Gran Turismo DD Pro

Thrustmaster and Fanatec are world-renowned names in sim-racing, with the former active mainly in the entry-level field with products aimed at the amateur and beginner public, and the latter covering the whole range of drivers, from beginner to professional.

In addition to its sim-racing range, Thrustmaster has a gaming range with controllers and peripherals for flight sim. Fanatec specializes exclusively in sim-racing, with a catalog that is undoubtedly the most comprehensive on the market.

Among the entry-level Direct Drive bundles, we have the brand-new Thrustmaster T598, which boasts a very compact axial motor, a minimalist design and a very attractive selling price. Fanatec offers several variations of its CSL range, including the GT DD Pro, made in partnership with Gran Turismo for fans of racing cars and sim-racing.

On paper, these two bundles look very similar, especially in terms of their target audience. In what follows, we’ll compare them and see which is best suited to your driving preferences.

Design and build quality

First, let’s talk about the design of the T598 and GT DD Pro. Thrustmaster’s base is brand new, with a very compact shape thanks to axial motor technology. The base’s footprint is frankly minimal, with I’d say half as much depth compared to the GT DD Pro.

Speaking of which, Fanatec’s base is rather square, with fins that cover the entire cabinet. It’s plain, but big compared to Thrustmaster’s base. It’s also heavier, as Fanatec uses metal for its GT DD Pro housing, while Thrustmaster uses composite (plastic) to offer it at an attractive selling price.

As for the steering wheels, Thrustmaster’s is entirely round, with a carbon-fiber-style faceplate. There are red bands at the four corners of the wheel, with controls on the outside of the faceplate. It’s handsome, especially with the big Thrustmaster logo in the center, and quite sober too.

At Fanatec, the GT DD Pro wheel is flat-bottomed, with a blue band across the top. Compared to Thrustmaster’s wheel, the GT DD Pro’s faceplate is much busier, with the Gran Turismo logo in the center, controls scattered all around and a small screen on the top of the faceplate. The T598 also has a screen, but it’s on the base.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics are a crucial element of a sim-racing wheel, and I find that Thrustmaster comes off very well in this respect. The T598 wheel is 30 cm in diameter, with an entirely round shape. It’s perfect for use in a variety of motorsport disciplines.

What’s more, the controls are distributed around the faceplate, close to your hands. You won’t have to worry about operating the buttons in the middle of a run, without having to do any hand gymnastics. The base also offers controls for its functions, but I wouldn’t risk using them in the middle of a race, given their location.

At Fanatec, the story is different. The GT DD Pro wheel is 28 cm in diameter, placing it in the smallest category on the market. Depending on your motorsport preferences, this size may or may not be appropriate. For rallying, for example, it’s perfect. But if you’re into endurance racing, you’ll feel that your hands are too close together.

As for the controls, they’re superbly positioned on the faceplate, very close to your hands. You’ll have no trouble reaching them, even in the middle of a race. What’s more, the steering wheel is equipped with a RevLED on the top of the faceplate, something not found on Thrustmaster’s wheel.

Let’s talk about pedalboards. Both bundles come with standard pedalboards, namely the LTE for Thrustmaster, and the CSL Pedals for Fanatec. You get Hall sensors, metal construction, and the ability to adjust the pedals to suit your preferences. What’s more, both devices are upgradeable, notably with a Load Cell kit that enhances racing immersion.

Ecosystem and platform

Let’s turn now to the ecosystem of the two brands. Thrustmaster has a very good gaming catalog, both for racing and aircraft simulation, as well as controllers. Thrustmaster has more than 20 years’ experience in the field, and, alongside Logitech, more or less dominates the entry-level, non-direct-drive sim-racing segment.

The brand offers dozens of products in its catalog, with compatibility with PCs, Xboxes and Playstations. For the T598, you have a PC and Xbox version, and another PC and Sony consoles, namely the PS4 and PS5.

However, not all products in the Thrustmaster ecosystem are necessarily compatible with each other. Overall, you have 2 families of Thrustmaster peripherals in terms of steering wheels and bases: those using the old Quick Release, and those for the new one (after the T818). The two platforms are only compatible with each other via a QR adapter.

At Fanatec, the story is very different, as the manufacturer has built its empire on its ecosystem. All the brand’s products are compatible with each other, especially when it comes to bases and wheels. Speaking of wheels, the manufacturer has over forty of them, all of which have been migrated to QR2.

However, the GT DD Pro bundle loses out to the T598 in terms of platform compatibility. Only PCs and Playstations will be able to use this bundle, at least on paper.

Sensations

As far as feel is concerned, Fanatec has a good margin, and above all a great deal of experience in the field. The T598 delivers 5 nm of torque, with an overboost function to increase this value. It’s communicative in the hands, responsive I must say, and fairly linear in terms of power delivery.

For the GT DD Pro, Fanatec offers 2 variants of the same model: one with 5 nm of torque, and another with a boost kit that increases power to 8 nm of torque at peak. As far as feedback is concerned, this is quite simply one of the best in the segment. The base communicates literally everything the car does, with software that is highly responsive, adapting to virtually all sim-racing titles.

Price

The advantage here is for the T598 bundle. The T598 costs €499, while the GT DD Pro trades for €699.95 in the 5 nm version, and €799.95 for the bundle with boost kit that boosts power to 8 nm.

Admittedly, both bundles come complete with base, steering wheel and pedals, but the Fanatec justifies its higher price by offering a more accomplished feel and a much more scalable ecosystem.

Which one to choose?

In my opinion, the choice between these two bundles comes down to 3 points: price, ecosystem and platform. If you’re on Xbox, you’ll naturally go for the T598, as it’s offered as a native version for Microsoft’s console. But bear in mind that if you take a GT DD Pro and an Xbox steering wheel, the whole thing can run on Series X and S, without too many problems.

For the price, it’s clear that Thrustmaster is the undisputed choice, even if the brand’s ecosystem is limited compared to that of Fanatec, which remains the undisputed king of the market. If you’re looking for a product that can evolve in terms of features, the GT DD Pro is the bundle for you, especially as its feel and precision make it a much more durable investment in the long term.