Thrustmaster Ferrari 488 GT3 Wheel Honest Review
This is the new Ferrari 488 GT3 replica wheel by Thrustmaster, a 1:1 reproduction of the real-world, massively popular, and incredibly successful 488 GT3. Retailing at $250 and swinging back to the competition, I managed to get my hands on one. In this review, I’ll be telling you all about the good, the bad, and whether this GT3 rim shows any signs of a comeback from Thrustmaster
Designed to perfectly mimic the real-world 488 GT3 rim, this product manages to do just that, but it does sacrifice a lot in terms of quality to maintain a relatively affordable price. This hit in quality was immediately visible upon unboxing the rim and feeling how light it was, even compared to similarly priced competitors. To give you an idea, this rim measures 310mm in diameter, nearly identical to all other GT3 rims, but it only weighs 2.5 pounds, or just a tad above 1kg. A lightweight design isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though, especially considering that a big market for Thrustmaster still uses belt and gear-driven wheelbases that aren’t as powerful and would struggle with heavier steering wheels.
As I’m sure many will point out, it’s definitely strange that Thrustmaster has released a 488 GT3 replica rim, seeing as this car was just recently replaced by the new 296 GT3, though I’m sure there are a bunch of licensing and legal reasons behind that.
The casing of the wheel is made from injection-molded plastic, and the faceplate is actually a thin brushed metal plate with carbon fiber cladding. This is different from the SF1000 rim by Thrustmaster, whose faceplate is an entirely carbon fiber sheet; although, at the end of the day, side by side, the faceplates of both look identical.
Though it doesn’t scream of luxury and doesn’t compete with high-end sim racing wheels made entirely from much more premium materials, the 488 GT3 rim still looks good for its price point, and most importantly, doesn’t flex or negatively impact in-game performance in any way. The rubber grips featured on the 488 GT3 rim are the same as those on the SF1000; they don’t provide the most grip and don’t feel the softest on the hand, but they’re not sticky and don’t hold on to dust or debris, keeping them looking like-new even after hours of use.
The thickness of them was just right, making them feel immersive and comfortable on track, and the paddle shifters were within close reach. Speaking of those, they’re metallic and magnetic, which feels good, are slightly adjustable for added customization, and work as intended every time. As for sound, they sit in a good middle ground, not being too quiet or loud; just take a listen for yourself.
Returning to the front of the rim, 11 action buttons, 1 D-pad, 2 rotary encoders, and 2 thumb encoders will ensure you have maximum control out on the track. I found the two thumb encoders at the top to be incredibly useful for things like traction control and ABS, with all the other buttons within close reach. The two rotary encoders at the bottom could have a bit more resistance, but they do the job as is. Pushing down on these buttons feels average; they have no special tactile feel or sound—they pretty much just do the job, and that’s that.
Of course, being a replica wheel, the faceplate comes with all the buttons pre-labeled to match the real-world counterpart, with a few tweaks to adapt it to the sim, of course. This is both a good and a bad thing: on one hand, it makes it identical to the real-world thing, but on the other, it doesn’t allow you to customize the wheel to your liking, unless you make your own small decals to cover up the existing ones. This is one area where I think Fanatec did a great job with their McLaren GT3 rim, as they do include stickers for you to customize.
It's, of course, worth mentioning the four small LEDs on the top of this rim, which are slightly customizable and give a cool look to the wheel. I didn’t find them to be particularly useful out on track, but at least they’re there.
A big improvement for Thrustmaster when it comes to this new product was their approach to the quick release. As many of you would know, they have a new, vastly improved quick release system compatible with their T818 direct-drive base. Unlike all other Thrustmaster rims, though, the 488 GT3 comes with both the new and the old QR systems, allowing customers to use it with whatever Thrustmaster wheelbase they’re using, assuming you can swap out the rims. This also means that you won’t need to use the annoying adapter if you have a T818, as the new QR hooks directly onto the rim.
Out on the track, this rim does an excellent job. Even with force feedback at high settings, the rim feels well put together, shows no signs of flex, and allows me to remain in control and immersed at all times. Without gloves, the rubber handles do lack grip, though, and with sweaty palms, they can get hard to hold on to. However, this wheel's ergonomic design makes it practical out on the track, with all buttons within close reach and exactly where you would expect them. So, overall, although I wish this rim felt a little higher-end in the quality department, it’s a functional piece of gear that does look quite nice.
The biggest complaint I’ve seen from the community regarding this wheel rim is its lack of quality and heavy use of plastics, which is definitely true. However, considering Thrustmaster doesn’t primarily target the high-end market like so many others do, I think this product is well-constructed and designed, looking at their customer base and primarily non-direct drive wheelbase lineup. Moreover, the presentation of this product, with the packaging it came in, as well as the, I'm sure, hefty Ferrari licensing fees, make this rim, at least in my opinion, well-priced, all things considered.
In conclusion, the Thrustmaster Ferrari 488 GT3 replica wheel strikes a commendable balance between affordability and performance. While it may not boast the premium feel of its high-end counterparts, it delivers where it counts—durability, functionality, and aesthetics. The thoughtful inclusion of both the new and old quick-release systems is a welcome surprise, and despite its reliance on plastic components and a less premium on-hand feel, this wheel rim stands out as a solid choice for sim racers within the Thrustmaster ecosystem who seek a realistic driving experience without breaking the bank.
