The PXN V9 GEN2 is a relatively budget-friendly racing wheel that joins the ever-growing world of sim racing gear, both within PXN’s own lineup and across the wider market.
At $159.99 (£159.99) at the time of writing, it builds upon the first-gen model, yet somehow still skips out on force feedback—a bold call considering it's not that budget-friendly compared to some of its rivals.
The question is, then, does the PXN V9 GEN2 truly stand out, or does it fall short where it really matters to be considered one of the best? Let’s dive into the good, the bad, and everything in between.
Unboxing and Design
Upon unboxing the PXN V9 GEN2, it was immediately clear that this is a much more budget-focused wheel compared to its bigger sibling, the PXN V99—which I’ve also tested.
The build is almost entirely plastic, making it surprisingly lightweight. However, despite that, the wheel itself feels unnecessarily bulky, largely due to the oversized wheel base.
It takes up a lot of space and sits quite high on a desk, which isn’t helped by the wheel rim’s upward angle. This results in an awkward natural position—at least, at my desk—and there’s no way to adjust it.
Securing the wheel isn’t the most confidence-inspiring experience either. It comes with a few suction cups that didn’t work for me at all. The alternative is using the two plastic clamps that hook beneath the desk. They do an okay job, but they’re far from the sturdiest. Granted, with no force feedback, the wheel isn’t fighting back against you, but the lack of a truly solid mounting solution meant I was always a little wary about how much pressure I was applying when steering.
That said, the wheel rim itself is one of the better aspects of the design. It’s on the smaller side at around 11 inches in diameter, but the rubber coating around the edge is grippy and comfortable to hold. The button layout on the center console is also well thought out, mimicking a standard controller setup. While the buttons feel fairly basic, I never found myself fumbling around to find the right one mid-race—something I’ve struggled with on other wheels that try to get too creative with their layouts.
Behind the wheel, there are two simple plastic paddles for shifting gears. This is two less than you get with the V99, but at least this wheel isn't hampered by the weird four-pronged design that blocks you off when trying to shift gears like the V99 is plagued with.
Unfortunately, though, the paddles felt quite flimsy to me. They have a noticeable and somewhat satisfying click when pressed, and they’re positioned well, but they don’t exactly scream durability. I haven’t used the wheel long enough to say for sure whether they’ll wear out over time, but the overall feel didn’t give me much confidence in their long-term reliability.
Moving on to the pedals—these were a bit of a mixed bag. On the plus side, they have decent grip, which was a welcome surprise given how lightweight they are. I didn’t experience any noticeable slipping, which is an improvement over previous PXN pedals I’ve tested. That said, the lack of resistance when pressing them was a letdown—more on that later—and likely contributed to why they didn't shift at all when pressed.
As part of the bundle, you also get a 6+1 gear shifter, which is a nice addition at this price point. A physical shifter can add an extra layer of immersion, particularly in games that benefit from manual shifting. However, it doesn’t quite match the quality of the one included with the V99.
Oddly, PXN opted for a different, cheaper-feeling design here, missing some of the metal elements that gave the V99’s shifter a bit more quality. It would have made sense for PXN to use the same shifter across both models, but unfortunately, that’s not the case.
One last note on the design—and this one had me scratching my head—the center console features strip lights that indicate how much force you’re applying to the brake and accelerator pedals. In theory, this is supposed to provide some kind of visual feedback, but in practice, I found it completely pointless.
When racing, my focus is on the screen, not some light strips on the wheel. I could already feel the pressure I was applying through my feet (albeit barely), so I really didn’t see the need for this feature.
PXN describes it as a “stylish RGB light strip providing real-time feedback on throttle and brake intensity”, but honestly, it feels more like a gimmick than a useful feature. If it were an LED rev counter? Sure, that would make sense. But a set of lights to show pedal pressure? I doubt many people will find much use for these lights.
Features and Performance
Like the design, the PXN V9 GEN2’s features and performance are a bit of a mixed bag. Compatibility is a prime example of this. PXN advertises support for PC, PS3, PS4, and Xbox—but not PS5? That feels like a strange omission, especially given how many racing fans play their games on Sony’s latest console.
For transparency, I only tested the wheel on PC, so I can’t speak to how it performs or how easy it is to set up on consoles. On PC, though, it was mostly a plug-and-play experience. My system recognized it instantly, and the inputs registered correctly right away. That said, in Forza Horizon 5—the game I spent the most time with while using it—the wheel wasn’t automatically mapped. I had to manually assign every input in the game’s settings before it worked properly, which was a bit of a hassle.
Force Feedback? Not Here
As I touched on earlier, the V9 GEN2 lacks force feedback, which is a pretty big letdown—especially considering that other wheels in this price range (and even some cheaper ones) do include the technology.
That said, the wheel isn’t completely lifeless. It has dual vibration motors that adjust their output based on in-game scenarios. In practice, I felt small rumbles when steering aggressively or going off-road, but there wasn’t much feedback from driving in a straight line (as expected). It’s better than nothing, but it’s no substitute for proper force feedback.
One thing I did like was the built-in switch that lets you swap between 270-degree and 900-degree rotation. Personally, I prefer 900 degrees for a more realistic feel, but I can see why the option is there. The 270-degree setting makes sense for arcade racers or younger players who might find a full rotation too cumbersome. The system works well, even if I barely used the shorter rotation mode myself.
Pedals That Leave a Lot to Be Desired
Earlier, I mentioned the hall magnetic induction pedals, but now it’s time to talk about their biggest flaw: the complete lack of resistance. They’re so light and easy to press that controlling delicate throttle and brake inputs was a real struggle.
This had a major impact on performance. I found it difficult to brake smoothly into corners or ease onto the throttle without spinning out. Without any meaningful resistance, it was tricky to hit that sweet spot when modulating speed, making the driving experience feel imprecise.
The Shifter: A Nice Extra, But Not Essential
The included 6+1 gear shifter is a solid bonus at this price, but I didn’t use it much since I don’t typically play games that require a manual gearbox.
While it felt decent enough in use—intuitive and easy to shift—it’s not something I’d miss if PXN had left it out and lowered the price of the overall package instead.
A General Lack of Resistance
If I had to sum up the overall feel of the wheel, pedals, and shifter in one word, it would be light.
Everything lacks meaningful resistance, from the featherweight pedals to the flimsy back-paddle shifters. While that’s not necessarily a dealbreaker, it does make the whole package feel cheaper than its price tag might suggest, which isn't really that high in the first place.
At the end of the day, the V9 GEN2 functions well enough, but it never really delivers that satisfying, tactile experience you want from a racing setup—perhaps a better option for more causal driving simulators than for racing.
Software and Customization
The PXN V9 GEN2 is compatible with the PXN Wheel app. From this, I was able to tweak a few settings, including Effective Turning, Vibrations, and even the Lighting Effects on the center console. The app also has a handy input test feature, letting you check if all the buttons and pedal inputs are working correctly.
I spent some time adjusting the vibration feedback, hoping to fine-tune the overall feel, and while I did notice some minor differences, the impact wasn’t huge. That being said, the vibration response isn't overly strong in the first place—still, having the option to reduce it or turn it off completely will likely come in handy for some.
I've said this before in other PXN reviews but I will repeat it here—the app itself is pretty straightforward but nothing spectacular. It's functional, but not exactly the most feature-rich software out there. Compared to other sim racing software, it feels a bit barebones. Even PXN’s own NEXUS app (tested in my PXN P5 review), which looks as though it might support PXN's racing wheels in the future, is a step up in terms of design.
Also, the app appears to only be available on mobile. For a racing wheel designed for PC and console gaming, that seems a strange choice. Adjusting settings from a phone works fine, but having a dedicated desktop app would have made the process much smoother if you're already using the PXN V9 GEN2 on a PC.
Overall, the PXN Wheel app gets the job done, letting you tweak a few key settings and verify inputs, but it doesn’t go much beyond that. It’s a useful tool, just not an especially advanced one.
Verdict
My main takeaway? The PXN V9 GEN2 isn’t really a racing wheel.
At this price point, there are similarly priced—or even cheaper—alternatives that offer force feedback and a more race-ready experience. Instead, I’d say its core audience leans more toward casual driving games—think Euro Truck Simulator and BeamNG.drive—rather than serious racing sims.
That’s not to say it’s without some merits. The 270-degree and 900-degree rotation options are a nice touch, the pedals have decent grip, and the controller-style button layout makes navigating menus easy. But overall, the performance just doesn’t live up to the price tag.
If this bundle were a bit cheaper, I’d be more willing to overlook its shortcomings. But at its current price, it’s tough to recommend—especially when the Thrustmaster T128 exists as a similarly priced, force-feedback-equipped alternative.
