Gamester Race Pac Review (Xbox, PS2)

One of the main problems with current racing wheels is that it is hard to find a way to position things so that you are comfortable and the pedals aren’t sliding all over the place. The Gamester Race Pac set from Radica solves these problems by providing you with a seat, wheel, and pedals that are all connected to each other. It is Xbox/PS2 only, but still a worthwhile purchase for last-gen racers.

The Gamester Race Pac is actually a pretty slick little package, and for less than $50 it is well worth the price. It is a fully featured wheel, complete with d-pad and face buttons, as well as four paddles on the back of the wheel to represent the PS2 shoulder buttons or Xbox triggers and Black/White. There are also buttons within easy reach of your left thumb so you can adjust the steering sensitivity up or down on the fly, so you can dial in the performance perfectly. Also, for some reason, there is a cruise control button, but it is pretty much pointless since you aren’t ever going straight for a long enough period of time in any racing game I know to make it worth using. The padded seat on the Gamester is surprisingly comfortable, and it is sturdy enough that you can lean back without worrying if it will break or bend.

Setting up the Gamester Race Pac is surprisingly easy, and I actually did it the first time without even looking at the instructions. It comes folded up in a neat little boxy shape, and by unhooking a little plastic clasp, you can unfold it into the seat and pedal assembly. The seat consists of a bottom where you sit, a back, and a support that extends backwards to keep the whole thing stable. The seat back and support clip together to keep everything tied together and sturdy. The wheel and pedals are attached to the front of the seat bottom, so there is no way they can move, and are built on rectangular aluminum tubing that has several different areas of adjustment. You can put the pedals and wheel at just about any height and angle you want, and it is very easy to adjust. The final step is attaching the removable wheel to the base and locking it in place, and you are good to go. When everything is set up, the Gamester Race Pac takes up a good six or seven feet, so make sure you have room for it. And when you are done, you can just fold everything up and put it away, and it takes up much less room than standard racing wheel sets.

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