Name:  - NASCAR Pro Victory
Thrustmaster Description:
Get the Racer’s Edge
The NASCAR® Pro Victory™ racing wheel – designed to offer Xbox™ gamers a seriously good time, whether it be on a NASCAR oval, or cruising through downtown New York. Loaded with features and creative gaming advances, the Pro Victory delivers the goods.
Proportional analog levers offer controlled acceleration and braking, making this a precise and effective gaming tool. Gamers can also use the sturdy foot pedals for braking and accelerating – they also use proportional movement to keep gamers ahead of the competition. The Pro Victory’s six programmable buttons add that custom feel and flexibility in games, and its two internal motors produce realistic vibrating effects that reflect the gaming environment.
But that’s not all, this wheel comes with two driving options – the traditional desktop ride, with a sturdy clamping system, and a unique laptop design; for a more comfortable drive, sitting on the couch or your comfy chair.
Features
- 2 internal motors to feel all bumps, grinds and crashes
- Proportional levers for accelerating and braking
- Clamping system that provides maximum stability on any table
- Innovative laptop design for gameplay on the couch or chair
- Sturdy foot pedals with progressive acceleration and braking
- 6 fully programmable buttons and axes
- Adjustable vibration and steering wheel sensitivity
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8/20/2002 - Thrustmaster knows wheels. They were the first to do it on the PC, so you should expect great things from their first offering for the Xbox.
Read on to see if they lived up to the expectations.
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Get the Real Feeling
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87.2
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| First Impression |
As I said in my opening comments, my expectation bar was set to 'high'. On first glance though, I had to re-adjust my bar based on looks. But the bar stayed near the top expecting high marks for game play. |
9.0
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| Game(s) Included |
None. As usual, I would like to see a game with the controller. |
5.0
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| Looks |
The controller looks good… but doesn't really separate itself from the crowd in this area. Ever look inside a really good looking car and expect to see a steering wheel that will blow you away? I think our Looks category comes into play on wheels more than other controllers, and I would rather see something that the boyz will have to look over at and think, 'Man I wish I had a wheel that looked as cool as LAZ has!
I spent all that time babbling about looks because I know Thrustmaster is capable of making a wheel look good (have you seen there Ferrari wheel?). |
8.8
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| Comfort |
You have two options of gripping:
Attach to Desk or Table
You simply pull out the adapter, screw in the clamp, and clamp it onto a table top. There is only one screw, which makes it easy - yet strong enough and I didn't experience problems with the clamp coming loose.
Put it on Your Lap
Thrustmaster came up with a GREAT idea to solve the stability issues when you just want to kick back on the couch and let 'er rip… they have an attachment that screws to the bottom of the unit in place of the table mount system. It contours around your legs, and allows your legs to more easily stabilize the whole unit. With feet on the floor, or up on the coffee table - the unit was the most stable of any of the 'lap stabilizing' controllers so tested far.
Wheel Angle
I am one of those guys that gets in the car and drops the wheel down until it almost touches my lap. This wheel's natural angle is not quite as straight up and down as I prefer, but this is really a matter of personal preference. For this reason, you may have heard me before mention that I want to see them add 'tilt wheel' functionality to allow me to put it where I want it. |
9.0
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| Construction |
The quality is good when compared to other vendors, but doesn't quite compare as well to some of the other wheels that Thrustmaster makes for the PC… this statement is based on the overall feel in a direct comparison to other wheels (if you saw all of the Thrustmaster wheels in a pile, and just started picking them up - this statement would make more sense).
The same observation can be said about the pedals… comparable to other vendors, but don't seem to be the quality of some of the other Thrustmaster pedals. |
12.8
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| Playability |
There are times when you want to use the pedals, and there are times when you want to use the paddles... either way won't disappoint you. When the rubber meets the road, you can generally expect Thrustmaster to deliver the goods in this category… and they didn't disappoint.
Pedals
For the simulation effect, the pedals help get you close to 'real deal'. They worked well and I surprisingly didn't find myself chasing them around the living room.
Paddles
Thrustmaster delivers EXCELLENT range on the paddles! If you have used many paddles, you may have noticed a nearly 'on or off' implementation that make the paddles work more like a toggle switch. Not so with the Pro Victory. The gas and brake both have a nice range, and I liked it so much - that it is my current preference! That's quite a statement from a die hard simulation racer… but when I am sitting on my couch playing a console game, I like to minimize the cords and baggage - and get straight to the most comfortable gaming experience I can have. Fortunately these paddles can allow me to be comfortable without having to sacrifice the functionality I need to be able to turn awesome lap times.
Wheel
The wheel has nice resistance and springs back to the center position very well. I would like to have some kind of grip padding on it, to help after a four hour intense 'sweaty' racing session with one of the guys.
Button Placement
I'm not real crazy about the button placement on this controller. Thrustmaster decided to stray away from the A/B/X/Y placement standards that are on the stock Xbox controller, which I don't really want to try to re-learn. To their defense, you can program nearly any option - and once you get used to the location you will probably not care.
Games
My NASCAR Heat and RalliSport Challenge times have improved again. In addition, I had a lot of fun with Gotham Racing, and am starting to finally get it down with a wheel (although my gamepad times are still faster - as of the date of this review). |
14.2
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| Value (price for what you get) |
This controller simply performs very well. I can't say enough about how much I liked the paddles. If the paddles can hold up to the abuse of multiple nights of vigorous abuse, this controller will be hard to beat. |
14.0
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| Recommend to Others |
Much has to be said about how a controller plays. This controller scored very strong in our Playability category, and basically when you're racing your buddies… that's where it counts. |
14.4
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RECOMMENDATIONS to the Vendor
LAZ
- Add some grip padding to the wheel.
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Deliver the quality comparable to your TM PC wheels. If it means offering a more expensive choice… bring it on.
- Bring on the TILT WHEEL!!
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