GEAR
STEELSERIES
SIBERIA V2 HEADSET
Manufacturer: SteelSeries
XBOX 360 WIRELESS SPEED WHEEL
www.steelseries.com
Price: $89.99
STRAP RAP
OVERALL SCORE: 4.5 By far the V2’s
weakest point, this
A solid entry-level wheel for the casual racer • Words: William O’Neal flimsy strap barely
holds the earcups
I love a good racing wheel as much as the next feels comfortable playing the game that way. was as simple as turning it left or right. While in place with
racing fan. In addition to Thrustmaster’s $600 That’s where the Xbox 360 Wireless Speed the wheel boasts almost all of the standard some extremely
weak elastic.
T500 Racing Simulator for the PS3, I also use Wheel comes in. Essentially a handheld motion- Xbox 360 controller buttons, it doesn’t have
Mad Catz’s $100 MC2 Racing Wheel and Pedals controlled device, it’s an interesting—and shoulder buttons. I sometimes use a gamepad’s
for the Xbox 360. The thing is, I don’t always surprisingly effective—hybrid of a racing wheel shoulder buttons like paddle shifters, and I
want to set up a full-on simulation type of and the kind of motion-controlled experience would have liked that option.
experience. And those rigs can take up a lot of Microsoft is so crazy about these days. The controller is plenty accurate, but it
space (thank God for the man cave). Setup is easy enough: Just turn on the definitely feels more suited to casual games
Conversely, playing a racing game on device and sync it with your Xbox 360. I tested than hardcore racers. Either way, for around
a standard gamepad isn’t the most fun the wheel with two games: DIRT 3 and F1 2011, $60, it’s great for racing fans who want
experience. While Forza 4 has Kinect support both by Codemasters. Sitting on the couch, both something more than a gamepad, but lack the
(where you are the controller), not everyone games recognized the controller, and steering cheddar or space for a more sim-like setup.
CONTROL MISSING
Connecting the SOMETHING? SOUND DESIGN
wheel to your While the wheel Comfortable foam-
Xbox 360 is easy. sports the standard lined earcups help
Once connected, I buttons, it doesn’t dampen outside
found navigating have shoulder noise, while accu-
around the menus bumpers. Racing rately transmitting
to be simple. fans who use those even the faintest
buttons for shifting of in-game cues.
will miss them.
U-TURN
It’s not so much a “wheel,” so don’t
expect 360 degrees of rotation. I had
no problems in DIRT 3 or F1 2011.
TALK IT UP
The retractable
microphone lets
the V2 act as good
general-purpose
STEELSERIES
headphones with-
out any annoying
dangly bits getting
in the way.
XBOX 360
WIRELESS
SIBERIA V2 HEADSET
Great audio at a good price. Now about that headstrap… • Words: Kyle Orland
SPEED WHEEL
Manufacturer: Microsoft
www.microsoft.com
The Siberia V2 maintains SteelSeries’s game audio when other players are talking. And is kept on the headset with weak elastic. The
Price: $59.99 reputation for high-quality audio, with powerful, the price isn’t even that unreasonable, given the setup helps keep the unit relatively light, but it
SOLID padded earcups that block out noise and unit’s power. also requires constant adjustment to get the
The wheel feels OVERALL SCORE: 3.5
nice in the hands. capture even the slightest of in-game sounds If there’s one gripe I have with the V2, it’s cups to rest in the correct position. Console
The fact that with an impressive directionality. As always, the with the unit’s overall comfort. Rather than gamers may also want to consider a wireless
it’s “floating” in SteelSeries-standard retractable microphone using a fully adjustable system of moveable option, as the V2’s four-meter extender cord/
midair, though,
takes some get- is a welcome, stylish touch, as is the optional earcups, the V2 is held on to your head with an console adapter is a major tripping hazard in the
ting used to. LiveMix feature that automatically reduces in- extremely flimsy padded strap, which in turn living room.
92 Issue 15 December 2011 www.atgamermagazine.com www.atgamermagazine.com Issue 15 December 2011 93