I’m always looking for a new excuse to glove up, grip some wheel, and get back into my favourite racing sims. The other week, the universe handed me two compelling reasons to do so. For starters, Thrustmaster asked if I wanted to put its T818 setup through its paces. For seconds and as if on cue, Sony also had the good sense to release an adapter to allow my PlayStation VR2 headset to
As we all should know by now, racing games + any VR helmet placed upon one’s petrolhead = a match made in heaven. With the phantom jolts of a recent Moza R12 Wheel experience still ringing faintly in my forearms, I cleared my test desk and set to building a whole new endorphin-delivering ecosystem.
The list of the specific components I cobbled together is laid out below. You can skip that eye-watering window shopping by clicking here to jump to my continued thoughts.
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T818 Direct Drive Wheel Base
Thrustmaster EVO Racing 32R Wheel
Thrustmaster T-LCM Pedals
Thrustmaster Desk Mounting Kit
- Thrustmaster Cockpit Mount – $89
Weight
11.02 lbs (4.99 kgs)
If you’re looking to up-shift into a wheel ecosystem that delivers a realistic driving experience and a wrist-taxing degree of force feedback, veer towards the T818, Thrustmaster’s current and highly impressive flagship wheel base. Though you can find slightly wilder Direct Drive motors out there that deliver 12nm (think: the Moza R12), the beefy 10nm offered here still provides smooth, angular acceleration and instantly communicated force effects.
If you’re a rookie coming to this class of steering wheels from the non-DD generation, the sensations awaiting you will feel mind-blowingly, price-justifyingly better. If you’re a DD veteran, like me, you’ll find the T818 is a competitively priced unit that capably qualifies for its place in the grid of premium peripherals.
Speaking of steep entry price, let’s not forget that this unit is just the foundation for a pick ‘n’ mix proposition of BYO pedals, wheels, shifters, etc. The brilliant news, then, is that Thrustmaster is uncommonly dedicated to ensuring a great many of same said components—past, present, and future—are compatible with the T818, thanks to the two “quick release” connectors included.
Aesthetics-wise, this base is definitely a bit more “Capital G Gamer” chic when compared to some of its closest price range competitors (like the Moza R line and the Logitech G Pro Wheel). That being said, the more overt facets of this design—like the coloured outer plates and the LED disco lighting around the wheel connection—can be either parted out (extra cost) to more gun metal plates or disengaged in the software, respectively.
Personally, I like the option to have a splash of colour and a bit of show ponying going on with my peripherals. I see those as total positives, unlike the slightly bulbous, 19.2 x 22.4 x 18 cm (WDH) appearance of this base (which could just be me being spoilt by the diminutive Moza…