R440 Force Feedback Wheel - 2004

Driving never felt so real!

There are certain games that play better when you use a certain peripheral. For example, when playing a flight simulation game it always feels like you have more control of the aircraft when you are using a flight joystick. The majority of First Person Shooter games feel better with the use of a mouse (there are several that work perfectly with controllers though: Halo, Golden Eye, Time Splitters, ect). Driving games are a mix bag, some games play perfectly by using just a controller, but when you hook up a steering wheel and gas/brake pads, a new level of authenticity is born. Saitek has released one of the best PC racing wheels I have ever had my hands on, the name of the wheel is called the R440 Force Feedback Wheel. Get to know that name, because you will want one of these beauties while you are playing a PC racing game.

First thing that needs to be said is the installation for this controller is extremely easy. There are three cords to plug in. First plug the power in an outlet then plug that in the wheel. The pedals use an RJ-45 cable and then connect that to the wheel. The wheel connects to the PC using a USB cord, once you plug that in pop in the driver CD, and you are all set up in less than 5 minutes!

To hook it up to your desk, all you need to use is a plastic screw that comes with the wheel. Once you tighten that into place, the controller will not move unless you loosen it.

The game used to test the Saitek R440 Force Feedback Wheel was: Electronic Art’s Need for Speed: Underground.

This game is an intense arcade game that requires alot of turning, fast acceleration, and many other factors that put this wheel to the test. Since the controller has six customizable buttons you can map things like the emergency brake, reset car, car views, and even nitrous oxide on them. Putting the nitrous oxide on the red button gives you a total reenactment of a scene in the movie: “The Fast and the Furious.” It gives you a total rush!

The steering wheel is extremely durable and has nice grips on it so when your hands get sweaty you will still be able to hold on to the wheel and make nice sharp turns.

After putting it though a racing marathon with several people, the controller held out and was ready for more. No matter how hard it was jerked around it would beg for more and give you the total sensation of driving. The brake and gas pedals are another thing of amazement, no matter how hard they were pushed, stomped on, kicked, they kept putting out their best!

What makes this wheel so much better is the force feedback it gives you. While making sharp turns, drifting, and crashing, the controller will give you some rumble feedback that feels so real that you feel that you are almost driving a real car for a second. What is even better is that you can tell the difference between some of the cars and the feedback the wheel provides, which gives an extra sense of realism.

One of the biggest reasons to get this controller is that it is extremely affordable. The cost will only set you back less than one hundred dollars. This is a great deal for the quality and durability of this product.

Pros:
The controller doesn’t take up a lot of space and is very durable. A group of people and I had a mini marathon on it and the controller and pedals never gave out. The grips on the controller helps prevent any slipping around the controller which helps gamers avoid any accidental crashes.

Cons:
There is nothing wrong with this controller in any sense. But if I had to choose something I would have to complain about the wheel not having a realistic gear shifter. You have to rely on using two gearshift pedals on either side of the wheel. This is only a minor thing that is not even a big deal, except for those “purists” out there.

Verdict: 9.5
The Saitek R440 Force Feedback Wheel is one of the best steering wheels that I have ever had a chance to use. The control on it is extremely responsive, it is very durable, and the force feedback it gives is great!  If you enjoy playing racing games on your PC then I highly suggest that you pick this device up, you will wonder how you ever played a racing game without it!