Forza Motorsport CSR and CSR Elite wheel and pedals hands-on

In case you are a console racer and also you own an Xbox 360 then you definately know Forza Motorsport is definitely one of the best, but you furthermore may know that your collection of compatible controllers has left slightly to be desired. At this year’s E3, which saw Microsoft peeling the protecting tape from the bumpers and fenders of Forza Motorsport 4, there has been actually an abundance of compatible wheels on display, but it’s clear which have been probably the most serious: two new wheels from Fanatec. They’re called the CSR and CSR Elite, and there is a new set of pedals to compare. Click through for our detailed impressions.

First up is the CSR, the lesser of both and built on a design comparable to the Porsche GT2 wheel we reviewed earlier this year. But they’re faraway from the identical, with new electronics inside and a brand new design for the wheel itself outside. It’s even more racy, a little less Porsche, with a brand new thumbstick D-pad at the left, four face buttons at the right, and an additional four buttons up top, flanking a small LCD. At the back are two big flappy paddles with long throws and clicky detents. Finally, an optional shifter pops at the side using a couple of rails, like the GT2, and you may source a correct handbrake to boot.

Individuals who take their racing a bit more seriously may want to step as much as the CSR Elite, that’s a totally new design featuring a metal case and CNC-machined internals — internals which are exposed through a clear window at the top. It is a bit like gazing throughout the engine cover on a Ferrari 458 Italia, except in preference to eight cylinders here you notice the belt-driven force feedback. The wheel uses an optical sensor with a disc at the wheel’s axis, separated from the feedback mechanism and, in theory, eliminating that hugely annoying shudder you may get when taking place the straights on other wheels.

Unfortunately we didn’t get to experience this wheel’s feedback effects, but our brief hands-on time definitely left us feeling confident of its build quality and precision. We felt similarly good in regards to the new CSR pedals, which take a whole lot of design cues from the Clubsport pedals , but can be offered with a cheaper price. Just like the Clubsports, there’s still an adjustable load cell for the brake, but accelerator and clutch have moved to simpler potentiometers. The design is a piece simpler too, but if you happen to wish to get the GT-style, top-mounted pedal feel, Fanatec will offer a kit in order to can help you flip any pedal you favor (and only those pedals you prefer) the wrong way up — ala the Thrustmaster T500 RS , but more gracefully.

And, hopefully, less expensively. Both wheels and the pedals are said to be shipping sometime before the year is thru, but at this point no price was established. The systems will all be modular, meaning you could package any wheel, pedals, shifter, and handbrake combination that your budget will allow. Still, you’ll likely be staring at around $300 and up for these setups, and if that’s too rich in your blood Microsoft also has lesser-expensive options coming from Mad Catz and its own goofy-looking, U-shaped 0 Speed Wheel 0 , for you to set you back $59.99.

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This post is tagged: eight cylinders, feedback effects, feedback mechanism, forza motorsport, new electronics, optical sensor, transparent window