Logitech G29 Review: The Perfect Gateway to Sim Racing

From arcade tokens to living room laps

I have spent countless hours at Dave & Busters and Main Event, dropping tokens into racing games with wheels that felt like they were held together by hope and chewing gum. When my kids started asking about getting serious with racing games on our PS5, I knew we needed something better than a controller—but I was not ready to drop over $1,000 on a full professional setup before knowing if we would actually stick with it.

Enter the Logitech G29, which I scored used off Facebook Marketplace on January 16, 2026, for a couple hundred dollars. After weeks of racing through Monaco in F1 25 and tearing up the Nürburgring in Gran Turismo 7, I can confidently say this: the G29 is exactly what it needs to be—a solid entry point that shows you what sim racing is about without requiring a second mortgage.

Here is what you need to know before buying one.

Setup: Actually easier than expected

I am not particularly tech-savvy, but getting the G29 running on our PS5 took maybe 10 minutes. The wheel connects via USB and works with PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PC. You plug the wheel base into power, connect it to the console via USB, mount the pedals, and you are essentially done.

The real learning curve comes in-game. F1 24, F1 25, and GT7 all let you fine-tune wheel sensitivity, force feedback strength, and pedal response. We spent our first few sessions tweaking these settings to make the wheel feel more like driving an actual car. My 10-year-old figured it out faster than I did, which says something about either modern gaming interfaces or my age—probably both.

I mounted everything to an Ares Wing racing simulator cockpit, which is compatible with major brands including Logitech. The whole setup secured perfectly with built-in clamps, and nothing wobbles during aggressive driving. If you do not want to commit to a full cockpit, the G29 has built-in mounting clamps that attach securely to tables or desks.

Related: If you are thinking about building a complete rig around your wheel, check out our Ultimate At-Home Sim Racing Guide 2026 for tiered build paths from $600 to $25,000.

Build quality: Feels premium, mostly

The G29 features a hand-stitched leather steering wheel cover, stainless steel paddle shifters, and solid steel ball bearings. When you pick up the wheel, it has genuine weight to it—4.96 pounds without cables—and the leather grip feels breathable and premium.

Here is the thing though: the wheel diameter is 10.24 inches, which is noticeably smaller than a real car's steering wheel. As an adult who drives daily, I find it a bit cramped. My kids love it though—for their smaller hands, it feels perfect. The plastic construction throughout is solid and does not feel cheap or fragile, but it is still clearly plastic.

The pedals deserve special mention. The separate pedal unit weighs 6.83 pounds and includes a nonlinear brake pedal that mimics pressure-sensitive brake systems. The brake has real resistance—you have to push it harder than the accelerator, just like a real car. The clutch works great if you add the optional shifter (sold separately for around $48).

This is where the "toy versus professional" line shows up. Everything works well and feels durable, but you are constantly reminded this is a consumer product, not a racing team simulator.

Force feedback: Good, not great

The G29 uses dual-motor force feedback with helical gearing to simulate road feel. Compared to arcade racing wheels, it is light-years better. You can feel understeer when you push too hard into corners, and the wheel kicks back realistically when you hit curbs in F1.

But compared to driving an actual car? It is in the upper level of average. On a scale of 1-10 where 10 is real life, I would rate the G29's force feedback around 6.5.

The resistance is there, but it lacks the full drag and firmness you experience in a real vehicle. When you are threshold braking into a hairpin at Monza, your brain knows you are still playing with a gaming peripheral. With proper in-game calibration, you can get close—but never quite there.

I am planning to attend the opening of F1 Arcade Atlanta in a few weeks to experience what a truly professional setup feels like. For now, the G29 reminds me it is still more toy than tool—but honestly, that is fine at this price point.

Performance: Where it shines

Despite the compromises, I am having an absolute blast with this wheel. Racing around Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in F1 25 with my daughter, hearing her squeal when she overtakes me on the final lap—that is worth more than any amount of realistic force feedback.

The D-pad and buttons are located directly on the wheel for convenient access, and RPM/shift indicator LEDs let you know when to shift without looking away from the track. The paddle shifters feel excellent—metal construction, perfectly positioned, and they are attached to the wheel itself rather than the base. Some sim racers prefer base-mounted shifters, but I love being able to shift mid-corner without readjusting my grip.

The wheel features 900-degree rotation, replicating the steering range of real cars. You can do two and a half full rotations lock-to-lock, which matters more than you would think. In GT7, navigating tight switchbacks requires actual hand-over-hand steering technique, not just nudging the wheel left and right.

Game compatibility has been flawless. F1 24, F1 25, and Gran Turismo 7 all recognized the wheel immediately and have detailed settings menus for customization.

Noise and durability

The force feedback motors produce some mechanical noise—particularly during violent crashes or when correcting oversteer—but it is not louder than the game audio through TV speakers. My wife working in the next room has not complained, which is the real durability test.

The G29 uses helical gearing which reduces noise compared to straight-cut gears, and after several weeks of daily use, everything still feels tight and responsive. No loose components, no weird clicking sounds, no degradation in performance.

Value proposition: This is the sweet spot

The G29 currently retails for around $329.99 on Amazon, though I have seen it as low as $250 during sales. At that price point, it is an excellent value for anyone curious about sim racing but unwilling to fully commit.

For context, professional-grade wheels like the Thrustmaster T300RS sell for $400, while high-end options like the Fanatec CSL Elite cost nearly double. If you are unsure whether sim racing will become a serious hobby, spending $300-330 on the G29 makes way more sense than $800+ on professional equipment.

The used market sweetens the deal even further. I found my setup on Facebook Marketplace for a couple hundred dollars, and similar deals appear regularly on eBay and local classifieds. If you decide sim racing is not for you after six months, you can resell it for most of what you paid—or pass it down to a friend who wants to try.

Think of it as a gateway drug. The G29 gives you enough realism to understand what sim racing offers, but leaves you wanting more. That is not a criticism—it is the perfect position for a starter wheel to occupy.

Who should buy this (and who should not)

Buy the G29 if you:

• Want to try sim racing without massive financial commitment
• Race casually on PS5, PS4, or PC
• Have kids who want to get into racing games
• Enjoy F1, Gran Turismo, or similar titles
• Need something durable that "just works"
• Can find a good deal on the used market

Skip the G29 if you:

• Already own a G27 (the differences do not justify upgrading)
• Race on Xbox (get the G920 instead—same wheel, Xbox compatible)
• Demand professional-level force feedback and realism
• Want the absolute best pedal feel available
• Have unlimited budget for direct-drive wheels

Consider upgrading from the G29 when:

• You are racing multiple hours daily
• You have joined competitive leagues or tournaments
• Force feedback limitations actively hurt your lap times
• You understand exactly what features you need next

The upgrade path

Once the G29 has done its job and you are ready for more, the natural progression looks like this:

• Pedals first: Load-cell brake pedals like the Fanatec CSL Elite V2 ($200-$400) make the biggest difference in lap times. Pressure-based braking beats travel-based braking every time.
• Wheelbase second: Entry direct-drive options like the Moza R5 ($350-$600) deliver force feedback the G29 cannot match. You will feel the difference immediately.
• Frame third: Once you have serious force feedback, desk mounting creates flex. An aluminum 80/20 profile frame ($400-$700) locks everything down.

Our sim racing rig guide breaks down these upgrade tiers in detail, including full parts lists and build timelines for a weekend project with your kids.

The honest bottom line

The Logitech G29 earns a solid 7 out of 10 in my book. It is well-built, reliable, easy to set up, and delivers enough realism to make racing games significantly more engaging than using a controller. My kids and I have created genuine memories competing in F1 25, and that is what gaming equipment should enable.

But it does not pretend to be something it is not. You will feel the limitations—the smaller wheel, the "good enough" force feedback, the plastic construction. Every session reminds you that true professional sim racing equipment exists in a completely different tier.

That is why it is perfect as a first wheel. The G29 lets you discover whether sim racing speaks to you without the financial pressure of justifying a $1,000+ investment while you are still learning. If you fall in love with the hobby, you can upgrade to direct-drive systems and load cell brakes knowing exactly what you are paying for. If you do not, you have only spent a few hundred dollars figuring that out.

As someone who is now daydreaming about eventual upgrades to Fanatec or Thrustmaster professional equipment, I can confidently say the G29 has done its job perfectly. It has turned my family into sim racing enthusiasts without breaking the bank.

For beginners dipping their toes into sim racing, I cannot think of a smarter starting point.