Not content with throwing some Kinect support into Forza 4, Microsoft is also releasing a wireless, motion-controlled racing wheel for the game. It didn't sound too promising when it was first announced. And doesn't look too promising in action, either.
I shot this footage earlier today at Microsoft's booth at the Tokyo Game Show. Note how the player moves the wheel and the car...either doesn't budge or reacts slowly. While this is probably on the "easiest" settings (all aids on, for example), that's still pretty poor for a game that's going to be reliant on precise timing and quick reflexes.
Then again, serious racing fans (or even mildly serious) wouldn't bother with something like this anyway, so it's not like we're going to lose any sleep over it. Unless we try and work out just who this thing is intended for. That might keep us up for a while. It's a tough one.
UPDATE - Reader Luke offers a helpful bit of info, writing:
It's looking unresponsive because the player is bad at the game but thankfully, the steering AND breaking assist features of Forza 4 are turned on. If you turn those off, the wheel is incredibly responsive, picking up the slightest movements. I've been been hands on with the wheel for a few days while setting up GAMEfest in the UK, it's a great bit of it.
So there you go!
You can contact Luke Plunkett, the author of this post, at plunkett@kotaku.com. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.