Logitech G923 Review - IGN

Logitech’s G923 racing wheel features a new system to introduce an added layer of force feedback over what’s possible in prior models like the Logitech G29 and G920. Dubbed ‘Trueforce’ the tech is basically designed to take data from within the physics and audio packages of supported racing games and use that information to deliver extra sensations and vibrations to the wheel rim and into your hands.

The result does feel richer in comparison, although as a relatively new product there’s limited current support for the feature within the racing and driving genre.

Logitech G923 – Design and Features

Logitech has previously sold console-specific wheels as different models, with the G920 for Xbox One and the G29 for PS4 (which is largely the same product but with a few additional features, like a 24-point selection dial and a set of LED rev indicator lights).

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This time around Logitech has cut down on the disparity between the two camps. There are naturally two versions of the G923 – one comes with typical PlayStation controls built-in, one with Xbox controls, and both are compatible with PC – but now both versions get the same name and the same flourishes (namely, that same 24-point selection dial and the set of LED rev indicator lights). The G923 is also compatible with Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.

Ultimately, however, the presence of the dial and lights is really the only major physical difference between the G920 and the G923, and the G923 is otherwise virtually identical to the G29. The exposed brushed metal of the rim itself is now black on the G923 (it’s more of a gun metal grey on the G29) and the shift paddles are also black (they’re silver on the G29). Aside from that, they’re basically twins. Same base, same clamps, same button shapes and layout, same leather-wrapped rim with the same stitching – even the same blue aluminium strip to mark the top centre of the wheel.

The clutch, brake, and accelerator pedal set is also essentially aesthetically identical to the G29/G920 pedals; the only way you could really tell the sets apart when looking at them is the logo printed beneath the brake pedal. The only difference is inside; the G923 replaces the rubber stopper under the G29/G920 with a new progressive spring that gets firmer as you depress it.

The G923 is compatible with the current Logitech standalone shifter, but it doesn’t come with one.

Logitech G923 – Performance

In games without ‘Trueforce’ compatibility (or with Trueforce toggled off) the G923 feels identical to the G29/G920 (which were not exactly a quantum leap ahead of the G27 back in 2010). It’s still a gear-driven wheel so force feedback is decent if not particularly nuanced, and bumps still make the whole wheel unit rattle like a microwave packed with popcorn. Dialing down FFB in-game can often help tame the knocking in Logitech wheels, although numbing FFB also kind of defeats the purpose of buying a wheel in the first place.

Enabling Trueforce definitely adds another layer to the sensations felt through the wheel, though it does come at the cost of making the wheel even noisier than usual. Trueforce, for instance, enables the G923 to hook itself into the in-game audio and deliver a constant vibration to the wheel rim to simulate the throbbing engine reverberating into the cabin and through the controls. The higher the revs, the stronger the vibration. If you mute the game volume on your gaming TV or soundbar and speaker system you can still hear the G923 itself sound like it’s going through its own rev range – it’s kind of like that slightly distant, tinny sound you get when you go to play a game and you think your speakers are broken until you realise you’ve just forgotten to unplug your gaming headset.

Logitech explains Trueforce “connects directly to in-game engines, processing at up to 4000 times per second” using actual game physics and audio in real time. I suspect a layman would describe it more simply as a general buzzing when the engine is running. This extra vibration doesn’t really get in the way of other more important feedback and cornering forces, and it’s convincing to a point; it does help vehicles feel more alive, even at idle. After using the Trueforce system and toggling it off, I’ll admit I did suddenly feel a little more disconnected from my virtual car. The system is more immersive, despite the fact it makes a bit of a racket.

Of course, the additional caveat for now is that Trueforce is only supported in a couple of games so far. At the moment only Gran Turismo Sport, Assetto Corsa Competizione, and 2019’s Grid officially support Trueforce.

The force feedback system is more immersive, despite the fact it makes a bit of a racket.“

In terms of the pedals, only the brake feels different from the G29/G920. The G923 now has a progressive spring under the brake that makes it harder to depress the further you stomp on it (the G29/G920 has a rubber stopper, which is an effective but cruder solution to simulate the building hydraulic force of a brake pedal – although it creates a distinct two-stage effect where you can feel the pedal first hit the stopper).

The G923 feels better all the way until fully depressed, when it taps against the base. Perhaps the new progressive spring could’ve been combined with a slightly softer stopper to give it a super firm feel at 100% depressed, but without the clunk of it hitting the limit of the base.

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Logitech G923 – Purchasing Guide

The Logitech G923 racing wheels and pedals retails for $349 at Best Buy and Logitech.

Logitech G923

47For a budget-friendly price, this wheel with a full metal pedal set lets you feel the intricacies of the road thanks to geared force feedback and Trueforce technology. See it at Best Buy