Best Xbox One steering wheels

You've not lived as an Xbox racing fan until you try the best Xbox One steering wheels. They reinvent what it feels like to drive on a digital track via pedals, more realistic feedback, and lifelike resistance as you tear around corners. In short, they're some of the most essential Xbox One accessories you can get your hands on. 

However, that comes at a very literal cost - Xbox One steering wheels can be expensive, even if you're wise and go for the cheaper bundles with pedals included. There's a lot of fancy tech under the hood, after all (up to and including 'force feedback', which provides a more immersive experience).

No matter what you choose, you'll never want to use standard controllers for racing again!

Best Xbox One steering wheels

Steering wheels are typically aimed at either entry-level players looking to dip their toes in the water of sim racing, or hardcore racers who have been doing this for some time now, but the G923 caters for both brilliantly. The G923 also offers perhaps the most immersion you'll get from any wheel on the market thanks to the new TrueForce technology, while still keeping the price point below the upmarket costs. 

It's well-built with premium stitching around the leather, looks sleek with your set-up, and is the closest you can get to experience what it's like to actually be behind the wheel of a supercar/F1 car/rally car without leaving the comfort of your desk -  or forking out some serious money for a full sim-rig set-up. If you've got the cash, the G923 is a beautiful bit of kit, and a must-have if you don't already own a similar product.

The Force Feedback in the Logitech wheel is exemplary, with strong, smooth forces pushing and pulling against your hands as you control the vehicle. It feels slightly smoother to use than the Thrustmaster TX, but also a little less realistic. It's very much a deluxe game controller rather than a replica of a real steering wheel setup. It's not so strong that you'll have to wrestle with the car like with the Fanatec servos physically, but you'll still feel the steering go light when you understeer, clatter across kerbs and feel cars rubbing against you in tight packs. Lovely stuff.

This is a very comfortable wheel to hold, but isn't interchangeable like other similarly-priced units, so you're stuck with the one in the box. That's really no bad thing, though - the paddle shifters feel nice, the fatter rim than other wheels feels really nice to hold and adds to the smooth sensation of driving, and the buttons' raised profiling makes for a wheel that's both stylish and practical for gaming. 

This is the only real downside to the unit. The unit we tested had a very stiff brake pedal from new, which meant that applying 100% braking was tough without standing on the pedal with all your weight. The problem apparently lies with the rubber stopper intended to give you a realistic feel of resistance, but it seems that some units' rubber is too hard. It can be modified and will get better over time, but the fact remains that other units offer more playable experience straight out of the box. Still, assuming you can get the brakes working well, the rest of the unit is a bargain at this price, considering the product you're getting.

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Thrustmaster Ferrari 458 Spider

Thrustmaster Ferrari 458 Spider

Thrustmaster Ferrari 458 Spider

This is the budget end of the range, but it's still far, far better-feeling for driving games than a pad because you get a wheel and pedals for progressive steering and brake/throttle inputs. Just remember, it's more suited to casual arcade racers than true sims (though it'll still be loads of fun with Forza).

The most important thing here is what the unit lacks, and that is Force Feedback. There's 'linear resistance' on the steering wheel, which means it gets harder to turn the more you turn it. That's fair enough, but rather than a motor feeding back what's happening in the game through your hands, this is just a simple bungee cord that doesn't translate any of the action into extra movement. It's also worth noting that the wheel doesn't rotate as much between full locks, which means less precision (but also more responsive steering compared to your movements). Less realistic, but better for arcade racing games. 

The wheel feels less solid and realistic as a result, although since it's modelled on a real Ferrari wheel, at least the design is suitably racy and comfortable. It too has long-pronged paddle shifters, so you can change gear with your fingertips while you race, just like real racing drivers. 

Again, while the brake pedal here offers progressive input, but this is a more cheaply-made pedal set than others on this list, and you will feel the difference. But the fact remains that controlling brakes and acceleration with your feet instead of triggers on a pad is awesome, so if you want to feel like a racing driver when you play your favourite racing games, this will do the job well. 

The most important thing here is what the unit lacks, and that is Force Feedback. There's 'linear resistance' on the steering wheel, which means it gets harder to turn the more you turn it. That's fair enough, but rather than a motor feeding back what's happening in the game through your hands, this is just a simple bungee cord that doesn't translate any of the action into extra movement. It's also worth noting that the wheel doesn't rotate as much between full locks, which means less precision (but also more responsive steering compared to your movements). Less realistic, but better for arcade racing games. 

The wheel feels less solid and realistic as a result, although since it's modelled on a real Ferrari wheel, at least the design is suitably racy and comfortable. It too has long-pronged paddle shifters, so you can change gear with your fingertips while you race, just like real racing drivers. 

Again, while the brake pedal here offers progressive input, but this is a more cheaply-made pedal set than others on this list, and you will feel the difference. But the fact remains that controlling brakes and acceleration with your feet instead of triggers on a pad is awesome, so if you want to feel like a racing driver when you play your favourite racing games, this will do the job well.

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Thrustmaster TMX

Thrustmaster TMX

Thrustmaster TMX

This is the entry-level Force Feedback wheel for Xbox One, but that doesn't mean a disappointing experience - far from it. It actually means you get the feel of an arcade cabinet in your home, access to advanced features in your racing games that were previously denied to you, and you get a feel for what it's really like to drive a car. 

Obviously the quality of the servo here is a far cry from the top-of-the-range products elsewhere on this list, but you so get forces pushing and pulling at the wheel as you race. There's nothing quite so exciting as seeing another car moving towards you and then feeling the nudge through your hands as you drive - it's like the game is actually happening. Games these days have a lot of detail in their Force Feedback systems, so a lot of the quality in terms of how good the effect is comes from the software, rather than the hardware. And since Thrustmaster is a respected brand, even their entry-level gear is worth playing.

The layout of this wheel is very similar to the Leather Racing Edition of the top-tier model, which is perfectly functional, but doesn't have buttons easily accessible under your thumbs - you do need to reach for them. When that means your handbrake isn't the easiest button to press - especially when you're turning the wheel already - that's not ideal. However, it's a solid and otherwise pleasant-feeling design, and the long-pronged paddle shifters means you can easily change gear whether you hold your wheel at the 10-to-two position, or the racier quarter-to-three. It likely won't take as much of a beating as more expensive wheels, but if you drive smoothly, it'll serve you very well indeed.

Not so good, sadly. A decent pedal unit needs metal and a clutch pedal, but this is a plasticky, two-pedal affair. It still allows you to input throttle and brake controls at varying degrees, which means you're less likely  to lock the wheels under braking, or spin the wheels of the startline. It's still way, way better than using a standard control pad (though Xbox One's haptic triggers are pretty wonderful at doing those same tasks), so controlling the game won't be an issue. Just don't expect it to feel like there's a real car under your feet - there plainly isn't.

Obviously, the quality of the servo here is a far cry from the top-of-the-range products elsewhere on this list, but you so get forces pushing and pulling at the wheel as you race. There's nothing quite so exciting as seeing another car moving towards you and then feeling the nudge through your hands as you drive - it's like the game is actually happening. These days, games have a lot of detail in their Force Feedback systems, so a lot of the quality in terms of how good the effect comes from the software, rather than the hardware. And since Thrustmaster is a respected brand, even their entry-level gear is worth playing.

This wheel's layout is very similar to the Leather Racing Edition of the top-tier model, which is perfectly functional, but doesn't have buttons easily accessible under your thumbs - you do need to reach for them. That means your handbrake isn't the easiest button to press - especially when you're turning the wheel already - that's not ideal. However, it's a solid and otherwise pleasant-feeling design, and the long-pronged paddle shifters mean you can easily change gear whether you hold your wheel at the 10-to-two position or the racier quarter-to-three. It likely won't take as much of a beating as more expensive wheels, but if you drive smoothly, it'll serve you very well indeed.

Not so good, sadly. A decent pedal unit needs metal and a clutch pedal, but this is a plasticky, two-pedal affair. It still allows you to input throttle and brake controls at varying degrees, which means you're less likely to lock the wheels under braking or spin the wheels of the startline. It's still way, way better than using a standard control pad (though Xbox One's haptic triggers are pretty fantastic at doing those same tasks), so controlling the game won't be an issue. Just don't expect it to feel like there's a real car under your feet - there plainly isn't.