New on the shelves
Latest kit rated, led off by Thrustmaster wheel for gamers
FIRST TEST Thrustmaster T-GT steering wheel Price: £699 (PS4/PC) Rating: ★★★★ Contact: t-gt.thrust-master.com
IF you want to make the most of a racing game and get a realistic experience, a steering wheel and pedals are a must. And the developer behind the Gran Turismo franchise on Sony’s Playstation has teamed up with hardware firm Thrustmaster to produce an all-new steering wheel for the latest Gran Turismo Sport title on the PS4.
The T-GT is a substantial piece of kit, with a leather-trimmed wheel and allmetal pedals that feel like high-quality products. The wheel has shift paddles, but a separate gearlever is available at extra cost, and it replicates all of the buttons found on a Dual Shock controller, including the joysticks. The four knurled rotary buttons can also be assigned to additional functions in GT Sport.
The wheel is connected to a directdrive electric motor and a host of electronics that deliver realistic force feedback, and movements directly correspond with your car in the game.
Clipping apexes and running over kerbs see the wheel shake and shudder instantly, while the steering wheel vibrates in your hands at all times. If you head into a corner too quickly then the wheel will unload to simulate a loss of grip from your car’s front wheels.
It’s an impressive piece of kit, but isn’t perfect. The shift paddles are set a little too far back from the wheel for smaller hands, and that near-£700 asking price is steep. While gaming ‘pros’ will love it, casual players will get just as much fun from a wheel costing half as much.