The exterior packaging of the SRW-S1 is very well presented with full panoramic views of the wheel itself visible. The front of the package displays the product title uppermost along with 'Simraceway' a game which was specifically developed to show off the wheels functionality which the packaging suggests is included in the box but it is freely available to download.
The bottom of the box details the main features of the wheel and intriguingly suggests that the wheel was co-developed with SteelSeries
Flipping the box over we get an introduction into Simraceway, an 'online world focused on live multiplayer racing' which we will cover later in the review.
The included accessories are sparse to say the least. A quickstart guide and a 'credit card' containing a $10 credit to use for upgrades on Simraceway are all that is included.
The wheel itself is quite light and the materials used are of a very good quality. It is perfectly sized (see USB stick for scale) and can be used both by large and small hand grips without too much issue. The main grips have a rubberised none-slip texture and all of the buttons are easily reached by both thumbs. I would have preferred there to have been more space between the steering wheel holes as the mid sections do get in the way ever so slightly but this is just a minor point.
The rear of the wheel features four paddles. The top two smaller paddles are used for Gear up and down with the larger bottom paddles being used for accelerate and brake. These paddles eradicate the need for a desktop gear lever and foot pedals but I do worry about the 'realism' of having an accelerator and brake pedal on a steering wheel which after all, is designed to be simulator based. Compromises such as this are required to save desktop space but this may also compromise on realism.
Ergonomically, the wheel is fairly comfortable to hold but not perfect. The switches are stiff but precise and will perhaps loosen up over time. The buttons give tactile feedback which is great and they can all be configured to your liking in most PC racing games. Sadly, there was no mention from SteelSeries any compatibility with consoles which is a great shame.
Overall then, the SRW-S1 is well thought out and feel comfortable to hold. While the numerous buttons may seem daunting, in practice few are used but the option is there depending on the complexity of your racing sim, be it Simraceway, DiRT or F1 2011, all of which are compatible with the Steelseries SRW-S1.
Let's try out the steering wheel and take a peek at Simraceway...
