Review on Thrustmaster TH8A Shifter (Compatible with PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) by Tanner Miller

I received a Thrustmaster T300 as a gift. I was so impressed with this device that I decided to purchase the TH8A shifting accessory to further enhance the driving simulation (with H-pattern shifting) experience. When I received the product I was very impressed with its solid construction (a rarity these days) and easy synchronization with the T300 and simulation software. The shifter was great for sequential shifting, but once I started using the H-shifter I was disappointed. Not the fault of the design. My expectations of the performance were too high. I'm old school and almost all of my actual driving experience has been with manual transmissions: 3, 4, 5 and 9, 12 and 15 gears in heavy trucks and semi-trucks. All of these configurations had one thing in common: I could feel the actual shifting action with my feet, hands and ears. The result is smooth shifting (no clutch required on large cars) or quick shifting (dual clutch) or (on high performance cars) both. But TH8A does not allow this. I realized that it probably couldn't adequately recreate the feeling of switching the H-pattern in the real world. It does what it was designed to do: it mimics, but only within the confines of the electrics and electronic shifters that dictate shifting technology. I still use the H-Shifter but only with the standard low powered cars that come with the driving simulator. Do I recommend buying it: Yes. It still offers good sequential shifting (for those who prefer a lever over steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters) and adequate shift simulation for slow, underpowered cars.