70 replies to this topic

[Melbourne Park]

Since my son left home, he's take his Playstations. 

 

I've found my G27 wheel is only compatible if I buy other devices to make it work on a PS4. And if that worked, then the wheel would also work on an Xbox.

 

I've noted on the threads here for Sims, that Forza hasn't got one that's regularly updated. So, I'm guessing Forza is not the best around.

 

My question is, should I buy an Xbox one (the one with Ultra 4k Blue ray, or a Sony PS4 Pro? And I don't have a blue ray player, and I do have an Ultra 4K TV. Although for most racing games, I am likely to pick the game station up and put into into my gym room, which has a 50% plasma, so game resolution will be 1080 only, most of the time.

 

I've read reviews of games and such, and the platforms, and they typical comment is that the PS4 is cheaper, and that it has better leaf rendition ... and besides that, they are much the same although the Xbox renders 40% faster but its exclusive games are not as good as the Sony's are. 

 

I'm confused too about downloading movies etc - it seems the PS4 is better at that than the Xbox one - not sure how that can be??

 

I have cable internet, ethernet available where the game machine will be.

 

I have a powerful high end AV receiver too (just bought it but not yet installed), so downloading 4K movies has some appeal. I have not installed the 4k Ultra TV yet - should do so next week. 

 

As far as Sim games go - I've liked the way you have to earn a car in Gran Turismo games. For me, on line racing might be great, but I'm probably not as fast as I was last time I online raced - which is maybe 3 years ago. I won't be as fast now as I was then either ... so the game side is probably more important than it was.

 

I don't play any other games either ... I'd feel uncomfortable doing that ... while driving with a wheel is actually good for me I reckon, my pulse goes right up and I work quite hard ...

 

Leave it to you guys as to the best choice. 

Edited by Melbourne Park, 02 February 2018 - 22:31.

[baddog]

Project cars and Assetto Corsa are on both as are other common games and I honestly doubt it makes any difference which platform you choose for those. There is also Dirt 4 for rallies which is supposed to be great fun.

 

Platform exclusives it is GT Sport vs Forza 7 I guess, and that or other non-racing considerations are the main reason one would choose between them.

 

Really hard for anyone to make comparisons and most of us are pretty partisan or only play one platform. Reviews are highly unreliable on the whole.. all the stuff about rendering matters little once you start playing either way.

 

I'm a PS guy and have GT Sport so I will only comment on that. GT Sport single player is not as well structured as it could be though it is enjoyable for me and getting better, plus they are adding new free content fast. The actual racing game looks and feels superb, and it gives you a really usable gateway to online racing with daily changing races matching you mostly with similar standard players. I say this as someone who NEVER previously took to online racing and now plays this online every day, because you can just dip your toes in and it is friendly to use.

 

Ill leave it to an Xbox player to comment on Forza..

[MikeV1987]

I own both, they are the very first versions of the consoles though, so I can't really compare the two newest ones. PC is best option but gets pricey.

 

Between the two consoles, If you are only going to play racing games I'd say go with the PS4. Racing is a niche genre and from my own experience of owning Pcars 1 and F1 2015 on both consoles, there are more people playing on PS4 rather than Xbox One at any given time. And for me, that is a pretty big deal. Sometimes I would jump late at night and there would be basically 1-5 Pcars lobbies open on xbox with barely anyone in them, I would switch to PS4 and there would be at least 15-20. It was worse in F1 2015, that game was basically dead on Xbox. Also, both games ran and looked better on PS4. Not sure how it is now, but if my Xbox dies then I will not be replacing it.

 

I played the Forza Motorsport series for many years (#2 - 6) but I didn't buy Forza 7 for various reasons. I'll just say that buying an Xbox for Forza Motorsport is not worth it if you're into more serious racing games. 

 

Both consoles are fine for renting and downloading movies, I recommend getting an external hard drive though since games take up a lot of space if you download those too.

 

The only thing that's keeping me playing on the Xbox is PubG but that game is ****ing amazing.

[chunder27]

I would only ever use a proper gaming PC for sims, as nowadays to get the most from it you are going to need VR capability.

 

consoles are probably OK, but the games you can get are not as "simmy" as PC games

[Melbourne Park]

Hey guys, thanks.

 

So far, the only advantage of Xbox is the 4K Blu Ray player. 

 

The problem for me with other games, is I reckon I'd be addicted to them and waste time!!! Not good ... I need to avoid them. 

 

I did on line race in I think it was GT5??? the first on line Gran Truism ... and it was great fun. There was a selection of cars ... and I raced around Suzuka, a track I know well. There was one very fast car I saw in a couple of races - a Nissan of some R34 flavour or like one ... it beat me. I raced a tiny  Lotus. If I started quickly, I would crash at the first corner, every time ... really weird. Due to other cars crashing into me I guessed ... so I would let the pack start and then off I would go. Except for that Nissan, I'd win. It was fun because I came from behind. There were lots of crazy kids out there though - evidently the new on line punishes those that crash. I'm not sure about car setups - that Nissan was a lot more powerful than my little Lotus. 

 

My main reason for liking an Xbox one is the 4k blu ray player ... but everything else so far says Sony. 

 

I guess i need to check what i'll miss out on with a cheap blu ray player ...

[Melbourne Park]

PC is out for me really as I use a mac pro ... I'd have to upgrade the graphics card - and which card would take some figuring out. Not sure either whether sim games would run on Xeon twin multi-threaded CPUs. I do have Windows on the machine though but it would cost quite a bit for a decent card and I'd have to work out which one to get; normally for my Mac you need to flash the card. It all takes time ... plus playing games would waste even more of my time! The racing is OK though - its a form of exercise for me too, which I reckon is healthy ... 

[chunder27]

In which case you ight miss out on the very best sims like Assetoo Corsa, Iracing and a few others

 

But a decent wheel with a console might be OK, I just prefer sim racing for the maddability and the tailoring.  Can you afford a cheap PC with a decent card, RAM and CPU?  You could probably do it on 500 pounds or so.

[The Kanisteri]

My first tip is to not listen chunder27 at all. He is PC fanboy and whines a lot when world doesn't revolve around him in console car games.

[chunder27]

Oh shut up you cretin, there is no need whatsoever for tripe like that.  My tip is to disregard the opinion of someone who offers no advice whatsoever, just reads a username a posts garbage.

 

I am not a fanboy of anything, I play on both systems and have done for 15 years. I just prefer usually playing sims on PC, as do most serious sim gamers.

 

games now are better on console as wheels are able to be used and work better  but one thing you will never be able to do is modify the game for yourself with mods or better settings.  plus games are far cheaper on PC.

And of course you can upgrade the machine if you need more.

[The Kanisteri]

Games are cheaper on PC, but I doubt your 500 £/€/$ would be enough to get decent good PC to run those games smoothly...

[chunder27]

Well my PC runs most racing games on full settings fine thanks, depends on what you know and how you shop

 

Either way your comments were inappropriate for this thread.

[Nonesuch]

Although for most racing games, I am likely to pick the game station up and put into into my gym room, which has a 50% plasma, so game resolution will be 1080 only, most of the time.

 

This doesn't seem like something to worry about too much. Not only at the distance most people will have to their console monitors (aka TV), but also because most console titles aren't actually anywhere close to being rendered at the resolutions being bandied about. There's tons of upscaling or checkerboard rendering going on in the console business. That's not necessarily terrible, but more often than not there's no need to go chasing the latest gimmick with your other hardware (such as the monitor). The content simply isn't there. On consoles, that is. Still, for the situation you describe - it seems you'd be perfectly fine with a console.

 

When it comes to choosing, in terms of popularity the Playstation seems to have the measure of the Xbox pretty much everywhere except in the United States. I'm not entirely sure how their latest attempts to upgrade their hardware have altered the balance between them in terms of computing power, but neither are particularly compelling hardware-wise anyway, so it's going to be much more important to see which platform has the games you want. You can get basic "4K" Blu-ray players for less than €100, so it's not a feature I'd base a choice of console on. The F1 games come out on both platforms, and the Xbox Forza series seems to have hit a bit of a slump if reviews are something to go on. The renewed focus in the Playstation's GT series seems to have pleased many, but neither are 'bad' products. It's just a case of figuring out which you prefer. Watch some videos of the gameplay. There's no doubt tons of hours of it on YouTube.

 

Games are cheaper on PC, but I doubt your 500 £/€/$ would be enough to get decent good PC to run those games smoothly...

 

€500 is pushing it a bit, but you can get console-equivalent performance for just a bit more quite easily. Especially in racing games, which aren't the most demanding of genres, and all the more so now that more developers are bringing their console rendering tricks to their PC versions (Ubisoft is especially busy with this). Such a PC won't run the same as a PC equipped with the latest AMD CPU or the best GPUs Nvidia has to offer, but neither do the consoles. Not even close.

Edited by Nonesuch, 04 February 2018 - 17:27.

[The Kanisteri]

 

€500 is pushing it a bit, but you can get console-equivalent performance for just a bit more quite easily. Especially in racing games, which aren't the most demanding of genres, and all the more so now that more developers are bringing their console rendering tricks to their PC versions (Ubisoft is especially busy with this).

I disagree with you on this, racing games, more the sim ones, needs a lot and accurate calculations in real time. Little lag and you might not have the real "arse feeling" on driving and you lose or cannot control the car on slides and such.

 

Also if there's plenty of other cars on grid, this will escalate quickly.

 

Chunder27, funny...I feel pretty much same about your comments in plenty of these threads...

[baddog]

Please stop making it about you two rather than the poster's question.

 

PC is off the table as a direct alternative to console, to get a non-frustrating experience you are spending a K, and putting in a fair lot of work, and it isn't 'pick up and plug in the TV' like a console. 

 

Final answer, get the PS4 pro, get in GT Sport and give us your handle, will see you in a lobby ;)

[chunder27]

I disagree honestly.

 

My PC was 400 quid brand new with decent enough gear to play AC, Dirt Raly and Iracing online with no issues.

 

I have a wheel yes, but an old G25 that would perhaps cost 80 odd quid now.  You don't need much else other than a decent monitor which would probably cost you 100 quid.

 

It's nowhere near as expensive as people think, certainly not a grand, sorry but you don't need that much.

 

GT Sport is a game, not a sim.  It's good and will be good fun, but it is certainly NOT Iracing, Rfactor 2, Asseto Corsa or Dirt rally, not even close. Those games work aswell on consoles, but with a wheel, you either need a stand or a play seat, both of which are ether cumbersome or a bit silly depends on your outlook.

[baddog]

I disagree honestly.

 

My PC was 400 quid brand new with decent enough gear to play AC, Dirt Raly and Iracing online with no issues.

 

I have a wheel yes, but an old G25 that would perhaps cost 80 odd quid now.  You don't need much else other than a decent monitor which would probably cost you 100 quid.

 

It's nowhere near as expensive as people think, certainly not a grand, sorry but you don't need that much.

 

GT Sport is a game, not a sim.  It's good and will be good fun, but it is certainly NOT Iracing, Rfactor 2, Asseto Corsa or Dirt rally, not even close. Those games work aswell on consoles, but with a wheel, you either need a stand or a play seat, both of which are ether cumbersome or a bit silly depends on your outlook.

 

If talking GBP ps4 pro can be got for not much north of 300. standard ps4 for 250 and he would be using a TV he already has.

 

I wasnt talking GBP when I said over 1000, but 700 is more realistic than 4, especially with graphics card prices through the roof. To exceed PS4 visual performance and be fast and reliable I stick to that figure sorry. And that is not for a GOOD gaming machine, just a usable one.

 

Twice the price is a lot, and he already said he doesnt want a PC anyway.

[PayasYouRace]

Just to point out I'm getting a lot out of my Xbone and Forza 7 right now. The single player has good progession and the online leagues are generally good. Many events are ghosted so no idiots ruining the races, but even the simulation events with crashes on are fairly well behaved most of the time.

 

Given that at the moment I'm only able to play casually at the weekends, it serves me fine.

[Nonesuch]

I disagree with you on this, racing games, more the sim ones, needs a lot and accurate calculations in real time.

 

Right, but they are only accurate to a point (deliberately so). All games are fudging the numbers to varying degrees, and are cutting corners to keep their performance acceptable. If a game works on consoles, it'll be fine on (slightly better) comparable PC components. That is, unless you get an inept side-studio making the PC equivalent - but those failures tend to attract so much scorn and mocking that it'll be hard to avoid being warned. There also isn't really a racing game that comes to mind that suffers from this problem.

 

But just because high-end gaming PCs run circles around consoles doesn't mean you should let other people's better hardware stop you from also having a good time. There's tons of fun to be had playing racing games on consoles, and mid-range PCs for that matter. Especially if the games strike your fancy, which is why I suggest looking into that part much more than into the hardware comparisons. Between my Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 I probably had only about five games - GT, Forza, Project Gotham Racing - but they still provided me and some friends many hours of good fun.   

[Melbourne Park]

A gaming PC costs lots more than an Xbox or a PS4 Pro.

 

The lowest kind (besides making it yourself which doesn't save you much actually) is this one:

System Components:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 1200 Processor with Wraith Stealth
• Motherboard: ASUS Prime A320M-K Motherboard
• Graphics: ASUS GeForce GTX 1050 Phoenix 2GB
• Memory: Corsair Value Select CMV8GX4M1A2133C15 8GB (1x8GB) DDR4
• Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB ST1000DM010
• Case: Deepcool Smarter LED Mid Tower Case
• Power Supply: be quiet! Pure Power 10 500W Power Supply
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home
• Warranty: 2 year Return to Base Parts & Labour Warranty

Our Cost in Australia is $Au1,050. Double the price of a PS4.

 

I'd need a bigger monitor, because with a wheel you sit further away. My Eizo 24" monitor is a costly pro monitor which enable accuracy printing colour, but 24" would be a bit small. 

 

I have a wheel but it likely won't work (Baddog suggested how to get it to work), my wheel is G27 Logitech - nicer than the comparable G29 because it also has a gearshift. I do have a fold down wheel stand which is very stable - a great idea.

 

If I got a PC I'd probably loose control and spend $1,800 or so ... and from what I've read, you need to buy a GPU with a long warranty, as they are not reliable. Water cooling assists too with such reliability ... and how noisy do such machines get ... nah ... a console is sensible compared to all that. Let my son do that sort of stuff, and now his life has changed it's mean't he hasn't much time to play, despite having the toys to do so. I played with his PS4's VR head set too - it was great, except that it wasn't very high res. When Sony's VR gets high definition, it'll be great ... maybe Gran Truismo next, coming out next year, and then delayed annually for a further 3 years!!!!

 

Chunder27, your words were too aggressive for me, I couldn't read you post, I had to go onto the next post, sorry. 

Edited by Melbourne Park, 05 February 2018 - 13:31.

[chunder27]

Lol oo aggressive!

 

I thin you might need to get out more.

[LBDN]

Lol oo aggressive!

I thin you might need to get out more.

It is a valid point.

You do seem a little aggressive at times.

Oddly it is normally after you post a comment that i assume is a deliberate troll attempt to generate a reaction and then when people respond back saying your comments are ridiculous you then go on the defensive...

[Nonesuch]

Like noted above, I think you'll be best served with a console of either kind.

 

With regards to the wheel, that can be a bit tricky. Neither Sony nor Microsoft gets points for compatibility. It's worth keeping an eye on.

 

 

On a more general note:

 

... and from what I've read, you need to buy a GPU with a long warranty, as they are not reliable. Water cooling assists too with such reliability ... and how noisy do such machines get ... nah ... a console is sensible compared to all that. 

 

Yes, GPUs can break. Like every other electrical component. But you're going to have to do some pretty impressively goofy stuff to get them to overheat long enough for it to be an issue that requires your constant attention. Especially those low-end cards. There is absolutely zero need for water cooling on such equipment, or even on much better components. 

 

Noise is most often the result of users being careless about their fans and software configuration. Some random mid-range PC doesn't need eight 140mm fans running at 100%, nor does a PC require the quad-core processor to run at 4,2 Ghz when browsing the web. It's often user... not error, but complacency and lack of care.

[The Kanisteri]

if not wanting to buy new wheel nor solder own kit of adapter, this could be useful for swapping older wheel to new and different systems.

 

https://shop.cronusm...m/drivehub.html

 

For solder and tinker option http://gimx.fr/wiki/...ter_for_dummies (thanks to JimmyTheFox).

Edited by The Kanisteri, 06 February 2018 - 10:59.

[Melbourne Park]

if not wanting to buy new wheel nor solder own kit of adapter, this could be useful for swapping older wheel to new and different systems.

 

https://shop.cronusm...m/drivehub.html

 

For solder and tinker option http://gimx.fr/wiki/...ter_for_dummies (thanks to JimmyTheFox).

 

So does the converter need other stuff to make it work on a G27 Logitech wheel (which was in Australia the most popular wheel for PS3 and Gran Turismo) on a PS4 Pro? 

[The Kanisteri]

Melbourne Park, I honestly don't know. I have ordinary PS4 from 2014 and Logitech G29 with gear stick and have no any issues with them. So i don't need adapters.

[baddog]

So does the converter need other stuff to make it work on a G27 Logitech wheel (which was in Australia the most popular wheel for PS3 and Gran Turismo) on a PS4 Pro? 

 

Manunfacturer states it is plug and play compatible with PS4 and G27. I have not personally tried it though I wouldnt be surprised if I do give it a go as I have a wheel gathering dust..

[chunder27]

There was somehting done by Sony a few years ago that meant you would find it harder to use certain wheels on the PS4, it was intentional, not a cause of the spec of the machine.

 

Low level dirty tactics thats all

[baddog]

yeah thats why this box is needed. It 'fixes' compatibility between PS4/XBox (same issue with that) and all major wheels.

[Melbourne Park]

Melbourne Park, I honestly don't know. I have ordinary PS4 from 2014 and Logitech G29 with gear stick and have no any issues with them. So i don't need adapters.

 

Its a tough one because that device is Au115 plus probably Au$40 for shipping. Plus perhaps as stuff to plug it in, lets say all up that's $Au175. Your G29 would cost maybe $500 I'd guess. 

 

I bought my wheel as a bundle with I think the game but it wasn't a huge cost. I'd rather get one locally too but it seems they are not around - easier for our guys to sell new stuff and pass issues onto the locally distributed manufacturer's agent. Which is why our stuff costs more than it should I guess.

 

I am tempted to give it a go though - I think bandog first recommended it here!!! 

[Melbourne Park]

I just did a search - G29 wheels (without gearshifts though but I don't use the gearshift I prefer the paddles) cost $Au355 it seems. Probably worth it for a new one I guess, and I'll try to sell my old wheel. If I ended up with two new looking wheels, I'd get in trouble from the lovely lady I reckon, so best to get rid of the G27 wheel ... 

Edited by Melbourne Park, 06 February 2018 - 23:54.

[Melbourne Park]

Like noted above, I think you'll be best served with a console of either kind.

 

With regards to the wheel, that can be a bit tricky. Neither Sony nor Microsoft gets points for compatibility. It's worth keeping an eye on.

 

 

On a more general note:

 

 

Yes, GPUs can break. Like every other electrical component. But you're going to have to do some pretty impressively goofy stuff to get them to overheat long enough for it to be an issue that requires your constant attention. Especially those low-end cards. There is absolutely zero need for water cooling on such equipment, or even on much better components. 

 

Noise is most often the result of users being careless about their fans and software configuration. Some random mid-range PC doesn't need eight 140mm fans running at 100%, nor does a PC require the quad-core processor to run at 4,2 Ghz when browsing the web. It's often user... not error, but complacency and lack of care.

My son built a PC (with me mothering him) , and he bought two fast GPUs, with 4 yards warranties. One broke down inside the 4 years - I was annoyed because he did not call on the warranty. the next failed outside the 4 years, but not by much. So IMO such cards are subject to failure. Lower end cards are likely IMO more reliable. And much cheaper. Makes me think a games console is a better idea! 

[Nemo1965]

I would advise buying a mini-pc with a good graphics cards and generous RAM. I bought one which is as big as two packs of cigarettes. Runs like a dream, makes no noise, is very handy to stash away behind the screen, and so forth.

 

No need for those enormous boxes any more...

[chunder27]

If the cards failed it is likely they were either being over processed or the machine was clocked, oir they were not cleaned properly.

 

I have used a gaming PC for 7 years, (not now as its out of date)  and it still works fine. 

 

More to do with teh user than the parts, though you can obviously be unlucky, just as you can with consoles at times

[baddog]

Nah you just been lucky, GPU cards (that are used to run games so have chance to get warm) go boom sometimes, and sometimes they live forever. Definitely the least reliable component in a modern PC unless you bought cheap RAM or Hard Drives. I do not overclock ever, and keep my stuff clean as a whistle and I've lost several over the 20 years since I bought my first one. Funnily enough the first one still worked last time I tried it...

 

Consoles also die too, there is no magic formula for hardware that doesn't fail under pressure.

 

I play several hours of gaming on my PC every day, so I'm original 'PC Master Race' guy but they are somewhat fragile toys.

[chunder27]

Have to be honest I have never had one fail in such a way in 15 years.  Think you might just be unlucky.

 

They go eventually, but I would not expect one to last much more than 5 years anyway.

[Melbourne Park]

Interesting comments from both you guys (baddog and chunder27  -    much appreciate the gentle posting approach chunder27).

 

I've been mostly in the mac environment, and their machines have typically been very conservatively engineered. My Mac Pro is a 2010 - a large alloy tower - has a huge powersupply but its choice of two GPU  cards was average at best speeds beck then. But they all last indefinitely. What happens in the Apple world is that their operating system will allow a family of GPU cards to run, if a maker provides a card to Apple - and that happens via their iMac range of what are really immobile notebooks. Which means you can now get fast cards that will run on a MacPro, but you often need to flash them. So for a high end card you'd typically need to run a second GPU so that you can boot to the native GPU if the main fast card has a hiccup. For games though, running as a PC, you would then run into all sorts of old tech hardware bottlenecks plus old slower ram speeds, and then their is the Xeon processor issue.

 

With my son's cards, they were fast cards, and sure, he likely upped their clock rate, and also the motherboard would have been accelerated as well. He had a good cooling system on his CPU though. IMO cooling a GPU is mandatory, because they do get hot, and heat expansion is an issue on all motherboards. CPU cooling is very cheap these days, for the super tech you can cheaply buy. But cooling GPUs seems more complex and pricey, and when I knew about that stuff, it was up to the GPU factory - and IMO that is against their own interests. A GPU should be fluid cooling with a heat exchange well away from the GPU itself.

 

Like washing machines which a re now build to fail at a certain date, the high end GPUs are built to fail IMO. Why? Because being high end, the users who buy them want top performance - and for a price - and in three years, those cards will only be middling performance. So why build in 5 years of top performance and reliability when a top card will only provide middling performance in three years time? They are build to last their warranty only IMO. And that is also dependent on a really top notch power supply - and those still cost real money and they are large - and also, a top notch air supply coupled with regular cleaning. If they had cooling options for their cards that were top notch, I'd believe they could last longer. But then, if they did, the users would screw up the clock rates most probably. 

 

So if I spend $2.5k on game PC, and it lasted 5 years, I'd be doing well. And high end gaming cards start at well over $US1,000 each. For just a single GPU then, your looking at a PC cost of around $1,500 all up, and that includes a top notch power supply.  That means $500 per year if the GPU lasts 5 years, and the inclusive PC costed $2,500. A console is cheaper! 

 

And I am likely slow racing now. I would have been much faster a decade ago. So as far as sim racing goes, I realise if I do it again, I am going to be thrashed by someone with my skill set who is 10 to even 45 years younger. Once again, something that has "game" built in might be more fun than a pure ultimate sim experience. Console wins again IMO.

Edited by Melbourne Park, 07 February 2018 - 23:24.

[The Kanisteri]

 

Like washing machines which a re now build to fail at a certain date, the high end GPUs are built to fail IMO.

.....

 

 

And I am likely slow racing now. I would have been much faster a decade ago. So as far as sim racing goes, I realise if I do it again, I am going to be thrashed by someone with my skill set who is 10 to even 45 years younger. Once again, something that has "game" built in might be more fun than a pure ultimate sim experience. Console wins again IMO.

Eek! Thank you for reminder! My washing machine is 15 years old and now I begun to fear if it will go mad, puke water on floor and colour my all clothes to pink...no matter if 95% of them are black!

 

Last bit is quite true too. Gran Turismo games used to have those stupid fracture of second goals for even long Nürburgring track which I eventually managed to do. Decade ago! Now I would get too scared and abandon tryings very soon. In fact with all these lately racing games I enjoy driving slower cars and will most likely skip Formula level cars since they need skills and reflex.

Edited by The Kanisteri, 08 February 2018 - 05:06.

[Nonesuch]

Nah you just been lucky, GPU cards (that are used to run games so have chance to get warm) go boom sometimes, and sometimes they live forever.

 

Exactly, the sample size of any one person is just way too small to draw any sort of conclusions. And hardware components break. That's what happens. Corners are cut. Cheaper components are used where possible. You need to factor that into your purchasing decision. 

 

For the vast majority of people, buying things they can afford to replace around the time the warranty expires (about 3 years or so) is a much better idea than buying an overly-expensive component they can't afford to replace in the hopes it'll last 10 years. It probably won't.

 

If you can't explain why you want a certain component, you probably don't really need it. That goes for expensive graphics cards, cooling solutions, to CPU's and their latest craze to fit more cores in.

 

From everything posted above, it's quite apparent that in this case, a console of either variety is the best way to go. Watch the games, then choose based on that. It's the main difference between them.

[mahelgel]

I just did a search - G29 wheels (without gearshifts though but I don't use the gearshift I prefer the paddles) cost $Au355 it seems. Probably worth it for a new one I guess, and I'll try to sell my old wheel. If I ended up with two new looking wheels, I'd get in trouble from the lovely lady I reckon, so best to get rid of the G27 wheel ... 

 

My 2 cents...

 

About paddles vs h-pattern, i really enjoy driving cars with h-pattern in sims... but then again, i prefer older cars in racing sims. If i where to buy a wheel i would not opt out on the h-shifter, but if i already had a wheel lying around, i would probably start with that even though it where without a shifter, and upgrade at a later stage. I did start out with a logitech wheel without clutch and shifter, but later upgraded to the g27, and then the thrustmaster TC-PC that i use now (quite a bit better than the logitech offering, but also quite a bit more expensive).

 

As for xbox vs PS i am only using the PC for simraicng no. I do own a xbox 360, and previously had both a ps2 and a first generation xbox. Up until Forza4 i preferred the forza series over the GT series (but i have not tried any newer of either, so things might have changed) as i felt Forza had a more enjoyable feel for the cars. But since ive always been using the PC for games, my xbox 360 has been gathering dust for ages, and i am not really tempted to opt for the newer consoles. Still, PC gaming has its price literally, as it can get expensive for a good setup (pc, monitor, wheel/pedals), and even though its become much better, it still usually is a bit more hassle and tweaking to run ting optimally compared to just booting up the console

[chunder27]

the problem is now people have realised h shifter means more profit so they sell them separately which is a total con.  The G25 had paddles built in, and a seq and H pattern coming with, just a rip off really but what choice do you have if you want to buy new.

Some mods really don't work too well with h shift, AC is awful for instance as you ave to heel and toe which some people find easy, but I find utterly non intuitive.

[MikeV1987]

I just did a search - G29 wheels (without gearshifts though but I don't use the gearshift I prefer the paddles) cost $Au355 it seems. Probably worth it for a new one I guess, and I'll try to sell my old wheel. If I ended up with two new looking wheels, I'd get in trouble from the lovely lady I reckon, so best to get rid of the G27 wheel ... 

 

Picked up my G29 in November. The brake pedal is stiff and the location of the wire coming out of the pedal base is not very good imo, but it has been pretty good otherwise. I didn't buy the shifter though, most of the cars I like to race are paddle shift IRL so it wouldn't make sense anyway.

[Melbourne Park]

Eek! Thank you for reminder! My washing machine is 15 years old and now I begun to fear if it will go mad, puke water on floor and colour my all clothes to pink...no matter if 95% of them are black!

.... 

 

I've been married for 35 years and during that time I've had three washing machines: Miele (probably the bottom model) lasted 22 years until the timber failed - and the timer was like a mechanical clock, and its replacement cost was half the price of a new machine. The motor bearings had some slack so the Miele repairer said best to buy a new one ... so we bought on an annual chuck out sale from a whitegoods chain - a German made AEG. At that time, AEG was owned by Mercedes, who then sold the company and then the AEG manufacturing plant in Germany was shut down; now AEG is simply a marketing label for high end models owned by another company ... I gave the AEG washing machine to my son last year and its still going strong. I bought another Miele, a middling model, which is overpriced, but the washing machine is made in Germany, I still think its motor and body is built to last, but I am not so confident about the electronics. 

 

!!! 

[Melbourne Park]

the problem is now people have realised h shifter means more profit so they sell them separately which is a total con.  The G25 had paddles built in, and a seq and H pattern coming with, just a rip off really but what choice do you have if you want to buy new.

Some mods really don't work too well with h shift, AC is awful for instance as you ave to heel and toe which some people find easy, but I find utterly non intuitive.

 

On my earlier Logitech wheel I wore the change buttons out so I had to switch the the side padded ... that wheel was poorly made. The G27 felt much better made, but I was then used to the shifter, and its gearshift felt too slow for me ... and when my new vehicle came with shifters, the gaming experience assisted a lot with using its paiddles ( an auto  land rover (as they are all autos now) which did not have a gearshift so I had to use the paddles, and they are much better than a shift).

 

 

 

Picked up my G29 in November. The brake pedal is stiff and the location of the wire coming out of the pedal base is not very good imo, but it has been pretty good otherwise. I didn't buy the shifter though, most of the cars I like to race are paddle shift IRL so it wouldn't make sense anyway.

 

 

 

I might check the alternative wheels too, or buy that adapter device. Good news is that GT Sport is thrown in with a new PS4 Pro until the end of February.

 

 

 

[MikeV1987]

I might check the alternative wheels too, 

 

I hear a lot of bad things about Thrustmaster wheels being unreliable, so I'd be careful about ordering one of those. They are really good when they work though. Not sure about Fanatec but I know they can get really expensive.

 

Make sure you get something good to mount the wheel and pedals to though, it can get pretty annoying having the pedal base move around when you are braking or accelerating hard. I don't have a permanent setup yet but I bought this a week ago and it's a good temporary solution. It's easy to quickly set up in the living room and it folds away nicely when you need to put it away. 

 

I also use this chair and it's pretty much perfect for my setup.

Edited by MikeV1987, 10 February 2018 - 21:37.

[The Kanisteri]

I will try this.

[Melbourne Park]

I hear a lot of bad things about Thrustmaster wheels being unreliable, so I'd be careful about ordering one of those. They are really good when they work though. Not sure about Fanatec but I know they can get really expensive.

 

Make sure you get something good to mount the wheel and pedals to though, it can get pretty annoying having the pedal base move around when you are braking or accelerating hard. I don't have a permanent setup yet but I bought this a week ago and it's a good temporary solution. It's easy to quickly set up in the living room and it folds away nicely when you need to put it away. 

 

I also use this chair and it's pretty much perfect for my setup.

 

My stand looks almost identical. I found it fantastic too.

 

Love your armchair too!! 

 

I have the chair in the following link, but really, its an office chair. Its rotation cannot be locked, but then, people move in their stationary car seats... the wheels can be locked easily though. Its called a gaming chair - Vertagear make lots of gaming chairs, but this one is a very nicely made rip off of the Herman Miller Aeron chair: https://www.vertagea...ming-chair#home

 

It does look better than an Aeron IMO and its very well built. But perhaps the Ikea Armchair might be a more stable platform. Most of the Vertagear chairs seem to be on wheels as well!! 

Edited by Melbourne Park, 13 February 2018 - 05:25.

[Melbourne Park]

I will try this.

 

Looks like a Fred Flinstone solution!   One way to imitate a race car's violent suspension ...

Edited by Melbourne Park, 13 February 2018 - 05:24.

[scolbourne]

I would say go the PC route as there are better sims available , and the cost does not need to be more than a console.

 

https://www.facebook...43887945622975/

 

This is the group iRacing Flea Market on Facebook selling computers and rigs for sim racing. It shopuld be possible to get a decent setup for a reasonable price e.g. For $550

 

Intel Core i5-7400
8GB DDR4 RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB GDDR5 
Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (1x1) and Bluetooth 4.2 M.2
DTS Studio Sound
Windows 10
DVD-Writer
HP 7-in-1 Multi-slot Media Card Reader

 

   

[Hati]

I'd need a bigger monitor, because with a wheel you sit further away. My Eizo 24" monitor is a costly pro monitor which enable accuracy printing colour, but 24" would be a bit small.

 

You can connect a PC to a TV.

 

I bought a wheel that is compatible with PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 so that I can play Assetto Corsa (wasn't on consoles then), Turismo and Forza with wheel. I haven't played Forza at all, Turismo very little (with wheel, with pad I've played it something like 500 or 600 hours) and almost exlusively Assetto. I'd say that buy an used PC with a decent graphics card and connect it to a TV

[Melbourne Park]

You can connect a PC to a TV.

 

I bought a wheel that is compatible with PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 so that I can play Assetto Corsa (wasn't on consoles then), Turismo and Forza with wheel. I haven't played Forza at all, Turismo very little (with wheel, with pad I've played it something like 500 or 600 hours) and almost exlusively Assetto. I'd say that buy an used PC with a decent graphics card and connect it to a TV

 

Cheaper for me to put in a 1050Ti GPU or better into my MacPro tower, and run Windows 10. 

 

But for that price, it's  about the same as a PS4 Pro. 

 

For sure, sims are closer to reality on a PC. But for games, its easier to have a different Game platform, plus I get a blue Ray player for my 75" 4k TV. Shame the PS4 doesn't have a 4K HDR  Blu Ray drive like the Intel version does.

 

And its easier to move a game device around.

Edited by Melbourne Park, 08 March 2018 - 13:41.