Hori Racing Wheel Apex vs Logitech G29: Does Force Feedback Matter?
The Hori Racing Wheel Apex has no force feedback. It is a well made spring centred wheel with pedals, and it is roughly a third of the price of a G29, but it cannot tell you anything about what the car is doing. The G29 has real dual motor force feedback. If you want to learn car control and drive faster, that difference is the entire purchase and the G29 is the answer.
At a glance
| HORI Racing Wheel Apex (PS5, PS4, PC) | Logitech G29 (PS5, PS4, PC) | |
|---|---|---|
| Force feedback | None, spring centring only | Dual motor gear drive, roughly 2.1 Nm |
| Rotation | 270 degrees | 900 degrees |
| Pedals | Two pedal potentiometer set | Three pedal set including clutch |
| Rim | Rubberised plastic | Hand stitched leather |
| Shifter support | None | Logitech Driving Force Shifter |
| Upgrade path | Dead end | Pedals and shifter carry to a G923 |
Choose the HORI Racing Wheel Apex (PS5, PS4, PC) if…
Buy the Apex only if the budget is genuinely fixed at around 100 dollars, if it is for a child or an occasional player, or if the games in question are arcade racers where feedback is decorative anyway. It is honest hardware for what it is and it is far better than a controller for the feeling of turning a wheel. What it cannot do is tell you the front tyres have stopped gripping, which is the single most useful thing a wheel does.
Check HORI Racing Wheel Apex (PS5, PS4, PC) on Amazon
Choose the Logitech G29 (PS5, PS4, PC) if…
Buy the G29 if you want to get faster, if you race any simulation title, or if you expect this to be the first piece of a rig rather than a one off. Force feedback is not an immersion feature. It is how the car reports understeer, oversteer, kerb strikes and surface changes to your hands, and without it you are steering by sight alone. The 900 degrees of rotation also matters: 270 degrees makes slow corners and any recovery from a slide effectively impossible to drive accurately.
Check Logitech G29 (PS5, PS4, PC) on Amazon
We also have a full Logitech G29 review.
Related
Comparison based on published manufacturer specifications and the general consensus of owner reports. We have not tested these products side by side. Confirm current specifications and prices before buying. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
Can you be competitive without force feedback?
Not in a simulation title, no. Consistent driving depends on feeling the limit of grip before the car has visibly moved, and force feedback is the only channel that carries that information. A skilled driver on a non feedback wheel will be beaten by the same driver on a feedback wheel, and both will be beaten by a controller player who has learned to read the visual cues, which tells you how little the wheel alone is worth.
Is 270 degrees of rotation a problem?
It is, for anything other than arcade racing. Real road cars turn lock to lock across roughly 900 degrees and most race cars across 540 or so. Compressing that into 270 means every steering input is more than three times as sensitive as it should be, which makes smooth corner entry hard and catching a slide close to impossible.
Would the money be better spent elsewhere?
If your total budget is around 100 dollars, a wheel is probably the wrong purchase and a controller with the money saved is the honest answer. If the budget can stretch over time, save until a G29 or a used equivalent is reachable rather than buying a non feedback wheel now and replacing it later.
Does the Apex work with sim titles?
It is recognised as a wheel and will steer in most titles, so it works in the narrow sense. What it cannot do is give the tyre and grip information those titles are built around, so you are driving a simulator with one of its main output channels missing. That is why it suits arcade racers far better than it suits simulation.
How we choose: we compare published manufacturer specifications, documented torque and travel figures, and verified owner reviews. We do not test gear in person. Everything here is researched guidance, not professional installation advice. Direct drive wheelbases produce enough torque to injure a wrist, and rig hardware carries real weight, so follow the manufacturer's mounting and torque limits.
Planning your own rig on paper first? The Sim Rig Build Planner is the paid version of these pages: 8 printable worksheets you fill in with your own numbers, plus the full PDF, $29.