The Logitech RS50 was a surprise addition to my review slate these last few weeks. To be transparent, I’ve never reviewed a Direct Drive wheel before, and I leapt at the chance when Logitech offered the RS50, one of the most sophisticated options on the market. What’s more, it was the McLaren Racing Bundle, which meant it was bursting at the seams with recognizable iconography and a sleek color palette.
Just after I received the bundle in the mail, I saw Lando Norris messing around with the very same wheel, and he was loving it, so I knew I was in for something special. At first blush, the RS50 is a hugely complicated thing that threatens the sanity of the average gamer, but when you take a few minutes to (literally) get to grips with it, you realize it’s not all that scary.
Here’s my full review of the Logitech RS50 McLaren Racing Bundle.
Unparalleled Realism, But Dangerous For Newcomers
Don’t be like me.
Don’t turn your RS50’s feedback force to the highest level and let rip on Forza Horizon 6. I was nursing a bruise for a good few days afterwards. But that’s indicative of the sheer power of this thing. The RS50 uses Direct Drive paired with Logitech’s TRUEFORCE HD feedback system to give you a sense of ultimate immersion.
Every bump, every scrape, and every slip off-road gives you feedback that plants you firmly in the most realistic driving position possible. And I got that vibe while sitting in my Secretlab chair and not in a full racing rig.
Pulling this absolute monster out of the box, I tried to get my head around the complicated mess of parts that sat before me. The TRUEFORCE hub, the wheel itself, the pedals, and all the fittings and fixtures warped me for a hot minute, but it’s only because this was totally new to me.
Once I’d pieced it together, clamped the hub and wheel to the desk, configured the pedals under the desk, and set things up in Logitech’s G-Hub software, I was ready to go.
And honestly, what an experience. I would have preferred a typical circular steering wheel, given that I was playing street racing games primarily, but that was almost a moot point, because the wheel the McLaren Racing Bundle comes with is more than capable and comfortable enough.
There’s also a slick quick-release function that accommodates other wheels with ease.
As someone who drives a car every day, I can attest to how realistic a) the feedback and b) the input felt. The brake pedal was particularly special, offering a tough 75kg load cell mechanism that genuinely felt like you were bringing a powerful, thrumming car to a halt.
The accelerator pedal uses a contactless hall effect system that’s tantalisingly accurate and realistic. I was forever feathering and teasing the throttle, edging the engine of whatever car I was in just to marvel at the feel of it all.
I didn’t get into the nitty-gritty of customizing the wheel, given that it’s hugely accessible out of the box, but I can appreciate the depth of what’s on offer. The sheer number of inputs on the wheel is insane, and through G-Hub, you can customize the hell out of it. There’s also a neat little screen on there that gives you various data such as input thresholds, profiles, and more.
The Direct Drive hub is nuts, though. I’ll go back to that point. When I cranked up the sensitivity, it spun out of control and clocked me hard on the wrist, but I should have been prepared for that. It almost threw my wife across the room. I’ve never driven a high-powered racing car, but I can imagine it’s the most accurate representation possible of what it feels like when you skid out somewhere.
If I had the space, I’d love to fuse the RS50 with a full-fledged seat system, like the Playseat Formula Instinct or the Playseat Trophy, but for this review, I was more than happy with my desk-based setup.
Unfortunately, for anyone looking for an entry-level point to get into racing wheels, this isn’t that. That’s where I think I’d need to be, given my experience level. It costs up to $899.99 from Logitech, but something like the Logitech G923 wheel and pedals would only set you back a couple hundred dollars.
It’s also worth stressing that you kind of get more with the cheaper option. Lots of what’s offered with the RS50, such as shifter components and even a third pedal, is in bolt-on territory.
But the full metal construction, the fine details, the TRUEFORCE hub, the McLaren branding, the quality of the wheel, and everything else wrapped up in this bundle definitely makes the price point worth it for an enthusiast.
For reference, I went beyond Forza Horizon 6 eventually, playing the likes of:
- F1 2025
- Assetto Corsa
- iRacing
And I even had a spin around Euro Truck Simulator with this supercar-style setup. That was fun. And I paired the wheel with a Quest 3 for the ultimate immersion, which was incredible.
Ultimately, I’d say that I had such a great time with the RS50. It was an entirely new world for me, and being a bit of a ‘car guy’, I was blown away by how realistic the feedback felt. It’s clunky and cumbersome, but that’s part and parcel of what you’re buying, and this isn’t something you can just put on a shelf between sessions.
The price point is exorbitant, but you genuinely get what you pay for, and for a die-hard McLaren fan with a penchant for racing sim titles, there is nothing better out there.
Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server if the RS50 McLaren Racing Bundle seems like your kind of investment.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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