Review on 🎮 Thrustmaster T300RS Racing Wheel (PS4, PC): Compatible with PS5 Games by Andrew Lyons

I bought it to use on PC with iRacing and Project Cars and I'm very happy with my purchase considering that thanks to mysterious price fluctuations I got a really good deal on Revain. .The box comes in a discreet outer carton. It appears to have been provided by Thrustmaster as the only identification other than the shipping labels and seals is the fine print that says "T300 GT US". The inner box arrived in good condition, with just a few creases around one corner, which is inevitable when transporting a box of this size and weight. The first use of the steering wheel and pedals will remind you that this is not plug and play. After everything is assembled, connect the pedals to the steering wheel, the USB of the steering wheel to the PC and connect to the network. Then go to support.thrustmaster.com, select your wheel, download and install the driver. After installation you will have a Thrustmaster folder in your start menu where you can update the firmware if needed and access the control panel and verify functionality. I had an issue where no matter how many times I calibrated the wheel it would turn off. Middle about 20 degrees. The Thrustmaster FAQ for this model addresses this first issue, which is easy to fix. Wheel. The wheel is attached to the base with a "quick release" bracket. It aligns with the base using a cross-shaped protrusion that has a key for aligning the S-Video connector. There's a ring that you turn to hold the wheel firmly against the base, and then a screw at 6 o'clock that you gently turn to hold everything in place. This screw allows for very little feel, so just push it down a little. Any excessive force and I see it breaking or at best tearing the collar off. Thrustmaster must find a better way! There is a table clamp on the base that looks interesting but I haven't used it. I mounted mine solidly with the two mounting holes on the bottom using two M6 screws which are not included. Thrustmaster advises that the fasteners should not be screwed more than 12mm into the base. Without knowing the thickness of your fixture, it is impossible to insert hardware of the desired length. I bought two screws for $0.55 at a hardware store. The outer diameter of the wheel is 11 inches. It's less than I expected, but it's ok. The wheel has a molded hard rubber surface with imitation perforations. I really don't like the shape seam that runs down the center of the inner perimeter. The molded seam at the top corner of the horizontal spokes will irritate the inside of your thumb during a longer race. My final minor gripe is the polished blue wheel center. the 12 o'clock marker reflects the light very well and can be a bit distracting A frosted ring would have been much nicer Button layout is great for use while driving; All but the L2, R2 require only a slight handlebar shift to reach them (for me). The paddle shifters are very easy to use without changing the grip. They're 5 1/8" long, metal, and fit the handlebars perfectly. The petals have a kind of deaf, plastic, audible click, but I can't hear it in the headphones. They end in a thin rubber bumper, which is a nice touch Feeling generated. There is a built in fan that will activate at some point. I never know when because I wear headphones but after the race when there is no surrounding noise the fan is barely audible. It is very quiet and you have to concentrate to hear it. There's nothing wrong with that. Thanks to the belt drive of this balance bike, it's a pleasure to ride. It's very smooth and quiet to operate Pedals: Like the wheelbase, the pedals have two mounting holes that require M6 bolts ;You must buy them yourself for the same reason as the wheelbase. Thrustmaster advises not to screw more than 10mm into the base of the pedal. The base of the pedal set measures 15 1/8" by 13 1/8" and is attached to the top ite of pedals 8 inches high. I really like the pedals on this GT version. When you ride in racing socks you will feel the edges of the pedal pads reminding you to put your foot on the pedal. They are not sharp at all - just an observation. I like that the pads are position adjustable, but I don't like that the brake pedal isn't drilled for repositioning. However, the large size of the brake pedal makes up for this. / Brake pedals for two-foot control. Under Each pedal is a block clamped under the pedal that can be rotated 180 degrees for more or less pedal tilt. A conical rubber stopper is also included. You can use it with any of the three pedals, but it's designed to give the brake pedal a slightly more realistic feel, and it really is. The brake pedal has about 1/2 inch of linear travel before contact with the cone and then another 3/8 inch + gradually increasing travel to bottom. This pedal mod gives you more feel for those moments when you need to do a little panic braking without completely locking everything up. at the same price as this GT version. For me, the star of this package is the wheelbase. The smooth and quiet operation makes racing and bug simulations a lot of fun. The rubber wheel leaves something to be desired, but you can replace it with a few others that Thrustmaster has to offer. The pedals do their job well and are comfortable to ride - the rubber cone brake pedal is very comfortable to use. Overall I'm happy with this setup out of the box and would give it 4.69 stars out of 5. But I can't, hence the 5 stars. ************************************************** **** * UPDATE: 07/28/2017 After 2530 hours of use I am enjoying it more and more. I was very concerned about the stitching on the inner circumference of the wheel. Two minutes with a small thin file removed the seam and created a nice smooth surface for my thumbs to rest on. After wiping with an all-purpose cleaner, the surface looks perfect. That's no problem now. After about ten hours of use (several days) it started making a creaking noise that sounded like it was coming from the straps. If you slowly turn the wheel a few degrees or slowly rock it back and forth, the wheel squeaks. I even heard it with headphones. It wasn't loud, but it's the sound that stands out. After a few hours of use, the creaking went away and never came back. Fan noise is still not a problem for me. With the FFB set to prevent clipping, the base barely gets warm, and while the fan is audible, it's almost impossible to detect unless you're focusing on it in a quiet room. What I don't like about the fan is that it never turns off until you unplug it. basic service. When I turn off my computer, the red light on the base goes out, but the fan keeps running at a very quiet and very low speed. You can only hear it when your ear is close to the base. I think it's the fan because it makes a sound when I pull the base off. It doesn't stop, it's more like he's fading away. It's okay, I'll turn off the power now when I'm done. The horn is not a function key. It's nice to have more buttons when placed correctly, so I was disappointed that the horn couldn't be programmed. I still enjoy the T300GT. The paddles are a nice touch, the steering is very smooth and quiet and I really like the conical brake mod it comes with. ***************************************** UPDATE: 08/05/2017 The constant fan hangs together with the fact that "Forced Cooling Mode" is activated. It can be turned off, but I'll leave it as is. Instructions and explanations for this wheel can be found in the Thrustmaster FAQ.************************************ * ****** UPDATE 9/10/2017 Needs downgrading from 5 to 4 stars. It's still a very good setup, I love using it, but this belt squeak keeps popping up and down every few days. From what I found online I could ship it but a replacement would probably do the same. Also, it has a faint smell of hot electronics that hasn't gone away since it was new. I don't heat it, the base hardly gets hot and I don't use high FFB. ****************************** **********UPDATE 04/11/2021 So after almost 4 years of use I haven't had any long term problems. After my first 20 hours there was a squeak that quickly went away. After about 30-40 hours, the smell of hot electronics appeared, which completely disappeared. Within the first year of use I switched the handlebars to a Sparco R383 and ridden on a couple of Fanatec load cell pedals and haven't looked back. The base system worked great for me, but I wanted a bigger wheel and pedals with a load cell. So sometime in 2018 I replaced the steering wheel and pedals but the steering wheel base has become stuck in almost 4 years and I have no desire to replace it. Back to 5 stars!