Customer Ratings & Reviews

Quality and price, the best entry level direct drive

Hard to set up force feedback. The feel is artificial, the steering wheel feels cheap and the buttons are bad. As equipment is a little better on GT7 then the TG-T I was using.

The wheel is barely 6 months old and is having connectivity issues over USB, tried a new cable same issues and its pretty obvious the USB port and the rest of the ports are loose and not snug feeling at all. When you wiggle the cables the unit drops out. Wait to buy until I update on the support query,

Wheels good when it’s working but buggy force feedback cuts out even though it’s brand new

Good for console gamers but overall quality is just meh.

Ive read everyone’s experience here on BB. So i tried them out. Let me tell you something. The steering wheel feels like cheap plastic, compared to its cheaper competitor, Logitech which had leather on them. The base is heavy and the mounting holes did not match my race simulator. Had tk drill holes into the mounting plate. And now for the kicker. Ive only had it for a month. Played Forza 4 and 5, iRacing, Assetto Corza, etc. This was kinda rocking it. 5.5 Nm is not too shabby. But then the disconnects atarted to happen. Reddit had whole discussions about it. It’s a thing. Got to the point it stayed connected long enough to play half a lap or best yet, almost making it to your destination in Forza. And this is jot cheap. $5 bills. Way too much. I got videos to show it. But i cant load vids here.

I have only had this wheel for a week and it started to make a loud popping noise only when turning to the right. The gas pedal has a spot where it started to stick. For the price, I don't feel like the quality is there.

Doesn't work,no installation instructions, website is a disaster, returning product.

At the $500 price point this combo seems like a good solution for an entry level direct drive racing sim. Its definitely a leap above the regular console wheel/pedal combos with basic force feedback, like the Thrustmaster T128 or T248 and other comparable units. The direct axial drive base provides steering feedback that is a little weak for my taste. I maxed out setting and I'd prefer a bit stronger push when hitting corners. I've got a PC only setup from a higher end manufacturer but that combo doesn't support consoles so if I want to run Grand Turismo 7 on my PS5 I needed a different solution. Button arrangement on the steering wheel was easy to adapt to however the four buttons on the drive motor seem out of place. Granted they are meant for setup and not racing so you shouldn't need to access them while racing. Not a big issue. The wheel mounted buttons are the typical console controller but with two on the left side and the other two on the right. The D pad on the lower left and a set of quick car setup adjustment buttons on the lower right. The other oddity of this wheel is the 4 red bands at 45, 135, 225 and 315 rather than a single at 0. This might be initially confusing for anyone using other sim wheels and relies on that band for quick top center placement. The wheel itself is two halves screwed together so it doesn't have that really smooth feel that a molded wheel would have. I could feel the seam slightly. The pedals are decent enough. I do like that they use Hall Effect sensors which help with throttle and brake positioning. With accelerator I find myself not feathering (rapid press and release) the pedal on corners as much. I also like that they have three positions that you can place the brake plunger which changes the amount of pressure needed to brake and they throw in an extra spring that provides two more tension levels. Nice add! I did try it on my PC and ran a few of my favorite racing sims, like Dirt, Assetto Corsa, F1 and Project Cars and it worked flawlessly after I tweaked the settings. I won't be using the T598 on my PC games but it's good to know I have an option if my other rig fails. There are a couple of optional add-ons available such as Evo Racing wheel, a Hypercar wheel and a quick release upgrade. Now for the few things I didn't care for: The motor base is a big ol' honker compared to other direct drive bases I've seen but it's smaller than the steering wheel provided so it's not really a big issue, it's just not what I'm used to with my other rig. The biggest issue I had was with the pedal base. While it did come with carpet pads (optional pad with teeth) I found that the back side (closest to the driver) would tilt forward causing issues with operating the pedals, especially the brake. I had to back off the spring tension so it would require less force. I'll probably invest in a folding wheel/pedal stand to eliminate this issue. To do firmware updates you need to connect to a PC which is a bit of a hassle if you only plan on using it on your PlayStation. I didn't want to load the software on my PC since I was only going to use it on my PlayStation.

It wont for your stand or rig, so after 2 trips to homedepot, hours and hours of work. You need a PC to upload the frimware, i dknt have a pc. After asking 2 neighbors and using 3 laptios non would connect with the thrusmast app(1.9 rated). So after about 15hrs of trouble, its getting packed back up to return. Thrustmaster customer service was nonexistent.

I've been using the "value" wheels, which by value I mean the $100-500 type wheels. I love my racing, and I've got a lot of racing games and several wheels, but I never have been able to justify spending $2,000 or such on a wheel (although I would if I could). With the Thrustmaster T598 now I don't have to! I live near Columbus, so we have a few different spots where we can try out the $1500 type wheels (Fanatec I believe I tried) and they are amazing. This wheel, the T598, is just like those wheels in how they feel. On this one you're not going to get a huge amount of extra buttons and a readout with a ton of statistics, which is what you get when you spend $1500 or so on a wheel. But the main reason people pay that large amount of money is because of the actual feel of the wheel, the strength of it, the feel of it in relation to a real car. My previous wheel, the Logitech G923, is an excellent wheel. Previous to trying the T598 it is the wheel that I recommended to everyone when they wanted to get into some racing but not spend a lot. Now I will wholeheartedly recommend the Thrustmaster T598 as it is really, without question, the best feeling wheel and blows the Logitech and other sub-$500 wheels away. Opening this up it's nice to see it's not a lot of parts. I hate putting these things together but this one was very easy, even for clumsy old me. Sure there's some wires and etc, which can be a bit of unsightly and clumsy, but wow is this refreshing in just how clear the instructions are and how few steps it was to get up and running. The clamp stayed put on my desk for hours and hours of play without any issue (unlike my Logitech G923 clamp which can come off on occasion). The base is fantastic. First of all the pedals are very, very heavy and have a lot of tension. There are 3 or 4 different tension stacks to set when you set up and I used the easiest (less tension) but there is still a lot. The base being heavy is fantastic for the entire thing not moving around. The carpet grabbers work fantastic. The entire wheelbase is great and does not move forward or around at all, during many days of play. However I did flip the base up a time or two by slamming my foot into the brake in a moment of desperation. I started putting my left foot on the pedestal base when driving and that eliminated that aspect. Of course this is all a moot point if you're attaching to a rack or stand. The game that I played extensively is the best racing game that you can play anywhere and that is Gran Turismo 7 on the Playstation 5. I hope this game eventually gets over to the PC but until then, it's the main reason to own a Playstation 5 if you're a big racing fan, as I am (it's the primary reason I play video games to be honest). Gran Turismo immediately recognized this wheel and it worked without me doing anything at all just fine. No sliding around on the track or feeling like you're on ice. No calibration at all, nothing nothing nothing and it just works! Now of course if you go into the GT7 menus you certainly can calibrate and set things up how you want but it's fantastic that this thing works just out of the box, without changing ANYTHING. So if you're a GT7 fan and thinking about this wheel, do it, buy it and you will not regret it. It takes racing to a whole other level you've never thought about and you'll want to play GT7 as the first game when you get this. The other game that played well, without any tweaks out of the box is Need for Speed Unbound. It's an amazingly fun game and can be had for pretty cheap now on both PC and PS5. All in all I am astounded by how they were able to fit direct drive technology into the Thrustmaster T598 abut I can tell you, this is without question, the wheel you want, if you cannot afford to, or don't want to, spend the $2000 on a Fanatec wheel setup. Thank you Thrustmaster and I can't wait to play again. If you're a Gran Turismo 7 fan, this game is a must purchase to really play the game at the highest level.

I was so excited to try this new Thrustmaster T598 and it was at the perfect price point for me. I was hoping that I would get a high quality racing wheel at a more affordable price than some that I've seen. The short, it really hits the mark. In the box pretty much everything you need, pedals, the wheel, the base to insert the wheel which wasn't as big as I expected looking at the picture, assorted cables, a clamp to hold down the base and some grips for the pedals if used on carpet. The wheel is a good size imo, some of the other wheels I've used is slightly smaller and for my comfort, the thrustmaster is perfect. All the buttons are in a natural position and easy to reach. They also have a nice tactile feel to them. The rubber grip makes gripping the wheel solid and comfortable. When the wheel is inserted in the base, there is a little play in it but I actually am ok with this. My son wished it was a little more solid but that to me, something so rigid can also break if played gets too aggressive. Just a thought. Pedals feel solid and has a few minor adjustments possible. You can adjust the tensions with some springs on the back and the distance between the pedals. I found adjustments that was comfortable for me but could see it might not work for everyone. Game play was outstanding. I found little to no noticeable latency in response with the wheel. The paddle shifter felt satisfying to use and the vibration feedback from shifting gave me a feeling of excitement. Feeling the wheel tighten up during sharp turns and all the feedback gave racing a whole different experience. All the settings for these features can be adjusted using the little lcd screen on the base which gives you more control of how you like to use your racing wheel. Even if you like light game racing, this wheel will bring the game to another level. It can be daunting to try to set up the unit for use but I promise you, it's worth it. Changes the whole game.

The wheel didn’t have as much force feedback as I wanted and wasn’t really compatible with most of the games that I played, so I returned it.

In the world of sim racing, knowing where to start with gear can be a bit overwhelming. Another step beyond that is finding something that will be compatible with all the platforms you may want to use it with. The T598 is a great entry-level direct drive setup that will work with both your PC for titles like iRacing and Assetto Corsa as well as with your PS5 when you want to hop in to the world of Gran Turismo. As far as quality goes, the T598 is built well where it needs to be and there are definitely some areas where they saved on the cost. The wheel itself is a bit plasticky but the paddles are excellent and the size is great for all types of driving. It also features the Thrustmaster quick release that is very solid and allows you to upgrade to different wheels in the future. The direct drive wheelbase is what makes this a lot better than other entry-level setups. Instead of using gears or belts to drive the force feedback, you have a new direct axial drive motor that allows for very responsive and realistic feedback that really levels up your experience. The motor is smooth and quiet which makes for a great driving experience and it won't annoy those around you. Only downside I really see is the shape of the base is a lot taller than other direct drive bases and depending on your setup, it could sit awkwardly in your line of sight. The pedals are decent and will have a load-cell upgrade coming out in the near future. Overall this is a great setup diving in to the world of sim racing. You will get the detailed and more realistic force feedback of a direct drive motor, while having the convenience of using it with your PC or PS5. If you're looking to put in some quality laps, this is a great way to start your racing career.

This item is not compatible with my racing simulator rig. Fanatec and Logitech both bolt right onto it. Not this Thrustmaster t598 and I am not weakening my rig by drilling more holes for this wheel. It’s going back

There has been a lot of hype around the new Thrustmaster T598 Direct Axial Drive Force Feedback Racing Wheel and Pedal Set. Therefore, I was very excited to get this bundle and see for myself how well it performs and if it lives up to the hype. Coming from a Thrustmaster T128 belt-driven unit, I couldn’t wait. Some have called the unit a game changing for sim racing, and I believe that is the case. First off, you must realize that this is in fact a gaming bundle. With the box set, you get a set of racing pedals, a racing wheel, and the direct drive unit. While the racing pedals and racing wheel are nice, the real champion of the set is the direct drive unit. Out of the box, you have all the pieces you need to get going. There is some minor assembly required. For example, there is some work to be done on the racing pedals and depending on how you use the direct drive unit, you may have to install the desktop mount. You can mount this on a racing stand, but there may be some compatibility issues with some stands. However, you should be able to make it work. A lot has been said and written about the direct drive unit, which more accurately stated is a direct axial drive unit. If you want a full explanation of this, Thrustmaster has a lot of papers available written on this. The main take away is that the magnets for the direct drive are oriented 90 degrees offset from other direct drive units. The disadvantage is that it makes the direct drive unit much taller than other units; however, the advantage is you eliminate cogging and get a much smoother feel as a result. The direct drive unit is designed to be used with all of the Thrustmaster hardware. This means you can use them with different racing pedals or quickly swap out racing wheels with another Thrustmaster compatible wheel. The quick release on the drive unit is a breeze to use. As for swapping hardware, there are ports on the backside of the unit for the pedals and even a stick shift, so it is ready to meet your needs. The direct drive unit as stated is rather tall. This may affect some users as it can get in the way of the screen. With a game like GT7 which has a lot of information at the bottom of the screen, this may not be liked by some users. You may not be able to see the race map or lose situational awareness of where other cars are on the track. Combined with a 12-inch racing wheel, there is a lot to potentially block the screen. As far as the pedals are concerned, they are a standard two-pedal layout. You do have the ability to change the positioning of these a bit to suit your needs. You can set them to require more or less force to fit your needs. Adjustment is easy and only takes a moment. There has been some things written that there may be future upgrades to include a third pedal, and there is room on the base plate for it, but that is for the future. The racing wheel that comes with the bundle is adequate. The feel of the wheel is nice. The buttons are usable but may not be in the easiest layout. I like the carbon fiber look on the front though. The paddle shifters are placed well and have a nice feel in use. My feeling was Thrustmaster put a minimalist wheel here that would allow someone to get to use the drive unit, but if you really want an amazing wheel, there are plenty to upgrade to. That is not to say though that I don’t enjoy it, because I do. Now I will get more into the performance of the direct axial drive unit. I use this wheel with GT7 on a PS5. The wheel is compatible with a PC and PS4 as well; however, I used this exclusively with the PS5. This wheel is not like other hardware either in the sense that it takes a bit more time to dial it in. If you just plug it up and try to go, it may not work. If it does work, you may not get the full effect of it. So, the first thing you need to do is make sure it is set to use with the proper setting (PS4, PS5, or PC). There are some different PS settings so it can even be game dependent on which is used. The direct axial drive unit has a clear readout screen at the top which is used to put in all the settings. You also must make sure you have the latest firmware installed. GT7 users must make sure this is done. Once this is in place, you need to go through each of the settings to get the precise feel you want. You can adjust force feedback, steering input, screen brightness, screen readout, as well as many other parameters. You really tailor this to your feel for the game. The direct axial drive unit provides 5 Nm of constant torque. This is perhaps smaller than some other units, but I still felt it gave a great feel for me. The no-cogging created by this technology could definitely be felt. The inputs were smooth, and I felt I had more control over the car. It felt more real. There is a capability to do a 100% overshoot of the torque. Basically, this means that you can get even greater impulses at times. This makes you feel rumble strips and curbs. As I said, it feels more realistic and gives you greater control of the car. The response is quick too. I was able to correct my mistakes faster than with the T128 or DualShock controller. This translated to faster times. I had more control and feel which also allowed me to navigate traffic better. I don’t know of another wheel in this price point that can compete with that. In the end, I love the T598 from Thrustmaster. It has changed my ability in GT7. My lap times have come down, and I feel in control pf the car. I have a feel for the car now that is true. I can overlook the size of the direct axial drive unit. The other features make me not care. I highly recommend the T598 Direct Axial Drive Racing Set for anyone in sim racing.

Unit will not power on after 6 months of use. Spend the extra money and get a better unit.

The value of the Thrustmaster T598 is unmatchable in the current market. If you are considering getting into this hobby of sim driving/racing I highly recommend you read into the current tech for these products. Right now, the cream of the crop is direct drive wheels. Direct drive wheels are usually very expensive. What you get in return is smooth turning, amazing road fell, no clunkiness, and customization. Those are also all characteristics of this wheel. Setup: Setup is the only weakness of this product in my opinion. Thrustmaster provided a single folded sheet of paper as the setup manual, and it provided very vague instruction. Several times I had to jump on Google/Reddit to find answers. For example, the screws that connects the wheel to the base where not easy to distinguish on the manual from another set of longer screws that were for something else. The springs for the pedal set were another head scratcher. There are three springs and only two pedals. What the other spring is for is up for debate. I THINK its if you want a firmer pedal feel, but maybe not. The pedals already have an adjustment feature for that. Its just sitting on my desk, and I do not know whether to toss it or throw it in a drawer. I work in product development so I can relate to the challenges of creating these instruction documents. Hopefully Thrustmaster throws a little more resources into this area, including a better understanding of the settings and what they do to make the driving experience feel different. I’d guess someone who already is in this hobby had no problems setting this up and messing with the adjustments, but for me, I was left to go down the Google rabbit hole which thankfully is usually very helpful. Ultimately, I was able to set it up and make adjustments. Use: The use of this wheel and pedal set is obviously where things shine very bright. A $500 direct drive wheel WITH a good pedal set a few years ago would have been impossible to imagine. The direct drive tech is incredible. I have used other brands that are non DD at friends’ houses, and honestly, its impossible to ever take those products seriously again. If your goal is realism, competition, room for growth with the product, then it’s become a no brainer, this set is the market standard entry level set now. Years ago, this would have easily been double the price. I really need to applaud Thrustmaster for doing this and resetting the low end market and bringing up the floor. The road feel is incredibly bright and communicates what the car is doing very well. The smoothness when turning the wheel makes you realize why DD wheels have been so expensive in the past, because they are way above what you get from the lower end techs. This set gives you everything you need to open the box and get driving. However, Thrustmaster has a strong ecosystem of products that give you room for growth in your sim journey. This is where the value explodes. You can buy this set, use it for some months to decide if sim driving is for you, then upgrade everything outside of the DD module. Get a bigger more realistic wheel. Stronger more accurate pedal sets. Everything is upgradable and Thrustmaster makes it easy to do. Want to add a shifter? No problem. Clutch? The included pedal has room to accommodate one. There’s just nothing in the current market to compete with this price point. Conclusion: Don’t even hesitate to buy this set if you are interested in sim racing. Thrustmaster really did something incredible at this price point. Just keep your phone nearby to Google some stuff about making setting adjustments, and then get ready to have a blast. You literally cannot go wrong with this set.

[PROS] Solid Construction: From the base and wheel to the pedals, everything feels great within reasonable expectations. There was a healthy balance of plastic and metal, but all components felt firm and sturdy. Simplistic Interface: The amount of buttons and placement of those buttons are important. As a driver, I find the wheel rim to not be overloaded yet the buttons are very accessible. Overall, it has a clean, pleasing look. Realistic Feedback: Corner turns, uneven terrain, and car wrecks (of course), are all distinctly felt when using the wheel. It was fun experience navigating the tracks in GT7 and Forze Motorsport as well as going off-road with titles like Dirt 5. Furthermore, steering and pedal response was smooth. With racing wheels in general, settings can be tweaked and tailored as desired obviously. However, it is a direct upgrade and improvement to the Thrustmaster T248 (Non DD). [CONS] Early Adoption Woes: Physically setting up the wheel was the easy part. Getting the firmware updated was a pain. Firstly, the directions in the main app are not intuitive as it lacks visual confirmation that the firmware update has initiated. I had to go to the direct support page and download the standalone updater. It eventually initialized the update process, but only after I stepped away from the computer after 5 minutes. [MIXED Bag] Unofficial Support: At the time of review, the Thrustmaster T598 wasn't officially supported by Gran Turismo 7. Although GT7 is playable with the wheel, the game recognizes it as the Thrustmaster T-GT. All other games played fine as well. [CONCLUSION] As an entry-level Direct Drive wheel, the T598 gets you comfortably in the door. It has many tradeoffs compared to other premium Direct Drive wheels, but it performs admirably well for the value its providing.

Having used a variety of belt driven racing wheels before in my life, the Thrustmaster T598 was my first direct drive simulation rig setup. I did not expect there to be as much of a difference between belt driven and direct drive, but I was surprised at how responsive and quiet this wheel was, and how customizable you can make your sim racing experiencewith the ThrustmasterT598. Out of the box there was a little bit of assembly required for the pedals. I like that I had the option between two different springs for the brake pedal, and both of the pedals have three different slots that you can set them into for how much resistance you want. Personally I prefer soft pedals for both. Which is a nice alternative to some previous wheels that I have used only having stiff brake pedals. But if that is what you want then you have the ability to do so, or anywhere in-between. I'm a huge fan of the two pedal setup too. They're nicely spaced apart. Sometimes with three pedals I feel too scrunched, but this was a nice experience. Setup was a breeze for both PC and Playstation, as it was basically plug and play out of the box. I did update the wheel's drivers on pc and that was a bit confusing to do. Probably my only gripe of the whole experience. The T598 is part of Thrustmaster's new quickchange ecosystem so you should be able to swap out wheels for say an open wheel racing wheel if you want to. I think that this is a great entry for direct drive wheels, and I will definitely recommend it to my friends.