Racing wheels are a dime a dozen. While still relatively niche, the market for them has no sooner exploded in variety and price range. You can either go with something a little more affordable but a little less immersive, such as a racing wheel that doesn't include a gear shift, or you can treat yourself to the totally unnecessary, like Fanatec's $1,800 option.
Then, there's the middle ground, wherein one would find the V9 by PXN. It offers all of the necessities, a detached gear shift, three working pedals, and a sleek 900 degree racing wheel, all for the relatively affordable price of $200. I say relatively only because it's at a very competitive price point when compared to rivals, like Logitech's $400 G923 or Thrustmaster's T248, also $400.
But what makes the V9 a bit less of a run-out-and-buy wheel is its limited library of compatible games and also the steep learning curve needed for its utilization across devices. So, while the V9 is superbly fun and gratifying, especially on PC playing Forza Horizon 5, there are still some issues that make the experience slightly frustrating but all the grander when worked out.
Out of the Box and Into the Shop
The PXN V9 is one sweet piece of hardware. Even upon opening the box, you're welcomed with the aroma of a fresh new vehicle interior. PXN packages together the full steering wheel, the three connected pedals, the gear shift, along with an extra pair of suction cups and some clamps. You'll also get a wire dedicated to the PS4 and Xbox One controller connectivity, so don't lose that as console players will need it.
The V9 works with practically any device, aside from a PS5 - though there are ways supposedly to get it working. In my experience, at first, I couldn't seem to get it to work on my PS5. Then I realized that it needs to use the PS4 controller for guidance if you want to work on PS5. And it can only play the games of your PS4. Aside from that, it works great on nearly everything else. The full list includes the PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, and Switch. I personally tested it out on the PS4, PC, and Switch.
From my initial setup, I could truly tell it's meant to be more of an Xbox tool. On PS4 it takes a bit of finagling, but on PC it worked quite fine when playing Forza Horizon 5 through Game Pass. I noticed some people were having issues with the controls on Steam, but I didn't have so much of an issue, it just takes some getting used to and some adjusting.
Specifically, before doing anything, I would download PXN's V9 Tools app on whatever mobile device you have. This will give you easy and overall free reign over the device, allowing you to make all of the necessary adjustments, as well as switch between X- and D-Input on the fly.
At least for me, out of the box the V9 came set at the maximum 900 degrees of steering, which is used for truck sim games. Bump that down to 270 degrees for racing, ie Forza and Assetto Corsa, and you'll be well on your way to greatness. You can also mess around with both the sensitivity and vibration settings to make the most out of your new racing wheel.
Depending on the game, you'll also want to ensure the wheel works accordingly. The app will tell you which games necessitate the best types of controls, which is nice but proves how limited the library of compatible experiences is with the V9. You can sort between the various devices and modify the wheel's settings appropriate to the game of your choosing.
On the Road
With all of the preliminaries out of the way, you're ready to race. As I said previously, it's clear the V9 was more suited for Xbox players, as the connectivity suggests it works best on the Microsoft front. However, it does still work wonders on the PC, specifically while utilizing Game Pass. Once you have adjusted the degrees and controls to your liking, it's immersion at its finest.
Forza Horizon 5 is an utter blast. I will note, however, that getting through the various menu screens is a bit of a hassle until you have a total grasp of the control scheme. For that very reason, I would immediately head to the controls settings to see which buttons are tied to what, so you're not painstakingly pressing random buttons to no avail.
One such misalignment was the gear clutch being tied to the L1 button, which in the menus for Forza Horizon 5 is used to access the cars, the shops, and more. This is also tied to the up and down button when in the settings menu, so it was causing issues for me at first until I adjusted the layout and ensured the device itself was working properly.
While playing, I also found that the suction cups on the bottom are rather finicky. At least for me, I tried to put the wheel on several varied surfaces, including my desk, a wooden table, a separated shelf - none of which seemed to allow it any substantial hold. The wheel would go flying this way and that if not adamantly secured, thus the clamps provided in the box are an utter necessity and I highly recommend you use them for an everlasting experience.
I attempted to get the V9 running with other games, like Dark Souls 3 and Fable, but the wheel doesn't work like a typical game pad. It's intended for racing and racing alone, which is why I genuinely appreciate it, from device to functionality. It's only fault is the rather limited library and the unfortunate finagling necessary to get it fully operational.
The V9 also doesn't have force feedback, which may put a damper on some racing fans out there. This haptics feature, which is included in a lot of the most beloved racing wheels, ie the Thrustmaster TMX Force or the Logitech G29, is considered an immersive must-have, but I personally feel it's not needed here. For however much it may have bumped the MSRP of the controller, I think at its core the V9 is perfectly suitable without the crazy haptics.
Over on PS4, it didn't work with GTA V, but I did get to play a bit of GT Sport, which was absolutely insane. You don't get truly immersive experiences quite like this on consoles, unless you're running a full VR rig, which isn't all that ideal. With the V9, you get all of the trappings at an affordable rate. I even ran Mario Kart 8 on the Nintendo Switch with this thing and, while certainly overkill, it was undoubtedly a blast.
Does it improve your skills though? Not quite. If you're going into this thinking you'll be the next Dale Earnhradt Jr., you're sadly mistaken. Sure, it makes turns and driving a bit more accessible, but it still requires a steep learning curve. For those who either had to learn keyboard and mouse or controller after using the other form for a long while, you'll understand making a drastic alteration to your control scheme isn't a foolproof method of upping your game.
It does, however, make you feel like a better driver - that's for certain.
Finish Line
Overall, I find the V9 a truly awesome device. It's a bit expensive, sure, for something you may only use a few times depending on your type of gaming. But for those who are interested and love racing games, I'd say this is a must-have. Especially for people who love VR or haptics. Utilizing the V9 alongside the Index or Quest 2 while strapped in Razer's Inky Pro HyperSense would truly push the level of immersion into the stratosphere.
As it stands though, I feel like the device needs a bit more fine tuning and some interconnectivity troubleshooting. By this I mean, I'd love to see the library of games across all platforms get extensively extended. While that may be a lot to ask for, I think that a more robust game connectivity would allow this device more leeway for the random player.
Maybe games like the PS2 classics Midnight Club 3 or Need for Speed Carbon can be somewhat resurrected thanks in part to a wheel such as this. I also feel like the controls should be fixed to some degree, as while it may be fun once everything is working, the time consuming nature of finagling every bit of interconnectivity can easily be subverted by simply having more troubleshooting parameters at the outset.
In the end, I do think this is one fine racing wheel. If you're not trying to spend a ton on something outlandish and want something to give you joy and immersion, the V9 will certainly do that. For Forza Horizon 5 specifically, I feel like the V9 is an absolute necessity, so long as you can adjust the various settings accordingly and are willing to drop $200 on a controller for one game.
Personally, I hope PXN can update the V9 to have full functionality without constraints on the PS5, so this year's forthcoming Gran Turismo 7 can be experienced in the best possible fashion.
