GameSir put a tiny steering wheel on its new Swift Drive controller
GameSir is no stranger to experimenting with unique controller features: its Tarantula Pro can automatically swap its face button labels to accommodate alternate layouts, and its Pocket 1 fixes Game Boy controls to your phone. What sets its new Swift Drive controller apart is a small steering wheel located right in the middle of the gamepad that is connected to what GameSir calls the “world’s smallest direct drive motor” providing force feedback effects for racing games.
Pricing and availability have yet to be announced, but GameSir has revealed plenty of details about the Swift Drive’s features and functionality. The steering wheel uses a “high-precision” Hall effect encoder with “up to 65,000 levels of resolution for ultra-precise steering.” Its movement can be adjusted between 30 and 1,080 degrees of rotation, and the wheel itself can be removed and replaced with other styles. Hall effect sensors are also used in the Swift Drive’s joysticks and buttons, while its triggers are further enhanced by individual haptic motors to simulate the sensation of ABS braking and wheel spin.
The Swift Drive will rely on a 2.4GHz wireless connection to your gaming machine and, even with responsive RGB lighting effects and its different haptic motors, battery life is estimated at between 20 and 30 hours between charges.
For racing sim fans who don’t care as much about portability, GameSir’s new Turbo Drive offers a more traditional steering wheel and pedal setup with a yoke-style wheel that attaches to a desk. Like the smaller Swift Drive controller, it offers 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity, Hall effect sensors in the steering wheel encoder, throttle controls and paddle shifters, and extensive customization including limiting steering wheel rotation. Its most unique feature is a built-in turbine fan that simulates airflow and enhances the feeling of speed. With the fan on, the Turbo Drive’s battery life is estimated at around 15 hours, but turning it off will allow you to play for up to 50 hours before needing to recharge.
