While racing games are hot right now and there have been some great ones, racing fans are always looking for that extra little something to add for that realistic feeling. It seems it does not matter if it’s an arcade racer or a “Sim” style game – racing fans want more. Now being a fan of this genre myself I understand the thought process behind this. There have been several products introduced that were designed to attract owners of the Xbox who enjoy racing games. Sadly, most have been gimmicks at best. Some examples are RC-style controllers and mini-racing wheels. While a few of these products looked good in the package, they should have been kept in the package. They simply did not work and, if anything, just added frustration for not only buying it but trying to get the controls down.

Now the serious racing fan knows how to drive with a real wheel set-up. While it may look cool and easy, learning to switch from the S-Controller to a wheel is not easy at all. It also presented a huge problem for racing fans that were used to a wheel set-up when Xbox Live arrived. No wheel on the market had a slot for the headset and the communicator. So most had no choice but to go back to a regular controller and settle for that. Now as hard as it is to learn to switch to a wheel, it may be even harder to switch back to a controller and feel as comfortable. So when the Madcatz MC2 Wheel and pedals arrived and it had a slot for the headset, I was very excited to take it for a spin. At last, a wheel and pedal set-up I could use and talk on live at the same time. The question remained was it worth the money or would I soon find myself back to using a controller again? Read on as we test drive the Madcatz MC2 Racing wheel made for Xbox and Xbox live.

Initial Impressions

Taking a look at the box I noticed right away they were aiming this one for fans of PGR 2. I opened the box and the wheel is package on top and the pedal base is packaged separately. Lifting out the wheel I could tell the wheel was solid and well-made. I noticed the wheel had the slot for the communicator on top. I also noticed the gear shift was a “holly slap style”, not you’re standard 4 gear slot set up. This alone impressed me before even using the wheel since most games have cars with 5 or 6 speeds. I also noticed the “butterfly” shifters on either side of the wheel.

Madcatz place a lot of thought into the wheel design. Also worth mentioning is that the screen shot is not accurate. The wheel is grayish black with a silver base color and looks sharp – better than the orange pictured, at least by my preferences. The pedal base has a separate cord that plugs into the wheel on the right side, and there is one cord going to the control port and one cord going to the pedals. Both are long enough for most gamers to set-up without needing to rearrange the Xbox or move from your favorite seat while playing.

Features

  • Officially licensed for Xbox
  • Tune the wheel’s sensitivity to fit personal preferences with the AccuDrive system
  • Retractable leg supports put you in the driver’s seat and keep you there
  • Vertical vector design means when you throttle up, the pedals won’t take off
  • Double injected steering wheel with rubber coating is specially designed to provide optimal vibration feedback
  • 10 High-performance action buttons provide superior control

Product Images

Mad Catz MC2 Racing Wheel for Xbox and Xbox Live

Setup / Ease of Use

Taking a look at the screen shot above you will see they made the buttons easy to reach and right at wheel level. What you may not be able to see is that the wheel is made for either placement on a table or it can sit right on the gamer’s lap. They also made it to fit most gamers comfortably and will stay in place without shifting around. You may also see a LED meter on the wheel, this is not only for looks when you hit the gas pedal. There is a small black button you hit to set the wheel’s radius for your style of driving. A simple touch of the button and then using the horn “that doubles as the D-Pad” adjusts the setting using two bright green LED meters. Another push and it’s set and your ready to take a test run.

Overall, the wheel alone has the perfect button placement. The pedal base has grips for carpeted floors, although they could have made it a bit heavier. You will need to find a way to prevent the base from moving. I use the old trick of stategically placing an old telephone book to prevent it from moving while in a race. The wheel even had a rumble feature and one that adds a realistic feeling. Personally, I always prefer this over a force feedback since the ‘FF’ feeling is more of a gimmick and is not realistic at all. To set-up everything and get used to the buttons will require two important things. The first one is that you read the manual that comes with it. The second one is that you need about 45-60 minutes to get used to the overall feel and button placement and usage.

You cannot use just the wheel alone. This would have been nice but the basic design had no way of emulating the triggers. One important side note: the unit I received did not come with the instruction booklet. With a quick call to Madcatz that was fixed. A link to the manual online is included at the bottom of this review. It happens and it was something that was resolved quickly. I have never had any trouble with Madcatz when it came to their tech support line. Once again, they lived up to their record of professional and courteous help.

Response and Design

The unit looks good and has some great features, but t he real test was how would it play on and offline. I used PGR 2 since the box had screen shots and there is a setting in PGR2 for this wheel. Although this was the earlier model it works, but simply using the “A” lay out works as well. No need to switch any settings or remap the wheel. At first I could hear everyone and thankfully I was in a room with friends. As I mentioned switching back to a wheel and peddle set-up takes time to relearn. I was happy and needed only to tweak the “Accudrive calibration” one notch and still finish in a decent place. I then raced it offline and the feel took some time to get used to. Since I have a lead foot, I needed to remind myself there was a brake pedal as well. Both peddles felt realistic although they both could be a bit tighter but every racing fan has there own feelings on this. Once the phone book was in place, I did not need to keep my left foot on the base to keep it in place.

Just another word of advice, you may want to wear a pair of soft shoes or slippers when using this controller. Socks slip easy and it also can create a bit of discomfort. I then changed to a newer game that recognized I was using a wheel. I was prompted to adjust the sensitivity setting for the wheel. My best advice is to change it from the default then back. If any adjustments are needed, use the “Accudrive calibration” on the wheel. You will also need to look at the book if other buttons are needed. For a quick example, the wheel emulates the left and right analog triggers by default using the pedals. Since you can’t change this, you will need to change the settings a bit in the game to fit the wheel.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 8.8/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

The overall unit, wheel and pedal base is made well and does not have that fragile feeling, you won’t easily break it and that impressed me. While a few games take time to learn to use with the MC2 wheel, it is worth the money if you have used a wheel before. I strongly recommend those new to a wheel make sure they know it will take time to learn. The Madcatz MC2 priced at 59.99 (currently) outperforms other wheels I have tested that have cost me twice as much. It was made with the main features racing fans look for and is comfortable to use sitting on your lap. The feature of having the option to use it on a table with the suction cup adds to the value. I also like the realistic shifting and the fact it can still be set to automatic for those who are used to racing that way. Looks great, feels great and supports Xbox Live. While not cheap, this one has features seen on more expensive models. Sure, it takes time to master but certainly worth it for fans of a good racing wheel. The unit also offers a 5-year warranty and free tech support.

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