Further Impressions and Conclusion
The Force Feedback Effects on this unit are much, much better represented than the previous F430. The response seems quicker, smoother, and just more accurate as to what is going on with the road and the car. The belt and pulley system, which takes up more space and requires a larger base unit, just seem to handle FFB a lot better than the previous geared design that I was used to. The wheel is easy to calibrate through the software and the FFB properties can be finely adjusted from there. If a title supports it, like DiRT Rally, then finer tuning the wheel via that calibration will lead to a much better experience. For users that currently have this wheel and drive in DiRT Rally, it would behoove them to watch some videos on the calibration and settings for that title. A lot of very subtle fine tuning to get the feeling as close to a real rally car as possible.
The TX base is a solid unit with the quick release mechanism to attach different wheels to depending on user preferences (and budget).
The base unit can get warm after extended use. It does feature a fan to help cool the motor down. When this fan spins up it does vibrate the wheel and base unit a bit. It is very subtle and the noise is often drowned out by the motor racing sounds. It took me more than a few hours to begin to notice that the fan was working in the first place.
Conclusion
The Thrustmaster TX F458 Ferrari Italia Edition is a few years old now and there are newer models coming out that will provide some competition for them. This particular model can be found online for around $295 US. It is still being sold as new even though other options have been made available in the Thrustmaster lineup.
A better wheel makes a huge difference in racing games that support good FFB effects. Project Cars and DiRT Rally are two of the better titles out there with really well done support. Other titles such as GRID Autosport are not as finely tuned and feel very basic when driving around a track. F1 2015 apparently also suffers from this same lack of fine tuning with force feedback.
It is hard to express how different a good wheel makes racing feel. It also can have a very positive effect on the user’s racing performance due to a greater variety of inputs that lets the person know how their vehicle is handling. Grip, understeer, and oversteer are all unique inputs from the wheel and help to instantly convey that information to the driver.
The back of the wheel has the equipment necessary to insert into the TX base unit. It is not pretty, but it is functional.
The Thrustmaster TX F458 Italia Edition is overall an outstanding wheel that takes the racing experience up a couple of notches from my previous wheel, not to mention a totally different experience from a keyboard, joystick, or a non-FFB wheel. Some of the fit and finish could be improved, but I can understand the choices that were made to achieve the price point that Thrustmaster was aiming for.
The one really nice thing about this product is the ability to mix and match components, as long as the user is willing to pay for them. After a while I would be sorely tempted to purchase that leather wrapped replacement wheel. The 599XX EVO 30 Alcantara Edition sounds like a serious piece of kit that may well be worth the $175 they are asking for it.
I have no problems recommending this particular product, even in light of updated Logitech and Thrustmaster lineups. The G29 is over $100 more expensive and still uses the dual helical gearing as opposed to the smoother belt and pulley system. The new T150 is $199 and does not feature the same flexibility or build quality as the TX F458. The new T300 Alcantara Edition looks to debut at $475. That’s a pretty significant price difference.
The wheel has improved my gaming performance as well as my enjoyment of these racers. If a user is more than a casual racer, they owe it to themselves to pick up something more basic than a bungee based wheel, joystick, or (ack!) keyboard. Thrustmaster makes a pretty good product in the midrange. $300 US is not a lot to spend, especially considering that the most basic Fanatec setup will at least cost $1000 for base, wheel, and pedals. These are impressive parts from Fanatec, but overkill for the vast majority of users.
All that a user needs to get up and racing!
Finally I must mention again the mounting capabilities of this setup. It features the standard bolting pattern for the base and pedals so it can be mounted on racing platforms. The included desk mounting device is probably one of the better ones of its kind at that price range. It takes a lot of force to dislodge it when racing. If there was one annoyance it is that of the pedals when on any surface. It simply does not have enough grip to stay in place for any period of time. It needs to be adjusted constantly after and during races to stay in the optimal position. Users will have to use some inventive solutions to solve this for their particular situation.
I’ve been thinking about
I’ve been thinking about upgrading to a belt driven wheel for awhile, or even a belt-gear hybrid. my g27 can get ridiculously rattly in certain scenarios (flat out in the 125cc superkart on project cars makes it sound like a jackhammer)
I’m really curious how the
I'm really curious how the newer Logi wheels are as compared to the G27 and a product like this TX. The motors/gears on the new Logis do look like an upgrade from the G27, but a big enough one? I don't know! Maybe I'll get a chance to play with the G920, but I'm not holding my breath.
Thrustmaster are GODS.
Thrustmaster are GODS.
I miss the days when
I miss the days when Thrustmaster were a respectable awesome company out of Beaverton Oregon. Back before they were bought out and just started making cheap chinese crap.
Didn’t realize they were
Didn't realize they were originally out of Beverton. That's kinda cool.
As for quality, I'm not sure what to say about that. I have been using the old F430 pretty much constantly since 2011 and it has held up like a champ. The only problem I ever had with that one was that my father-in-law really jammed the wheel over hard and I think wore down one of the cogs. Still works fine, but one section of the turning radius of that wheel got a little chunky.
So far I have been using the TX for about two months now and it has been flawless. Feels great, doesn't overheat, and worked without issue once firmware was updated and latest drivers installed.
Josh. Get a hold of the
Josh. Get a hold of the Accuforce. I hear that wheel is suppose to change your life and make you crap kittens or something. Apparently direct drive is going to be the way to go if you can afford it.
Holy crap, for $1800 it
Holy crap, for $1800 it better be sweet!
I’ve been looking into a
I’ve been looking into a wheel for the past couple weeks now, but I just can’t get myself to go in on the TX wheel. The only benefit to this one over the logitech G920 is the belt driven force feedback…well and price. I have read about many durability issues with the lower end TX wheels and the lack of 3 pedals is frustrating(so is the fact that the G920 doesnt come with a shifter). I play on XB1 and PC so Project Cars, Dirt Rally and Forza 6 will be my go to games. I currently only have Forza 5 and Project Cars(PC).
I’ll probably end up going G920 but that will do a disservice to gamers because the G27 SHOULD work on newer consoles and the G920 is a re-badged albeit better pedaled wheel compared to the G27.
Yeah, it is a bummer that the
Yeah, it is a bummer that the older wheels aren't supported on the new consoles.
My only long term experience with Thrustmaster quality is that F430 wheel I wrote about in this review. I have had that since 2011 and used it quite a bit over the years. The gearing on that got a little rough in one area due to it getting slightly stripped due to some excessive force. Otherwise, it worked flawlessly over those years.
Don’t forget Assetto Corsa to
Don’t forget Assetto Corsa to test wheel
Still haven’t purchased that
Still haven't purchased that one yet.
You need to look on Amazon
You need to look on Amazon and around the net in general to see other user impressions.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B00EVR2FIS/ref=cm_cr_dp_hist_one?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addOneStar&showViewpoints=0
These steering wheels are really badly made and have terrible reliability issues.
Try contacting Thrustmaster support for help – you’ll often wait at least 2 weeks for a reply.
I ended retuning mine to Amazon after the wheel failed to work correctly (I really wish I’d kept my Fanatec Forza Elite – it was so much better, but I didn’t realise at the time).
Thrustmaster did reply eventually (3 weeks later) but I told them in no uncertain terms that I’d never use another Thrustmaster product again due to their terrible customer support.
This really should be taken into account when buying any Thrustmaster product.
Thanks for your input here.
Thanks for your input here. I have heard mixed reviews of Thrustmaster support. Some have had good experiences, some have had bad. Will be curious if my wheel ever develops any issues. My previous TM wheel lasted great for 5 years or so.
T300 RS is on sale as of
T300 RS is on sale as of writing this for $349.99
Thurstmaster MSRP list
--- | $129.99 | 28 cm | Ferrari GTE Wheel Add-On Ferrari 458 Challenge Edition--- | $149.99 | 28 cm | TM Leather 28 GT Wheel
--- | $179.99 | 30 cm | 599XX EVO 30 Wheel Add-On Alcantara Edition
PS4 | $199.99 | 28 cm | T150 (12-bit sensor)
XBO | $259.99 | ----- | TX Servo Base
XBO | $299.99 | 28 cm | TX Racing Wheel Ferrari 458 Italia Edition
PS4 | $399.99 | 28 cm | T300 RS
XBO | $469.99 | 28 cm | TX Racing Wheel Leather Edition
PS4 | $469.99 | 30 cm | T300 Ferrari Integral Racing Wheel Alcantara Edition