While it functions well, the Mad Catz Wireless Racing Wheel only works with Xbox 360. But for anyone with a desk or table nearby, the plastic clamps do get the job done without slipping. This option allows for easy and accessible couch racing for those with little space for activities in their home.

I for one have very little room to setup a racing rig in front of my home television, but by attaching the wheel’s lap rest I can get racing rather than constructing a pricey cockpit rig or makeshift table setup. One of the best aspects of Mad Catz’s wheel is the lap rest. The wheel has a moveable sequential shifter than can be switched to accommodate left or right handers. Additionally, the paddle shifters are metal too, making for swift strokes when testing the transmission. But the wheel and base contain solid metal elements that take the opposite route into good construction. The Wireless Racing Wheel doesn’t have a clutch, just a gas and brake pedal that also function as left and right triggers (try playing Need for Speed: The Run’s non-racing quicktime events while jamming on the gas and brake). They’re plastic and extremely light, with no option to attach them to the ground. The construction of the pedals feels the most flimsy of the whole package. I couldn’t differentiate between the feedback of different vehicles while driving. But the tension feels either like an outside force banging on the device, or a gentle tug – nothing in between. The force feedback in the wheel is consistent, providing variable force when trying to corner any vehicle. It’s an affordable piece of equipment compared to Fanatec’s wheel (we’re looking at around $250) and does a good job of delivering racing action. Mad Catz’s offering falls somewhere in the middle. Designed with Forza Motorsport 4 in mind, Mad Catz’s latest wheel can be seen as a competitor to the Fanatec CSR Wheel and Microsoft’s Wireless Speed Wheel.

Xbox 360 wireless racing wheel