I drove 1,000 miles with the Thrustmaster T598 — here’s why it’s the best sim racing setup you can buy for under $500

I’ve tried plenty of mid-range direct drive wheels — built to make the lofty heights of the premium sim racing experiences you see the likes of Jimmy Broadbent and SuperGT use all the more accessible. And all in all, they’re great, but just fall slightly short of really giving you that same level of immersion that a $1,000+ rig can give you.

But then, I tried the Thrustmaster T598, and I must admit this is the new budget king for PlayStation and PC racers alike. The secret sauce comes with Direct Axial Drive. This isn’t your standard DD — rather a new kind of flux motor that alters how that magnetic field works to deliver smooth force feedback (I’ll get more scientific about it in the review).

What you should know about it from the get go is that it delivers an immense driving experience with really precise detail and a whole lot of intensity that can far exceed that 5nm number. Just like with vastly more expensive wheels, I found myself immediately in tune with any car I was driving — noticing small hints of oversteer to prevent and those tiny sensations that help indicate the right moments to trailbrake and apply the throttle.

Speaking of, the pedals also feel great too, with a metal construction to withstand years of attack, along with plenty of customizability, and a load cell brake pedal for smooth inputs.

Are there compromises? Of course, it’s a $500 wheel after all. The chief one being that the wheel that you get is rather plastic fantastic. This is a modular setup, so you can upgrade that (and I did try the hypercar wheel that I’ll talk about a little later on). But all of this is overruled by the simple fact I’m feeling a premium sim racing experience on a wheel that’s a fraction of the price of it.

If you are looking to elevate your driving on a budget (especially given the price of direct drive PlayStation wheels), this is the one to buy. Let me get into why.

Thrustmaster T598: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? This is a low-cost direct drive sim racing wheel and pedal set.
• Who is it for? This is for sim racers who are looking for a more advanced setup without breaking the bank.
• What does it cost? You can pick one up for $499/£449.
• What do we like? With incredibly strong and detailed force feedback that challenges the more expensive options out there in immersion, the T598 punches well above its weight. On top of that, the metal construction of the pedals inspires long-term confidence.
• What don’t we like? The included wheel is a bit basic and very plasticky, alongside the display being tiny, and even though I’m a fan of a smaller wheel base, the slimline construction is awkward to fit onto a rig.

Thrustmaster T598: Specs

Thrustmaster T598: The ups

So here we are — all set up and ready to race. So I popped in Gran Turismo 7, hopped in the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 from 2013 and burned a couple laps around the Nürburgring to get used to the T598.

Unmatched driving feel at this price

Getting to the point, this wheel feels phenomenal — gorgeously smooth with plenty of force resistance that feels true-to-life. But to give you the full context of the magic here, I have to get a bit geeky.

Science lesson: radial flux vs axial flux

The end result is an incredible driving sensation. All the same granular level of detail you’d expect from more expensive wheels in something basically half-the-price.

The concrete texture change when entering the Nürburgring’s world-famous carousel is immediate with zero latency, which gives you confidence in understanding the speed, the turning angle and when to apply the throttle heading back out.

Whether it was paying attention to the tiniest details in time trials to extract as much out of the car as possible, or getting tactical with a good old switcheroo in a race, nothing ever felt artificial — everything felt purer, smoother and less like a fight against magnets.

Just make sure you set it up to make the most of that Overshoot, but more on that later.

Basic, but premium pedals

With a sturdy metal construction and with plenty of customizability built-in, the pedals were a pleasant surprise. I’ve tried wheels that compromise a little too hard with plastic here that makes you a little nervous of breaking them.

Without needing a whole lot of time to build them, you’re off to the races with a smooth accelerator and a load-cell brake system with various foam options to give you the stiffness you need. Travel can be altered too by moving the bottom of the pedal springs along the ridges.

In use, when hurtling down to tight corners, I never felt betrayed by any bad inputs, and the control over trailbraking felt succinct. Not much more you could ask from a set of pedals! Although given the width, I’m a little nervous about how cluttered it may feel with an additional clutch here.

Upgradeability built-in

Speaking of the clutch pedal accessory, the T598 fits into Thrustmaster’s lineup with the modularity to boot and support for a lot of the company’s lineup of racing wheels.

The one you get in the box is a little cheap and flexes quite a bit under use (more on that later), but alternatively, the Evo Racing 32R leather wheel is fully supported for that more premium round rim experience. If you don’t want to rely on the clamp-release of switching wheels, the quick-release upgrade SF1000 can be used too.

But the add-on I’ve been testing is the new Hypercar wheel add-on. And I’ve got to tell you, firing up a Lamborghini with this wheel just feels elegant.

Consider this a mini review — the flatter structure of the wheel, the well-placed buttons and the jog-wheel controls make this ideal for F1 track racing alongside having the luxury build quality to give you supercar vibes. The price may be a little steep, but it’s a worthy upgrade with tactility right at its core.

With the depth of Thrustmaster’s ecosystem, from the hypercar wheel experience and formula wheels, to handbrakes and shifters for rally and more traditional touring car racing, you can tailor this to your racing needs as you go on.

Thrustmaster T598: The downs

Speeding down the Döttinger straight at Nürburgring is a thrilling-yet-terrifying prospect — terrifying because how panicked I get about braking into the tight chicane at the end of it. And in this intense moment of frantic steering for car control, I noticed two key things.

You’re gonna need to upgrade that wheel fast

The included wheel with the T598 is a bit basic, and its plasticky build does mean it can flex a bit when you’re steering hard — making me slightly nervous in the heat of competition.

Buttons are placed OK-ish, but outside of the shoulder and face buttons across the top of the central rim, the directional buttons are a little mushy and a bit too close to each other for me to be able to hit the right one from memory wearing gloves. And the lack of any rotating dials makes changing the brake balance or fuel mapping a bit laborious.

For a first wheel out of the box, it’s fine. But you’ll find yourself butting heads with it on some occasions.

Needs a little tweaking out the box

I’ll be honest — this review was set to go south when I first drove. Remember when I said “provided you tweak the settings?” This is mandatory, otherwise the T598 just feels weird. The settings are easy to change with the buttons on the wheel and the base, but to say you’re not getting the best out of the box is a bit strange.

Word to the wise, use these wheel settings:

• Set FFB to 3
• Master Gain to 100%
• Mode to Extreme
• Dampers to 0%

Sort these, and you’ll get the best possible driving experience.

Thrustmaster T598: Verdict

My small gripes about the wheel and settings aside, this is a breakthrough for premium sim racing on a budget — force and detail you’d expect in much more expensive wheels for less than $500.

And the other bit I almost forgot to really give props too… This is a PlayStation wheel too. Given the licensing and unique connectivity requirements for Sony’s console, direct drive wheels that support PS5 usually come with a huge price tag. Thrustmaster just blew that expectation out the water with the T598.

If you are in the market for a new wheel to elevate your experience, but feeling the hurt of the pricing, this is the one to buy!

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