Fans of playing racing games on PC or some serious racing simulator know very well that the keyboard is not always suitable for the most convenient control of a virtual car - it is best to use the steering wheel. However, there is a problem here - high-quality products are expensive and not everyone can afford it, but there is still a way out. In today's review, we will talk about the Defender Forsage Drift GT steering wheel, which is inexpensive and allows you to enjoy all the delights of racing simulators. Let's take a look at it soon!
Package set
So, it is worth starting the review of the steering wheel first of all with the delivery set. The steering wheel is sold in a relatively small cardboard box. The packaging contains images of peripherals, as well as all the main features and characteristics. There is a plastic handle on top of the box for easier carrying.
Inside the package itself is the following kit: steering wheel DefenderForsage Drift GT, pedals, owner's manual, warranty card, a few useless brochures and flyers, mounts, cables to connect and, in fact, everything. Some versions of the steering wheel also come with a CD with a demo version of some "race", but, judging by the reviews, not everyone starts the game, so it can be considered a useless addition.
Appearance
Continue reviewing the steering wheel Defender Forsage Drift GT and now look at the appearance of the periphery. The steering wheel looks pretty good, but it is still noticeable that this is a fairly budget model. Everything is completely assembled from plastic, the quality of which is about average, but the quality of the molding is good, without any "burrs", and the assembly is quite good.
The number of buttons on the steering wheel is amazing. On the steering wheel itself there are elements like a gamepad. There is a standard cross, as well as 4 buttons like on the DualShock from Sony PlayStation. A little higher on the "rim" there are two "shifts" L2 and R2.
The central button with the inscription Defender plays the role of a beep in games. Also around it you can see a bezel with screws, of which there are only 8 pieces. 4 of them are also buttons and the other 4 are just cogs. Two of the four buttons are responsible for the Start and Select functions, just like on a gamepad. The remaining 2 buttons L3 and R3 do not have a default command, because they are intended for the user to set some functions on them.
On the back of the steering wheelthere is also a pair of "shifts" L1 and R1. They are made in the form of paddle shifters, in the game you can use them to change gears. This "chip" came to the world of gaming peripherals from real sports cars, where such technology is implemented for those who like to switch speeds manually.
If the steering wheel paddles seem uncomfortable, then next to the steering wheel is the usual gearshift switch in the form of a small knob. It works simply - moving up increases the speed, moving down decreases it. It is worth noting that a similar type of checkpoint selectors also takes place in real life. For example, the same type of gear shifting occurs in manual mode on Porsche cars.
On the bottom of the steering wheel you can see places for attaching two clamps, as well as a lot of suction cups, which are designed to ensure high stability of the steering wheel on the table. Looking ahead, I would like to note that suction cups and clamps cope with their task 100%.
As for the connectors on the "torpedo" of the steering wheel, there is an input for a USB cable, as well as an RJ-11 connector through which the unit with pedals is connected. By the way, a similar RJ-11 connector can be found in the telephone socket block, so the presence of this port on the game wheel is very original.
Steering wheel
Now I would like to take a closer look at the Defender Forsage Drift GT game steering wheel and consider the steering wheel and pedal block separately in turn. Let's start with the first one.
As mentioned above, the steering wheelmade of plastic, and there are no separate rubberized inserts on it for a more comfortable grip. In fairness, it should be noted that there are still some separate areas with supposedly soft-touch “spraying”, but such a coating, as you know, is erased very quickly.
An unpleasant moment of the "steering wheel" is a strange vertical play. The assembly seems to be good, no complaints, but where the backlash came from is not clear. In principle, it does not interfere and does not affect the gameplay in any way, so the disadvantage can be called non-critical.
The steering wheel rotates 270 degrees, which, in general, is a good indicator and more than enough for most games. The only thing is that in some car simulators that are close to real conditions, this may be a little small. The steering wheel diameter is 24.5 cm, which is considered average by the standards of gaming peripherals - there are models with an even smaller size. The steering wheel is far from real automotive analogues, but nevertheless it is very convenient to control it.
At the end, a few words about the buttons. All of them are pressed quite easily, although some have a slightly tight stroke. The disadvantage is the "cross", or the so-called D-pad. At first glance, it may seem that the D-pad works in eight directions, like on gamepads, but this is not the case. Pressing is possible only up, down, left and right. In addition, when you press the "cross", it "falls" into the body a little.
Also, the disadvantages includehorn center button. It is very hard to press due to the hard spring, so it is extremely inconvenient to use.
Pedals
Now let's move on to the Defender Forsage Drift GT steering wheel pedals. The pedal unit itself is quite compact, but it is convenient to use it. The case is also made of simple plastic. The assembly is good, no complaints.
On the pedals themselves, which are standard two, there are no rubber pads - only "bare" plastic. The surface has a "ribbed" texture, which, as it were, copies the pedals of a real car. There is no particular benefit from this "texture".
There are some problems with the stability of the pedal unit. If you play more or less calmly, then it stands "dead", but if the game is active, then the block can very easily move.
A cable with an RJ-11 plug comes out from the back of the unit, which is connected to the corresponding port on the handlebar itself.
As for the pedals, they are pressed lightly, but not effortlessly, which is good. Which pedal will be responsible for what, the user will decide - this is also a plus that the developers did not program the pedals only for certain functions.
Features
Now is the time to take a quick look at the features of the Defender Forsage Drift GT wheel. In order not to write a huge amount of text, we will present all the characteristics in the form of a list. Here it is:
- Type - game steering wheel.
- Connection - wired.
- Connection connector -USB.
- Compatibility Support - PC, PlayStation(PS).
- Case material - plastic.
- Rubber coating - available, in the form of separate inserts.
- Mount type - clamps.
- Steering wheel diameter - 24.5 cm.
- Rotation angle - 270 degrees.
- Vibration response - yes.
- Pedal block yes.
- Number of pedals - 2.
- Gearbox yes.
- Steering wheel paddles - yes, 2 pcs
- Hand brake - no.
- Feedback - no.
- Weight - 2.4 kg.
Actually, on this section with characteristics, you can close and go to the next item.
Connection
It's time to talk about connecting the steering wheel Defender Forsage Drift GT. Drivers for peripherals as such are not required, but it’s better to go to the manufacturer’s official website, download and install them. For owners of game consoles, installation of drivers is not needed, the steering wheel works there completely properly right out of the box. Connecting the steering wheel is simple, just plug the USB plug into the appropriate port on your computer or "curling iron" (PlayStation).
That, in general, and all that concerns the connection. As you can see, there is nothing complicated in this procedure, and absolutely anyone can handle it.
Settings
Next, it would be nice to talk about how to set up the steering wheel Defender Forsage Drift GT. There is no special software or software for setting up the steering wheel. The user has to usewhat is available. However, not everything is as bad as it might seem. Still, the game steering wheel has one very useful thing that was not mentioned earlier - this is a small switch on the back. What is he doing? Well, with it you can adjust the sensitivity of the steering wheel, which is a very useful feature, because not every game behaves adequately in every game.
This can be compared to the same DPI adjustment on mice, which helps to choose the optimal level of mouse sensitivity and cursor movement speed over the entire area of the monitor.
The switch on the steering wheel has several adjustment positions, starting from the smallest and ending with the maximum sensitivity to control - whoever you want.
If we talk about changing the functions of the buttons, the angle of rotation, reassigning the pedals, etc., then all this is configured in a separate menu. In order to get into this menu, you must install the drivers for the steering wheel. Next, after installation, go to the control panel and find there a new icon that appears "Steering wheel" or "Game steering wheel". Right-click on this icon and select "Settings" from the list. The window that opens will have several tabs, as well as various options that the user can change. It's simple!
Steering wheel games
Now a few words about the Defender Forsage Drift GT steering wheel games. The list of supported games for the device is quite large, it makes no sense to list it completely. It is worth saying that atTrying to play some kind of "race" like NFS will obviously not cause problems. Moreover, when you start the same Need For Speed, the game correctly determines the manufacturer and model of the steering wheel, which is nice. True, you will have to set the settings in the game yourself, but this is a trifle.
In the games of the Colin McRae series, the steering wheel also performs quite well. As you know, in these games, the control and physics of the car's behavior on the road are quite realistic, and the car easily goes into a skid on turns, drift, etc. The Defender Forsage steering wheel makes it possible to fully experience all these game "chips" and plunge headlong rally atmosphere. The only thing worth saying is that for Colin McRae, the player will very often have to change the steering sensitivity, because depending on the weather conditions and the type of track, the control can be different.
As for more serious simulators, such as "Driving Simulator", here the steering wheel behaves quite adequately and realistically. However, there is one drawback in such games - you can not choose a manual transmission. Or rather, you can choose it, but you have to set the clutch to "automatic". Why? Because the steering wheel has only 2 pedals: brake and gas. Anyway. In the game itself, there are no problems with the handling of the car. In general, this simulator paired with a steering wheel is an excellent practice for driving a car, albeit in the virtual world, but still.
Reviews and price
Reviews about the steering wheel Defender ForsageDrift GT is mostly positive. Users note excellent functionality, a large number of buttons, good fastening, rotation angle, price and much more. As for the shortcomings, there are few of them: not very successful fastening of the pedal block, cheap plastic, rubberized coating that is quickly erased, large "dead zones" when cornering, inconvenient location of the L2 and R2 keys, as well as paddle shifters and gearshift lever have the same functions.
You can currently buy a Defender Forsage Drift GT steering wheel for 2700-3500 rubles, which, in general, is a pretty good price. Higher-quality competitors with a similar "arsenal" of functions are much more expensive, so there is a clear advantage in the direction of the hero of today's review.
