Controllers for Macintosh computers

[FujimiLover]

Hello there. As you know, I have an awesome new computer, the new Imac. I've been playing Colin Mcrae Rally on it and I love it! I've been told the second version is much better as it smoothes out a lot of imperfections in the game. As I drive, I notice the cars tend to drift in a weird way. This is not the kind of drifting we like, it's like the game physics are quirky.

My question is this. What is the best steering wheel system that is Mac-compatible? I don't want to give my right arm for one, as I'll need it for driving! But I don't want junk either. Any suggestions and what other Mac-compatible racing games are there?

[FujimiLover]

Does nobody here play racing games on Mac's?

[iBorg]

First offf...Mac gamers are a rarity. At one time there was a Nascar group that raced under the MaCar banner. It was very active with custom car sets and tracks. That ended at least ten years ago.

You should be able to use almost any USB steering wheel with you Mac. Logitech and Thrustmaster are two of the major players. I'd find the model I like and then contact the individual companies customer support and see how well they support the Mac.

Good luck....I'll have to look at the Colin McRae game.

Mike

[Foxer]

I actually didn't know Mac users knew they make games you can run on computers!

The Logitech g25 is the favorite wheel for the PC. I'm assuming you must be running in PC mode to play any games but don't know anything about how it responds to anything other than a 2 button mouse. You're probably going to have to contact the vender of the product you're interested in as iborg suggests.

[FujimiLover]

Some games are universal. What you want to look for on the box is a symbol that shows both Mac and PC logo's together. Colin Mcrae Rally for example is universal and therefor Mac compatible. I just need a steering wheel for better game control, I bet my track times will be much better than with the silly key's on the keyboard. Still a fun game, and I look forward to finding the second version which is said to have corrected some issues with the first.

[Foxer]

That's cool that some games can be run straight on a Mac .. especially a driving one! A wheel defiantly is a major difference. The keyboard as a controller can work but you have to see-saw the keys .. on-off. There's no turning half way into a corner.. the wheels are either straight ahead or full turn which takes much of the finesse out. You have to tap the key like crazy on corners to get around smoothly.

My old wheel is SO old it won't run in Windows, so I just make do with the keyboard! Not too much a problem for me as this is the way we did it under DOS! A Joystick can also go a long way since that has variable input from "on to off" like a wheel. That could be an option if you can't find a wheel that claims Mac compatibility. I wore out many joysticks on the Indy and GP circuits! ehhe

[FujimiLover]

Foxer, I can't imagine trying to race a car with a control stick. That's more for like airplanes and such! LOL!

No, I'd much rather find a steering wheel. I tend to think of it as keyboards, analog steering, and steering wheel, digital steering or what we call in the RC world,

proportional steering.

Back in my PC day's, I had a nice steering wheel, but back then my video was glitchy and not very fun. My Mac has been totally glitch free and I love it!

Even watching YouTube is much more enjoyable!

[Foxer]

A steering is defiantly the way to go. Not long ago I got to thinking about getting a new wheel and also my cheapness and lazyness. eheh. The old wheel was a pain to move on and off the desk and was always in the way when stored to the side. I try most all of the driving games but I don't sit for days perfecting my shifts! I do it for total enjoyment, not to beat the game. So I got a joystick to try since it did work well in the old days. This time around was not as successful. It was just too sensitive and couldn't get it adjusted for a gradual turn of the wheels. So now it sits in the pile of old controllers.

did come upon this reference to using a steering wheel with the game on a Mac: controller configuration The Logitech Momo wheel used in this configuration is another model I've heard good things about. This is a good indication that Logitech wheels will work.

Edited July 29, 2009 by Foxer

[FujimiLover]

I have heard that there is a wireless USB steering wheel that is Mac-compatible, but have not found it yet.

Way, way back in my PC day's, back with serial-printer port's, I had an awesome force-feedback steering wheel and one of the original really good WRC games called Mobile One Rally Championship. That was an awesome game and combination. The force-feedback was very realistic and worked very well with this game.

When bumpy roads, the steering wheel would vibrate. On pavement, the steering wheel was stiffer. When you crash, the steering wheel shook violently! The real fun was when you were driving on ice! There was "0" sensation to the steering wheel. It was very slippery and realistic. When you had a flat tire, or a broken steering, it was very hard to steer the car.

This made driving much more exciting and I hope to find the same thing for my Mac-version. But to be honest, I could care less about the force-feedback capabilities. I just want to steer and get better times! Not to beat the game, I have no patients for that, but it just makes it more fun.