback wheels currently available.
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| iroller's Full Review: Microsoft Sidewinder Wheel |
Microsoft entered the PC controller market a few years back with the Sidewinder line of controllers. The have quickly become the most readily available game controller available. The Sidewinder lineup added the Sidewinder Force-Feedback Pro joystick and it was a huge success. At the time of its release there were only a handful of games that actually supported force-feedback but this has quickly changed. When force-feedback wheels were announced by the various manufacturers (now nearly a dozen are released or will be available soon) may critics thought they would be for a specialty group. No one ever predicted the acceptance level they have achieved.
The popularity of Nascar coupled with the wide selection of racing sims has brought the force-feedback wheel race to a new level. There are two competing interfaces; I-Force technology from Immersion and DirectInput from Microsoft. A comparison between the two is not easily conducted. Just compare the performance comments on this wheel to one using I-Force technology and you will see the subtle differences. Its a debate with no clear winners.
The compatibility of the Sidewinder Force-Feedback Wheel is also something of a continuing debate. You must have a SoundBlaster 16 with MIDI compatible soundcard for proper function of the wheel. This really isn't an issue until you get into cheaper soundcards that don't have MIDI support or have old drivers. Microsoft has a comprehensive list of soundcards and gameports that will not work with the Sidewinder line of controllers. They also offer many suggestions with specific details on updating drivers for cards that require it. It has never been an issue for me but it should be mentioned. The Control Center and Microsoft FAQ's have more details on this.
Features 93%-
Force-Feedback
2 pedal
2 shift buttons on back of wheel
6 buttons of face of wheel
Force on/off button
quick setup desk clamp
Appropriate For-
Racing games and sims (Need For Speed III, Andretti Racing, Monster Truck Madness, Mid-Town Madness, DethKarz, Powerslide, etc.)
System Requirements -
Pentium 90 or higher processor, 16mb RAM, SoundBlaster compatible soundcard with game/MIDI port Price -
The MSRP of $199.99 is on the high end of the available force-feedback wheels. The retail package includes full versions of Monster Truck Madness II and Precision Racing offsetting the cost.
Warranty-
1 year.
Performance 89%-
So much of a force-feedback devices performance depends on two things- the API it uses for the force feedback and the games programming. The Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Wheel uses Microsoft's DirectInput API. It works with games written for I-Force because the Direct-Input API is part of Direct X. Support is usually not an issue between the two API's but there are technical differences (consult the I-Force and Microsoft Direct X web pages for further details). The major differences are seen in game.
I ran the MS FF Wheel with every racing/driving sim I have. I was amazed how poor the force feedback effect were in Need For Speed III when compared to I-Force wheels. BUT, the MS wheel's force feedback outperformed the other wheels in Carmageddon II, Midtown Madness, Ultimate Race Pro and DethKarz. This demonstrates the problem with evaluating force-feedback wheels in general. Overall I really liked the way the MS Wheel did concerning force-feedback. Having the ability to adjust the centering force and general effect levels was very nice. I don't want to compete in races and have the disadvantage of having to fight the wheel but I do like having the road grip feedback active so I turn down the effects when competing.
I have read complaints (at least strong comments) on the feel of the geared forces compared to the belt driven forces of other wheels. Even after hours on each I did not feel the difference. I expected a mechanical feel but it felt no different than a standard comparison between two different wheels. I believe the people making these statements just don't have the experience of different wheels under their belt.
The wheel itself performs well. The shift levers on the back side of the wheel offer comfortable shifting without having to take your hands of the wheel. The 6 buttons on the face are placed well enough apart that you will not hit the wrong one in play but are close enough that you don't have to reach too far for them. At the center of the wheel is a button that switches the forces on and off. I mentioned not wanting to always fight the forces in a race and this helps.
The pedals are on a decent size base but there is not much weight to them. They could have benefited from a bit more heft to keep them in place when in use. They held their position sufficiently when in use with my left foot resting on the base. They are constructed entirely of plastic and the pedals themselves offer no pivot on the shaft holding them up from the base. The angle is comfortable but a spring loaded pivot would have made them more versatile.
I put in many hours using the wheel, especially with the newly released and highly addictive Midtown Madness. As I mentioned earlier I also played quite a bit of Need For Speed III with the wheel and was disappointed with the force effects. Beside the week support for the forces it performed quite well. In DethKarz is worked very well and I did not suffer the pauses I experienced with I-Force wheels. Overall, the wheel performs very well.
Setup 85% -
Setup of the Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Wheel is pretty simple. Assure you have the latest drivers for your soundcard and the latest version of Direct X before beginning. Also consult the Microsoft website to make sure your soundcard is not one of the incompatible cards before beginning.
Unpack the wheel, pedals and power supply from the box. The wheel clamps to your desk with one of the nicest clamping systems I have seen. Adjust the single tightening screw one and it can be removed and setup with the quick release mechanism. The power supply transformer is a large brick style plug so you will need to find a free outlet that will provide the room for it. The other end attaches to the back of the wheel base. Pedals are connected with a plug similar to a PS2 pin, also at the back of the wheel base. Once everything is connected plug the wheel into your gameport and start the system. Insert the driver and software CD and follow the instructions on the screen.
Upon restart you should check the game controller setup screen and make sure the Microsoft Sidewinder Force feedback Wheel is selected as device #1. There is no calibration required and you can test the forces under the properties/test forces tab. The setup also offers the ability to adjust the force level and return to center settings.
Software (not rated) -
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The retail version of the Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Wheel comes with the 3.0 version of the Sidewinder drivers and profile utility, full versions of Cart Precision Racing and Monster Truck Madness II. I received the wheel directly from Microsoft, pre-packaging and did not receive any of the software supplied with the retail package.
I already had the Microsoft 3.02 version of the drivers and profile utility and used that for the testing of the wheel. Since I remove all manufacturer's drivers when I perform testing to prevent conflicts I was required to install the software. I used the Microsoft Motocross Madness CD that came with the Sidewinder Freestyle Pro. The CD autoplays upon insertion into your player and installs easily. There is a single required restart and the drivers are set to use.
The profiler software operates through loading a keyset for each game or sim you use. Buttons on the controller can be assigned either a single keystroke or a series of keystrokes to execute when the button is pressed while playing. Some people find the profiler useful but I prefer to use in-game button assignment whenever available. In order to activate a profile you must select the "SW" icon in your system tray; select the appropriate Microsoft controller and check the appropriate profile. The profile is active until you un-check it or select another. The 3.02 software comes with profiles for Andretti Racing, Cart Precision Racing, Monster Truck Madness and Ultimate Race Pro.
I preferred previous versions of the profiler software that allowed you to assign profiles to game executables. With this option you did not have to manually select the profile you wanted to run. During setup you would specify the game executable and the profile would load whenever you ran the game. I assume this option was dropped so you could have multiple profiles for the same game. To find user created profiles for download visit one of the sites listed on the Links page. Microsoft also offers a small download that removes the profiler from your system tray, freeing up resources for those that don't use it.
Documentation (not rated) -
I did not receive the full retail package for the Microsoft Sidewinder Force-Feedback Wheel. However, if the wheel is similar to other Microsoft controllers I have reviewed you can expect a CD case guide describing basic installation. The Sidewinder profile software also includes an extensive on-line manual and guide. This is where most of the information can be found. It includes an introduction, section on the software and "More information". Within these files are details on how to create and use profiles, troubleshoot problems and setup your Microsoft controller.
The on-line documentation is great but it is no substitute for a comprehensive manual. I would prefer to see each MS controller come with a printed manual with the information contained on the on-line help. Very few people read the manual and far fewer seek on-line help.
Microsoft has a very extensive website for its Sidewinder controllers. Be warned, it is very extensive and sometimes difficult to navigate because of its size. I have provided links to some of the most commonly sought pages from the site on my Helpful Microsoft Controller Links page.
Overall Rating 89.4% -
The Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Wheel is a great device. Its only real drawbacks are its incompatibility issues with some soundcards and price. With a bit of research on your part you can determine if you will have problems before making the purchase. Be a good consumer and search out the best price and you should be able to pick up the MS FF Wheel at a competitive price for around 75% of the MSRP. I recommend the wheel for anyone looking for a name-brand force-feedback wheel.
Pros-
Great feel and looks.
The best wheel clamping system available.
Cons-
One of the higher priced force-feedback wheels currently available.
Incompatibility with some gameports.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 150$+
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Epinions.com ID:
iroller
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Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 11 members
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