Surprise, F1 2017 for Linux appears on SteamDB

Bah, the question from Feral was just a marketing tool, come on. But that's fine, they're cool. It does establish a reference for later "questions" though :-)

Steam User reviews are sitting at a solid 91% (all languages) 2 days after release. This looks like THE version that Linux needs - hoping for Vulkan support for that added smoothness. Can't wait!


Last edited by FredO on 27 August 2017 at 10:10 am UTC

Quoting: tuubi

Quoting: ArthurI might quite possibly get it. Maybe I should get a wheel first though...? Dirt Rally is difficult with just a keyboard.

Analog controls are a must unless you're playing a very simplistic arcade racer. A decent gamepad does the job, but a wheel does it better. Their accuracy, range and more natural feedback will definitely give you an edge.

Yep, it kinda worked with Dirt 3 and not the most realistic difficulty. Dirt Rally, even with the optional assistance, is probably five times more difficult.

I've been considering getting the Logitech G29 but it's quite pricey - about 360 USD where I live (not in the US). Unsure whether it would be worth it.

Have you considered the Logitech Driving Force GT? I think it's a great first wheel, works with pretty much every racing game I've tried (only exception: ETS 2 has wrong range and no FF, but it's fixed with a package provided by the developer) and you can get a used one for 50 USD.


Last edited by Pinguino on 27 August 2017 at 3:43 pm UTC

Quoting: wleoncioHave you considered the Logitech Driving Force GT? I think it's a great first wheel, works with pretty much every racing game I've tried (only exception: ETS 2 has wrong range and no FF, but it's fixed with a package provided by the developer) and you can get a used one for 50 USD.

Thanks for the recommendation, but sadly it has no clutch pedal and while I'm not sure if it would matter that much I'm afraid it would kind of feel wrong, at least if I'm going to use the stick shifter. If I could get that exact wheel with three pedals I'd probably be a happy camper, but it seems like gaming accessory companies know how to segment their market for maximum profit. :/

The lack of a clutch does take away a little bit of the realism, especially if you've driven manual cars, but at least for me it doesn't cut a significant part of the fun. Ditto for the sequential gears, as it only goes up and down and not in an H-pattern.

Anyway, the pedals are connected to the wheel through a VGA port, so I suppose you could switch them to another one with a clutch. Or maybe you can buy the 3-piece pedal separately and have it connect directly to your PC, perhaps using a cable like this one. I've tried to find a testimony of someone who's actually done this, but got nothing.

Quoting: wleoncioThe lack of a clutch does take away a little bit of the realism, especially if you've driven manual cars, but at least for me it doesn't cut a significant part of the fun. Ditto for the sequential gears, as it only goes up and down and not in an H-pattern.

Anyway, the pedals are connected to the wheel through a VGA port, so I suppose you could switch them to another one with a clutch. Or maybe you can buy the 3-piece pedal separately and have it connect directly to your PC, perhaps using a cable like this one. I've tried to find a testimony of someone who's actually done this, but got nothing.

Thank you again for the additional information. I am almost exclusively driving manual cars so I'm afraid a stick only going up and down also will not feel natural. How does it work in practice though? How does it know to gear down instead of up - do you have to brake while shifting down in order to gear down instead of going to a higher gear?

Looks like I may have to bite the bullet and go for the G29 and the separate stick shifter for it to get something suitable for manual gearing. However I'm not sure if I would be able to manual gear while driving Dirt Rally - might be too difficult to not use automatic gearing in that game. But I imagine it would be nice in Euro Truck since you don't need to shift up or down as quickly.

As a side note, Rocket League with a steering wheel might be interesting too - it's probably the vehicle-related game I play the most.

Quoting: ArthurHow does it work in practice though? How does it know to gear down instead of up - do you have to brake while shifting down in order to gear down instead of going to a higher gear?

On the DFGT, the stick has three positions: neutral (centered), up (away from you) and down (towards you). By default, pulling the stick towards you shifts up and pushing it away shifts down. You can hear a click when it reaches those extreme positions, and after you let it go, a spring brings the stick back to center.

I like the DFGT for its price and compactness, but if you're looking for sturdiness (the DFGT wheel itself is great, but the pedals do look a little flimsy and are a little bit too close together), silence (some reviews say its FF is too loud; doesn't bother me, though) and realism, it's gonna be hard to pay much less than a few hundred bucks.


Last edited by Pinguino on 27 August 2017 at 4:43 pm UTC

Quoting: wleoncio

Quoting: ArthurHow does it work in practice though? How does it know to gear down instead of up - do you have to brake while shifting down in order to gear down instead of going to a higher gear?

On the DFGT, the stick has three positions: neutral (centered), up (away from you) and down (towards you). By default, pulling the stick towards you shifts up and pushing it away shifts down. You can hear a click when it reaches those extreme positions, and after you let it go, a spring brings the stick back to center.

Believe it or not, you won't find the familiar H-shifter in modern high end rally cars. WRC drivers use either paddles or sequential manual stick shifts that AFAIK work like you described. Clutch is basically only needed to get the car moving. I guess if you're going for total realism, you'd need all kinds of setups to cover all the available car classes in Dirt Rally.


Last edited by tuubi on 27 August 2017 at 5:05 pm UTC

Quoting: wleoncio

Quoting: ArthurHow does it work in practice though? How does it know to gear down instead of up - do you have to brake while shifting down in order to gear down instead of going to a higher gear?

On the DFGT, the stick has three positions: neutral (centered), up (away from you) and down (towards you). By default, pulling the stick towards you shifts up and pushing it away shifts down. You can hear a click when it reaches those extreme positions, and after you let it go, a spring brings the stick back to center.

I like the DFGT for its price and compactness, but if you're looking for sturdiness (the DFGT wheel itself is great, but the pedals do look a little flimsy and are a little bit too close together), silence (some reviews say its FF is too loud; doesn't bother me, though) and realism, it's gonna be hard to pay much less than a few hundred bucks.

I love driving force gt. It's the steering wheel I have. Unfortunately Logitech has stopped manufacturing it. I fear the day the steering wheel breaks down.