No, "Logitech Trio" isn't the name of a new Logitech hardware product, it's the name of this article that looks at three Logitech peripherals in a single article. See how it all fits together? I'll be looking at the top of the line MOMO Force Wheel, the Mouseman Dual Optical and the iTouch Cordless Keyboard. Again. Don't worry, this iTouch is in fact a different version to the previous iTouch I reviewed. Confusing, yes, but it should all make sense in the end. Now, onto the good stuff.
MOMO Force Steering Wheel
When Logitech pitched this as a top of the line steering wheel they weren't yanking our collective chains, this really is one smart bit of kit. MOMO are in the business of making ultra-sexy steering wheels (well what would you expect from Italians), and if you get your hands on one of these you'll love Logitech for bringing in MOMO to help design the wheel. The stand out feature is without doubt the hand stitched leather on the wheel itself which feels supremely comfortable. A lot of thought has also gone into the rest of the design that raises this above both Logitech's previous efforts and those by most other manufacturers. Most significantly, they've got rid of the pesky thumb screw clamp system that cursed recent Logitech wheels. With that system I'd often wrench the wheel off the desk during a quick, hard turn, and I've even seen someone do the same thing at a trade show, much to the embarrassment of the Logitech rep there. The MOMO clamp system instead uses two valve-like plastic wheels that you turn to screw down the clamps, and if you're fanatical enough you can even drill a hole through your desk and screw the wheel in at the back to REALLY keep it in place. Check out the photos for a better idea of the system
The metal gear change paddles behind the wheel are big, click when pressed and are very easy to reach. The front button positioning could have been a bit better, though the only buttons I had any trouble hitting were the white ones which I reserved for rarely used functions in the few racing games that actually needed that many buttons (such as Carmageddon TDR 2000).
The pedal unit is just as well designed as the wheel. It's nice and heavy and that, plus the big rubber feet on the bottom, ensure that it barely budges during use. The industrial flooring style metal base plate is a nice touch too. The pedals could have been a bit bigger but that's just me being picky. The flat top part of the pedals which your feet sit on are actually on spring hinges, so they swing downwards. This feels a little weird at first, especially without shoes on, but once you get used to this feature it actually proves very comfortable. Acceleration is also no less accurate for this feature, although it would still have been nice if users could disable somehow as it probably won't appeal to everyone.
Logitech have been working with force feedback for a while now so needless so say it's flawless here. You can tweak the force feedback setting so that it's anywhere between "barely noticeable" and "fracture-your-wrist powerful". The mature Wingman software also lets you tweak deadzones, reverse axes and just about any other setting you fancy fiddling with.
Now the bad news - it costs around 200 dollars (110 pounds in the UK). Expensive though that may seem, when you consider that the merely average Logitech Formula Force GP sold for that price when it was released the numerous improvements over that predecessor suddenly make the MOMO Force look pretty reasonably priced as a premium peripheral. And as the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and what you pay for here is a top quality product with typically Italian sleek styling combined with Logitech quality and numerous welcome design improvements over Logitech's previous wheels.
The Verdict: One of the most complete and best designed force feedback wheels available, and most certainly the best looking. Well worth the premium price.
