Thrustmaster TMX Force Feedback Racing Wheel

byalexandr · July 14, 2016

For years I've been dying to get into sim racing more and more. From the times I've tried my friends' racing wheels to the moments I see that box on the top shelf at the department store, I always tell myself 'one day'. The only thing I couldn't get around was the price, as much as I wanted to move away from throwing my virtual cars around with a simple Xbox controller. Well I finally found one of the best budget options that will move your racing experience from a simple controller to hours of realistic fun. That being the Thrustmaster TMX.

At $199 USD, you may expect to find very lack luster features that hinder your gaming experience. But what Thrustmaster has done is put the R&D where it matters the most, giving you an experience that is more than worth the entry level cost. The first thing you notice when you tear open the box is the almost 'new car' smell and the grippy rubber on the surprisingly sturdy wheel. The only drawback here is the lack of metal construction, but even then the wheel is great to run through your hands, with responsive, well placed buttons and smooth, precise force feedback. With that said, Thrustmaster includes some large and surprisingly thick metal paddle shifters. They feel very tactile and have a nice and loud click, almost like amplified Cherry MX Blues, so you know you won't miss a gear. Thrustmaster did this with purpose, pulling features from their higher end TX wheel and giving the user a great product for a great cost.

The force feedback uses a combination belt and gear system, a step up from Logitech's helical gear system as it includes the smooth belt system again found in Thrustmaster's higher end TX wheel. The force feedback is not wrist breaking-ly strong, but will give you a workout after a couple runs around the track. The deadzone is basically non-existent, in comparison to the large deadzone found on Logitech wheels, thanks to the precise measurement the wheel takes. The range of steering goes all the way from 270 degrees to a full 900 degrees, with the Thrustmaster Control Panel letting you easily adjust the degrees of rotation with an easy to use slider. This makes the wheel applicable to drive big semi-trucks, family road cars, WRC rally cars, and even high speed Formula 1 cars.

The mount used to attach the wheel to a desk or table is easy to attach and holds the wheel in place very well. All it takes is one large screw with a hand lever, and the wheel is locked into place. From my experience, this is a big step up from Logitech's complex mounting system and in the end holds the wheel to the table a lot better. The force feedback system is relatively quiet, but whipping around the wheel during gameplay is a little loud at times. Lock to lock makes a bit of a clunky sound, but the force feedback engages fully a few degrees before the lock to soften the sound.

The games I have played (for quite a few hours now) include DiRT Rally, Project CARS, The Crew, and American Truck Simulator. The wheel was recognized in every single game with the exception of The Crew, which is known to have issues with any wheel. That being said, it was still easier to set up and calibrate in The Crew in comparison to my friend's G27, which has problems every time we load the game.

Thrustmaster also includes the option to upgrade the pedals and add in an H-gate shifter. This is a great feature, as despite the wheel being so excellent, the budget price shows in the pedals. In fact, besides the pedals, the only other place it shows is in the plastic rim. The pedals on the other hand, are very light and made of cheaper feeling plastic. The gas and brake pedals are very light to press, with the brake being a bit firmer but having no progression. This leaves you looking at the game for feedback on how the car is reacting over using the pedals to control the car. It's definitely the reason the wheel is at a $199 price point, but luckily they can be upgraded to the T3PA or T3PA-PRO pedals, and with the inclusion of the TH8A H-gate and sequential shifter, it can make for a very realistic racing sim.

Moving back to the stock pedals though, the individual pedals can be adjusted with a couple of philips screws. I adjusted mine to feel more like the pedals in my car, but you DIY your own. To solve the problem with the pedals slipping over even a carpet floor, I DIY'd my own pedal mount with some steel tubing and the M6 screw holes on the bottom of the unit. This makes them much more sturdy although I will still be upgrading the pedals.

In Conclusion

For $199 USD, you can't beat the 'where it counts' aspect of this wheel. The force feedback and well designed wheel makes for a great experience, despite the inclusion of a lack luster set of pedals. The fact that you can upgrade the pedals and include a shifter basically makes this point irrelevant anyway, further reinforcing that $199 price point. And with some fine tuning, you can really add to the realism you experience when playing racing games. I would highly recommend this wheel to anyone looking to get more into racing games, whether on the PC or Xbox One. This wheel offers a 'no frills' feature set for a great price, competing with higher end models from the likes of Logitech and Thrustmaster.

Thanks, and feel free leave your feedback on my review with a reply below.

Flight1sim · July 15, 2016

I'd never buy that, no shifter or clutch pedal for that price and for a budget i'd rather get a used G27 personally.

byalexandr · July 15, 2016

1 hour ago, Flight1sim said:

I'd never buy that, no shifter or clutch pedal for that price and for a budget i'd rather get a used G27 personally.

The wheel itself beats the G27's hands down. And I'd rather have a super nice pedal and shifter set down the line than having a decent one that's been used by another person.

DJJHUGHES · October 3, 2016

I have this wheel and the t3pa pro pedals and shifter and it is a blast to have fun with btw game stop sells a pro unit of the tmx the comes with the t3pa non pro pedals for $249.99 USD