Saw this complaint somewhere on the net and I'm wondering could this be because it is expected that with many sim racing games being made to be compatible with VR more racing game enthusiasts will want to buy steering wheels so as to make racing feel more real? Thoughts?
I guess that's a valid reason for steering wheels to go up in price but I don't think you're out of luck if you want to buy something cheaper. There are wheels made by Logitech for example that aren't too expensive and run pretty smooth.
VR is no doubt going to be the next big thing in gaming, but for that to work in a racing game, then your going to have to have a wheel to play it with to make the most of it. The makers of the gaming wheels aren't stupid, and I'm sure they was over the moon when they first heard about VR coming to home consoles, and with it they've chosen to cash in. Not good for us, but great for them.
I suppose those who want to buy steering wheels but don't want to spend a lot of money on the newer models should buy used as obviously there are some gamers who'll want to upgrade believing they'll be getting a "better" wheel.
Yes, it will. I think the steering wheels will increase the realistic feeling along with the VR set. It would be great to play these games with the expensive VR sets which will include the steering wheels. I would love to see a new set like this.
If you're going to buy a racing game because of the VR element, then you're also going to want to buy a wheel aswell, as using a controller on a VR game is going to take away a lot of the reality of the game. I'd be surprised if there wasn't even some sort of official, or recommended wheel that will be sold along with the game, as the software developers or Gran Turismo are obviously going to want to offer the best experience to go along with their games, to get the best reactions and reviews.
It's really no surprise that they'll try to make a profit when a lot of people are going to want a wheel to pair with their VR gear. It sucks that the prices are rising, but it's really no surprise.
I never thought about it, but your explanation makes sense, combining the racing wheel with the VR should be a pretty cool experience. I would love to test that. That's probably it.
Whenever something new comes along, you'll often find that prices start to rise, especially in the period leading up to the release. VR and racing games are going to have a big future, and you could even say that VR is more suited to the racing genre than any other, so in that respect we was always going to see a rise in the price of steering wheels.
The only wheel I have had for racing games was a Jordan F1 licensed one for the PS1 and that was only around £40. Some of the prices are a little high but in most cases of this sort of hardware I think the principal is you get what you pay for, but that doesn't mean to that companies aren't marking their prices up somewhat. It's a tricky situation.
With gaming peripherals, I do think that you tend to get what you pay for in a lot of cases and especially when it comes to wheels and controllers. I've had a couple of wheels in the past and some of the cheap ones aren't reliable and only last a couple of months, especially if your going to use them regularly as well.
There are some cheapo gems out there to be found but as we've said, the consensus is you get what you pay for. I think a lot of it is down to the brand as well. You could get two exactly identical controllers, one by Logitech and the other by Gamers-EliteForce for for instance and the Logitech one will cost more than the no-namer one.
Logitech are well know for being expensive, but I've had a couple of their wheels in the past, and I have to admit that they are a lot better than all the competition. With the Logitech wheels you do get what you pay for, and while they are expensive, if you take your racing games seriously, then there aren't any better wheels on the market in my opinion.
Maybe it's just getting more expensive because the quality and standard is going up as well. I've never really paid attention that much so this is just a guess as it is also a pep astern on many other things that eventually evolve into something more next level.
Could be but they were making cheaper wheels which they aren't making anymore. There are people who would have preferred the low end wheels. If someone wants an $89 wheel and you are able to make one, then why not give them what they want? If you try to force them to buy a $400 wheel they'd opt not to buy it if they can't afford it.
Just a. Guess but sounds like it's not feasible for manufacturers from a business standpoint. They'd have to sell a lot more wheels if they sell it for cheap and I don't think the market for it is huge enough to depend on mass sales.
Thing though is most companies do make some low end hardware for low end gaming because that's all some people can afford, while others may not be willing to spend more on a product they haven't tested yet. Nonetheless I suppose they have good reasons for phasing out cheap gaming steering wheels.
You're right I guess there are bound to be companies out there that specialize in the lower end but like I said I'm just guessing that maybe it's not a big enough market for those types of companies to exist. Maybe in this case the best bet is to look towards Chinese manufacturers.
