Driving games (and more specifically simulators) seek to bring the realistic experience of driving all kinds of vehicles into the living room. The option to play with a controller is very valid and obviously does not detract from the experience, but if we can opt for a steering wheel we will raise the experience to an infinitely higher level.
Personally, I’ve always enjoyed these games with a controller, but the times I was able to do it with a steering wheel, I felt that he was playing “something else”. This is why, when I had the opportunity to analyze this Thrustmaster T248, I did not think twice, and now that I have been with it for a few days, I can issue a good analysis of what is one of the best options for Xbox.
We already brought you a few weeks ago the analysis of another brand flyer, the Thrustmaster TX Leather Edition, and in this text you can read my impressions with the T248. What we’re going to find is a fairly compact-sized steering wheel with something obvious and standout: a small, configurable display. Also in the same package the T3PM crankset is included, which, as you can see a little further down, is the highlight of this steering wheel. Without further ado, let’s see how this Thrustmaster T248 is.
The Thrustmaster T248 has a very compact design
the packaging where the T248 comes from is the first statement of intent that the brand makes with this T248. Thrustmaster has designed a compact steering wheel which, although it is always advisable to place it in a cockpit or on a stand, can be perfectly used on any table (although with some small limitations, as we will see later). The box is a bit smaller than the typical ones these devices usually come in, and there are no frills inside: steering wheel, pedals, cables and instructions along with a few tools. Nothing more.
Starting with the steering wheel, the T248 features a black plastic designed rim and base. The rim has a practically round design and is made of a material that tries to imitate leather in order to better facilitate grip and long driving sessions, but perhaps this is at a slightly lower level than the rest of the product. It’s not that it’s a bad hoop, far from it, however, it’s a bit below other models of the same brand. Besides, this hoop is not interchangeableso this will be our hoop as long as we continue to use the shuttlecock.
In the rubbing part of the flywheel we find lots of buttons it won’t make us miss a traditional controller. In addition to the typical main buttons (A, X, B and Y), the cross and the Guide button, there are also a good number of buttons which count cams add up to nearly 20 pimples. To these we must add two configurable side buttons and which will allow us to program certain commands, something useful for games with more possibilities than we can find on PC, since it is also compatible.
Speaking of the cams, these are very solidly built. As the manufacturer explains, this is due to the HEART technology (a technology based on magnets), which makes their response time almost immediate. In practice the truth is that they work perfectly, being very pleasant to change gears, especially in games where they have a great impact like WRC 10 or DIRT Rally 2.0. The only “but” that I can put is that they are not suitable for playing “silent”, and they make a lot of noise, more than anything I’ve ever seen. If you look on the internet you will see that it is very simple to solve with a little paper, but it is a homemade solution and that perhaps it could have been provided at the factory.
A display that could give much more of itself
It is worth mentioning separately the display that we can see at the top. Most PC driving simulators allow you to connect external screens (such as the mobile screen for example) to be able to control times, revolutions or brake distribution with it. This possibility has always been limited to the platform, but the T248 screen offers us an approach to this experience. At any time, you can see elements of the steering wheel configuration such as the power of the force feedback or the position of the pedals (ground or support).
In addition, this screen is also able to offer us details such as engine revolutions, a useful bar that tells us when to change gears, the position we have in the race or even the lap times. The problem is that this information is not compatible with any game, which quite limits one of the best features of this Thrustmaster T248. The only game compatible with this screen that I have been able to test is Assetto Corsa Competizione, and it is absolutely amazing. Hopefully this screen will be compatible in the future with more games like the upcoming Forza Motorsport, because I assure you that is a differentiator.
The quality of its motor and its force feedback is spectacular
At this stage of the analysis, it is finished removing the "black spots" of the T248. Thrustmaster has continuously improved the quality of its flywheel motors model by model, and with this one in particular, it won't take long to realize the excellent job the brand has done with it. him. The engine of this T248 has gained 70% more power thanks to its Hybrid Drive system which, added to the good functioning of the force feedback, will make us feel practically any small bump in the road.
The force feedback also has 3 different configurations that we can easily select through the display with just a few clicks. The modes are as follows:
- FFB1: This is the default mode. It basically takes and gives us what the game offers, without any variation
- FFB2: The intermediate force feedback mode. It is especially useful to easily control games where the car tends to skid, like WRC 10. We will feel less "resistance" and we will suffer less with our arms.
- FFB3: Spectacular if what you are looking for is that the steering wheel projects the smallest detail of the road or the path on which we are driving. It works much better than you might think at first glance.
Choosing a perfect mode is very subjective, and probably even each player changes mode depending on the game. In my personal case, I have always used FFB 1 or FFB3, especially in Forza Motorsport 7, where it works in real class.
A T3PM crankset that borders on perfection
It's time to talk about its pedals, without a doubt the strong point of the Thrustmaster T248. The T3PM pedal board is a set of magnetic pedals that includes 4 different settings for the brake (we'll talk about that a bit later). These pedals also have the same HEART technology as the paddles on the steering wheel and they lack potentiometers, which will guarantee a very long life, which is always appreciated in a device of this type.
The construction of the crankset is made of very hard plastic, and in fact it has a fairly high weight that will allow us to use it on the ground without much problem. The pedals are made of metal, and their pulsation is really pleasant, having a level of resistance quite "grateful" for the feet. At the bottom we can see how it has a series of stops so that it does not slip on the ground, as well as a series of screws in case we want to fix it to some type of structure.
What I liked the most was the ability to adjust the brake hardness. To do this, we only have to compress the default spring and extract it, something that won't take us more than a minute. The 4 configurations I mentioned above are made from 2 springs and a white cap already fitted as standard. By default, we will find the second level of resistance, and it seems too hard to use the crankset on the floor. In my early stages with the steering wheel and with Forza Horizon 5, I was in a rush to be able to brake comfortably in-game, especially with big-bore cars. Removing the white cap and leaving the same spring (which is the softest level) completely changes the experience, and it's a delight to play like that.
conclusion
I was able to enjoy the Thrustmaster T248 for several days in quite long gaming sessions, and with games like WRC 10, F1 2021, Forza and Assetto Corsa. All this time served to confirm two things that I already knew: that playing with a midfielder is always better and that Thrustmaster is a major steering wheel manufacturer.
The T248 is a steering wheel to which very few faults can be attributed. It is true that the rim is not the best on the market, and that its cams can make more noise than necessary, but these are defects that once you play with them for two or three hours you will not notice. not even once. The user experience is just as good, No matter what game we choose to playpero en lo personal con lo que más he disfrutado con diferencia ha sido con WRC 10, Assetto Corsa y Forza Motorsport 7. Este último, pese a ya tener varios años, se behavior genial con é y sigue haciendo ver lo buen simulador de carreras Qu 'is it.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this text, the TX Leather Edition is a very good steering wheel, but personally I think that this T248 offers much better value for money. it does it in an excellent option both as a first steering wheel, as one for any player looking for a good midfielder without opting for the most expensive optionsso I can't do anything other than recommend your purchase 100%.
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