Thrustmaster T-GT II: One-minute evaluation
The mid-range of the greatest racing wheels is a difficult area the place competing applied sciences vie for area, however Thrustmaster makes a compelling argument with a wheel, wheelbase, and pedals bundled for $799.99 / £699.99.
That’s so much pricier than Logitech’s all-conquering G923 bundle, however the benefits are clear: a quick-release system that permits you to set up new wheels and a very refined power suggestions sensation that feels someplace between conventional belt-driven and direct-drive servos. The underlying tech continues to be belt-driven, but it surely’s been engineered so fastidiously to ship its appreciable energy easily and convincingly, with fewer of these notchy, snappy moments you often get with belt-driven motors.
The controls on the wheel really feel premium and long-lasting, significantly the 4 notched dials, that are actually helpful for mapping traction management, brake steadiness, engine modes, and gas maps. Being a licensed wheel for Gran Turismo 7 and pitched as one of many greatest PS5 racing wheels, the large ‘GT’ brand on the heart of the wheel received’t be to everybody’s style, and the general look of the wheel – and significantly the plasticky pedal base – does this bundle a disservice. Regardless of the excessive quantity of plastic and a barely ‘gamey’ look that is as much as the duty for severe sim racers, who’ll recognize the flexibility to suit totally different wheels for various disciplines.
Thrustmaster T-GT II: Worth and availability
- $799.99 / £699.99 (round) AU$1,221.99
- Sits between entry-level power suggestions and direct drive wheels
- Pricier however extra feature-laden than a G923
It would appear like some huge cash for a non-direct drive wheel at first look, but it surely all is sensible after a number of sizzling laps. The wiser cash could be spent investing in a Fanatec Ready2Race McLaren bundle for a similar value, however ongoing inventory availability points make {that a} difficult buy as of summer season 2024.
Thrustmaster T-GT II: Specs
| Worth | $799.99 / £699.99 |
| Weight | 29lbs / 13,150g |
| Peak torque | Approx. 6Nm |
| Options | Fast launch wheel, three-pedal base |
| Connection kind | USB-A |
| Compatibility | Ps 5, PC |
| Software program | Thrustmaster Management Panel |
Thrustmaster T-GT II: Design and options
- Appears impressed by Gran Turismo
- Cumbersome servo
- Feels higher than it seems
There’s a line within the sand in sim racing gear. On one aspect, Moza and Fanatec have determined to take their visible cues instantly from motorsport, moderately than gaming peripherals. Their wheels and pedals appear like they’ve been crowbarred out of a racing automotive and connected to your desk. On the opposite, Logitech and Thrustmaster – who additionally make a broad vary of gaming peripherals moreover wheels – have a design philosophy that sits nearer to gaming mice, gaming keyboards, and gaming headsets.
Who’s proper? That’s completely subjective, after all. To me the much less automotive look of the T-GT II comes off as a bit much less premium than this bundle actually is, significantly the plastic casing across the servo and on the pedal base, which actually doesn’t appear like it ought to be a part of an $800 / £700 racing bundle.
Nevertheless, these aesthetic missteps don’t have any bearing on the efficiency of both the wheels or pedals, and for the reason that wheel’s removable, you could possibly change it with a extra motorsport-inspired possibility like Thrustmaster’s Ferrari SF100 in case you like.
The wheel itself is completed in properly stitched pleather which makes for a grippy floor when you’re racing, without having for racing gloves, not like pricier Alcantara-finished wheels which may get a bit crispy over time in case you topic them to your palm sweat.
Being a PlayStation-compatible wheel in addition to PC, all of the DualSense controller’s inputs are mapped onto enter buttons on the wheel itself, together with two tiny analog sticks. 4 dials full the enter array on the wheel face, and satisfyingly chunky paddle shifters with magnetic actuation sit on the rear. All of the buttons really feel substantial and the dials specifically are a pleasure to make use of, notched and manufactured from aluminum for a beautiful weighty really feel. The analog sticks and d-pad really feel flimsy by comparability, however I didn’t discover myself utilizing them – there are many different buttons to map necessary inputs to.
These 4 dials are the celebs of the present. They’re positioned conveniently inside thumb’s attain, and having 4 of them is very helpful in video games like Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC), the place I discover myself adjusting traction management and brake bias incessantly from lap to lap as monitor circumstances and tire put on ranges evolve. It’s uncommon to search out greater than two dials on wheels at this value, and I discover myself lacking having 4 now after I use different wheels.
The pedals don’t function a load cell design, so you’ll be able to’t swap out the cells to regulate the resistance, however they’re constructed with convincing resistance per pedal. The brake is especially well-judged for stiffness, and you may add an extra rubber keep for some elevated resistance proper on the finish of its path of journey.
Thrustmaster T-GT II: Efficiency
- Highly effective however clean power suggestions supply
- Simple to calibrate
- Acknowledged by most racing video games
Let’s rapidly state the apparent: though this wheel was designed in collaboration with Gran Turismo developer Polyphony Digital and bears the PlayStation racer’s branding, it’s suitable throughout just about each racing recreation you throw at it on PS5 or PC. Assetto Corsa Competizione and F1 24 had profiles able to go as quickly as I loaded them up with the T-GT II related, and I had no issues setting it up in The Crew Motorfest or Forza Horizon 5. You’d anticipate just about common help throughout racing titles in 2024, and this wheel delivers it.
What discerns the power suggestions on this wheel from the perennially common Logitech G923, and certainly Thrustmaster’s personal cheaper wheels, is the smoothness and element of its suggestions. It’s a refined distinction, not fairly akin to the bounce from belt-driven to direct-drive wheels, but it surely’s significantly noticeable in demanding sims like Assetto Corsa Competizione, whose power suggestions implementation is completely exemplary. You’ll be able to really feel when your platform’s on the very restrict, and moderately than getting these snappy moments that really feel like one thing contained in the servo has let go, the T-GT II’s wheel stays clean even when it’s doling out extraordinarily forceful suggestions.
In some cases, it feels too sturdy. In most video games, the centering spring energy wanted some adjustment utilizing a mixture of in-game settings and Thrustmaster’s personal Management Panel software program, and in ACC specifically I ended up lowering it all the way down to as little as 20 per cent with a view to discover a lifelike really feel. Nevertheless, when you do get a convincing really feel dialed in, the element and constancy you’re feeling by means of your arms is extraordinarily spectacular.
What about Gran Turismo 7? As you’d anticipate, it’s wonderful with this wheel. Polyphony’s is a very weighty dealing with mannequin within the first place, and it’s completely tuned to this wheel once you join it to your PS5.
Nevertheless, the very fact stays that direct-drive wheel bundles can be found on the similar value level, and that makes life tough for this explicit wheel. It’s demonstrably higher than its belt-driven contemporaries from different producers, and decrease down the Thrustmaster vary. But it surely’s no match for a setup constructed round Fanatec’s CSL direct drive servo. Cheaper Fanatec bundles than the T-GT II usually function an inferior two-pedal set, however the Ready2Race McLaren bundle makes use of a three-pedal base with load cells, and the McLaren GT-style wheel feels extra luxurious and automotive than this mannequin.
The most effective mandate for choosing this as an alternative of a Fanatec bundle, then, is that you simply play totally on PS5, put in loads of hours with Gran Turismo 7, and wish to use the identical setup for some PC sim racing.
Ought to I purchase the Thrustmaster T-GT II?
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Additionally contemplate…
If the Thrustmaster T-GT II isn’t fairly what you’re after, alert your self to those different candidates.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Thrustmaster T-GT II | Thrustmaster T248 | Logitech G923 |
| Worth | $799.99 / £699.99 (round AU$1,211.99) | $129.99 / £129.99 (round AU$249) | $99.99 / £89.99 (round AU$196) |
| Weight | 29 lb / 13,150 g | 6 lb / 2,700 g | 6.8 lb / 3,100 g |
| Peak torque | Approx. 6Nm | 3.5Nm | 2.3Nm |
| Options | Removable wheel, three-pedal base | Three FF modes, on-wheel show, three-pedal base | Trueforce, LED RPM show, three-pedal base |
| Connection kind | USB-A | USB-A | USB-A |
| Compatibility | PlayStation 5, PC | PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC | PC & Xbox or PC & PS5 |
How I examined the Thrustmaster T-GT II
- Over a month of normal use throughout testing
- Used with PC and PS5
- Racing sims and arcade titles examined
We put in the T-GT II into our Playseat and used it as our each day driver in Assetto Corsa Competizione, Gran Turismo 7, The Crew Motorfest, and Forza Horizon 5 for a month of digital racing on each PC and PlayStation 5. You don’t wish to understand how a lot of a problem it was to get the rig downstairs in entrance of the PS5…
First reviewed August 2024.
