Reviews

View Original

Is This The Best Mod for the Logitech G29 & G923?! Ready2Sim GT Wheel Review

This is the Ready2Sim GT-G Wheel rim mod for the Logitech G29 and G923 and honestly, it’s probably the coolest, most realistic mod available for Logitech’s wheel which also comes at an affordable price point. That being said, it’s not without its flaws, and in today’s review, I’ll be explaining just that.

This wheel rim mod was kindly sent over to me by the guys over at Ready2Sim, a Portuguese-based business developing realistic wheel rims and mods for Logitech and Thrustmaster wheels. They also sent over what they call the G-Mag Shifter which serves to provide a magnetic, more tactile click to the paddle shifters. I’ll be briefly going over this as well although the primary focus of this review is on the wheel rim itself. So with that being said, let’s get started.

What makes this wheel rim so cool for me, is that it really does look like it came straight from Logitech. The powder-coated aluminum wheel plate is almost an exact replica of the original, and the entire wheel rim fits perfectly flush onto the wheelbase. It’s wrapped in an incredibly soft suede material which feels fantastic to hold onto and gives the wheel its realistic appearance. Probably the best part of all is its price point - this wheel rim comes in at only 99 euros or just a tad over $100 and for that price point (which is minimal in the context of this hobby) it transforms the G29 experience. It really does look and feel like a high-end, multi-hundred dollar sim racing wheel. Granted, the G29’s actual performance is still the same, but in the context of the steering wheel, it's a night and day difference.

The GT-G is a tad larger than the stock G29 wheel coming in with a diameter of 300mm and also weighs a little more. It weighs 563 grams as opposed to the OEM wheel which weighs 454. This might seem like a big difference, but it's hardly noticeable when holding them side by side. Regardless, the added weight would theoretically slightly decrease the performance of the wheelbase since the motors would have to be moving a heavier wheel. Regardless, since the added weight is so minimal, I didn’t feel any loss in performance.

Something I would be very cautious about regarding this wheel, especially if you’ll be using it for a very long time, is its long-term durability. This is because, underneath the suede grips, the wheel itself is 3D printed - this means, it's made from plastic. Through the many hours I used it, I didn’t feel any type of flex or movement at all, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this became a noticeable issue after many weeks or months of constant use as it wears out. Again, this isn’t an issue I’ve experienced, if anything this wheel has been surprisingly rigid with close to no visible flex, but it is something I would watch out for in the long term.

In-game, especially when driving GT-cars, this was an absolute blast and for the first time, the G29 didn’t feel or look like a toy. The grips are heavily padded making them look and feel very thick… because they are. Unfortunately, I think they’re just a tad too thick because I often felt the paddle shifters touching the back of my fingers when I was up or downshifting. To combat this, I would recommend including subtle grooves on the back of the wheel rim where your fingers can rest. This would not only make the wheel rim more comfortable to hold on to, but it would also provide just enough clearance for the paddle shifters. A wheel rim that does this perfectly is the one from MOZA Racing which features very subtle grooves on the backside of the wheel to add to its overall comfort and premium feel.

Talking about the paddle shifters, let’s talk about the Ready2Sim G-Mag shifter. Like tons of other ones available in the market, this 3d-printed mod attaches behind the paddle shifters and uses magnets to give a mechanical feel when shifting up or down. According to Ready2Sim, as opposed to others in the market, the G-Mag Shifter uses 5 small magnets per side in order to provide more shifting force as opposed to just having one larger magnet in the center. It definitely does the job and the paddle shifters do feel significantly better than without it, but I’d have a hard time saying that it feels substantially different than all the other ones out there. Regardless, for 20 euros, it's a very good mod at a compelling price point which adds a tactile, more premium feel to the Logitech paddle shifters.

Ready2Sim currently offers the GT-G wheel rim for the G29 and the PlayStation compatible G923. They are however planning on also releasing a version compatible with the G920 and Xbox version of the G923 as well as some wheel rims for Thrustmaster wheelbases. This wheel rim comes with either a black powder coating or satin aluminum wheel plate and the logo on the center cap is offered in blue, yellow, or grey. It can also be interchanged for the stock Logitech logo if you choose. Personally, I would also love to see a version of this wheel offered with leather instead of suede, but that’s just my personal preference.

In conclusion, the Ready2Sim GT-G wheel rim has left me seriously impressed. It has transformed my experience using the G29 and makes it look and feel a lot more premium than it actually is. The thick suede handles feel great, the overall fit of the rim onto the wheelbase looks as if it came straight from Logitech, and the in-game experience is substantially improved, especially if you’re into racing GT cars. With its plastic handles and suede wrap, it’s long-term look, feel, and durability are my main concerns, so that is something you will have to watch out for. That being said, for around $99, I’ve never tested out a cooler mod for the G29 than this.

See this social icon list in the original post