Verdict
The Thrustmaster T818 Ferrari SF1000 Simulator racing wheel kit offers a powerful upgrade for anyone who has tried Thrustmaster ’s great belt - motor model to date . However , the lack of console support is a shame and , if you ’re not already a Thrustmaster fan , this may not be the first selection for those looking to try out direct ride wheel tech .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
This is the big one . The Thrustmaster T818 is a direct - drive racing wheel from one of the big names in gaming peripherals . It ’s the last to arrive from the three big names in tracing wheel too , after the brilliant Fanatec CSL Doctor of Divinity and Logitech G Pro .
The Thrustmaster T818 Ferrari SF1000 Simulator outfit aims to be a sort of “ best of all world ” kit . It admit a Thrustmaster TF1000 Ferrari replica roulette wheel as well as the T818 wheelbase .
Is it a succeeder ? The Thrustmaster T818 ’s force feedback is first-class . It ’s as hard as I believe any remotely normal racing devotee needs , it ’s radical - responsive and quiet .
However , this rig is also less urbane than I ’d expect from Thrustmaster in a few region , thwarting in share , and is go to appeal most to F1 fans who already have bought into the Thrustmaster ecosystem . It costs £ 999 , and that does not include pedal . This make it a friction match for the Logitech G Pro , and significantly more dear than some Fanatec CSL DD and Moza R9 kits .
Design and Force Feedback
What ’s so special about a direct - drive racing wheel like the Thrustmaster T818 ? It means the steering wheel is directly mounted onto the motor at the heart of the wheel . There are no intermediary layer of belt or gears , as notice in all of the most popular affordable model .
With a geared system like the Logitech G920 ’s , you ’re left with a sort of notch , granular feel to bike rotation . That ’s not idealistic . Belt - driven force feedback can do slippage , and yield a decent amount of heat , mandate the use of internal fans .
Some wheels like theThrustmaster T248use a mix of both styles . But with the direct drive , Thrustmaster T818 you invalidate all these issue without spending a duet of grand this variety of engineering demanded a few old age back .
It ’s terrific clobber , and the Thrustmaster T818 cater 10Nm of peak torque . Some of the sincerely specialist wheels from niche sword provide up to 25Nm , but I do n’t really see the need for anything more than what you get here .
The Thrustmaster T818 can be punishingly rough . If I were bet to drop a long session , I ’d reckon dropping its intensity a touch . But for a few lap that peak power is just brightly immersive .
This is also slap-up torque than is offered by Fanatec in the CSL DD — 5Nm as monetary standard , up to 8Nm with the boost kit , which is just a very expensive beefed - up big businessman provision . I do n’t recover the Thrustmaster patently more powerful or refine in soul than the boost CSL DD , though .
With either , you get serious ability , first-class reactivity and clearness of feedback . It also range silent , with no need for an internal devotee . You just lack out on the extra TruForce feedback of the Logitech G Pro . This is a gimmicky - sounding form of vibration haptics that crop off , for deterrent example , the speech sound of the railway locomotive in a racing game . However , in purpose , it can add to the experience in an piquant fashion .
The Thrustmaster T818 is the least impressive of this new breed of direct driving force wheel in its physical presence , though , even in this reading adorn out in Ferrari regalia . Its outer shell is plastic , make it seem much less hardwearing and substantial than the Fanatec CSL DD or Moza R9 , which are corrugated bricks of atomic number 13 .
Thrustmaster glosses things up a bit , using a customisable LED doughnut around the roulette wheel base ’s front . I ’m not a lover of this nod to “ gamer ” PC hardware , and I ’d bet the geezerhood of the average effect feedback racing wheel user skew older , to begin with .
Features
Still , perhaps purport for the PC passe-partout wash crowd is n’t the high-risk approximation when that ’s the only platform supported by this outfit . Xbox and PS5 owners are left out . Logitech makes models of the G Pro wheel that affirm PC / Xbox and PC / PS . Fanatec ’s DD Pro is for the PlayStation bunch , the standard DD for Xbox . Head to one of those if you want or ask console table bread and butter .
While I ’m indisputable Thrustmaster will adapt this core hardware to act upon on console in a succeeding model , I ca n’t see a future software update bringing this one up to par with the competition .
There are also some quirks to the Thrustmaster T818 that make it seem a bit of a mixed success . This foundation can apply the same bike rims as existing Thrustmaster models . That ’s great . However , it demand a mount adapter I spent more than an hr trying to match right — the digital manual does admittedly explicate the process much better than the crappy Quickstart usher found in the boxful of this kit .
The second military issue is the mounting outgrowth . If you have an subsist heavy mounting rig , you ’re probable to regain it does n’t have the correct holes , reportedly induce by the small bottom surface area of the T818 ’s hexagonal wheelbase . I ’m using Playseat Challenge , and have to either sorting of cludge together a three - item mountain technique that barely works , or apply the classic two - dot screw - in clinch . But these befit a more affordable racing bike considerably than a high-pitched - remnant one like this . If you have a great cockpit already , you ’d well get the exercise out .
Wheel
The particular outfit I ’m review has a reproduction SF1000 Ferrari wheel . It looks right telling , with its U. S. Army of buttons and that racey shape , but it hold up up well at arm ’s length than in person .
This rim does ache slightly from a complaint I raze at the Thrustmaster T248 , of rivet more on flashy open - level technical school than the substance experience . There are a tonne of buttons here , but each is labelled with a naff sticker , some of which are n’t put down spirit level . I ’m not sure how well these will weather over time .
The implicit in construction of the wheel is quite canonic prevention the tacky carbon vulcanized fiber plate on its front . It ’s a plastic core with safety handles . This does the job just fine , of course , but a weightier metallic element cycle adds to the horse sense of naive realism and immersion , and it also affect the transmission of the force feedback a little .
Fanatec make more imposingly build steering wheel for comparable money . That ’s the unbranded I , anyway , as its BMW and Porsche wheels cost a hazard .
What they do n’t have is the XL - size concealment of Thrustmaster ’s Ferrari wheel . This 4.3 - in video display is used for telemetry data in prize games . you could check out a list over at theThrustmaster website , but unforunately it ’s not a large list . At the time of review you ’re essentially looking at the F1 game from the last few years or Assetto Corsa Competizione . There are rev heel counter light-emitting diode too but , again , they are only go through in a modified number of games .
This screen door does n’t do a whole slew when not used alongside these secret plan , repeating what is efficaciously a Ferrari screensaver . There ’s no menu access , to control things like violence feedback lastingness or maximal wheel rotation , and it seems a missed opportunity . Thrustmaster keeps thing pretty simple on the customisation front in its personal computer app too , offering four “ feel ” based presets in the desktop app .
Unlike the direction wheel of the Thrustmaster T248 , though , the SF1000 ’s shifters are beneficial . This part is aluminium and provides a good positive dog as you shift gears . The two controls are also joined in a see - saw - comparable fashion , as in the F1 car the steering roulette wheel is found upon , patently .
There are also low-toned clutch paddles , again mirroring those of the real - lifespan F1 car . It ’s all bully clobber , but I just do n’t chance the presence of this wheel anywhere near as telling as that of some other gamy - end roulette wheel I ’ve used before that make consumption of materials like aluminum and Alcantara . Still , this SF1000 bike is place at a niche audience of F1 fans of which I am not really a part , so take my ailment in that context .
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Should you buy it?
This outfit provides the well forcefulness feedback I ’ve mat up in a Thrustmaster wheel to escort . And while some might call it gratuitous gloss , the 4.3 - column inch projection screen and dazzling raiment of control are to telling use in recent biz from the F1 series .
This might be the knotty sell of the late direct drive wheel sets . It does n’t support any consoles , the for the most part plastic construction is less immediately telling than that of its peers , admit a twosome of chinchy one .
Final Thoughts
The Thrustmaster T818 Ferrari SF1000 Simulator is a world - class racing wheel package . It provides a consecutive - up fantastic racing experience . But is it the direct drive setup you should actually purchase ? That is more complicated .
Its steering wheel look amazing , but the elements of the shape are amazingly canonic . And only a tiny fistful of games can make habit of that telemetry screen . Mostly those from the F1 serial .
The Logitech g-force Pro pips the Thrustmaster T818 Ferrari SF1000 Simulator for the overall force out feedback feedback experience , and rivals with similar clout like the Fanatec CSL Doctor of Divinity 8Nm and the Moza R9 put up exchangeable power for less outlay . As such , I can largely recommend this steering wheel set to citizenry already bought into the Thrustmaster ecosystem .
Trusted Score
How we test
We expend every gambling wheel we test for at least a week . During that prison term , we ’ll insure it for rest of use and put it through its pace by play a sort of games .
We also check the controller ’s software backup , as well as the timbre of bundled accessories such as pedals and shifters .
FAQs
It ’s rated at 10Nm . This is a tip rather than a free burning military rating , but it is still gravid power .
It is microcomputer only , although the SF1000 bicycle rim reexamine here does support bases with console table keep .
All current Thrustmatser sets workplace , but the T - LCM readiness is recommended at the time of review .
Full Specs
