PXN V9 Racing Wheel Review: a budget-friendly multi-platform setup that mostly gets the job done

I’ve been using the PXN V9 racing wheel for a little while now on PC and console, and I’ll be straight: this is a budget setup that tries to do everything at once – wheel, 3 pedals, H-shifter, paddles, multi-platform support. It doesn’t feel like the fancy Logitech or Thrustmaster stuff, but for the price, it actually holds up better than I expected. You just have to accept some compromises and a slightly annoying setup at the start.

What pushed me to try it is the combo: 270°/900° rotation, clutch pedal, separate shifter, and compatibility with PC, Xbox, PS4 and Switch. On paper, it covers pretty much everything I play: Forza, Assetto Corsa, Euro Truck, a bit of F1, Mario Kart with friends. I didn’t want to drop a few hundred bucks on a high-end wheel just to see if I’d actually use it, so this felt like a reasonable middle ground.

First days with it were a mix of “ok this is pretty solid for the price” and “why the hell is this not working on this console right now”. Once I understood the quirks (especially on Xbox with the controller cable and ports), it became more plug-and-play, but the first setup is not as simple as the box suggests. On PC, though, it was almost painless: plug, install the PXN Wheel app, tweak a bit, and drive.

If you’re expecting strong force feedback and something that feels like a real racing rig, this is not it. If you want a decent entry-level wheel to mess around in Forza or Euro Truck with all three pedals and a shifter, then it starts to make sense. That’s basically how I’d sum it up: not perfect, a bit rough around the edges, but usable and fairly fun once it’s dialed in.

In terms of value, this is where the PXN V9 makes sense. For roughly half the price of the big-name wheels, you get: a wheel with 270°/900° rotation, 3 pedals including a clutch, a separate H-shifter, paddle shifters, multi-platform compatibility (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Series X/S, Switch), and an app to tweak settings. That’s a lot of features packed into one kit. If you tried to get all that from Logitech or Thrustmaster, you’d pay quite a bit more.

The trade-off is obvious, though: no real force feedback, lighter and cheaper materials, and slightly more complicated setup on consoles. If you’re the type who wants plug-and-play perfection and rock-solid feel, you’ll probably prefer saving for a G29/G920 or similar. But if you just want a budget-friendly entry point into wheel racing, and you’re okay with tinkering a bit during setup, this delivers decent bang for the buck.

Compared to using just a controller, the immersion jump is big, even with this cheaper wheel. Doing manual shifts in Euro Truck with the clutch and shifter, or driving Forza with a full wheel and pedal setup, is simply more fun, even if the precision isn’t top-tier. For kids or beginners, it hits a good balance: not crazy expensive, but still gives you the full “wheel, pedals, shifter” experience they see in YouTube videos.

So value-wise, I’d rate it as pretty solid for casual users and beginners. If you already know you’re deep into sim racing and you care a lot about realistic force feedback, pedal feel, and build quality, I’d say skip this and save for something better. But if you’re testing the waters or buying for a younger player, this wheel makes sense and doesn’t feel like a waste of money.

Design-wise, the PXN V9 looks like a typical entry-level racing wheel. The wheel is medium-sized, with a rubber-textured grip and a plastic center. It’s not ugly, but it’s not the kind of thing you’ll stare at and admire either. It just looks like what it is: a gaming accessory meant to sit on a desk. The layout is practical: face buttons where you’d expect them, D-pad, paddles behind the wheel, and a clear switch underneath to change between 270° and 900° rotation. That switch is actually handy, since you don’t have to dig through software to change it.

The separate shifter looks a bit toy-like, but it’s functional: six gears plus reverse, with a stick that has enough throw to feel like you’re actually shifting, even if the sensation is clearly plastic-on-plastic. There’s also the handbrake/gear mode controls, but they’re button-based, not analog, which makes it feel more like a shortcut than a real car handbrake. Still, in games like Euro Truck or farming sims, it adds a bit of fun compared to just using paddles.

Mounting is handled by five suction cups under the base and two C-clamps you can tighten on the edge of a desk or table. On a smooth desk, the suction cups actually hold surprisingly well, but if your surface is textured or dusty, they lose grip pretty fast. The clamps are more reliable, but you need a table edge they can actually grab. Once everything is tightened down, the wheel doesn’t move much, even when you jerk it around in tight turns.

One small annoyance: cable management is not great. You end up with a cable from the pedals to the wheel, a cable from the shifter to the wheel, then USB from the wheel to the PC/console, plus the controller cable if you’re on Xbox or PS4. If you like a clean setup, you’ll need some zip ties or Velcro straps. Overall, the design is practical and thought-through enough, but clearly optimized for cost, not for aesthetics or premium feel.

In terms of comfort, the PXN V9 is actually better than I expected for longer sessions. The rubberized grip on the wheel is pretty nice: it doesn’t get slippery even when your hands get a bit sweaty, and it’s soft enough that your fingers don’t hurt after an hour. The wheel size is somewhere between a real small car wheel and a typical gamepad accessory – big enough to use with both hands properly, small enough to fit comfortably on a normal desk without hitting your legs all the time.

The pedals are where comfort is more mixed. The angle of the pedal base is okay if you’re sitting in a standard office chair, but if your chair is too low or too high, your ankles start to feel it after a while. The light spring resistance means your feet don’t get tired, which is good, but you also don’t get much feedback, especially on the brake. For casual driving in Forza Horizon or Mario Kart, it’s fine. For serious laps in Assetto Corsa or F1 where you rely a lot on brake feel, it’s not ideal.

The shifter placement is up to you since it’s a separate unit, which is nice. I put it on the right side of the wheel, slightly lower, and it felt natural enough. The stick itself doesn’t require much force, so your arm doesn’t get tired, but that also means you don’t get that satisfying mechanical feel. Comfort-wise, though, it’s okay: gear shifts are easy and light, and you don’t have to wrestle with it.

One thing to keep in mind: this wheel has no real force feedback, just vibration. That means you don’t fight strong resistance in the wheel, which some people might actually find more comfortable, especially beginners or younger players. On the flip side, if you’re used to real force feedback, this will feel a bit lifeless. Overall, for casual use and longer relaxed sessions, comfort is good enough. For hardcore sim marathons, you’ll probably want something more advanced.

The whole set is mostly ABS plastic with a matte finish. The wheel rim has a rubberized texture on the grips, which helps a bit with comfort and avoids the “cheap shiny plastic” feeling, but the rest is clearly plastic. It doesn’t creak badly when you twist it, which is a good sign, but if you’ve ever touched a more expensive wheel, you’ll feel the difference right away. This is more toy-grade than pro-grade, but it’s not total junk either.

The pedals are fully plastic too: base, arms, and pedal faces. No metal here. The springs inside the pedals are on the light side, especially for the brake. Don’t expect a progressive or heavy brake pedal like you’d see on mid-range or high-end setups. The clutch and accelerator feel almost identical in resistance, which isn’t very realistic but fine for casual driving. For someone just getting into sim racing or a kid, it’s good enough. For a hardcore sim fan, it’ll feel too light and a bit toy-ish.

The shifter is also all plastic, with a plastic knob and a plastic gate. The positive side is that it keeps the weight down and you don’t worry about it scratching your desk. The negative side is the feel: gear changes don’t have that solid “click” or mechanical notch you get with better shifters. It’s more of a soft, slightly loose feeling as you move from gear to gear. It works, but it doesn’t scream precision. After a few sessions, though, I kind of got used to it and didn’t think about it as much.

Given the price range, I wasn’t expecting metal or leather, so I’m not really disappointed. The materials match the cost: basic, but functional. If you’re buying this for a kid, a teen, or as a first wheel to test the waters, the materials are fine. If you want something that feels like an actual car part, you’ll probably want to save up for a more expensive brand.

On the durability side, the PXN V9 feels like a typical mid-range plastic accessory: not super fragile, but you can tell it’s not built like a tank either. The wheel housing doesn’t flex much when you twist it, which is reassuring, and after multiple sessions of fairly aggressive driving (lots of counter-steering and yanking it in rally games), I didn’t notice any wobble or looseness developing at the center.

The pedals are my bigger concern long-term. The all-plastic construction and light springs make me think that if something is going to fail first, it’ll probably be a pedal spring or the hinge where the pedal arm pivots. So far, nothing has broken or started squeaking, but if you’re heavy-footed or you stomp on the brake a lot, I wouldn’t be shocked if it starts to show wear sooner than a higher-end set. For kids or lighter use, it’s probably fine for quite a while.

The shifter also feels like an area where durability might be average. The stick has a tiny bit of side play even when new, and the plastic gate doesn’t feel like it would love being slammed hard repeatedly. I’ve been reasonably gentle with it – quick shifts but not punching it – and it’s held up without any obvious degradation. If you’re the type to really smash gears, I’d dial it back a bit if you want it to last.

Given the user reviews and my own experience so far, I’d say durability is acceptable for the price, but you shouldn’t expect it to survive years of daily hardcore sim racing. As a starter wheel for casual evenings or as a kid’s setup, it should hold up decently. Just manage your expectations: this is not a lifetime investment piece, it’s more of a “see if I like this hobby” kind of gear.

Performance-wise, this wheel sits clearly in the “entry-level, casual fun” category. The steering is reasonably accurate, and the option to switch between 270° and 900° rotation is actually useful. At 270°, it’s better for arcade racers like Need for Speed or Mario Kart. At 900°, it makes more sense for Euro Truck, farming sims, or more realistic racing where you want to hand-over-hand steer. The center position is stable enough; I didn’t notice big dead zones once I tweaked the settings a bit in games and in the PXN app.

There is vibration, but no true force feedback. That means the wheel shakes a bit on bumps or impacts, but you don’t really feel weight transfer or tire grip like you would on a proper force feedback wheel. For kids or people who just want the driving motion, that’s totally fine. For someone who’s used to a Logitech G29 or higher, it will feel pretty flat. Personally, for the price, I accepted it and just enjoyed the basic immersion of using a wheel instead of a controller.

The pedals do their job but are clearly basic. Throttle and brake inputs are recognized smoothly, but the light springs mean it’s easy to over-brake until you get used to it. I had to tweak in-game sensitivity, especially in F1 and Assetto Corsa, to make it less twitchy. The clutch pedal works, and combined with the shifter, it adds a lot of fun in truck sims or manual transmission cars. Just don’t expect super precise bite point control like on higher-end sets.

Platform-wise, once it’s correctly set up, performance is stable. On PC, it was the smoothest: wide game support, easy to map buttons, and the PXN Wheel app is handy to check if everything is recognized. On Xbox and PS4, it’s more sensitive to how you plug the controller in, but once it’s running, games like Forza Horizon 5, Forza Motorsport, and WRC felt perfectly playable. So, performance is good for the price bracket, but clearly limited if you’re aiming for more serious sim racing.

In the box, you get four main pieces: the wheel base with the wheel attached, a set of 3 pedals (clutch, brake, accelerator), a separate H-pattern shifter/handbrake unit, and the necessary cables. No power brick, it’s USB powered. There’s also a small manual that explains the different modes (PC, PS4, Xbox, Switch) and how to switch between 270° and 900° rotation. The manual is usable but not super clear; you have to read it slowly and sometimes double-check YouTube or the PXN app to really get what they mean.

The wheel is designed to work on a bunch of platforms: PC (Windows 7–11), PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch. On PC, it’s straightforward: USB into the tower or laptop, then you can use the PXN Wheel app to test buttons and adjust things. On Xbox and PS4, you have to connect the official controller into the wheel via USB, which is where some people (including me at first) mess up, especially if you use a controller with an external battery pack or charging dock.

Control-wise, the wheel has the usual buttons mapped to console inputs, plus paddles behind the wheel for shifting, and a mode selector to go between different platforms and between 270° and 900°. The shifter has six forward gears plus reverse, and there’s a handbrake function too, but it’s more of a button than a real analog lever. Also, important detail: the H-shifter is only active in “truck mode”, which can be confusing at first if you plug it in and nothing happens in a racing game.

Overall, the package is pretty complete for the price: you don’t need to buy extra pedals or shifters, it’s all included. The downside is that none of the parts feel premium. Everything does its job, but you can tell it’s a budget kit when you hold it. If you’re okay with that and you mainly care about having all the functions (wheel, clutch, shifter) instead of top-tier feel, the overall bundle is actually decent.