Racing games are a lot of fun; you get to drive around really fast and do some really cool stuff, especially in games like Forza Horizon. Sometimes you want to get a proper racing setup with a chair, wheel and pedals, but that sounds like a lot of apparatus and potentially very expensive. Turtle Beach has exactly you in mind with the Racer Wireless Racing Wheel, a compromise on wheel racing from the comfort of your couch.
As I always do, I’ll start with the unboxing—and there is not a whole lot in here. In the box, you get the Racer wheel controller, a 10-foot USB-C to USB-A charging cable and two adjustable lap bars. Hidden on the underside of the wheel controller is the USB-A dongle that plugs into the Xbox, which I only discovered after I had blocked it in by attaching the lap bars.
Attaching the lap bars to the controller is a straightforward process, as it uses the same clamp mechanism that secures it to a table. You simply unscrew the two knobs on top, slide the bars into place and tighten the knobs again. The process is a bit clumsy and it is easy to push the bars too far on one side, but once tightened, they stay firmly in place, which is good for stability.
Even without pedals, the Racer Wireless still lets you control throttle and braking with the paddles on the back of the wheel. Of course, this means you cannot also use them to shift gears, but that compromise is forgivable in an entry-level product.
“With no pedals, the Racer Wireless still offers the ability to control your throttle and braking, using the paddles on the back of the wheel.”
While on the topic of the construction of the wheel itself, the entire setup is formed from a plastic framework and feels surprisingly durable, especially when there are some abrupt and deliberate movements in racing (avoiding crashes, for one). The wheel itself features a textured palm grip along either side and a smoother plastic finish for the remainder. The front of the wheel features a d-pad and Xbox button arrangement, as well as corresponding buttons for LT/RT & LB/RB, two separate mappable buttons, and the Xbox button at the top in the middle: pretty basic stuff, but no less than what you would need to get going.
Launching into Forza Horizon 5, I quickly realized I had grown so accustomed to force feedback in other racing setups that I needed to relearn how to make smaller adjustments, as there is no resistance or road texture to feel through the wheel. The Racer Wireless had its ups and downs: the wheel’s rotation includes a dedicated and noticeable “top” at its neutral position, with a distinct sense of it slotting back into place as you approach centre.
The Racer Wireless supports up to 360 degrees of wheel rotation, making cornering as easy as you like. You do not have to worry as much as you might expect about the wheel lifting off your lap during rotation, even though the unit itself is not particularly heavy.
“At $179.99, it feels a little pricey, but the Racer Wireless is still an easy and accessible way to step beyond a standard controller.”
The final physical feature worth noting is the audio capability. On the side of the Racer Wireless is a standard 3.5-millimetre port for an auxiliary-controlled headset, allowing you to play without flooding the room with engine noise and other ambient sounds.
One thing you do not have to worry about with the Racer Wireless is battery life. Turtle Beach has outfitted it with a 30-hour lifespan and included a 10-foot charging cable so you can keep driving even while plugged in. In my experience, I got about 25 hours before needing a recharge, and with no RGB lighting or other power drains, I was impressed with its endurance.
For those who want to race on PC or change button mappings, the Turtle Beach Control Center 2 app is available on both Xbox and PC. It supports firmware updates, wheel setting adjustments (such as paddle dead zones and rotation angles) and basic audio tweaks.
I really liked using the Racer Wireless wheel from Turtle Beach; I just wish it were a bit less expensive. Coming in at $179.99, I feel like it might just be on the expensive side of the genre. I can still recommend it as an easy way to get into racing on something other than a controller, and Turtle Beach has made some great strides to make the next jump better still.
- Complete, All-in-One Race Setup
- Non-Slip Lap Mount or Adjustable Table Clamps
