Thrustmaster T300RS GT Edition review: a responsive racing wheel with a few too many rough edges
Thrustmaster T300RS GT Edition: One-minute review
The Thrustmaster T300RS GT Edition is a belt-driven racing steering wheel designed specifically for PlayStation and PC. Considering it’s a GT version, this isn’t the most auspicious looking racing wheel. Its rather plain design isn’t helped by its lack of color. However, the leatherette material adds a touch of class and looks hard-wearing.
The pedals also feel durable and have a ton of adjustability. However, the base can slide on smooth floors, so rugs and rugs are best.
Mounting the wheelbase on a table is a bit fiddly as the fastening screws are quite stiff (at least on my unit) and require some lubrication to make it easier. It’s also heavy, which means you have to hold it in place when attaching it to your desk. The clamping mechanism is also quite bulky as it can easily move out of position when installed and get in the way of the handles on the tightening screws.
Once installed, you should pay attention to the self-calibration process that occurs immediately after powering on, as the wheels will spin quickly and forcefully. Thankfully, this is the only form of setup when using the T300 RS GT Edition with a PS5 – as you’d expect from an officially licensed PlayStation product.
Things are a little more difficult on PC, though. The software tool doesn’t feel the most modern and requires a few reboots to function correctly and successfully update the firmware. However, it does offer one of the settings and tweaks you’d expect best racing wheelsincluding numerous force feedback options.
The T300RS GT Edition performs well in some areas but not in others. The steering is precise enough, and the pedal offers just enough resistance without being too hard. You can fit an optional tapered stop behind the brake pedal to give a different feel of feedback, but I found this limited travel to be too much – I found it a bit too short to begin with.
The wheels also feel very bumpy, especially when starting to spin; this is most noticeable when you make slow, progressive movements when playing quieter driving sims. The paddles are also not damped well enough and feel a bit harsh when in use.
While button selection is great for PlayStation users, there are unfortunately no knobs for typical on-the-fly racing adjustments. On PC, in my experience, some buttons don’t work properly, although it’s unclear exactly where the blame lies for this.
All of this is disappointing for a wheel at this price. this Thrustmaster T248For example, it’s significantly cheaper, but we think it’s the best racing steering wheel overall due to its excellent value for money. Of course, you can spend more on a racing steering wheel, e.g. Thrustmaster T-GT IIbut we think this is the best premium racing steering wheel available because it rivals direct drive wheels (the pinnacle of racing steering wheel technology).
Thrustmaster T300RS GT Edition: Price and Availability
- US$449.99/£379.99 (approximately AU$725)
- Now available in one color
- Some competitors are cheaper
The T300RS GT Edition costs $449.99 / £379.99 (approximately AU$725) and is currently available in one colourway. It comes with a set of pedals but no external gear lever, although one can be connected.
That makes it significantly more expensive than the Thrustmaster T248, our pick for the best racing steering wheel. This wheel offers equally good pedaling, and we like the force feedback for some games, but again we had some issues with steering feel.
If you want a more luxurious belt-driven experience, the Thrustmaster T-GT II is one of the best in the category and rivals the most advanced direct-drive wheels. Still, we found the rotation wasn’t as seamless as it should have been, and it’s significantly more expensive than the T300RS GT version.
Thrustmaster T300RS GT Edition: Specs
| price | US$449.99/£379.99 (approximately AU$725) |
| weight | 20 lbs/9kg |
| Peak torque | Unspecified |
| feature | Quick release wheels, three-pedal base |
| Connection type | USB-A |
| compatibility | PS3, PS4, PS5, computer |
| software | Thrustmaster Control Panel |
Thrustmaster T300RS GT Edition review: Design and features
- plain appearance
- Brutal self-calibration
- Useful software
The T300RS GT version has a rather bland image, with a monochromatic color scheme and bland wheel design that neither inspires nor excites. Considering this is an officially licensed PlayStation variant, grand tour series, I was expecting something a little more special.
The pedals are equally plain, although the metal heads do add an element of sophistication. There’s also an optional tapered stop that screws behind the brake pedal to provide varying degrees of resistance.
The wheel feels satisfying, not too thick and not too thin. The leatherette surface feels hard-wearing, but offers little to no padding. There are also some perforations to help with grip and I can handle it safely.
Thrustmaster doesn’t give a weight for the wheelbase alone, but it’s quite heavy and forward-biased, which might make installation a little tricky. The pedal base, on the other hand, is much lighter, which may be an issue for those with low-friction floors, as I did find it slid easily unless there was carpet or rugs underneath.
Installation isn’t the most seamless experience. The wheels attach to the base relatively easily, requiring a few turns of the quick-release ring and tightening a small screw to hold it in place. However, attaching the base to a table is awkward. The fastening screws in my unit don’t turn smoothly and require some lubrication to function properly.
You must lift the wheel when installing it, otherwise it will fall forward. This means tightening the tightening screw with one hand, or supporting it with your chest while turning it with both hands, which is my preferred method. The handle used to turn the screw constantly gets in the way of the connection system used to clamp the base to the table, which is an annoying design flaw. What’s more, this connection system is prone to rotational misalignment when tightened—another annoying flaw.
The pedal does have a number of pleasing adjustments, which are easily accomplished using the included Allen wrench. You can adjust the height, angle and spacing, although I wish there was more range for the latter as I find my legs are always too close together, but that’s probably a personal complaint that others won’t share.
As soon as the T300RS GT was turned on and plugged in, the steering wheel’s self-calibration started, which surprised me: it was sudden and very forceful, so be sure to keep your hands completely away from the steering wheel.
In order to adjust various calibration and force feedback settings, the Thrustmaster Control Panel for Windows is required. For me, the installation failed on the first attempt, although restarting a few times seemed to fix the problem. So did the required firmware update, but it finally worked.
Once up and running, the Thrustmaster control panel offers many of the usual customization options you’d expect from a racing wheel. You can set the maximum rotation angle and make multiple force feedback adjustments, including static settings for constant force and periodic force, and dynamic settings for spring and damper effects. All of these are easy to make thanks to the basic layout of the user interface.
I had no issues connecting the T300RS GT Edition to the PS5, making it as easy to use as the PS5 Best PS5 Racing Wheel There. The button layout on the steering wheel is also similar to that of a controller, which makes navigation simple. Sadly, however, there are no rotary dials for adjusting common racing settings such as traction control and brake balance.
Thrustmaster T300RS GT Edition review: Performance
- Balanced pedal feel
- There is a gap in the steering
- Force feedback is too strong
The T300RS GT Edition offers hybrid performance. The steering feels precise and precise, although the paddles are too loud for my liking and lack the satisfying action provided by better damping switches.
The pedals offer just enough resistance to let you feel how your inputs translate in the game, but are light enough to press easily without fatigue. The clutch pedal offers just the right amount of travel; while I’d prefer the brake pedal a little more, it still offers adequate control. It’s also reassuringly weighty, although I found the optional tapered stops added too much drag and further reduced the already desired travel.
However, my main feeling about the T300RS GT version is the notch feeling of the steering wheel. No matter what you do with the settings in the control panel, it’s always there. I found this to be particularly noticeable when making small movements near the center of the axis, which you might do in a slow-paced driving sim rather than a straight-up racing sim.
The other settings available in the control panel do have an impact on performance. Force feedback has enough range for most gamers to find the right settings. The maximum setting was too strong for me, the steering wheel was too hard to turn and wobbled wildly when losing traction in games. Therefore, I prefer to set the overall intensity very low, around 15%.
The buttons on the steering wheel all perform well, but they don’t match the premium feel of the buttons on the steering wheel. best pc controller. I did have issues with the POV hat not working with some PC games, but that was probably an issue with the game rather than the input itself.
Should I buy the Thrustmaster T300RS GT Edition?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also considering…
If the T300RS GT Edition doesn’t sound right for you, then check out these excellent alternatives.
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Thrustmaster T300RS GT version | Thrustmaster T-GT II | Thrustmaster T248 |
|---|---|---|---|
| price | US$449.99/£379.99 (approximately AU$725) | US$799.99 / £699.99 (approximately AU$1,211.99) | US$129.99/£129.99 (approximately AU$249) |
| weight | 20 lbs/9kg | 29 lbs/13,150 g | 6 lbs/2,700 g |
| Peak torque | Unspecified | About. 6nm | 3.5 Nm |
| feature | Quick release wheels, three-pedal base | Removable wheels, three-pedal base | Three FF modes, on-wheel display, three-pedal base |
| Connection type | USB-A | USB-A | USB-A |
| compatibility | PS3, PS4, PS5, computer | PlayStation 5, computer | PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC |
How I Tested the Thrustmaster T300RS GT Edition
- Tested for a week
- For PC and PS5
- Rich racing simulation experience
I tested the T300RS GT Edition for about a week, during which time I used it on PC and PS5. I installed it myself and made sure to tweak as many hardware and software settings as possible, such as pedal positioning and force feedback. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to test the T300RS GT version with an external gear lever.
I play GT Racing 7 On PS5 and Assetto Corsa On PC – Two two-tiered racing sims running on their respective platforms. I’ve also played American Truck Simulator Test the steering wheel for slower, more controlled steering and pedal movements.
I’ve been playing games for over 25 years, and racing simulations are one of my favorite genres. I’ve played games in many different subcategories such as F1, Touring Cars and Rallycross.
The first review will be in January 2025
