Thrustmaster T248R Racing Wheel Review

Thrustmaster’s T248R is an all-in-one solution with an aggressive price

Introduction

It has been a minute since I last reviewed a Thrustmaster wheel base! The last one I covered was a few years ago with the T818, Thrustmaster’s first direct drive base. This past summer I also reviewed the Thrustmaster Hypercar Wheel Add-On. The past couple of years have been active ones for Thrustmaster with introducing multiple members of their racing and flight lineups as well as console controllers. One of the stalwarts of their brand has been the T248 which was released just over four years ago.

This popular combo was originally introduced at $400, but prices slid downhill fairly quickly as we saw a lot more competition releasing better products at that price point. This was a hybrid drive unit (features a single belt and multiple gears) which promised smoother operation than for instance the Logitech G29/920 which has dual helical gears. It also did not overshadow the current T300R which still is selling after all of these years.

The T248 has been something of a go-to bundle for those looking to dip their toes into sim racing. It provides a lot of the basics as well as a few upgraded features that make it an attractive option for people that are looking for a beginner wheel. Thrustmaster has taken what was a pretty good thing, and made it even better with the upgraded T248R.

The Basics of the T248R

We are squarely in the middle of an industry change when it comes to wheel bases. Direct drive units are very common and have hit price points that compete with the more traditional geared or belt/pulley bases. For example the Moza R3 bundle has a MSRP of $359, just $10 more than the T248R. While they are very close in price, this doesn’t mean that there isn’t a place for a hybrid unit like the T248R.

So what is a hybrid drive? Traditional base units have used multiple pulleys and belts to convert the high RPM electric motors to a more manageable feel once those forces are transmitted to the rim. This has allowed the sim gear people to use more common, inexpensive motors that do not require large power supplies to give users a good experience. Direct drive bases do not have pulleys, belts, or gears. The shaft on the larger, more expensive motor connects directly to the wheel/rim and it requires a lot more power to provide a good experience. A hybrid drive features one pulley and belt, but then utilizes gears over the last stage before driving the shaft that attaches to the wheel/rim.

Hybrid or geared drives were not as popular with enthusiasts as the full dual belt and pulley solutions. The more expensive solutions were able to deliver more torque and a higher slew rate. Direct drive bases take these advantages even further, but it comes with a price. Previous products like the Thrustmaster TMX and T150 featured the same type of hybrid drive that is present in the T248R. Thrustmaster looks to have aimed the T248R as a solid midrange/beginner option with enhanced features over traditional rivals like Logitech.

Tradition has been changed as of late with some of the latest budget offerings from companies like Moza and PXN. These companies are offering entry level direct drive parts that are firmly in the $300 to $350 US range. Users need to weigh the pros and cons of each product before spending their hard earned money on such solutions. While the overall performance of these direct drive units are good, there are other factors to consider when choosing products in this range.

Setup and Impressions

Installation

Installation of the unit was very easy. The box shows the plug-ins needed to power up the unit with either a PC or a Playstation. On the PC side Thrustmaster now requires the user to go to the Windows Store to get the latest control panel. Once installed it then recognizes what wheel/rim/pedals are plugged in and downloads the latest drivers. A quick reboot later and we are up and running. Currently it does not look like Thrustmaster officially supports Linux with software, but there are other 3rd party fixes that enable the functionality on those machines.

The Thrustmaster support site has quite a bit of documentation on the setup, functionality, and mounting instructions for the T248R. It also features recommended setups for the wheel and a wide variety of sim racing games. These will help the user get a good feeling of where they want to go in terms of strength, response, dampening, etc.

The 4 Improvements in “R”

Thrustmaster has been monitoring the situation in the sim industry and have made some significant changes from the T248 to the T248R. The first is the price. The T248 was introduced at $399 while the T248R was released at the $349 mark. The $50 is a pretty significant savings from the previous model when you consider the other upgrades the new design has received.

The original T248 featured a fully plastic rim and some very basic accents. The T248R now features a synthetic, perforated leather grip along the outside of the rim. This leather is not wrapped all the way around the wheel, so the inside is still hard plastic. It does improve the feel and makes longer racing sessions much more pleasant as compared to the previous hard plastic rim.

Simulated carbon fiber adorns other areas of the wheel and base, while the buttons have received some attention with different color schemes and metal push encoders. This is purely a decorative aspect that does sport up the wheel and base.

The T248R rim is quite a bit smaller than the Evo 32r, but the difference does not impact overall feel and performance.

Finally the largest improvement is that of a full color LCD screen that presents more information and easier menu control over the T248. Thrustmaster have also added another four LED lights that can display different racing flags (eg. red flag, yellow flag) as well as racing conditions and pit limitations. There are around 20 different screens that can be selected given what information the user wants displayed from the telemetry of the game.

For the PC user this menu functionality is of limited use as the latest Thrustmaster app controls most everything else on the wheel and base. For the PS5 user the menu system is a must have. Consoles do not feature 3rd party control apps for racing wheels, so they have to include menu and control functionality on the wheel itself. The display also shows race information from applications which support that functionality (timing, gear selection, etc.).

Rounding Out the T248R

The base itself is rated at around 3.1 Nm of force. This is quite similar to the stated 3 Nm levels of the Moza R3 base as well as a few other offerings from Turtle Beach and PXN. A typical power steering wheel on an actual car is rated right around that 3 Nm number as well. Because it is a hybrid drive, it does not feature the slew rate numbers that a direct drive unit will. This simply means how quickly torque can be delivered to the wheel. Direct drives can have very high slew rates, while this hybrid unit is well behind. The result of this is that in certain scenarios the hybrid wheel will rotate slower than a direct drive unit, which will impact car handling and how the user has to respond.

The rim features 25 buttons and shifters, including the two encoders that allow users to access the wheel menu on the display. The shifters utilize magnetic sensors and they are significantly quieter than the previous iteration. Some people like a solid sounding click when racing, while others prefer something less audible. When sharing a room or office with someone else, the lower levels of clicking sound can be dramatic with the relative happiness of the person not racing.

The wheel and hub do not feature a quick release system, so the setup cannot be modified with the Thrustmaster ecosystem of swappable rims. What can be swapped out are the pedals and the addition of a handbrake or shifter. There is only one handbrake/shifter port on the T248R, so if more than one of those products are used then they need to have a USB connection.

Probably the most underrated aspect of this bundle is the pedal set. I would definitely consider the T3PM pedal set to be an upgrade overall from the base units included with the Moza R3 and R5 bundles.

The overall unit is a mix of plastic and metal parts featuring Hall sensors for the accelerator, brake, and clutch. The brake in particular features a swappable spring and elastomer mechanism that gives the user four levels of increasing stiffness and progressive feel. It is not a load cell unit, but it is a very nice addition right out of the box. The Moza unit requires the user to either upgrade to a load cell pedal or spend an extra $30 for a spring/elastomer kit that can be fitted. There is also a good degree of customization for each of the pedals in terms of angle and placement with the included spacers and screws.

Driving Impressions

In a short period of time I have tested products from Asetek, Thrustmaster, and Moza. These other products were all direct drive units, so the T248R is the only “traditional” unit with gears and pulleys. Direct drive wheels are a step up in terms of overall snappiness and smoothness. Some may complain of cogging with direct drive wheels, but all of the major manufacturers have implemented software solutions to virtually eliminate that sensation while in use.

The T248R is a good beginner wheel with the ability to address more advanced simulations with relative ease. Overall the force hits that 3+ Nm and provides a reasonable workout during long racing stints. Forces were transmitted to the rim effectively and the effects were clearly translated to the hands. The effects were relatively crisp, which was a little unexpected to me considering it is a hybrid drive and I had been used to the instantaneous feel of direct drive wheels.

The addition of the full color display was beneficial for initial setup and adjusting forces on the fly. The telemetry functionality can be customized to a very great degree, but the user will need to work to enable that in software with more than a handful of applications.

The buttons had a good tactile feel to them, but they are certainly not high end units. There is a little bit of play with the larger buttons, but for the most part the feeling and quality were more than adequate while racing. The paddle shifters have a positive feel to them without being overly clicky. I did not experience any mis-shifts with these units as compared to another product I have been testing as of late.

The pedals were again a very pleasant surprise in terms of feel and positioning. The ability to increase the force required for the brake pedal is a big improvement over competing parts at that price level. The spring and elastomer set give a very nice, strong, and progressive feel when activating the brake. It allowed for more accurate braking across disciplines, and was a definite help in trail braking. The T3PM cannot be upgraded to load cell capabilities.

If there was one weakness to this setup it is how quickly the wheel can change directions and move with speed. During certain maneuvers the wheel would be too slow to react to what was going on with the car. For example, when entering a drift a direct drive wheel will respond quick enough that I could let go of the wheel and let off the gas, and the car would correct itself. With the T248R if I tried the same thing, it would make the spin significantly worse. I had to physically turn the wheel with force in the direction of the spin/drift to catch it. This is not a deal breaker with this unit, as it requires the user to change up their driving style to adjust for some of these limitations. Once I figured out what I was doing wrong I was able to correct my driving style to adjust to the wheel.

The largest advantage that this setup has in terms of compatibility and software support. I did not find a single game where I had issues getting the wheel to work. This is not the case with many other manufacturers who especially have a harder time supporting older titles. Sometimes to get these competing products to work takes manual file configuration changes, download third party fixes, and perhaps a few hours of digging through messageboards. In some instances (like with DiRT 5) there are no fixes for gear from Moza and Asetek. Logitech and Fanatec have similar levels of software support and compatibility, but as one of the oldest companies in this market Thrustmaster is at the very top.

The mounting options for the base are more than adequate for all users. It has a solid desk clamp that is easy to install and the base does not move. The base also features two mounting holes on the bottom and this worked well for both the inexpensive wheel stand I bought from Amazon as well as the Next Level Racing F-GT full cockpit. The pedals also feature mounting points as well as four pads for bare floor use. The pedals did fine on the floor, but if the user wants to use the elastomer and heavier spring they should consider at least a wheel stand for mounting.

Conclusion

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the T248R. I think it inhabits a very important, but competitive landscape in terms of price and features. There are certainly limitations with a hybrid drive, but the additions that Thrustmaster has brought to the design make it a far more capable unit than some are giving it credit for. The quality additions of materials, display functionality, control implementation, and a really solid pedal set makes it a solid selection for a user looking to get into more competitive and serious sim racing. Throw in that it is $50 less expensive than the T248 at introduction four years ago makes it a much more desirable addition to the lineup.

Through the control panel users can further adjust the feel of the wheel to more adequately fit their needs and style. Thrustmaster has improved that control panel functionality dramatically over the past two years to be more competitive with where the industry has gone. It is not quite at Moza levels of tweaking with their extensive control panel, but Thrustmaster is catching up without making their implementation confusing and overwhelming to beginners and intermediates.

I again cannot express this enough, but the software compatibility with games from all eras is top notch. Even ancient games that can barely run on a modern Windows platform will recognize the driver for the wheel and deliver full functionality and force feedback.

The $349.99 US price point is very aggressive right now with solutions from Logitech, Moza, and PXN. We often see the T248R on sale for about $30 less in the past year, but that number often drifts back up to MSRP. The T248R is not upgradeable in terms of rim solution or strength. The Moza R3 can swap out rims, but there is no ability to buy an upgraded power supply to bring that number from 3 Nm to 5.5 Nm or above. The R5 bundle at $50 more is a harder decision to pass up, but it too has the limitations with the overall pedal quality feel without spending the extra money for the elastomer/spring kit.

Thrustmaster has produced a very solid entry into the market at a pretty aggressive price point given the overall feel, quality, and features of the T248R. This product could easily last for years for the casual and aspiring sim racer.