RS Score: 100% Developer: Act Labs Device Type: Controller

Function: The RS Steering Wheel?s racing-style shift up/down paddles behind steering wheel and well-designed foot pedal cluster allow comfortable, realistic control. This controller?s pedal cluster is heavier than the norm, keeping them put as you brake, accelerate, and remove your foot. Programmability is also thrown in, but may not be very useful in a racing controller... unless the game being played has guns or special moves to be executed.

Performance: If you?ve driven a car before, you will find the RS easy to use. The programmability feature is fairly straightforward and is well explained in the manual which comes with the RS. The RS unit has a unique removable interfacing cartridge which has the cable to connect to the PSX. Don?t fret if you decide to vary your palette and play on a different system; Act Labs will sell you a cartridge called the RS Engine, which allows your RS to work with that system as well. (Cartridges are currently available for the Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PC, and Nintendo 64 systems.) This cartridge based system allows one (excellent) controller to be used with several systems, saving gamers from shelling out extra money or being forced to decide which system most warrants that type of controller. This controller is excellent for racing games that support steering wheels. The features packed into the RS make it an excellent choice for long-term use. Its simulated leather grip is easy on the hands, even on late night racing binges. Its weight places it among the sturdiest steering controllers on the market. Its cartridge based interface system means you can keep on loving this controller onto other gaming systems you may play.

Features: Simulated leather grip Programmability Heavy, well-designed pedal cluster Digital D-pad in center of wheel Racing-style shift up/down paddles on ?steering column? Built-in thumbwheel clamps to hold steering wheel to table (superior in traction to suction cup systems and rubber pad systems) Cord Lengths: Cord from RS to PlayStation: 6?4? Cord from pedal cluster to RS: 6?6? Plastic, rubber, and simulated leather construction Unique, cartridge-based interface

Drawbacks & Problems:: The same weight which makes this unit sturdy also limits its portability. The RS is best used mainly in one location, and requires a suitable flat surface (read table) to setup on. This drawback, however, is common among steering controllers and is a condition which must be accepted in order to simulate realistic driving controls. Suggested Use: I have had excellent results wrapping the Mad Catz Wrist Rumbler around the Act Lab RS steering wheel. The perfect steering wheel made better; quite possibly the perfect setup to use while you wait for Act Labs to release the Force RS.

-Geck0, GameVortex Communications AKA Robert Perkins