Fanatec and Thrustmaster charge a lot more for leather wheels. The Logitech G29 gets you higher-end extras at no extra cost. Its pedalboard is much better than anything else at the price too, with a board that has a clutch and very solid metal plates. It’s not plastic rubbish. Fanatec wheels are perfect if you're looking for a supremely accurate and immersive racing experience. Fanatec's options tend to be on the pricier side. But you'll usually get a lot of extra bells and whistles as a result. What is the best budget F1 racing wheel? As a result, the Hori is also much lighter than any other wheel here. You’ll still need something to clamp it to, but this is the one wheel here that won’t seem hard done by if it’s not treated to a proper frame or wheel stand. Fanatec makes some of the best, and most expensive, racing wheels going. The Fanatec CSL Elite is actually one of its more affordable models, made with a mainstream audience in mind, not least because it supports consoles rather than just the PC. Relentlessly engineered for the perfect driving experience, Driving Force by Logitech G takes the latest racing games to the highest level. You simply haven’t experienced racing simulation if you haven’t grabbed your supercar by the wheel.

If you're on a tighter budget, fear not. The best racing wheels can be found across a wide variety of budget scopes, and we've endeavored to include both affordable and more premium setups. Still, it's worth thinking about the kinds of games you're going to play with a racing wheel. The best racing games that benefit most from a wheel setup are those with more realistic or sim-like elements. The exterior of the steering wheel part itself is also all-plastic, without the metal parts that make these wheels seem a bit less toy-like. There's still sports car-like metal spoke shifters behind the wheel, though.The Logitech G920 is pretty much the same as the G29 above, except it's for use with the Xbox One. The G29 is for use with the PlayStation 4. Like others on this list, Hori offers two different wheels depending on the platform you're playing on. While the Hori Apex is for PS4, the Hori Overdrive is for Xbox One. There’s a solution, but it’s not cheap. These wheels are actually part of a system – you can get other steering wheels and more advanced pedalboards, the T3PA and the fab T3PA Pro. There’s even a manual gearbox if you want a proper old-school driving feel. Those with plenty of cash to spend should definitely consider the T300 RS and its brothers. But there’s also a lower-cost version that still contains many of the same benefits at half the price. Just looking at the Fanatec CSL Elite, you can tell it’s made by nerdy obsessives. After all, who else would choose that funky grey disco ball effect on the base? Not all will love the look, but at least it’s not super-shiny.

The Hori isn’t. It rumbles when you drift, hit a barrier or car, or go over road markings, but you don’t have to fight with the wheel. There’s a little bit of resistance to turns, and the wheel rights itself when you take your hands off, but there aren’t motors in the base at war with your arms. Thrustmaster has a wider range of racing wheel options and its products are perfect if you're looking for an entry-level experience. That might mean you're getting a no-frills experience, but the brand makes some of the best and most accessible racing wheels on the market. Predictably enough, then, the effect is halfway between the Logitech G29 and T300 RS. It’s smooth-ish, but not entirely, and you feel the effect of the geared motor as it pulls against you when you take a corner at high speed.Given the price, the results are great, though.Logitech has also upgraded the G923's brake, for more progressive resistance on the depress, while the LED rev indicator and 24-Point selection dial from the Playstation 4 version of the G920 become standard for this wheel.However, the G923 has Logitech's helical gearing system under the hood, which does not provide as smooth a feel as the Thrustmaster T300 RS. There are a few downsides to these generally great wheel sets, and it’s all about the parts outside of the wheelbase. The steering wheel is solid and very grippy, but uses a rubber grip rather than a leather one. Many people will be fine with the material, but after using the G29 we did miss the feel a little. Many owners end up wanting to upgrade the pedals after a while too. The pedal caps are metal, but this is really just a basic plastic construction, without the stiffness of a great board or more advanced features like a high-end progressive brake. There are good bits, sure, particularly the lower price. However, the Hori Apex (and the Hori Overdrive) is easily the most toy-like wheel in this group. It has plastic gear shifters, fairly cheap plastic pedals and no parts to upgrade. It also has very limited rotation compared with all the other wheels here, turning just 270 degrees rather than 900 or 1080. Fanatec’s pedals are excellent, with seriously tough metal frames and proper progressive brakes, and you can even choose how stiff the brake is. It goes so stiff, in fact, that to really get the most out of the CSL Elite you want a frame into which you screw the pedals. But the price alone tells you this is an enthusiast wheel.