As a sim-racing enthusiast and owner of the Logitech G Pro wheel and pedals, I (and much of the community) have been crying out for new wheel options to suit whatever our style prefers. Some drivers like the full-wheel option, some prefer a Formula-style wheel, and others like something completely different. It all depends on how you’ll be using it. Logitech was able to ship me the RS Wheel Hub and the RS Track Wheel attachment, and I put them through their paces (pun intended) to see if things were everything I had hoped for.
First of all, the RS Wheel Hub is a fine piece of engineering brilliance. It houses all of the buttons that the regular G Pro Wheel has but none of the wheel itself. Logitech has left that part out and allowed users to purchase one or more of the several options available to attach to it. The RS Wheel Hub itself feels very barebones when held in hand, but that’s because there’s nothing else to it. It isn’t a wheel on its own, and even though the button placements were immediately recognizable, there were a few changes to the design that had both a positive and negative reception from me.
As always, we start with the positive changes. The RS Wheel Hub has removed the second set of paddles on the back side of the build, which not only saves weight but also saves room. So, my fingers are no longer fighting for space when trying to shift using the intended paddles. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of games available that would make use of those additional paddles, but for my purposes, there is no need for them, so good riddance!
Staying on the topic of the shifter paddles, I really like the sound and responsiveness of the paddles. Each engagement of the paddle provides a satisfying clicking sound, and there is just enough effort required to press them so that you don’t accidentally press them when your fingers find something to do in between gear shifts.
The same can be said for the face buttons. Each button on the Logitech RS Wheel Hub provides a lovely clicking sound, almost like a pro controller would, but not nearly as loud. They can be customized to match whatever you want them to using the Logitech G Hub software on your PC.
“Each button on the Logitech RS Wheel Hub provides a lovely clicking sound, almost like a pro controller would, but not nearly as loud.”
There was one and only one thing I disliked about the RS Wheel Hub, and it was only something I discovered once I had put the RS Track Wheel on. At the bottom of the RS Wheel Hub and the regular G Pro Wheel are two dials. On the G Pro Wheel, the left dial faces to the left, making it easy to click because the wheel affords enough space. The dial on the right faces out towards the user, allowing the dial to be turned with ease.
The issue arises on the RS Wheel Hub when the RS Track Wheel is attached, as both of the dials on the RS Wheel Hub face to the left and right, respectively. Normally, there would be no problem with this, but the Track Wheel doesn’t provide enough room for the average person to get their finger in between the end of the dial and the inside of the wheel.
This became especially irritating when, in the middle of a race in Gran Turismo 7, I needed to cycle through some options in my HUD that were mapped to the dial on the right, and whereas I could easily rotate it on the G Pro Wheel, the RS Wheel Hub and Track Wheel have made it far more cumbersome to do. If they had left the dial orientation as it was on the G Pro Wheel, I’d be happy as can be.
“Special mention goes to the RS Track Wheel attachment. This is one of the best wheels I have used in my sim-racing career…“
Special mention goes to the RS Track Wheel attachment. This is one of the best wheels I have used in my sim-racing career, and it is just the wheel and nothing else. The attachment is very simple, requiring only nine screws/bolts to affix the wheel to the Hub (6 on the front and 3 behind).
The RS Track Wheel itself is incredibly lightweight, and it is obvious that Logitech has taken great care to ensure that there is no unnecessary weight addition to the whole assembly. It feels firm and sturdy and yet gentle and delicate. The TPE surface allows you to maintain a good grip on the wheel while keeping things cool through the inclusion of the dimple dot pattern in the material itself.
As of right now, the RS Wheel Hub is only available in an Xbox/PC button configuration, but thankfully, I was still able to use it on my PS5 due to the PlayStation compatibility chip being located in the Wheel Base and not the wheel like it is for Xbox and PC. As a result, Logitech includes button stickers with the appropriate PlayStation labels for you to put on the buttons, should you so desire.
I am incredibly impressed with the Logitech RS Wheel Hub, and I find it hard to believe that a device of this quality is available so inexpensively. The RS Wheel Hub sells for $179.99 CAD, and the RS Track Wheel is available for a paltry $99.99 CAD. For less than $300, you can have an incredible piece of hardware that will make your driving experience one to remember.
