Thrustmaster T598
Benefits
- 5 nm of constant torque with overboost function for 100% more power
- Complete bundle at an attractive price
- Scalable crankset
- PC and Playstation compatible
Disadvantages
- Average build quality, especially for the steering wheel
- Ergonomics that leave something to be desired
- Playstation integration not yet optimal for most titles
Our rating: 8.5/10
A new era is dawning in sim-racing, notably with the takeover of Fanatec by Corsair, but also for Thrustmaster as it embarks on its mission to regain market share in the face of increasingly fierce competition.
Thrustmaster is, to put it bluntly, a major player in the sim-racing industry, for the simple reason that this French brand is the go-to for anyone wanting to get into virtual racing, as well as aircraft piloting. For a long time, this brand dominated the entry-level of the sim-racing market, notably with budget-friendly options, providing plenty of racing thrills.
But technological advances don’t stop there, and the entry-level racing segment is soon populated by inexpensive Direct Drive bundles. The most concrete examples are the Fanatec CSL and the Moza R3, boasting 5 and 4 nm of torque respectively, while being PC and console compatible.
Thrustmaster certainly wasn’t going to see competitors take its market share, especially as the brand has taken a long time to secure its foundations. The brand’s new slogan is ” Drive Into The New Era “, and it heralds many future products, including the T598 bundle. In what follows, we’ll take a look at what it is and whether it can hold its own against the competition.
Main and technical features of the bundle
- Base Direct Drive develops 5 nm of torque at constant, with 10 nm at peak
- Complete package with DD base, new steering wheel and upgradeable LTE crankset
- Base with Direct Drive Axial electric motor
- PS4, PS5 and PC compatibility
- Steering wheel with 30 cm diameter
- Upgradeable crankset for Load Cell kit
- Screen integrated into the base, and the footprint is really small for the power delivered
- 21 buttons and 2 palettes
- QR taken from T818
Design
The design of the T598 is somewhat inspired by the T818, at least for the base. It’s an all-black hexagonal shape, with a very small footprint. The dimensions of the T598 base remind me of those of the Cammus C5, so tiny is it. The front of the base features a small display and 4 controls for various settings.
As for the steering wheel, it’s a new entry in the Thrustmaster catalog, and its name is the Sportcar. Its design is sober, with an entirely round shape, a carbon-fiber skin on the faceplate and a few red accents, notably 4 stripes on the wheel. The sides feature textured silicone for grip.
As for the pedalboard, it’s the Raceline Pedals LTE, and I think it looks great. Its design resembles the Fanatec CSL Pedals, with a footrest acting as the main plate and pedals attached to it from the rear. It’s sober, with an all-black exterior and a few TM logos on the footrest and pedal plates.
Customized assembly
The T598 is mounted to the furniture using the Thrustmaster clamp we’re all familiar with, and you also get a plate to set the base at a certain angle. Mounting is not only quick to do, but also very simple.
As for the crankset, you’ll find silicone pads that allow you to place it on the floor, as well as mounting points for cockpit installation. However, there are two points to bear in mind:
- If you have a flagstone, carpet or parquet floor, I’d advise you to mount the pedal assembly on some kind of intermediate plate, as there won’t be enough contact surface in stock configuration.
- For players with cockpits and/or stands, you may need to drill holes to align and secure the crankset.
Manufacturing and finishing
To achieve an attractive selling price, concessions had to be made. And, of course, it’s the materials that have taken the brunt. The base is made entirely of plastic, as is the steering wheel. Only the crankset has a metal structure, as it is due to receive a Load Cell kit in the future.
As for the finish, I didn’t really notice any flaws. Gaps are minimal on the base, and the overall assembly is pretty good, I must say. The pedalboard follows the same philosophy, with metal and a good finish for the price.
As for the steering wheel, the structure is entirely plastic, with a carbon-fiber skin on the faceplate that looks just right. Around the rim, rubber is used for the grips. Only one element on the steering wheel is metal: the paddles, and they’re magnetic too, which I must say is really unusual for such a competitive retail price.
Getting started with the bundle
The Sportcar steering wheel is 30 cm in diameter, with a completely round shape. The driving position is racing-style, slightly below 09:15. The rear-mounted paddles fit perfectly under your fingers, and are easy to operate with a good “click”.
But the overall ergonomics of the steering wheel leave something to be desired. The lower part of the steering wheel is fine in terms of ergonomics, and this applies to virtually all buttons except the directional cross. The upper part is a different story. The 6 buttons (3 on each side) are frankly ill-proportioned, and often difficult to press. It feels weird to use them, especially if you map them to a handbrake, for example. Frankly, Thrustmaster has often succeeded in improving the ergonomics of its steering wheels, and this time, it’s not quite up to scratch.
Sensations during play
Let’s move on to what this new bundle is worth in sim-racing. First of all, there’s a whole host of settings available on the base, and on the pedals too. Well, at least in terms of pedal position.
On the PC, the feel of the T598 is good in absolute terms. It’s not as superb as the competition, notably Fanatec and Moza, who have a much better Direct Drive experience than Thrustmaster. But the T598 holds its own.
The Axial electric motor provides plenty of feel on tracks like ACC or AC, and the various base settings allow you to fine-tune the overall experience. The 5nm of constant torque, and the motor’s ability to exploit the unwanted effects of the Axial Drive, make for a vibration-rich experience with good sensations, but sometimes a little too much, in my opinion. Like on the vibrators, for example, where it can be difficult to differentiate which side is eating the bumps. And as for the crankset, the Raceline LTE is just too soft to cope with an LC, but is nonetheless very precise to use.
On PS5, the story is different. Sure, you’ll get the feel with proper feedback, vibration, steering precision and the whole shebang. But from one game to the next, you have to change all your settings to get any kind of consistent experience, and that’s without mentioning the vibrations, which can be almost anywhere on the spectrum.
Compatibility
The T598 is not only compatible with the entire current Thrustmaster range, as long as you have a steering wheel using the brand’s new QR, or opt for the adapter.
As for platforms, we only have PC and Playstation (PS4 and PS5). Thrustmaster has not yet mentioned Xbox compatibility.
Value for money
This bundle is sold at a very competitive price of €499, which places it directly opposite a 5 nm CSL DD (not on special offer) and a Moza R5. However, the T598 does have one trump card up its sleeve, and that’s the overboost of its motor, enabling it to momentarily develop 10 nm of torque, in addition to the constant 5 nm. The other bases have the same torque values, but at peak.
As far as I’m concerned, the T598 offers good value for money compared to the competition. Sure, plastic dominates, but you won’t be disappointed in the performance department.
My verdict
If you’re looking for a high-performance, relatively inexpensive entry-level base, the T598 bundle is perfect for you. It’s true that it has a few shortcomings, but these are all to do with integration with sim-racing titles and platforms.
The T598’s hardware performs well, and I imagine that Thrustmaster will iron out all the little kinks in this base with updates and better software integration.
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