Every Sim-racing enthusiast knows that to perform well on the track, you need a quality steering wheel. Among the offers on the market, Thrustmaster steering wheels are particularly popular, especially among those hoping to get professional equipment at a lower price. Year after year, they produce competitive equipment for all kinds of platforms and bring both innovation and fun to all gamers!

In order for you to get a better idea of the wheels this iconic brand offers, we have put together this comprehensive guide for you. In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about Thrustmaster, the history of the brand, what made its reputation and how to choose your Thrustmaster steering wheel. We will also introduce you to the different ranges of steering wheels of the manufacturer and we will present you a selection of the best steering wheels by range.

The history of the Thrustmaster brand

The Thrustmaster brand was founded in the United States in 1990 and began with a combination of engineers and pilots from the US Air Force, Navy and NASA. With its technological know-how, Thrustmaster began developing flight simulation products and designing games, headsets and controllers. The company’s main objective was and is to develop devices that offer extremely accurate gameplay and a complete experience with optimal realism on multiple platforms.

Since its inception, the company’s products have been used by video game enthusiasts and casual gamers alike. For the market segment it serves, the Thrustmaster brand is hard to beat in terms of realism and the level of immersion of its equipment.

Why buy a Thrustmaster steering wheel?

What characterizes Thrustmaster products is that they are distributed at a very affordable price for buyers. This has brought many players who are new to the Sim-racing world closer to the brand. You don’t have to invest too much to get a quality experience.

Since the early 1990s, when it was founded, the company has worked with brands such as Sony, Ferrari, Sparco, Nintendo to manufacture products for game consoles. For this reason, it is a company with a prestige shared also with the most visible brands on the commercial scene.

Although its products can also be used by experienced players, it is considered the best brand for beginner drivers. Thanks to the materials used in the manufacture of its best models, you will have a guarantee of purchase with a useful life of several years.

The defining aspects of Thrustmaster’s Sim-Racing wheels can be summed up in their overall mantra of how to approach the industry as a whole. They always want to instill the same level of care and excitement in all of their products, and it clearly shows in all of their steering wheel lines.

Passion, innovation and quality are the three key words of the brand.

It is this passion for creating diverse solutions and inventions that truly sets them apart from other manufacturers in the industry. How can people be passionate about what you sell if you are not passionate about it? This is their philosophy on this factor and more.

In terms ofinnovation, Thrustmaster never wants to be behind the curve. Since their inception, they have acquired licenses from leading institutions and improved the training of their workforce to ensure that they are always providing the latest and greatest gaming equipment. Each product they release is not only well made in itself, but it is also more and more innovative.

The final part of Thrustmaster’s mantra is to always use the best materials available on the market to build their quality hardware. Even products designed for those on a more modest budget are always thoughtfully designed with the best in mind to provide players with rugged and durable products.

How to choose your Thrustmaster steering wheel?

Considering that price is not a factor that influences so much about Thrustmaster steering wheels, compared to other manufacturers, the choice will depend on your particular tastes. First of all, you need to think about the type of games you like to play. In the end, the style of the steering wheel must be compatible with the design of your installation or cockpit.

For example, if you like F1, you should look for a model that partially or fully imitates the design of single-seater car steering wheels. If you like rallying, it is recommended to buy a version with a round circumference wheel.

Another element is the use factor, since some products are primarily made of plastic. Despite the quality guarantee, remember that they are not the best option if you plan to use them daily for a few hours. If you opt for metal or aluminum clad models, you will have a greater certainty that they will respond with great firmness.

The Thrustmaster Ecosystem

Before tackling the different ranges of the Thrustmaster brand, we would like to talk to you about their ecosystem.

This allows you to connect virtually all of the brand’s peripheral components such as pedals, shifters, handbrakes, etc. via a PC with a single USB connection.

This has obvious advantages. First of all, you can adjust the braking force with one software. Second, it reduces the number of physical USB connections required, which is very important for a number of reasons.

With today’s hardware, it’s easy to overload your PC’s USB ports and cause random interruptions. Also, some older sim-racing games do not work well with multiple input devices connected, and getting them to work can be a real problem. With the Thrustmaster ecosystem, you can easily connect your parts for smoother gameplay.

Another of the specific features of Thrustmaster products that is not included in their “Passion, Innovation and Quality” mantra that you will find in all of their product lines is that the Thrustmaster ecosystem offers the guarantee that all of the steering wheel bases they design work with all of the Thrustmaster products.

This allows you to mix and match accessories from the brand’s different lines without having to worry about compatibility issues.

The different ranges of Thrustmaster steering wheels

When looking to buy a steering wheel or any Thrustmaster product, it’s important to note that the brand separates everything related to simulation racing into three main lines. Keep in mind that there are other steering wheels and racing equipment that stand alone and don’t really fit into these product lines, when you search their website.

The way Thrustmaster steering wheels are separated not only takes into account price, but also pays special attention to the specific licenses they have purchased and worked on alongside other companies.

The first product line is by far the largest and most variable, and includes their main line of products designed for use with the PlayStation and Xbox consoles. It is usually referred to as the “main line” because of the number of products included. Because they are developed primarily by Thrustmaster, you’ll find that the materials used for these wheels make them more affordable.

Some of the real stars of their sim-racing lineup are in this category, including their famous add-ons like the T3PA Pro pedalboard or the T-GT sim racing wheel that many YouTubers use.

Then we have the Sparco product line designed for rally racing simulation. As you can probably guess, Sparco has provided the license for the manufacture of these products. The wheels in this line can be used on a variety of brackets and stands, making it a flexible line with medium to high price points.

Finally, we have one of the most well-known Thrustmaster product lines, the Ferrari line! As the name suggests, the models in this range focus on Ferrari designs and were developed in collaboration with the iconic car manufacturer itself. Prices and consoles/supports vary considerably from one area to another, making this an excellent range of products for almost any Sim-racing player.

Thrustmaster’s main range

Part of what makes this manufacturer so appealing to simulation pilots is its adherence to decent prices that people can afford. Of course, some of their products may be more expensive than others, but overall, the mainline steering wheel models are often offered at an affordable price so that anyone can try them out.

The Sparco range from Thrustmaster

The Sparco licensed product line manufactured by Thrustmaster specializes in rally-specific sim-racing equipment. There aren’t as many products in this line as you’ll find with the main line, of course, but there are some racing wheels worth knowing about!

Due to the Thrustmaster ecosystem that comes into play, you won’t find Sparco racing wheels with a base included. You will need to purchase the wheels which can then be coupled to any Thrustmaster base currently available.

Thrustmaster’s range of Ferrari licensed steering wheels

Last but not least, we have here one of the most iconic lines in Thrustmaster’s arsenal: Ferrari licensed steering wheels! What could be cooler than playing with a shiny Ferrari symbol in the center of your steering wheel? This iconic black stallion symbolizes more than just beauty, as the quality of these racing wheels is truly impressive.

Which Thrustmaster steering wheel should I buy?

Now that we’ve talked about the different lines and models of Trustmaster steering wheels comes the most important question: which wheel should you buy?

It all depends on what type of sim runner you are and what types of games you play most frequently.

For example, the rally racing enthusiasts among you would do well to buy the steering wheel TM Competition P310 for its ergonomic oval shape that suits this style perfectly, while F1 simulator racing enthusiasts would do well to buy the Ferrari F1 steering wheel .

Those who like to play a little bit of all styles of racing should look for the Thrustmaster T150 or TMX Force Feedback models that fit the console of their choice.

If you are a GT fan and can afford it, we can only recommend this model Thrustmaster T-GT2 The quality and technology are incredible and the force feedback far exceeds any other Thrustmaster product.

As we mentioned earlier, your personal taste and budget determine which Thrustmaster steering wheel you should buy.

In brief – Conclusion

As we have seen in this article, the products of the Thrustmaster brand are unavoidable on the Sim-racing market and in particular its steering wheels.

Thrustmaster is particularly appreciated for its affordable prices and its quality models, distributed in three ranges in which you will inevitably find a steering wheel that suits you.

If you’re thinking about buying a Thrustmaster steering wheel, we hope our comprehensive guide has answered all your questions and given you a clearer picture of which model is right for you.