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Thrustmaster T128: One-minute review
The Thrustmaster T128 is a budget racing wheel designed for those after a beginner-friendly experience. Its looks are fairly underwhelming, with its outdated gamer stylings failing to make a great impression. The wheel itself is quite small and has a thin rim, which will suit some hands more than others.
In terms of premium design, the T128 falls short of what some rivals have to offer. While it’s certainly not flimsy, it’s hardly a premium feeling unit, with cost-saving materials employed all over.
It is at least quite light and small, which helps make installation and setup easier compared to some of the best racing wheels. I also found the clamping mechanism much better than those used on other Thrustmaster wheels I’ve tried.
However, installation is hampered somewhat by the awkward placement of the ports, which are inaccessible when the wheel base is clamped down. This means any time you want to remove or reconnect the various cables, you’ll have to uninstall the wheel altogether, which is inconvenient.
What’s more, the T128 won’t install on certain dedicated stands, such as the GT Omega Apex I have, since there are no screw holes for fixing the wheel base directly to it.
Once installed, though, the T128 is quick to get going. For Xbox users, it’s a simple case of plug-and-play, although firmware updates do require a PC tool. There’s also a tool for making force feedback and other tweaks, with a generous selection of parameters considering the budget nature of the T128.
The T128 is even better in action. I was pleasantly surprised by just how responsive and connected it feels, making it joy to race with. The force feedback settings, as with other Thrustmaster wheels I’ve tried, are too strong on their highest settings for my liking, although here it’s perhaps a little weaker than usual.
The T2PM pedals are nice and light, which makes them easy to use, although the brake pedal lacks resistance, which can make it difficult to gauge how hard you’re pressing it. It’s still usable enough, though, and I didn’t have an issue with the relatively cramped layout of the pedals either.
All things considered, the T128 offers plenty of fun for the money, undercutting many other wheels and even outperforming some of Thrustmaster’s more expensive offerings. It might not have a standout design, but there aren’t too many wheels at this price that offer such a good time.
Thrustmaster T128 review: Price and availability
- $199.99 / £149.99 (about AU$312)
- Available now
- Cheaper than many rivals
The T128 costs $199.99 / £149.99 (around AU$312) and is available now. A PlayStation compatible edition is also available. This makes the T128 one of the cheapest in Thrustmaster’s line-up, and one of the best Xbox racing wheels for those on a budget. I was more impressed with it than the T300RS, for instance, which is considerably more expensive yet underperforms by comparison, although its design is more premium.
If you’re looking for another great value racing wheel, the Logitech G920 is another very capable option. It’s still considerably more expensive than the T128, but the build quality is far superior, and the performance is excellent in all aspects.
Thrustmaster T128 review: Specs
|
Price |
$199.99 / £149.99 (about AU$312) |
|
Weight |
9lbs / 5kg |
|
Peak torque |
2Nm |
|
Features |
Handbrake buttons, 4 engine speed display RPM LEDs |
|
Connection type |
USB-A |
|
Compatibility |
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC |
|
Software |
Thrustmaster Control Panel |
Thrustmaster T128 review: Design and features
- Cheap but functional
- Light and easy to install
- Software tool more advanced than it looks
The T128 doesn’t make a great first impression. Its material feels cheap, and the styling is quite outdated, with a few touches that pander to the gaming crowd, harking back to a bygone era.
The wheel itself is small and the rim quite thin, which would make it ideal for younger players and those with smaller hands. As a whole, the unit is also very light, which makes it easy to install and move around, and yet it feels surprisingly sturdy at the same time.
It’s a similar story with the T2PM pedal set, which is also very light and small, meaning the layout might be a little too cramped for some. However, it managed to stay planted on the carpeted surface I used it on, and appears more durable than you might expect.
One gripe I have with the pedal set, though, is its length. It’s too short, which meant I couldn’t trail it behind my desk; instead, I had to let it dangle right beside me, which isn’t ideal.
Another drawback of the T128’s design is the poor port placement. When the wheel base is clamped to a desk, the ports are inaccessible, which means you have to attach the various cables prior to installation, making the process a little more awkward. It also means you have to unclamp the wheel any time you want to unplug or reconnect them.
Fortunately, the clamping system is easy to use, and much better than those of other Thrustmaster wheels I’ve tried. The screw has a plastic handle, which is easy to turn and lock into place, as well as being readily accessible.
There’s a pleasing selection of buttons on the T128 and they’re almost as tactile as what you’d find on the best Xbox controllers. You get a close to full Xbox layout with a few extra inputs thrown in, such as two handbrake buttons and an RSB and LSB buttons, which are compatible with certain games only.
The T128 also features paddle shifters, which are better than I was expecting. They curve slightly to help secure your fingers, and their positioning is ideal, if placed a little too far inwards, which can make them a stretch to reach at times.
Setting up the T128 is a simple process, especially for Xbox users, who only have to plug it into their console. However, as with other Thrustmaster wheels, be sure to keep well out of the way as soon as you power the T128 on, as it immediately fires up its self-calibration feature. Thankfully, this isn’t as violent as with other Thrustmaster wheels, but still worth noting all the same.
To update the firmware, you’ll need to download the PC tool for this purpose. There’s also a tweaking tool, known as the Thrustmaster Control Panel, which looks rather rudimentary and lacks refinement, but is deceptively capable.
It functions well and provides a pleasing amount of tweaks, including multiple parameters for the force feedback. Again, this is all very welcome on a budget racing wheel such as the T128.
Thrustmaster T128 review: Performance
- Fun and accurate steering
- Plenty of force feedback settings
- Brake pedal’s a little too light
The T128 acquits itself very well when racing. Steering is accurate and responsive, with plenty of feel and capable of offering smooth and rapid movements in equal measure.
As with other Thrustmaster wheels, the force feedback is very strong – too much so on its maximum setting, although perhaps still less than on other models. But once adjusted appropriately, the T128 provides surprisingly nuanced immersion, although there’s a buzzing sensation that’s a little overbearing at times.
The paddle shifters are solid and snappy, with just enough dampening to make them satisfying to flick. They also provide sufficient feedback, and I was surprised at just how capable they were on this budget wheel.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the T2PM pedal set. I found them quite fun and easy to use, owing to their light actuation. The cramped layout didn’t cause an issue for me either, despite having grievances with similarly tight designs on other pedal sets.
However, the brake pedal is lacking in feedback somewhat, which can make it hard to judge how much pressure to exert. But overall, both the throttle and the brake provide enough control for modulated inputs.
The T128 also features a gear change indicator in the form of multicolored LEDs, known as the 4 engine speed display RPM LEDs, although I found this quite imprecise in practice. For instance, when playing Forza Motorsport, their progress wasn’t all that smooth, and seemed to reach their peak before the in-game indicator did. Still, it’s a welcome feature to have for a basic visual cue, especially if you like to play with a camera angle that omits the steering wheel from view.
Should I buy the Thrustmaster T128?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Thrustmaster T128 review: also consider
If you’re on the hunt for other budget racing wheels, here are some alternatives to the Thrustmaster T128:
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Thrustmaster T128 |
Logitech G920 |
Thrustmaster T248 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Price |
$199.99 / £149.99 (around AU$312) |
$299.99 / £349.99 / AU$549.95 |
$399.99 / £299.99 / AU$599.99 |
|
Weight |
9lbs / 5kg |
12lbs / 5.4kg |
6lbs / 2.7kg |
|
Peak torque |
2Nm |
2.3Nm |
3.5Nm |
|
Features |
Handbrake buttons, 4 engine speed display RPM LEDs |
Stainless steel paddle shifters, three-pedal base |
Hybrid FF system, 2 dual-position encoders, three-pedal base |
|
Connection type |
USB-A |
USB-A |
USB-A |
|
Compatibility |
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC |
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC |
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC |
How I tested the Thrustmaster T128
- Tested for a day
- Played racing sims
- Experience reviewing racing wheels
I tested the T128 for a day, clamping it to a desk. Unfortunately, it isn’t compatible with certain racing stands, such as the GT Omega Apex that I have, as there’s no way to affix the wheel with screws or bolts.
It should also be noted that the wheel isn’t compatible with cloud gaming or other streamed games; it only works with games downloaded onto your console or drive.
I played Forza Motorsport on an Xbox Series S, which is a competent racing sim on the console that provides a sterling test for racing wheels. I set the in-game steering setting to simulation mode and turned all driving assists off.
I’ve been gaming for decades and racing sims are one of my favorite games to play. I have experienced a number of different racing wheels and reviewed various models as well, including others made by Thrustmaster.
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lewis.maddison@futurenet.com (Lewis Maddison)
