Manufacturers of sim-racing peripherals offer product ranges that cover virtually all motorsport disciplines.

The most faithful element of a sim-racing setup, as far as a motorsport discipline is concerned, is the steering wheel. The wheel is the closest thing to the cockpit of a racing car, and it’s a crucial element for immersion.

Among the brands that offer sim-racing wheels, we have plenty that touch on several disciplines. Fanatec is the perfect example of a brand that offers a wide catalog of wheels. There are also other manufacturers, such as Conspit, who are active in a few wheel segments, notably Formula. Conspit’s catalog includes the 290 GP, a wheel designed to appeal to seasoned single-seater drivers, and today it’s on our setup for a full test.

Main and technical features of the steering wheel

• 29 cm diameter with rectangular shape
• Aluminum rear structure
• 6 rear paddles: 4 push-pull and 2 analog
• Molded carbon fiber faceplate
• 12 RGB buttons, 4 rotarys, 3 center switches, 2 funky switches
• RevLED on top of screen
• Weight 1.4 kg without QR
• 4.3″ center screen
• Steering wheel compatible only with PC
• TPU handles with thumb notches
• QR with pattern 6×70 mm and 3×50 mm

290 GP design

The Conspit 290 GP sports the brand’s distinctive design, with both a very sober structure and RGB buttons. The faceplate is made of carbon fiber, accented with gray to give it an attractive signature.

The front panel features all the controls of the 290 GP, including buttons, rotaries, display and LEDs. The buttons are RGB backlit, and the brand provides stickers inside the box to customize them as you see fit.

The handles on the sides are closed at the bottom, with TPU on their arch. What’s more, these grips have moldings to accommodate the thumbs, as well as a grip-enhancing design. All in all, Conspit’s 290 GP is a beautiful, minimalist Formula wheel, even with the center screen and RGB buttons.

Customized assembly

At the rear of the wheel is a hub with a double pattern to accommodate the QRs: 6×70 mm and 3×50 mm. The first pattern is standard, and conforms to the majority of Quick Release wheel sides on the market. In fact, Conspit offers QRs for its own DD bases that are compatible with its wheels, including the 290 GP.

The second (3×50 mm) is rarer, I’d say, given that most QRs are 3×50.8 mm. Nevertheless, this shouldn’t be a problem, even if you have a non-Conspit base, as most QRs are 6×70 mm and therefore use the first mounting pattern.

Manufacturing and finishing

The structure of the 290 GP uses aluminum, with carbon fiber for the faceplate. This combination gives the steering wheel a high level of resistance to bending, as well as premium build quality.

As for the finish, all surfaces are well crafted, and the edges are rounded on all parts, especially the pallet plates. The front face of the steering wheel, i.e. the faceplate, is made of carbon fiber with reliefs. It’s like 3D, a change from flat faceplates, and gives the 290 GP a more ergonomic feel when it comes to the side buttons.

Handling the steering wheel

The wheel is 29 cm in diameter, as the name suggests. With its rectangular shape, this steering wheel is perfect for Formula, GT and endurance racing. There are a total of 12 buttons (6 on each side), 4 thumb rotaries, 3 center rotaries, LEDs on the top and sides of the screen, and 6 rear paddles.

The 3D appearance of the faceplate, especially on the sides, gives the 290 GP superb button ergonomics. They fall easily under your fingers, and you won’t have to do any gymnastics to use them. The same applies to the thumb rotaries.

The screen is 4.3” diagonal, with a beautiful color LCD panel. Several dashboards can be accessed via the rotary in the center of the faceplate. As for the rear paddles, 4 are push-pull, and the last two are analog for dual clutch or other functions.

The paddles are not adjustable in spacing or height, unfortunately, but they’re a good size in absolute terms. However, the top ones are positioned too close to the back-plate, and if you push them for an action, you risk touching your fingers on the other side. Incidentally, on closer inspection, not all palettes are on the same level, with different spacing for each game. It’s atypical, I must admit, and only the ones on top pose an ergonomic problem.

Sensations during play

Let’s talk about the in-game feel of Conspit’s 290 GP. Once installed on a Direct Drive base, this steering wheel was pretty easy to set up, as long as you have an idea of what you’re doing on the brand’s software. I have to admit that it’s not the most intuitive to use (Conspit’s software for setting up the steering wheel), but it does the job. I’d really have preferred SimHub, but it’s only left for RGB buttons, which is a real shame.

With a good base, the steering wheel is superb for endurance, Formula or GT racing. Its relatively light weight means it can even be used on bases developing less than 10 nm of torque. It’s not the best idea for maximum realism, but it’ll do when the going gets tough.

The grip on the handles is excellent, as is the position of the hands and fingers. Your hands won’t feel tired, even if you’re doing long sim-racing sessions.

However, as I mentioned above, the top paddles are too close to the back-plate, and you run a high risk of touching your fingers when using the push.

290 GP wheel compatibility

Compatibility with Direct Drive bases isn’t really worth mentioning, for the simple reason that the 290 GP uses a rear hub with 6×70 mm and 3×50 mm patterns. Well, you’ll be hard pressed to find a QR for the latter pattern, but the former is widely used by DD base manufacturers.

As far as the platform is concerned, the Conspit 290 GP is all Windows PC, which is no surprise given that premium brands focus solely on this platform.

Value for money

The Conspit 290 GP retails for around €700, which I think gives it pretty good value for money. This is a premium steering wheel, very well made, and aimed at specific motorsport disciplines.

My verdict on Conspit’s 290 GP steering wheel

Conspit offers a wide range of steering wheels for sim-racing fans, with an emphasis on Formula, GT and endurance racing. The 290 GP represents the manufacturer’s mid-range range, with excellent functionality, good grip and build quality to match.

It does have its little faults, yes, notably that the paddles are too close to the back-plate, and this interferes with your fingers when using them in push mode. It’s the biggest problem I’ve found when using it, but it’s still a good steering wheel.

If you find the 290 GP on special offer and have small hands, I highly recommend this steering wheel. It’s just about perfect for the job.