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Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel Leather-based Version: One-minute overview
The Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel Leather-based Version is designed for mid-level racing sim fans, promising a clean and exact expertise.
The leatherette steering wheel has a thick, squared-off design, which I personally favor. It feels premium and clean to the contact, sliding by means of the arms with ease. The paddles additionally really feel glorious, responsive, and straightforward to faucet.
All the opposite buttons are of a equally excessive customary and are positioned effectively to make for straightforward entry, identical to these of the greatest racing wheels. The dial swap can also be a pleasant contact, though it could possibly solely flick towards its two accessible instructions relatively than stay on them, which could restrict its usability for some.
The pedals are metallic and have a excessive shine, which makes them appear as if they’re constructed from plastic. They really feel nice below the foot, although, and the pedal base is secure even on arduous flooring.
Attaching the wheelbase to a desk is straightforward sufficient, if a bit awkward due to the burden of the servo and its clamp design. Nonetheless, it stays firmly in place as soon as connected. When you energy on the TX, take care to maintain your arms effectively away from the wheel, because the autocalibration is sort of vigorous.
The TX requires you to obtain a driver and software program with the intention to get the newest firmware updates and tweak numerous settings. It’s not essentially the most elegant software on the planet, but it surely’s secure to run for essentially the most half and provides the standard pressure suggestions settings with loads of scope for tailoring the expertise to your liking, with particular person settings for spring and damper configurations, as an example.
In motion, the TX is pleasantly clean and correct, imparting a powerful sense of connection between you and the automobile. The pedals are additionally a pleasure to make use of, being simple to press whereas providing loads of suggestions, particularly the brake pedal. The throttle is likely to be a bit too free for some, however I discovered it was nonetheless informative sufficient for managed inputs.
I did have a couple of gripes with the TX, although. Whereas the pedals provide loads of changes, the throttle and brake have been just a little too shut for me – though it is a downside I’ve with many pedal units. Additionally, whereas enjoying American Truck Simulator, the calibration appeared to go awry, with wheel turns not syncing up with these in-game. Whether or not it is a fault with the wheel or the sport is difficult to say, but it surely’s value mentioning all the identical.
Nonetheless, for the worth, the TX is actually a succesful wheel, providing nice really feel and respectable construct high quality in the primary. Relying in your territory, it’s cheaper than the Thrustmaster T300RS, and I believe it performs significantly higher than this wheel.
Conversely, the Thrustmaster T248 is cheaper than the TX, and is our decide as the most effective racing wheel general, due to its ease of use and nice pressure suggestions. And should you’re trying particularly for the greatest Xbox racing wheels, then the Logitech G923 is difficult to beat. Nonetheless, the TX is a good wheel for these beginning out on their racing sim journey.
Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel Leather-based Version overview: Worth and availability
- $369.99 / £309.99 (about AU$588)
- Out there now with numerous equipment
- Some rivals are cheaper
The Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel Leather-based Version prices $369.99 / £309.99 (about AU$588) and is out there now. It may be configured with numerous wheels and pedal units, in addition to handbrakes and shifters.
It’s barely costlier than the T300RS within the US, though fairly a bit cheaper than that wheel within the UK. Regardless, the TX performs higher for my part, due to the smoother steering, higher paddles, and higher suggestions from the pedals. The button placement can also be higher, and the T300RS lacks a dial swap.
Nonetheless, the Thrustmaster T248 is cheaper than the TX, but it surely’s the most effective racing wheel general in our view, due to its ease of use, sensible pedals, and customarily glorious efficiency for its comparatively low worth. The Logitech G923 can also be the most effective round, though that is costlier than the TX within the UK however cheaper within the US.
Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel Leather-based Version overview: Specs
Worth | $369.99 / £309.99 (about AU$588) |
Weight | 21lbs / 9.5kg |
Peak torque | 3.9Nm |
Options | Fast launch wheel, three-position swap, three-pedal base |
Connection sort | USB-A |
Compatibility | Xbox Sequence X|S, Xbox One, PC |
Software program | Thrustmaster Management Panel |
Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel Leather-based Version overview: Design and options
- Nice feeling wheel
- Secure pedal base
- Unglamorous however secure software program
The Thrustmaster TX follows a relatively typical design. The steering wheel is comparatively thick and flatter than completely cylindrical designs, which I favor. It’s completed in a leather-based materials that feels very clean and makes for seamless slides at any time when the wheel self-centers.
The T3PA pedal set options pedal heads constructed from metallic with a excessive shine, though they really feel extra like plastic below the foot and are fairly mild. The bottom is pleasingly secure, even on arduous flooring, which I didn’t discover with the T300RS. An non-obligatory conical cease for the brake can also be included however uninstalled by default.
You possibly can regulate the spacing, peak, and incline of all pedals, and the method entails unscrewing the pedals with the included Allen key, which is straightforward sufficient, if just a little time-consuming.
Putting in the wheelbase can also be fairly simple, if not essentially the most seamless expertise. The screw and thread for fixing the clamp isn’t the smoothest, and the clamp itself tends to rotate misplaced whereas screwing, which is just a little irritating. Additionally, the deal with for turning the screw ceaselessly will get in the best way of the bottom, additional including to the awkwardness.
What’s extra, the front-heavy weight distribution of the wheelbase means it gained’t keep on the desk with out falling off, so I needed to lean it on my chest whereas I connected the clamp to my desk with each arms. Finally, although, these are minor grievances, and it didn’t take lengthy to get arrange.
As soon as put in and powered on, you must take care to maintain your arms effectively away from the wheel, because the autocalibration of the TX – and different Thrustmaster wheels – is sort of violent.
For those who’ve owned a Thrustmaster wheel earlier than, you must discover software program setup fast and straightforward. For those who haven’t, you’ll have to obtain drivers and a configuration software by way of Thrustmaster’s web site, which took me a few makes an attempt to get working accurately the primary time, requiring a restart of my PC. It’s additionally just a little awkward to open the configuration software, because it’s built-in with Home windows’ controller management panel, and it makes use of a relatively dated-looking UI, but it surely at the least capabilities effectively.
You’ll discover the everyday racing wheel changes, with choices to alter the steering angle, with a most of 900 levels, and pressure suggestions choices for the periodic and fixed forces, in addition to these for the spring and damper parameters.
Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel Leather-based Version overview: Efficiency
- Clean and correct steering
- Nice brake pedal
- Skilled a one-time calibration subject
The general efficiency of the TX is difficult to fault. Steering feels a lot smoother and extra related than on the Thrustmaster T300RS, as an example – missing that wheel’s notchiness, particularly at the beginning of turns. This meant that making sluggish and small actions was a extra nice expertise, and was particularly noticeable when enjoying American Truck Simulator, which largely requires this fashion of driving. Nonetheless, steering remains to be responsive sufficient for fast turns and corrections, as I discovered when racing in Assetto Corsa.
Monitoring can also be correct and exact; nonetheless, when enjoying American Truck Simulator, I did expertise an occasion of desynchronization, with the sport lagging effectively behind my inputs. It’s arduous to say whether or not this is a matter with the sport or the wheel, but it surely’s value stating. Fortunately, the remainder of the time it was faultless.
The paddles are fast and supply sufficient suggestions – one other space of enchancment over the T300RS. The identical is true of the buttons, that are tactile and satisfying to make use of, with many positioned in the direction of the sting of the middle, which makes them simple to achieve with the thumb. Regardless of how they really feel, although, they’re nonetheless no match for these adorning the greatest PC controllers.
Pedal response, although, is extra spectacular. The throttle is likely to be too mild for some, however I tailored rapidly and located it nonetheless provided sufficient management. The brake pedal is an actual spotlight, because it’s tremendous clean and provides the perfect quantity of progressive resistance, which in flip imparts loads of suggestions to let you know the way arduous you’re braking.
Nonetheless, my one gripe with the pedals is that the brake and throttle are too shut collectively for my liking, even after I adjusted their spacing to their furthest factors. I’ll admit, although, that it is a downside I often expertise with pedal units usually, so others might not have a difficulty on this regard.
As with different Thrustmaster wheels, the pressure suggestions might be extraordinarily sturdy, and I discovered it borderline unusable on its most setting. Fortunately, there are many changes you make to it, so getting the precise steadiness between ease of use and immersion is straightforward. The opposite pressure suggestions parameters, resembling these for the spring and damper, provide noticeable adjustments too, permitting for higher levels of steering weight and rebound.
Ought to I purchase the Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel Leather-based Version?
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel Leather-based Version overview: additionally think about
The Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel Leather-based Version faces some stiff competitors, particularly from these alternate options.
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel Leather-based Version | Thrustmaster T248 | Logitech G923 |
|---|---|---|---|
Worth | $369.99 / £309.99 (about AU$588) | $329.99 / £269.99 (about AU$524) | $349.99 / £379.99 / AU$649.95 |
Weight | 21lbs / 9.5kg | 6lbs / 2.7kg | 12lbs / 5.4kg |
Peak torque | 3.9Nm | 3.5Nm | 2.2Nm |
Options | Fast launch wheel, three-position swap, three-pedal base | Three FF modes, on-wheel show, three-pedal base | Rotary dial, three-pedal base |
Connection sort | USB-A | USB-A | USB-A |
Compatibility | Xbox Sequence X|S, Xbox One, PC | PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC | Xbox Sequence X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC |
How I examined the Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel Leather-based Version
- Examined for a couple of days
- Performed numerous driving video games
- A long time of expertise
I used the Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel Leather-based Version for a couple of days, throughout which period I attempted to make as many changes as doable to the pedals and pressure suggestions settings with the intention to expertise the complete extent of its capabilities.
I performed Assetto Corsa with the intention to check its health for critical sim racers. I additionally performed American Truck Simulator to see how effectively the wheel handles slower and smaller pedal and steering inputs.
I’ve been gaming for many years, with arcade and sim racers being amongst my favourite genres. I’ve used numerous racing wheels prior to now, and have beforehand reviewed the Thrustmaster T300RS, an analogous wheel to the TX.
First reviewed February 2025
