Hori Mario Kart Pro Deluxe racing wheel review: “everything a kart can ask for at a great price”

Despite riding the Mario Kart wave for six years, the Nintendo Switch still only has one dedicated racing wheel that will satisfy those looking for a more immersive experience. Sure, you can buy cheap stands to get the most out of the Joy-Con motion controls, but if you’re looking for a full-size steering wheel in the same vein as Logitech or Thrustmaster, the Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe is it. what you need. ‘I have. Fortunately, it’s wonderful.

With everything expert players could ask for and ease of use to please even 50CC beginners, Hori’s Complete Wheelset can add a new twist to your Mario Kart 8 sessions. Between thoughtful knobs, an extension With a surprisingly high turnover and a relatively low price, it is one of the best Nintendo Switch accessories currently on the market.

I tried the Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe for two weeks to see where it ranks in the best starting range of Nintendo Switch controllers.

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Design

• Fun aesthetic inspired by Mario Kart
• Solid and durable construction.
• Easy to set up but avoid suction cups.

Hori’s Mario Kart racing wheel is certainly more compatible with Nintendo than its wider collection on PS5, Xbox and PC. Its bright red plastic and looming M logo in the center immediately put it on your Switch shelf. No, it won’t steal any aesthetic awards from more passionate brands, but it’s certainly a design that appeals to its fun-loving Ninty audience. Don’t let that cheery exterior fool you, they’re a well-built team. It’s an all-plastic design, save for the rubber grips on either side, though everything feels solid. I’m confident that everything from the thicker base to the individual pedals will hold up to even the most hectic Mario Kart sessions.

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It is also a good size wheel. I never felt cramped due to the diameter, although younger players will do much better with the smaller Mini version released at the same time. Most buttons were still easily accessible, and I was particularly happy with the length of the paddle shifters, which could be quickly grabbed during tighter turns and panic attacks.

There are four buttons in the center of the wheel, providing quick access to the left and right joystick buttons, as well as an option to hold an object behind you. It wasn’t that easy to hit.

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The item button just isn’t in a natural position to press quickly and accurately during a run, so I’ve largely avoided using this option in everyday gameplay. Instead, the dedicated ZR and ZL buttons on the main steering wheel occupied a prime position and were popular not only in Mario Kart, but other racing and driving games as well.

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Setup is relatively simple, with the pedals plugged directly into the wheelbase and another 10ft USB cable connecting the device to your Switch dock. Hori’s wheel offers clamp and suction cup attachment to the surface of your choice. Right off the bat, I’m going to tell you to ignore the suction option.

I never got this thing to stick reliably to any table I tested, which was disappointing – I was excited to try the wheel on my full PC setup (the thickness desk and drawer is too large for most wheels). However, the clamp keeps everything rock solid and is easy to connect and secure to a variety of surface thicknesses.

Features

• Many customization options available
• Great specs considering the price
• Control scheme easily adapts to other games

Despite its $100/£100 price tag, the Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe still has a viable set of specs. That 270º angle of rotation isn’t going to threaten the 900º or 1000º+ options available further up the price range, but it’s certainly more than enough for the more casual gamer. On tighter courses in Mario Kart, the option to flip things 180º also makes things much more precise.

For even more customization, there are seven sensitivity levels to maintain acceleration and handling, as well as an adjustable dead zone. Again, in hand, none of these features compare to anything more substantial, but they are a gateway to much more expensive racing gear and their availability in a budget buy is nice to see. Further personalization comes from the system’s full button programmability.

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In my testing, this resulted in the item holding position being held in different places with the ZL and Left Paddle in Mario Kart 8, but it also came in handy for configuring the system to Crash Team Racing and Nickelodeon Kart Racers. In fact, an excellent process is in place to ensure that you can use the Hori wheel with as many games as possible. A small switch at the top lets you use wheel rotation input to mirror the left or right stick (or even the d-pad).

Performance

• Good level of resistance for the price.
• Quick start
• Button remapping is quick and easy

It’s easy to dismiss a cheaper racing wheel based on perceived value alone, but I was surprised by the performance of the Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe. No, there are no fancy direct-drive or forced-return systems here, there’s just no room for price. However, there is still a good level of resistance behind every turn and particularly satisfying pedals. It’s hard to find $100/£100 racing wheels, let alone something that’s really fun to play with.

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It just took a bit of getting used to when starting up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and once I played around with some of the dead zone locations and key mapping, I was gone. Sure, my performance wasn’t as good as it would have been with a reliable controller in hand, but it was a lot more fun.

Everything works as expected, and unlike Hori’s Split Pad Pro implementation, I had no problem re-mapping buttons with the built-in Assign key. It was also refreshing to plug and play, as only one physical setup is required before embarking on a ride.

The aforementioned placement of the dedicated item button aside, I was able to use all the extra inputs and clickers. Everything was very responsive and translated well into the game as well.

Should you buy the Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe?

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Buy if:

You play a variety of driving and racing games
You mainly play these games on Nintendo Switch
You don’t need more enthusiast level features
You have plenty of storage space
You are not buying for a young child

The Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe won’t guide you through more comprehensive racing and driving simulations, but as a nice addition to your Switch setup, it’s a great ride. Sadly, there are few racing wheels for $100/£100, which makes the feature set and thoughtful design of Hori’s model all the more impressive. If you’re looking for a racing wheel for the Nintendo Switch, Hori’s two devices are among the only models currently on the market. I would recommend those buying for young kids to stick with the Mini version and save some money, although kids around 8+ can probably handle the whole thing.

While the Pro Deluxe is PC compatible, serious sims will need something with a little more guts. The Thrustmaster T248 is currently the best racing wheel on PC, but the Logitech G293 is also another fan favorite. Both models will offer greater degrees of rotation and a more immersive experience with Force Feedback technology.

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Today’s best Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe deals

How we tested the Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe

I used Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe for two weeks, testing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Crash Nitro Racing, and Nickelodeon Team Racing. I also assembled and disassembled the whole system several times during this period. For more information on how we test drivers, see the full GamesRadar+ hardware policy.

We also round the best steering wheels for xbox and the best steering wheels for ps5 Also. Or, for a more traditional option, check out the best pc drivers available.