The GSI GXL V2 should be on your list
This is the GSI GXL V2, one of the latest wheels from GSI. A refresh on the GXL PRO that brings a lot of improvements that might suit you, if you are looking for a wheel of this type.
The GXL was sent by GSI for review, I also have an affiliate with them with code random for 5% discount. As always all opinions my own.
GSI came in to simracing with a somewhat different way of doing things. Back in 2021 or thereabouts, the products came into scene basically via twitch streaming, where Gomez would show the build process and a bit of the business. The business grew a lot via word of mouth, supported of course by their products, and now in 2024, the really tough and excellent competition GSI has in the market, is pushing them to further improve their products. The GXL V2 is one of the wheels that comes out of that process and customer feedback.
The unboxing is kind of muted, theres the wheel, the usb cable, and a sticker, thats about. Pretty box though. Of course this is a highend simracing wheel, hand assembled, and just like many of the type, the price follows. It starts at 705 pounds or 875dollars. There are a few choices of sticker colors, and even paddle and clutches. GSI does not offer a choice with top shifters fot his wheel, like some of the other brands. The version I have here is the standard prime. No clutches.
The wheel is a aluminum body with a front carbon fibre plate. The rear will have a 6x70 mounting pattern for m5 bolts. 10 buttons, 2 thumb switches, 5 rotary switches with a click and 2x7 way funky switches. And of course the rear shifters. In total up to 57 inputs.
All of buttons will be pre etched and no stickers come in the box.
For those of you with fanatec wheels, you will need some sort of adapter, im using a simracing machines QR Adapter V2 for Fanatec. The old V1 wont work as clean. Logitech Quick releases, or any quick release with a 6x70, should directly bolt.
One of the criticisms GSI had, was the size of the handles. They were quite chubby, and this time they decided to reduce the amount of material and sculpt it to allow for more hands. The type of silicone is incredibly smooth. Another criticism was the weight. In this case, its down to 1.3kilo without the quick release or adapters. These issues were addressed in GXL V2 version. While youre here, dont forget to press like and subscribe.
The ergonomics of the GXL are pretty great , all the buttons are in easy of reach of the thumb. The handles are extremely comfortable. The buttons have a very precise feel. Theres no movement until a certain force is reached and then it has a short throw and a nice sounding click. All the buttons have a really great sound. The shifter at the back is on the soft side, the engagement doesnt require much force and it has a dampened feel at the end. Noit my type of shifter, but theres nothing wrong with it, as it is well calibrated.
Even the rotaries at the center have a very good clicking feel.
One point about this wheel that excels every other brands out there by a large margin is eye candy. First of all, this wheelhas an immense number of inside LEDs. Almost every single button is illuminated, bar the funky switches that will have a dedicated status led called and and M2.
The LED diffusion layer, adding with the software controls from simhub, make this wheel a personal light show, that gives out so much info, from pit speed limiter engagement, flags, or when a car is beside. Its eye candy, but really useful as well.
There are a few colorway choices present in the simhub software. Heres a few like Ascent, Miami, Prime and Suzuki.
GSI wheels are running simos, a place to update the wheels firmware for more features as they come, and to change some settings in the wheel like clutch bit point, encoder and power usage. Its available at GSI own site.
I really like using this wheel. GSI made the correct choice by going with a more sculpted handle, so it should fit more hand, it certainly feels easy on mine. The weaker shifter magnets may also be lighter on the hands, and the ergonomics with the buttons are top notch. No need to stretch the hands to reach a button, minus of crouse the center rotaries, the button press force makes sense. At longer sessions, I have felt no problems with any hand cramps, so it is indeed a comfortable wheel. The only thing I really feel that is missing its thumb rotaries with a click, but thats more a want than a need. The rotaries with the clicks help to add some functions to clean up the the assignments. As for the wheel itself, its incredibly rigid, no torsion everything is well assembled.
The over 50 button to be assigned means that its unlikely that youll need any extra buttons at all. At least for most of us.
The godlike LED mode of this wheel helps a lot, The animations make it simple to understand if theres a flag, someone by yourside or something else. I think, GSI went really next level with their LED setup, to the point it could even avoid you getting some sort of light boxes.
Lets talk about the downsides ive found. The weight, even if it has been in a diet, its on the heavier side, while still not being the heaviest out there. To hose in less powerful direct drives, GSI recommends at least a 8Nm wheelbase. It should be enough, but 10Nm may be where the weight doesnt drown out the FFB for this wheel, thats at least what Ive found.
Secondly, this wheel is thirsty for power. I have a powered hub, and it needs to be on 1.5Amps port to support high power. Having a powered USB hub should be in your shopping trolley if you dont have one, but regardless, even if you have one, unless theres an high output, port its unlikely youll run it at high power. In my hub, ive had a couple of wheel crashes because of it even at the high power port.
following the LED brightness, even at low power, the 3-10-3 LEDs are incredibly bright and have no diffusion at all, so depending on your height, the LED brightness may very well stun your eyes.
Then, theres the M1 and M2. I kind of understand why exists, but it isnt a button
Last one, may or may not be a downside depending on your point of view. the buttons come with already burned in decalcs, so you cant do anything about it. Of course you can do whatever assignment you want, but, with all of those decalcs
As for conclusions, it should be obvious that I like the GXL V2. Its really well built and the feature set is there. Its ergonomic, and has a layout that makes sense, minus that M1 and M2 leds that probably could have another way to show the same thing. There are a few ways to look at this so you can make the decision to get it or look elsewhere for a screenless wheel. If money is no object, and you are looking purely towards the whole package, I found, for example, the bavarian simtec alpha a wheel that suited me better. The Beamtec and especially multilink function is excellent.
If money is a part of your choice, however, the GXL V2 is at par or undercuts the competition in price for the same feature set. Its similarly priced to the cubecontrols fpro, maybe even cheaper, its cheaper than the ascher choices, and 140 pounds or 200 dollars or thereabouts cheaper than the bavarian simtec alpha- so that could be enough for a quick release or extension and money left over, for something that, ultimately does the same thing at very similar quality levels. The fact it also comes with a very aprun of the mill 6x70 mounting solution at the back, may even reduce the cost of apdaters somewhat for some simracing wheelbase brands, which in itself is a hidden advantage.
Summing up, its a really good wheel, and shows exactly why GSI is so beloved in the simracing world. Top notch construction, really good features, a personal useful light show and a price that is reasonable for a wheel of this type. If you need an extra screen on top of it, theres the FPE V2, which will be a review for next time.
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