Thrustmaster Releases New Budget T128 Racing Wheel

The brand new Thrustmaster T128 has burst onto the sim racing scene as one of the cheapest force feedback racing wheels you can buy in 2022.

It takes over from the older TMX and T150 racing wheels that have been around for many years. And it costs roughly half the price of the recent T248 wheel.

Does this make it one of the better sim racing purchases of 2022? And does it take over from the Logitech G923 as the king of the budget racing wheel?

What is the Thrustmaster T128?

The Thrustmaster T128 is a budget-friendly racing wheel which includes a two-pedal set. It includes everything you need to go racing and is compatible with Xbox, PlayStation and PC.

It’s based on the architecture of the more powerful T248 racing wheel and utilises Thrustmaster’s hybrid drive technology.

The wheel does away with the integrated screen that is found on the T248 but does include other features found on that racing wheel.

You’ll find a series of LED shift lights which tell you when the ideal time is to change gears. There is a range of push buttons which allow you to control your car while in the heat of a race.

You also get a set of magnetic paddle shifters on the rear of the steering wheel, and there is a two-pedal set included.

The wheel itself offers rotation up to 900° which will allow you to race almost any car without restriction. It can also go down to 270° for open-wheel cars such as Formula 1 cars and go-karts.

This wheel is ideal for those who are testing the waters of sim racing and potentially purchasing their first racing wheel.

Force Feedback

As mentioned, the force feedback technology is based heavily on the T248. It utilises a similar hybrid drive system consisting of both gears and belts.

This combination allows the force feedback to be relatively strong for its size, as well as removing some of the negatives that can be associated with these technologies when utilised individually.

When compared to the older TMX and T150 wheels that this wheel is designed to replace, it will offer up to 20% more power from its motor.

This will allow you to feel the forces in your car as you drive across the road and throw it into corners.

T2PM Pedals

The pedals that are included in this bundle allow you to go racing without any other peripherals which is nice. They are a small two-pedal set, giving you a brake and throttle pedal.

These use Thrustmaster’s patented H.E.A.R.T technology to transfer the input in-game. While this is a nice inclusion, you can’t unfortunately expand these to a three-pedal set. If you fancied having a clutch pedal, you’ll be required to upgrade to the T3PM pedals.

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How much does the Thrustmaster T128 cost?

The new Thrustmaster T128 is very competitively priced. It is designed to take over from the much older TMX and T150 racing wheels that have been around for a long time.

It also sits underneath the T248 racing wheel which was released a year ago. The Thrustmaster T128 costs around £200/$200, roughly half the price of the T248.

• Buy the Thrustmaster T128 (United States) – $199
• Buy the Thrustmaster T128 (United Kingdom) – £449

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Compatibility

The compatibility of this new racing wheel is impressive. There is both an Xbox and PlayStation 5 compatible version of the Thrustmaster T128.

You will have to choose which version you want to match your console, as the T128 comes in two formats. These are the Xbox and PlayStation versions, although both versions are compatible with PC.

This is due to the internal architecture of both Xbox and PlayStation consoles having different requirements for peripheral compatibility.

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Thrustmaster T128 Release Date

The good news is that the Thrustmaster T128 is available to buy immediately. It officially launched on the 17th October. There are a few markets such as Brazil, where the release date will be in November.

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