Braking was another area where the G29 struggled. The pedals felt light and lacked resistance, making it difficult to modulate the brakes with precision. I found myself either braking too much or too little, and it was hard to trail brake effectively, which is crucial for maintaining speed through corners. Over the course of the 10 laps, this inconsistency in braking became a recurring issue, affecting both lap times and overall control.

While the G29 can deliver a decent performance, there was a noticeable lack of consistency. Some laps were quicker than others, but it was difficult to maintain a steady pace throughout the session. The weak feedback and braking challenges made it hard to string together a series of fast, consistent laps.

Fanatec DD Experience

Switching to the Fanatec DD+ setup, the difference was immediate. From the time I started my first lap, it became certain that the Fanatec was in a league of its own. The wheel was heavier-much heavier-both in physical weight and in force feedback. This was not just a wheel to steer; this was a tool that commanded precision. The direct drive motor painted a much clearer picture as to what the car was doing at all times.

Every input I made was instantly and accurately translated into the game, with no lag, play, or dead zones. The feedback was granular to an extent that I could feel the tires gripping the road, the weight transferring as I braked and turned, and even the subtle windup of the car balancing on the edge of grip. This level of detail made it much easier to stay in control when really pushing the car.

The most important advantage for me with the Fanatec setup was definitely the braking. The V3 pedals had a load cell brake; the feeling of braking was more realistic and consistent than with the G29. The pedal felt firm and responsive, and I could really modulate the brakes with a lot of precision and confidence.

This made the trail braking much easier, and it was more effective, too. Over the 10 laps, this translated into more consistent lap times and a less jerky overall driving experience.

Another area in which the Fanatec really shined was in car correction when things went wrong. In the G29, I seemed to always want to predict where the car was going instead of reading the wheel for feedback. With the Fanatec, it's just so strong and linear that I could read the car's movement in real time and catch the slides, correct oversteer, and keep the car right on the limit without making any sort of mistake. Having done a couple of circuits of 10 laps each, it became clear that the Fanatec DD+ was not all about pure, unadulterated speed but rather put large spots of importance on control, finicky precision, and consistency. Lap times were not drastically quicker than in the G29, but they were much more consistent. The feedback from the wheel meant I had confidence in pushing the car harder now-knowing full well I could react to whatever it did. The result was a much more enjoyable driving experience.

Final Lap Time Comparison

Looking at the lap times, the differences weren’t as dramatic as you might expect. With slower cars, the lap times between the Logitech G29 and the Fanatec DD+ were surprisingly close. The G29 held its own in terms of outright speed, but the real difference lay in consistency and feel.

Does Expensive Sim Racing Wheel Make You Faster?

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