The Box

Logitech’s famous hi-tech gradient green and black packaging is widely recognized by gamers and enthusiasts everywhere. On any store shelf crowded with gaming peripherals, the DriveFX would be hard for the average buyer to miss even if they’ve never heard of the company. The cube-shaped box isn’t much bigger than the 10-inch diameter of the wheel itself. But simple and efficient packaging has always been a Logitech hallmark. Steering clear (no pun intended) of the more excessive packaging of their competitors, the savings are passed on to you.

A photo of the DriveFX wheel and pedals dominates the front of the box, with Logitech’s logo in the upper right corner. “For Xbox 360” in English and French in the upper left is part of a larger label that extends over the top of the box which displays multiple views of the DriveFX wheel, assembly, and a head-on shot of the wheel. Letting the pictures do the talking, Logitech Drive FX is just below the main photo in smaller letters followed by “Axial Feedback Wheel” and “Solid Racing Performance” in English and French. A smaller Axial Feedback tag is preceded by one from Immersion—the real driving force—(no pun intended again)—behind Logitech’s line of force-feedback wheels for the PC and consoles, followed by the ubiquitous “Licensed for Xbox 360” logo for all products that pass muster for the console.

On the sides of the box, we find another photo—a side shot—of the DriveFX with its main features outlined in English, French and Spanish, with smaller picture of the wheel’s headset port. The back of the box shows the DriveFX against a stark white background, with a multilingual blurb on the advantages of the wheel’s Axial Feedback technology. Overall, the box gives you a pretty good indication of the Logitech DriveFX’s features and capabilities.

Compared to the more secure and protective inserts used inside the boxes for the Logitech MOMO Racing Force and Driving Force Pro, Logitech seems to have taken a step backward with the DriveFX. The wheel assembly is wrapped inside a thick, plastic back with the AC adapter sitting in its box on top of it. Beneath the wheel lies a cardboard separator with the pedal assembly and documentation underneath. On a more positive note, the Logitech DriveFX arrived from Amazon.com in perfect health, and can be unpacked a lot faster and easier than Microsoft’s Wireless Racing Wheel—which was as much fun to open as the Hellraiser Puzzle Box. By the time I finally got my Microsoft’s wheel unpacked, I half-expected the room to go dark with creepy mist and lights seeping through the floor, and Pinhead himself paying me a visit…

The DriveFX Wheel

Other console racing wheels may be less expensive, or have a flashier design with race-car-inspired features that turn out to be no more than cheap, poorly implemented gimmicks. Some are designed as wheel-based console gamepads and controllers with driving performance tossed in as an afterthought. But few of them can match the true race-car inspired design and overall quality of Logitech wheels—and the DriveFX is no exception.

The Logitech DriveFX begins its life as a single piece of molded plastic created with a gas-assisted injection molding process, as opposed to competitor’s wheels constructed of multiple pieces with seams and joints. Logitech then wraps the wheel in heavy leather-grained vinyl with two thick, textured rubber grips on each side. The result is a wheel that is both durable and comfortable even when your palms begin to sweat during the most grueling racing sessions.

As you would expect, the DriveFX has the usual Xbox 360 support buttons for menu navigation, game setup and specific game functions. All are logically laid out within reach on each of the wheel’s spokes. The LB (Left Button) and Directional D-Pad buttons are on the left spoke (we’ll talk about what that little “mystery button” to the left of the wheel’s hub does later), with the RB (Right Button) and the blue, yellow, red and green X, Y, B, A buttons, on the right spoke. Paddle Shifters are located behind the left and right spokes. The Back, Start and Controller Assignment buttons are on the third and lower spoke. The all-black finish of the wheel accented by silver Allen-head nuts and a brushed aluminum Logitech logo on the hub, gives the DriveFX a more professional appearance than other less expensive wheels.

The base of the DriveFX is roughly the same size as its Playstation cousin—certainly more compact than that of the Microsoft Wireless Racing Wheel for the Xbox 360. At the top, just behind the wheel, is the port to plug in your 360 headset. The DriveFX is designed to clamp to a table (provided it is no thicker than 3 inches), or the mounting plate of racing simulator seats like the VRC or Playseat, using a pair of “C” clamps with adjustment knobs. Connectors for the pedals and power cord are on the right rear side. Logitech’s DriveFX Axial Feedback Wheel for Xbox 360 is not a wireless wheel, but connects to the 360 via a USB cable.

The Gas and Brake Pedals are made of high impact plastic, patterned after ones found in race cars. The compact, weighted base is smaller than the ones found on Logitech’s other wheels. As a result, the pedals are closer together than they would be if the base were larger. Although the base has rubber anti-skid pads, it lacks the retractable Carpet Grip System of Logitech’s PC and PS2 wheels. A stop is located behind the gas pedal. Although it doesn’t look like much, it does prevent you from over-extending the pedal and possibly damaging it during spirited driving sessions.

Installation and Playtesting

All that’s needed is to connect the DriveFX’s pedals to the wheel; the power adapter to an outlet and the USB cable to your Xbox 360, and turn on the console. The power LED at the top of the Wheel’s hub will light-up, and the Logitech DriveFX will automatically assign itself the first available controller quadrant on the 360.

The hardest part of setting up the DriveFX is deciding where and how you want to set it up. Both the power and USB cords are long enough to reach your 360 console almost anywhere. Clamping the wheel to a table is obviously the easiest way. You’ll have to get a little “creative” if you’d rather use the wheel on your lap. A sturdy board from your local hardware store (or one you might have lying around the garage or basement if it’s the right size or can be made so with a saw), should do the trick.