Does anyone know the beginning of steering wheels for driving games? I believe there are 2 different dates: with and without force feedback. Only info I could find was: Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback Wheel was introduced at Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3), May 28-30, 1998, Link!

if arcade machines count they date back at least as early as the mid 80s when outrun was released

iirc the sidewinder ffb was the first pc ffb wheel

I bought my Thrustmaster T2, which the "2" obviously designates a second generation of the wheel, in 1996. My daughter still uses that wheel on the other computer, though the throttle spikes something aweful.

I'd use the brake as a clutch, but I only had an old gameport gamepad laying around which is wired up for my almost finished h-shifter. Both the gamepad and the Thrustmaster are gameports.

I bought my MS FF in the end of 1998

but if a game console also counts then in 1982 the "Colecovision" came with Donky Kong and also with a wheel and pedals (from SEGA) for the game Turbo

Quote from mrodgers :

I bought my Thrustmaster T2, which the "2" obviously designates a second generation of the wheel, in 1996. ..

I found a review from Thrustmaster T1
http://www.ibiblio.org/GameBytes/issue21/greviews/t1.html
from 1994

I had an orginial Mad Catz Andretti wheel as my first.
It was quite good at the time. Non FFB.

http://www.madcatz.com/faq/?Action=Q&ID=67

I'm sure there is a wiki/history page somewhere on the interweb that has the info your desire.

Thread cleaned.

PLAYLIFE - there was no need for a post like that.

Quote from Cargo :

I had an orginial Mad Catz Andretti wheel as my first.
It was quite good at the time. Non FFB.

http://www.madcatz.com/faq/?Action=Q&ID=67

I'm sure there is a wiki/history page somewhere on the interweb that has the info your desire.

That's a nice looking wheel there

Quote from Renku :

Does anyone know the beginning of steering wheels for driving games? I believe there are 2 different dates: with and without force feedback. Only info I could find was: Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback Wheel was introduced at Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3), May 28-30, 1998, Link!

The first FFB retail PC wheel came out in the spring or summer before MS, and Logitech's first FFB wheels (1998). I tested one (it had a very toy like appearence with a "cut out top" style rim. The face had a decal with gages printed on it. It was belt drive and work fairly well. For the life of me I cannot remember who built it, except that Immersion did the engineering.

First ever(?) diy FFB Wheel.