Need For Speed Heat: January Update - Wheel compatibility, Chat Wheel, Keys to the map & more

Players have been enjoying Palm City and the latest Need For Speed game for a while now.

The return of the legendary street racing franchise was much-anticipated and well-received upon release.

EA have just announced a January title update for the game. So what can players expect when they load up NFS Heat?

Wheel compatibility

Race by day or night in NFS Heat
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PRECISE CONTROL: Use your wheel to dominate the streets

At the end of the January you will be able to plug your wheel in and throw your car around Palm City.

The following models are tested and confirmed to work, but a few others might as well:

  • Thrustmaster T300RS (PS4, PC)
  • Thrustmaster TX (Xbox, PC)
  • Thrustmaster T150 (PS4, PC)
  • Thrustmaster TMX (Xbox, PC)
  • Logitech G29 (PS4, PC)
  • Logitech G920 (Xbox, PC)
  • Fanatec CSL Elite Racing Wheel (PS4, PC, XB1)

READ MORE: Everything there is to know about F1 2020

Make sure to connect your equipment before launching the game, and that your steering wheel is assigned to your user profile.

Chat Wheel

The chat wheel opens up comms in NFS Heat
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TALK IT UP: Call in your squad or challenge others to races

Ask racers to follow, challenge them to races, or compliment their driving. Now you can communicate with friends through the touch of a button, even if you’re not in voice chat.

READ MORE: NFS Heat guide: How to drift, win races, and dominate the streets

The new chat wheel offers a lot of options to communicate with the world and racers around you, just be sure to not let it distract you from the race itself!

Keys to the Map

Ideal cars in NFS Heat
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BEAUTIFUL: Palm City is glorious when the sun shines

Getting the Keys to the Map will uncover Palm City’s secrets. Available through a real-money purchase, this will instantly reveal locations on the in-game map, including collectibles, activities, and gas stations.

READ MORE: NFS Heat review

It won’t complete any activities or collect items for you, but their locations will be revealed. No need to slow down to explore. Plus, you will have access to all safehouses straight away except for one, which is unlocked through story progression.

Other improvements

Input setting have changed so that you’ll have to hold down a button instead of just pressing it in order to perform an action. This is to prevent accidentally entering the garage. Driving through a gas station will now clean paint damage and remove scratches.