Hardly any man would miss an opportunity to grip a steering wheel and drive a racing car full speed along a highway without any rules and limitations. So, it’s quite normal for a man, no matter how old he is – 5 or 55 – to get twinkles of joy in the eyes once he sees a game racing wheel. It’s a safe choice if you want to make a gift to remember, to be taken with unaffected joy.

Sure, racing wheels differ, and some samples put you off as soon as you get to know their price. But don’t jump to conclusions: if you search, you’ll find some variants that won’t make you bankrupt. Sometimes you can find pretty cute things among them. The model we’re testing today is one of those. Buying SVEN Driver, you get a steering wheel, a gearbox, a foot pedal unit and even headlights. In addition, the steering wheel has vibration feedback that makes driving more natural. So, here we see an inexpensive but decent gaming set, impressive both in looks and functionality.

Packing, Contents, Installation

The whole set is packed into a huge box. We were pleased to see a plastic handle allowing to deliver the device safe and sound. It’s also worth mentioning its good-looking design – the set looks decent.

Those who can’t wait to open the box will find a racing wheel and a pedal unit inside. It’s enough for playing, but more patient users will be awarded with finding wheel mounting stands and an operation manual.

Steering Wheel

As any game racing wheel, SVEN Driver consists of a steering wheel and a massive base (the latter has a system for extra mounting on the table for especially aggressive racers not used to treating the wheel with kid gloves). Yet there’s something else to add. On the right, there’s a gear lever. On the left – a set of keys (it’s a big plus for arcade racers, the most popular game genre – you can attach all the functions and forget about your keyboard). Don’t forget there are four more buttons on the steering wheel – they are always close at hand. The whole set looks cool and awesome. Moreover, the steering wheel unit is decorated with “headlights” switching on and off during the game. Those who are fond of various useful buttons and lights will be delighted.

Let’s place the base on the table and connect its cord to a USB port. The cord length is enough, the base is stable and firm (suction cups serve as feet, but there are additional screws, too). The tilt angle of the wheel is convenient, though not adjustable. Let’s concentrate on the steering wheel first – whatever there is apart from it, it’s the main part of the set. We can see a rim with 270 degree steering angle. Sure, it’s not full 360 degrees, but much better than 180 and is enough to enjoy the game. For you to imagine the wheel, we have measured the diameter of the rim with a ruler: it’s 26 cm out to out. Due to such a size, it can be used by both adults and children. The rim is medium-thick and convenient to hold, covered with pleasant soft perforated rubber (it’s a big plus, as it provides solid grip and prevents slipping). On the top, where you place your hands, there are two projections to make driving more pleasant.

The rim is connected to the centre of the wheel with three wide spokes. There are four buttons for gaming options on them. We have a hunch they can be programmed the way the user wants. It’s nice that the buttons are located to be easily reached with thumbs – you needn’t take your hands off the wheel to press them. Opposite, under the spokes, there are two plastic paddles. They serve as shifters for accelerating and braking when you don’t feel like using the gear lever. The shifters are convenient and sensitive, quite fit for use. To tell the truth, they seem a bit flimsy, but let’s hope it’s just the first impression.

Now that we’re through with the steering wheel, let’s turn our attention to the rest of the set. The wheel base is stretched sideways. Under the left hand you’ll find a key panel (8 keys with 2 modes each, a mode switch and a D-pad). The keys are pretty decent – they are pressed on the first try, aren’t sticky or stiff. For arcade racers, this is right what you need.

On the wheel’s right you can see a gearbox. Anyway, it’s not the most important, but just a pleasant element in case someone might want to add it to controls for décor and to make the image complete. We see a two-position gear lever with a large knob. It doesn’t look serious at first sight. However, it has comfortable length and is always at hand, with pleasant stroke and a decent knob. So, to our surprise, the gearbox in this set is quite usable (it’s very rare, as many manufacturers include it into package contents for appearance’s sake).

Перед нами относительно недорогой и простой руль. Что понравилось в нем, так это крепкая (относительно других рулей такого класса) конструкция, приятный дизайн с уклоном в гоночную тематику (украшения в виде фар - это оригинально и интересно), удобная «баранка», достаточно большое количество резервных кнопок. Хорошо продумана система фиксации – ее тоже стоит отметить.

Foot Pedals

The pedal unit includes two levers – acceleration and brake – mounted on a small square area. It’s equipped with a foldable foot stand comfortable to put your heels on.

We must note that the pedals are rather soft and delicate – they react to slightest strokes. It’s a plus if you buy the set for a child (it would be difficult to cope with tight pedals), but an adult would have to be very careful pressing the acceleration pedal.

In general, the pedals are quite good. They, as well as the gear lever, are necessary not for convenient control, but rather for atmosphere, still try using them, don’t put them aside at once.

Testing

We should remark that virtual racers are divided into two types: arcades and simulators. And strange as it may seem, some are better played with one type of wheel, and others – with a different type. SVEN Driver is one of those suitable for the more popular arcades. Here belong NFS, Burnout, FlatOut, Street Racing Syndicate and so on. In such games, controls are formalized: little attention is paid to physics and driving details (there are professional steering wheels for this), much more – to functionality (this is where the numerous buttons and levers come in handy).

The pedals are connected to the base, the base – to a USB port. The device can be operated as soon as it’s connected. Drivers can be installed optionally – they aren’t so valuable in this case (if only for checking vibration feedback, axes and buttons).

In the game (tested on NFS: Carbon), the device behaves well. The steering wheel is easily twisted, but it’s tight enough to make the turns smooth; it’s centered to automatically return to the starting position when you get your hands off. It’s worth noting that there are virtually no deadzones (it operates equally well throughout the whole 270-degree steering range, except for the farthest 5 degrees).

In general, we admit that the set is surprisingly pleasant. It’s simple but functional and adds new colours to the game.

The Bottom Line

Here is an inexpensive racing wheel of average functionality, impressing with a large amount of various control elements as well as remarkable gaming design. It will suit those who haven’t become experts in virtual races yet, but for whom racing is more than just “playing once and forgetting”. If gaming is for pleasure and impressions, but not for sports, SVEN Driver will cope with the task at its best. The model is an optimal choice if bought for entertainment, but not as racing equipment. It will make a good toy, and a sea of emotions is guaranteed!

Advantages:

• steering wheel, gearbox, pedal unit – all in one set;
• rather convenient wheel;
• lots of buttons;
• reliable desktop mount;
• suitable even for a child.