Make HORI Racing Overdrive Wheel for Xbox One work on PC?

[Maverik770]

Hi Everyone,

I'm trying to get into racing & driving with a wheel on PC after a lifetime of doing my best with gamepads and got a basically brand new HORI Racing Overdrive Wheel for Xbox One for $20:

Model: XBO-012(U) Link: https://stores.horiusa.com/racing-wheel-overdrive-for-xbox-one/

I know this thing is extremely entry level and that it's product listing specifically states this wheel does not work on PC. So I knew it was a gamble buying it but for $20 I figured I'd give it a shot.

When you plug the USB into Windows it is recognized as an "Xbox Peripheral" in Device Manager but Steam nor any games recognize it as a usable controller. I'm really hoping there is a way to somehow make it work on PC...

Apparently HORI has 2 variations of this exact same wheel for Xbox One - One that works with both Xbox/PC and one that only works on XBox.

The vast majority of these wheels seem to have "Mode Selector" buttons on the top center of the wheel that allow you to toggle it between "Wheel" and "Pad" modes or "Xbox" & "PC" Modes.

Here is a pic of these mode buttons: https://imgur.com/fEojghT

Unfortunately the variation I got of this wheel model does not have these Mode buttons at all. The wheel is just smooth plastic in that same location. Using those mode buttons you should be able to put the wheel into "Pad" mode so it mimics an Xbox One Controller with Xinput commands. If the wheel was in "Pad" mode it would probably work on a PC.

Do any PC SimRacing veterans know more about this wheel and if there is any way to trick or get this wheel to work on PC? I'm baffled it doesn't register even as an Xbox controller in Windows or Steam. If it's Dinput or Xinput then Windows and Steam shouldn't have any issues reading it.

I know on the Thrustmaster T80 you can hold a button while plugging it in to put into Pad mode for a similar result in using it on PC... I was hoping there might be some trick with this wheel.

Windows does recognize it as an "Xbox Peripheral" but nothing (Steam, Games, etc) recognizes as a usable controller option.

I've been scouring the web for any ideas. I'm more than comfortable taking the thing apart, soldering it, modifying it, etc if anyone knows any way to make this thing work on a PC. I don't have a budget to get a nice wheel anytime soon so I'm stuck with this for now.

Thanks in advance for any ideas and Happy Trucking! :D

[Reese]

Question. If you type Game Controllers into the Windows Search(the option should show as "Set up USB game controllers"), are you able to select it? If yes, can you select properties and see what buttons are being pressed?

If the answer is yes to all of that, then we can make it work using a program called X360CE, which emulates an xbox 360 controller, which we can control with any controller plugged in, such as this racing wheel. If not, I'm afraid that's as far as my knowledge on this goes.

Alternatively we could cut some of the electronics, and rewire it to an actual 360 controller, shove the 360 board into the wheel shell(or right out the back), and make it think it's a 360 controller. It might not be that simple though. :P

[Maverik770]

Originally posted by Reese:

Question. If you type Game Controllers into the Windows Search(the option should show as "Set up USB game controllers"), are you able to select it? If yes, can you select properties and see what buttons are being pressed?

If the answer is yes to all of that, then we can make it work using a program called X360CE, which emulates an xbox 360 controller, which we can control with any controller plugged in, such as this racing wheel. If not, I'm afraid that's as far as my knowledge on this goes.

Alternatively we could cut some of the electronics, and rewire it to an actual 360 controller, shove the 360 board into the wheel shell(or right out the back), and make it think it's a 360 controller. It might not be that simple though. :P

Wonderful idea! I hadn't thought to check the Game Controllers yet in Windows but unfortunately, it does not show up in there at all. The dropdown box has (no device) and that's it.

The strange part is that this version of the HORI RWO is the same model number (XBO-012U) as the normal one that works on PC and has the selector button but yet it does not have the selector buttons on it.

I found this video showing a tear down of the wheel itself, this is the exact version that I have as you can see it does not have the selector toggles that I highlighted in my screenshot of the wheel in my original post above:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gmhn6h9RWs

I don't know if that would show you anything useful but I love the way you think about gutting it and adding a 360 controller pcb to it or something. Do you know of a guide or documentation you could point me at to make such a mod? I happen to have a wired 360 controller laying around that I could nab the board from, lol.