Gomez Sim Industries - Formula Pro Elite - Detailed Review

Pricing

Key Features

Pros and Cons

Build Quality

Compatibility and Connection

Overall Experience

• Customizable Color Scheme
• 310mm rim Diameter (measured closer to 320mm for us)
• Vocore 480×800 Touchscreen
• 16 RGB LED Rev lights – Arduino controlled
• 5mm thick carbon faceplate and optional paddles
• 70mm bolt pattern
• Direct Injection Silicone Handles
• 6061 Aluminium Body

• Dash and LED customization through Simhub, Z1 etc.
• 10 Momentary Buttons
• 5 Push Button Rotary Encoders
• 7-Way Funky Switch
• CEMS N52 Shifters – Omron switch rated over 1 million cycles with neodymium 52 magnets – 6061 CNC machined cages
• HSE Analogue Paddles – “Hall Sensor Engagement” – Adjustable Throw Height

Pros:

• Massively customisable
• 800×480 resolution may sound low compared to a smartphone, but its adequate for the screen size, text is easy to read even when small
• Metal buttons feel more premium than other wheels we’ve tested at a similar price point
• Wheel has excellent ergonomics although some may not like the bulk and diameter, very comfortable to hold
  • buttons are easily reachable
  • shifters feel great
  • analogue paddles have a nice progressive feel
• Excellent presentation and build quality
  • Doesn’t look or feel like a toy
  • No ugly moulded plastics
  • Wouldn’t be at all out of place in a real race car
• Excellent community support

Cons:

• No Thumb Encoders
• Rotary Encoders
  • feel surprisingly cheap
  • Don’t offer multi-position switch functionality
  • No adjustable pulse duration which can lead to fast inputs not registering
• VOCORE screen is resource hungry and may need a dedicated active USB connection back to your PC
• Wheel is heavy
  • won’t be a problem on stronger wheelbases
  • noticeable dampening effect on weaker wheelbases compared with lighter wheels
• 320mm (as we measured it) wheel diameter larger than some may want
• Rubber grips are very thick (some people will like that) and pick up a lot of dust
• Reliant on 3rd party hardware and software, meaning you’re at the mercy of 3rd party companies for support

The Gomez GSI Formula Pro Elite is one of the best-built Sim Racing wheels we have seen.  Its 5mm thick carbon faceplate and 6061 Aluminium body provide an extremely solid construction that looks more like something you would find on a real race car than a PC racing simulator. The solid construction provides a very rigid feel which will not creak or flex in your hands even with the strongest wheelbases.

Shifters and Paddles

The high-quality Omron switches used for the shifters and HSE (Hall Effect Sensors) for the optional analog paddles are housed in very strong and beautifully machined aluminium cages.  This provides a solid and high-end feel in your hands and no reason to believe reliability will ever be an issue.  The optional analog paddles have a very progressive feel which allows for accurate input from the driver.  This is good for getting a perfect launch with a dual-clutch configuration but also means they work well for other inputs such as handbrake, or throttle and brake if you are unable to use pedals.

Internal Build Quality

Internally the construction of this wheel is very good. There are proprietary GSI-stamped PCBs for the main interface, LED strip and button interfaces.  The buttons interface directly with the PCB limiting the amount of cabling used inside the wheel.

The 70mm stud pattern bolts directly into the 4mm thick aluminium enclosure creating a very solid connection to your quick release.

Button Quality

There is no plastic anywhere on the face of the wheel. All buttons, button surrounds, and rotary encoders are aluminium. This gives the wheel a very high-end look and feel.

The buttons have a nice positive click with a solid feel.  There is no vibration or resonance felt in the wheel when pressing a button however they are not the stiffest buttons around.

Rotary Encoders

The rotary encoders are somewhat disappointing.  There is a little bit of play in the knobs, and the detents are not particularly tight.  While you do get a nice click between positions, it could definitely be stiffer.  Unfortunately, the feel of these encoders just doesn’t live up to every other part of the wheel.  The encoders do not function as multi positions switches.  So they only provide an up or down command to your sim rather than relaying the physical position.  Another potential issue is that you can not adjust the pulse duration of the rotary encoders.  This can result in either missing an input command when you spin the encoder around quickly or detecting an additional command when not desired.  This could potentially be addressed with a firmware update in the future.

The overall experience of driving with the GSI Formula Pro Elite is very satisfying.  From its striking aesthetics to its solid construction and feel, this wheel does everything it can to add to the immersion of the Sim Racing experience.

Ergonomics

The Formula Pro Elite is a larger diameter than I would normally choose for Formula or GT racing, and the grips are much thicker than I am used to.  However, it did not take long to get used to the feel of this wheel and come to appreciate its size and shape.

The thick grips in particular add a very solid and high-end feel.  The weight and larger diameter will have a dampening effect on weaker wheelbases, but I can’t imagine this being a problem for anything over 10 Nm of peak torque.

Dash Functionality

The integrated dash is bright and crisp.  The 800×480 pixel resolution is adequate for a screen this size and while it does not sound high compared to that of a smartphone screen, it definitely provides all the detail you need while driving.  A higher resolution screen would likely require an HDMI connection and take up far more resources from your PC.

Due to the huge amount of customization available on the dash and LED strip, your creativity is really the limiting factor in what you can achieve with this wheel.  This does come at the expense of added complexity if you are the kind of person who just wants to jump in and go for a quick drive.  But it really is a dream come true for those who like to fine-tune and tweak things to get the absolute most out of their hardware.

Support and Resources

Although this is a more complicated wheel than many, Gomez Sim Industries have provided everything you need to get up and running.  Not only are there very clear instructions on their website, but they also have a very active community on Discord. This is a fantastic resource for any troubleshooting as well as downloading presets from other users.  This active community plays an important role in the overall experience of owning a high-end bit of gear like this.  It definitely goes a long way to ensure you get the most out of your purchase.