Upside
Joytech's Xbox 360 Nitro Racing Wheel comes in the stock standard black finish most other racing wheels adopt, although it does feature some nice design touches that sets it apart from other products (such as a row of LED lights along the top of the wheel and an LCD screen on the bottom panel). The size of the wheel itself is compact without being too restrictive - it's easy to get a two handed grip on the unit, and it generally feels comfortable to steer.
As well as featuring all of the buttons of a normal 360 controller (including a glowing Xbox Guide button for instant access to the system dashboard), the Nitro Racing Wheel features dual vibration feedback, four wheel mounted paddles, an integrated headset port for Xbox Live, a sequential gear stick on the unit's right side, and a brake and pedal set.
CNET.com.au's initial tests with the Nitro Racing Wheel found the unit to be responsive and easy to use. High on our list of pluses is the Nitro's grip - both in regards to handling the wheel itself and to the unit's stability. The Nitro's full rubber wheel makes it easy to hold even during frenetic driving movements. The unit itself also has suction cups on the bottom which provides a solid grip on flat surfaces (the unit also comes with a table clamp) - in fact, once we had properly "installed" the Nitro onto a table's surface for a game of PGR3, it was hard to lift off the table!
Downside
It's a minor one, but a hardwire connection to the 360 makes the Nitro Racing Wheel seem a tad last generation.
Outlook
Responsive handling, great grip and a wealth of driving-specific buttons makes the Joytech Xbox 360 Nitro Racing Wheel tough to beat.
