Thrustmaster Reveals Aggressive Product Reveal Roadmap

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Thrustmaster Ferrari SF1000 Add-On Wheel.jpg
Sim hardware creator Thrustmaster has revealed an ambitious timeline for the unveiling of their upcoming products, including a new pedal set and direct drive wheelbase.

Thrustmaster revealed a long list of new products they intend to reveal before the end of this year. Among the new products are two new racing wheels, a new pedal set, flight sim yoke, flight sim joystick bundle, and a new ESWAP controller.

Thrustmaster New Products 2021 01.jpg

The product likely to catch the most attention in the sim racing world is the new direct drive racing wheelbase for PC. Some people in the sim racing community were disappointed in Thrustmaster’s reveal of the T-GT II wheelbase in June, as it seemed like an inadequate response to market competitor Fanatec’s CSL DD wheelbase. Whether Thrustmaster's DD wheelbase attempts to compete with the popular and budget-friendly CSL DD base or higher-end direct drive systems remains to be seen.

Two other key points for the sim racing community include the new pedal set for both PC and console users, plus a hybrid drive wheel bundle which is also designed for PC, Playstation and XBox. Nothing has been revealed about either product, but with mid-range pedals already on the market in the form of the T-LCM set, a higher-grade pedal set could be a good market position for Thrustmaster to enter.

For fans of flight simulators, you can expect a glimpse of Thrustmaster’s new joystick and yoke products before the end of 2021. This could prove to be another successful product for TM as the massively popular Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 continues to grow. This seems to be reflected in Thrustmaster's announcement that the joystick bundle will be available for PC only, and the yoke will be available for both the PC and XBox formats, which currently support FS2020.

Thrustmaster has also made mention of a new ESWAP controller and customization packs for both Xbox consoles and PC. These will carry on Thrustmaster’s customizable gamepad concept, allowing gamers to swap components of the controller to find their ideal ergonomics and style.

Thrustmaster closed the announcement tweet with a plea for patience and mentioned that they would answer questions about each product only after the respective reveal.

Let us know your thoughts on this extensive development roadmap for Thurstmaster. Are there products here that interest you?
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About author
Mike Smith
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

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Kyuubeey said:
There's definitely reactionary stick forces through modern aircraft; well, relatively modern. I don't know how the very latest stuff works, if they feedback anything. An F-16 or M-2000 FBW system is a bit different from an F-35's.
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I'm just wondering.. As a retired Air Force Mechanic of more than 20 years that's worked on the F16, F22 and F35, can you please explain to me how this supposed feedback system works? I'm just asking because I've never heard a pilot talk about a feedback system in any of these aircraft, and I've talked to hundreds of them over the years about all manner of things concerning their aircraft.
 
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D
Look people, forget this Chinese made garbage that's called Fanatec and Thrustmaster. If you live in America, there's really only 1 choice I can think of and that's the Accuforce V2. It's a hell of a wheel system for the price and comes with arguably the best software in the business. Hands down better than any garbage these other two companies produce (and I currently own a T300).
 
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Kyuubeey
Defender said:
I'm just wondering.. As a retired Air Force Mechanic of more than 20 years that's worked on the F16, F22 and F35, can you please explain to me how this supposed feedback system works? I'm just asking because I've never heard a pilot talk about a feedback system in any of these aircraft, and I've talked to hundreds of them over the years about all manner of things concerning their aircraft.
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I don't think any of the common 'modern' jet aircraft have a direct feedback system per-se where wing pressure affects stick resistance (Well, except maybe the MiG-29, but that's manual!) but the F-16 SSC and I'd imagine F-15, F-18 and the like have resistance to pilot input, mainly to prevent unwanted SSC input when the pilot is subjected to Gs.

I haven't ever flown any of those planes nor a professional sim so I don't really know if it's just a 'centering spring' effect or what, but I've been told it's not just a linear force so I'd assume it has at least something to do with the maps for the FBW. Apparently the F-16A was sensitive enough and without feedback that pilots would easily over-input and it contributed to the fairly high accident rate.

I'm pretty sure the F-16C Block-whateverislatestpublic manual has info on it, but I don't think I have it on-hand right now. Although I assume you've read that manual anyway.
 
T
Interestingly, I received an email from Honeycomb, they currently make both a yoke and throttle quadrant for the pc with rudder pedals In the works.
They have stated semi conductor shortage will continue into 2023 and have push the price of their existing hardware up.
I cannot see the roadmap release for the DD wheel being anything less than Fanatec in terms of cost.

I would love to be able to tell you that the end is near, but all reports point towards the end of 2022 or even early 2023 before the markets have stabilized again. It doesn’t just impact production, but also product cost and new product development
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WPxNJ
Defender said:
I'm just wondering.. As a retired Air Force Mechanic of more than 20 years that's worked on the F16, F22 and F35, can you please explain to me how this supposed feedback system works? I'm just asking because I've never heard a pilot talk about a feedback system in any of these aircraft, and I've talked to hundreds of them over the years about all manner of things concerning their aircraft.
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Feedback? Sorry, can't help recalling the details of this crash:

Four minutes later, the pilots made their biggest mistake — responding in the worst possible way to a warning that the plane was about to stall.

The automated “stick shaker” engaged, pushing the nose down so the plane could gain speed and keep flying.

The pilots overrode the system and pulled the nose up.

BLABBING THEIR WAY TO ICY DOOM

The two pilots flying a doomed Buffalo-bound commuter plane were so busy flirting and chatting about their lives, relationships and career goals that when ice built up on their wings and windshield…
nypost.com nypost.com
 
Kyuubeey
Later F-16's do have something similar to ^ (Auto-GCAS) although it's largely for pulling up, not down. :p

What I was talking about is more like stick force feedback mapping so that 1G always corresponds to 5lbs or whatever; although I doubt it's linear because the control surface maps sure don't seem to be if the manuals are concerned.

I guess subjectively it could feel like there is no feedback from the system, when in fact there is a constant check to provide an indication of flight performance via the haptics.

There is no direct feedback from the surfaces and the F-16 isn't even a hydromechanical system like the F-15, it's purely electronic (Mostly? There are some physical sensors to measure deflection to determine stick force IIRC), so to get any kind of resistance (Apart from the small mechanical resistance/friction/whatever near center) you'll need the system to provide a feedback to the electronics and push against the stick with something.

EDIT: Actually, that is dumb. It's a lot easier to just make the flight controls do something at say 5lbs; than to make 5lb correspond to what the flight controls are doing! I suppose it wouldn't be a feedback system in that regard per-se. I'm not sure how they do it in the F-16 to be honest; earlier FBW systems used pulleys and whatnot to provide different stick forces, but you don't *need* that in an electronic system.
 
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P
hooray would like to get a fanatec wheel but they don't even ship to Canada so very hard to get a fanatic wheel
 
G
Let's hope that TM makes their wheels of higher quality now.

I bought the ferrari wheel (exact model number I don't remember) which was around 700 euro... it was cracking so much when driving that I had to return it... it looked really nice but the quality was just unacceptable. Really terrible quality for such an high price. Even the Logitech G920 wheel felt better in terms of build quality.
 
R
Defender said:
Look people, forget this Chinese made garbage that's called Fanatec and Thrustmaster. If you live in America, there's really only 1 choice I can think of and that's the Accuforce V2. It's a hell of a wheel system for the price and comes with arguably the best software in the business. Hands down better than any garbage these other two companies produce (and I currently own a T300).
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”Made in America”. You mean that country where they also make those quality cars?
 
Kyuubeey
Rusty911 said:
”Made in America”. You mean that country where they also make those quality cars?
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You could have addressed his ridiculous notion of comparing a 300~USD wheel to a 1100~USD wheel, but that's what you decide to post?
 
Badwheels
Although I am vested in the Fanatec hardware, I really hope they can put enough product out for the people who want to buy. I have almost no faith in any company to deliver new products in the next 8 months. We can't even get old products (yes Microsoft, NVidia and AMD I am looking at you). :mad:
 
moody1500
Defender said:
Look people, forget this Chinese made garbage that's called Fanatec and Thrustmaster. If you live in America, there's really only 1 choice I can think of and that's the Accuforce V2. It's a hell of a wheel system for the price and comes with arguably the best software in the business. Hands down better than any garbage these other two companies produce (and I currently own a T300).
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1050 USD for a 13nm wheel? Nah thanks ill pass. Also "chinese made garbage" and fanatec dont go together, everything from fanatec ive owned is of really good quality and apart from the DD1 ive never heard anything bad about fanatec quality. Cant speak for TM tho
 
BCJM76
pangit said:
hooray would like to get a fanatec wheel but they don't even ship to Canada so very hard to get a fanatic wheel
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Yes they do. I bought a set of V3 pedals, just last year and they shipped to my door.
 
R
Kyuubeey said:
You could have addressed his ridiculous notion of comparing a 300~USD wheel to a 1100~USD wheel, but that's what you decide to post?
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Where did he compare a 300 usd wheel? Thrustmaster makes 750 usd wheels and Fanatec >2000 usd wheels (base and steering wheel). I was referring to his quality statement. Since when is America known for its quality products?
 
Peter Kerényi
I just really hope there will be a product in the 200-400€ range that improves on the T300. It is one thing that better and better hardware is being released (let it be steering wheels, PC components, etc.), but they are for much higher prices usually. Improvement of products should be like the same amount of money gets you better equipment as time goes on. Nowadays I couldn't buy a T300 for the same price I did 6 years ago!
 
C
Rusty911 said:
Where did he compare a 300 usd wheel? Thrustmaster makes 750 usd wheels and Fanatec >2000 usd wheels (base and steering wheel). I was referring to his quality statement. Since when is America known for its quality products?
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More like put together in America I bet 90%+ of all the components inside are all Chinese
 
D
Im not an economist expert but if we are looking into cheap DD wheels, the thing i've noticed the most is that, even if you buy used, what affects pricing the most isn't the quality of the device itself but rather manufacturing prices and making a lot of it to reduce individual costs. Whoever company decides to make a LOOOOOOOOT of OK-ish cheap DD wheels will find themselves able to go for very low prices, and since used devices will never sell for higher than brand new costs, this would benefit almost everyone entering the sim gaming market.
 
Dzul
Premium
Agreeing with some of the previosly posted comments, I also thought Thrustmaster was just reacting to Fanatec's summer bomb with this announcement, to keep some of us from jumping ship... but then I remembered reading an article, some years ago, claiming they were working on a DD wheel. Well, I found the article... does the wheel look familiar to you? ;)

https://www.gtplanet.net/thrustmasters-new-gt-sport-wheel-to-include-direct-drive-motor/

So, it may be the case that TM has already developed the technology but simply never bothered putting it out there because they saw no mass-market for it . . . until now. Regardless of that, they can't afford to screw this up because they will only get one shot at setting foot on the DD segment. They know it has to be in par with Fanatec's wheels, both the engineering and pricing, if they want to consolidate their brand in this tier. And unless they aim to establish themselves as a niche-market, specializing in the starters-segment, Logitech has to announce something similar before the end of the year.
 
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