PC Gaming

[dgrambo]

Yes, with all the progamming resources available to Logitech, it seems they should at least have a beta driver available. This wheel is an expensive high quality item that should not be used for landfill. Its very hard to throw this in the garbage and then drive to Best Buy and pay more money for a Logitech brand wheel that isnt even of the same build quality or feel. It makes a person feel really stupid and weak to even consider this action. Its not natural to behave in this type of naive and thoughtless manner. Who at Logitech would want to do this?

[dgrambo]

Here is some info that suggests the Logitech Wingman wheel is not quite as legacy as suggested by Logitech rep CharlesB: (see below)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb153254%28v=vs.85%29.aspx

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/directx/forcefeedback.aspx

  Re: Logitech WIngman Force

03-04-2008 12:28 PM - last edited on 03-05-2008 09:22 AM

Not garbage at all. In fact, the device is working rather well considering it's a gaming device that was made over 8 years ago. There are just some technical impediments to having it supported on modern OSes.

These devices (Wingman Force, Formula, Formula Force) were some of the first DirectInput gaming devices. These were designed when USB was still a small market technology, and are in fact [technically] serial devices, even though they have a USB port. Because of the bandwidth constraints of having something being serial compatible, original force feedback devices had to load the forces into the device's memory, and then would execute the force when instructed by the PC. Simple forces allowed up to 10 effects, but later/more complex force feedback executions caused the memory to be constrained, possibly to 7 or less effects.

Later Force Feedback devices, basically all devices supported by LGS 5.01 and above, have a different way of managing effects. The PC could send and execute individual effects, as well as actively remove and replace the effects without closing and reopening the game. This, combined with greater memory banks and no need for legacy serial support, allowed for a significantly greater amount of effects and this is the standard basically used by all the games developed in the last few years.

We had to pull a lot of tricks to keep force feedback working properly on these devices, and simply put, the way force feedback is implemented in games moved past what the standard was when we launched this product line (September of 1998). We also couldn't make current games compatible with this device, so even if we got the driver working, I can't guarantee you would even be able to use this device with the games that are designed for Vista. Modern games simply would throw too much information at this device for it to handle reliably.

We are not ending Vista support in some sort of malicious way. PC technology has simply progressed so far that we have to recognize where we have to limit the technology. We still support these wheels/joysticks, but we have to do so on the OSes they were designed for (Windows 95-XP, depending on the LGS version).

Message Edited by CharlesB on 03-05-2008 09:22 AM

[Ffran]

But the question is, is there no new wheels that feels as good as this one? Why do I always feel like the new ones that come out are like toys? Where are the Wingmen?

[King7560]

I got this problem too... and i have a solution.

Go to page http://www.logitech.com/en-roeu/486/2973?WT.z_sp=Image And choose: OS = windows XP | Download = logitech gaming software | file = multilingual 64 - bit.

Then, download the second file (under the "whats new").

Run it

And when you will come to calibration, do the everything what is writed here.

Then, when you end installation, it will run program called " logitech profiler".

Click on the button "device" (next to "edit" and "options")

After it, click on the "game controllers..."

Choose "wingman formula force GP" and click twice on it.

Then, appears a window called "wingman formula gp properties"

Try to press your pedals.

If nothing hapened, click on "settings" and tick the choice "Combined (single axis - used for most games)

Then close this window and look to the window "wingman formula force GP" Try to pull your pedals and see the result...

I hope I solve your problem

If yes, please write to my adress Adamking@pobox.sk

Thank you and best regards,

Adam

[WoOdaWoO]

Thanks for the information guys. I have the Wingman Formula Force (red) steering wheel + Wingman Strike Force 3D joystick.

Thought I run out of luck in using both controllers.... found this thread. Tested the Strike Force 3D with the profiler. Works fine!

Tested the Wingman Formula Force wheel with the profiler, it does not even detect the wheel like the way it did with the Strike Force 3D.Just want to share my experience.

I'll try the Formula driver to see what will happen...

http://www.logitech.com/en-roeu/486/2976?softwareid=4353&osid=13&section=downloads

[WoOdaWoO]

no luck with the Force driver as the installer is in 32Bit. Guess the only option we have is to run XP in virtual mode to enjoy the wheel...?!!!

I had this wheel for many years, I google this topic once awhile, hoped that one day Logitech will build a driver for this fine wheel.

LOGITECH! please build a driver for this nice wheel for Win7x64 +x86! We don't want to throw away something that is working fine!

YOU CAN DO SOMETHING TO SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT!!!!

[SgtSausag3]

FOLLOW THESE STEPS AND YOU WILL GET YOUR LOGITECH DEVICE WORKING.....AKA THE OLD RED FORMULA FORCE WINGMAN....HAHA WINDOWS 7 64 BIT INSTALLED AND RECOGNIZED AS A SAITEK DEVICE LOL

http://superuser.com/questions/253143/how-do-i-get-the-logitech-wingman-formula-force-to-work-in-win...

[g_lei_ck]

Hi,

I've tried what they say in that link and it does not work for me. The first problem is that there es no HW ID in the device manager. Then, if I get the HD ID from my old Windows XP and use it, it does not work. Any idea?

Thanks.

[aol000xw]

At this point I think that you can get the wheel working in 64 bits but not the Force Feedback. (I did with the Saitek driver)

Logitech did End Of Life the product and won't give us support in the form of a 64 bit drive, so I just asked them  to Open Source de original 32 bit driver so someone can do what they aren't doing, make a 64 bit driver. Waiting for an answer. 

I don't care about the profiler or whatever, just need the specs for the serial comunications.

I understand products can't be supported forever but forcing obsolescence of an otherwise perfectly working product that way and not providing even the source of a 10 years old dirver is evil.

If I need a new wheel cause it breaks a G27 will be my choice but not cause the din't bother to provide a 64 bit driver, not even for XP.

[formulabob]

Using the Saitek trick worked well! I do miss the force feedback though, but at least I get to use the wheel again. Thanks SgtSausag3!