Thrustmaster TMX Ergonomic Racing Wheel Set
Welcome to my review of the Thrustmaster Ergonomic Racing Wheel Set. In the box there is:
- The Thrustmaster TMX Force Feedback Wheel.
- A basic set of racing pedals.
I have wanted a wheel for a long time, there are a lot of options and some of them are very expensive. The Thrustmaster felt like the right balance of value for my setup. What I really love is the ability to customize the setup to my liking. I love that you can:
- Add a shift stick.
- Add an e-brake.
- Upgrade the pedals.
- Being able to change the wheel.
A modular system that you can upgrade is a really useful if you are new to racing wheels and provides ultimate flexibility.
My plan is to build a cockpit with an e-brake, shifter and clutch.
Many other reviewers also reported that the force feedback is excellent and that was important to me.
Steering Wheel Setup
The wheel base unit contains all of the force feedback hardware. So it requires it’s own direct power supply. The USB interface is to connect to your Xbox and attach other peripherals. On the bottom of the unit there is a clamp mechanism which is used to clamp it to your desk. When the clamp is tightened the wheel feels really secure and solid.
Connecting the Pedals
The pedals are super easy to setup. They have a single cable with an RJ11 plug on the end which connects directly into the real of the steering wheel. Once your have the Wheel attached to your desk and the pedals connected to the wheel, you’re ready to connect it to your Xbox or PC!
Hooking up the pedals to the Xbox or PC
As soon as you connect the USB to your Xbox or PC the wheel comes to life and starts it’s self test and calibration procedure. The cable lengths are really generous so you can easily route the cables so that the space under the wheel can remain clear of cables and obstructions. The last thing you are going to want is cables wrapped around your legs while you are trying to concentrate on driving!
Testing Forza Horizon 4 on Xbox Series S
The first thing I noticed is how well the on screen wheel and hands mirror the real life position of the wheel. They stay perfectly in syncronisation! I did tweak the advanced settings in controller options a little bit, just to get the wheel to feel and react in exactly the way I wanted it. Here is how I configured it…
What I love about the wheel in this game is how the wheel fights against you when you are driving at speed trying to take corners or going over rough terrain. It really makes for a much more realistic driving experience. The feel you get from it is phenomenal!
I tried a few different driving perspectives but I liked the 1st person view best – it just feels so natural.
After a bit of getting used to the wheel I switched on manual transmission to make for an even more realistic experience. It does increase the difficultly, but it also feels much more realistic.
Overall opinion
I think the Thrustmaster TMX Wheel is a lot of fun and makes driving games much more immersive. It’s good value and the price point makes it a great balance between value and quality. I’m not super serious about driving games so didn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars or getting a wheel setup right away. But being able to begin with a quality base and add extra components as and when I feel like it, felt like the right way to go for me.
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