Thrustmaster T818 upgrade from TS-PC Racer - Was it worth it?

[@realtrisk]

I'm really, really glad to hear you say this. I was worried when I heard TM and Logi were doing DD wheels, that they would 'skimp' on them and lower the quality, making people disappointed with direct drive and not understand why it is great. Hearing you talk about the fine details coming out of the wheel means they did this baby up right, and I couldn't be happier.

[@lapsedtime]

While I don't have other DD bases to compare it to, I do not feel they skimped on the build quality and it is definitely an upgrade from belt drive.

[@deantubeful]

Whilst I also am glad you told me this because I now feel I know where I want to go with developing my rig it also means I have to buy an upgrade from my TS XW which I also have loved. I'm hoping for that new "Asetek Invicta" when I do. Many Thanks. @@lapsedtime

[@FRFM00]

Leave it to a OG to give the honest real thoughts. I got into sim racing 1 1/2 yr ago, started w TS PC, I am very good and race at a high level and have fun in leagues for ACC, I did do iRacing for a bit. anyway, ts pc is great and im rready for DD, but I haven't heard a review that satisfied me, and this is great comparison. when you related the throttle w the steering feel, that sold me. i was thinking more about just the steering, but how you said you can exit faster because youve caught the slippage earlier is awesome

[@lapsedtime]

I really appreciate the feedback and hope you have a similar experience. Us OG's need all the help we can get!!

[@CKracer86]

Hi! Do you think is worth it to upgrade from a T300 to a TGT II ( basically same motor as the TS-WX) Thank you

[@kenbarthSimAV8tor]

When my 2 T300 bases quit/break I'll get the T818 then eh!

[@akozlowski1990]

Great rewiev;) Actually it's the last one I've watched, that convinced me to buy T818. And stepping up from TS-PC to T818, felt exactly as you described i was really happy with it, very smooth and really strong, but... My unit after a month of use start to have micro slack in connection between QR and motor shaft, when I was looking for solution before RMA I was amazed how much plastic they used. For my sense too much plastic for such strong 10Nm base, and i don't see it will last more than couple of years used to full potential. Luckily my reseller gave me refund, and I go with new Simagic Alpha base with used Simagic GT4 wheel. This is real DD, materials used are all either metal, aluminium or carbon fibre, only plastic parts in whole bundle are buttons on the wheel. FFB is even more detailed, wheel is faster, and I get rid of crazy oscilations which I had on T818 with same settings due to low slew rate of T818. If i would buy cheaper Aplha Mini after selling my three TM wheels i would be basically at the same cost as upgrade T818. I go with Alpha just to have little bit more headroom. TL DR: Anybody who wonder if buying T818 is worth, in my opinion it's not, and even people who are heavy invested in TM ecosystem should consider sell all and go with other DD option(Simagic, Asetek), as T818 has too much plastic for it's power. Also hope you enjoy flawlessly you unit, all best!

[@lapsedtime]

Appreciate your perspective and feedback. The nice thing at the moment is all the options that are available for various budgets and use cases.

[@derodge]

Thanks for your review.!! You helped me make the decision to go ahead and upgrade from the TS PC-Racer. I love people who do reviews and spent their own money. You get true unbias opinoins .

[@lapsedtime]

I appreciate the feedback and hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

[@BadWallaby]

Awesome to hear how Direct Drive has changed your experience! Great video!

[@ienabellamy]

All those money for all those 'cracks' on background ? what's the cause of this cracking noise ? the rim wheel ? i had almost all thrumaster products and honestly i think they are almost toys compared nowadays to moza and fanatec.

[@nossy232323]

Good to hear you like it. I'm going to upgrade too from a T300rs. But I am waiting for the T818 Ferrari SF1000 Simulator bundle since I think it looks so good! Already got the T-LCM Pedals.

[@lapsedtime]

Yeah, the Ferrari setup looks really cool.

[@KevinFeeney37]

Hey, I have the same set up as you had. Did you go with the DD?, worth it?

[@nossy232323]

@@KevinFeeney37 It's good, but if I had to decide now, I would go with a Simagic setup. Thrustmaster is still too much plastic for my liking.

[@KevinFeeney37]

@@nossy232323 I have a few rims already so don’t have the budget for a whole new setup. I love the SF1000 to be fair. Thanks for the feedback

[@MrEDET]

Nice video, we had the same experience.. I upgraded from the TS-PC to the T818 and my first impression was a bit underwhelming too. After reading so much positive things about DD in general i just kind of expected more. When I upgraded from a G29 to the TS-PC I was immediately absolutely blown away, didn't really have that when I first tried the T818. Until I dialed it in correctly (and yes, irFFB makes the ffb so much better for Iracing). I lost the rear of my car and even without thinking I caught it again - that was the moment I realized how much better the ffb was. I had some back luck with my T818, it broke down after some months, apparently a fault with a small batch of units. I had to use my TS-PC again and THEN I really realized how much I missed all the subtle ffb details and the stronger ffb.Thankfully my T818 was repaired quickly and will arrive within a couple of hours :)

[@lapsedtime]

I really appreciate the comment. I thought about going back to my TS-PC but would have been too much work to swap back and forth so I sold it :)

[@MrEDET]

@@lapsedtime Hehe yes for me swapping the wheels is inconvenient too but I was glad I still had my TS-PC when I had to RMA my T818. Just received the T818 so going to swap them again now :) BTW You use quite different irFFB settings than I do. Will test yours and if I think my settings work better I'll give you mine so you can test those out too if you like.

[@jorn-jorenjorenson5028]

Great video! I have upgraded from T300 to T818 about 4 months ago. I immediately liked the way smoother feeling and the absolute silence. I definitely catch the cars way more often than before, when the rear steps out. That surely is a result of the more precise, faster and stronger reaction of the wheel to the sliding. I can also confirm, that my throttle control feels a lot better now than some time ago. I hadn't connected this to the new wheel so far, but after hearing your thoughts about that, it sounds very plausible to me. So, I totally agree with you, it was worth it. Btw, I really love the TM open wheel rim for it's clean and simple design and look without any unnecessary features. I am really happy I can still use it with the T818.

[@lapsedtime]

Appreciate the feedback and glad to hear it has improved your driving and experience. I also like the open wheel rim and glad the wheels are compatible.

[@billynolanjr2266]

I just upgraded to the T818 also from the TS -XW....The difference is quite amazing, once I dialed in the T818 I was blown away , its a fantastic base !

[@lapsedtime]

Good to hear you had a similar experience. Taking the time to dial it in is critical.

[@mlachance001]

Just ordered the Ferrari Package with the T818 & TLCM Pedals cant wait to try it going from a T300RS GT

[@lapsedtime]

Very nice - have fun on the track!!

[@fredkapp498]

Steve very cool set up like that aluminum stand. What did you think about extreme wobble wheel flex. I'm 69 yo How do your arms not get tired it looks like wheel is above your head maybe camera angle

[@lapsedtime]

The aluminum rig is very stable so no issues with wobble. The wheel base is about chest height when I am sitting in the rig so must be the camera angle.

[@cool4real82]

I upgraded from a TS-PC also, and I feel the same way. My lap times improved, and I feel more connected to the car. Great video explanation!

[@lapsedtime]

Good to hear it helped you improve lap times.

[@lesyoung7644]

thanks for this, I'll do dd when my TGT blows up

[@jugnot236]

Finally !! Thank you for this video. Very usefull.

[@daifuco]

Your impressions are so much more welcome that those "professional reviews" that are on KZbin. I will definitely be upgrading my TX(T300) when I can afford it.

[@lapsedtime]

I appreciate the comment @daifuco. I do my best to "keep it real"

[@robwilleford3737]

great vid, thanks! I am saving at this moment to purchase the T818 I also have a few TM rims... Oh have a T300 right now.

[@lapsedtime]

Already having a few TM rims is a big reason I went with the T818. Helps cut down on the overall cost. Keep tucking some money away to save up.

[@stickybuds05]

Very nice breakdown, to see your dialing-in process, something to try myself (though I mostly play ACC/AC/dirt rally). Coming from a TX/T300, I had an opposite reaction, found it OVERwhelming with all the info coming in and how dynamic the wheel was, from very subtle, almost non-existent FFB to nearly tearing my fingers off from little nudges or slides. So yea, setting it up according to realism and desired feedback is certainly more important with DD than anything belt/gear driven, would give the same advice to anyone else making the jump. Found I actually use very little in game gain with the TM software maxed out and on Performance mode

[@lapsedtime]

There is certainly more to dialing it in compared to belt drive wheel bases.

[@kmw6845]

1 year on, are you still happy with the T818 ? Thanks

[@lapsedtime]

Good question: I will caveat my answer with the fact that I am not doing as much sim racing as I was a year ago. Overall, I am still happy with the T818 and my purchase decision. For anyone already invested in Thrustmaster wheels, etc., it is a good deal IMO and a worthy upgrade from belt drive. There are a couple of items worth noting: 1. With the adapter for older rims, I do occasionally hear some creaking noises and not sure if that would affect the longevity of the adapter with heavier usage. 2. I was hoping TM would add more user controls to their software but at this time, it is still very basic. So if you like to dial in all the settings, you need other tools to do that. 3. A year later there is a lot of competitors in the DD market and I would suggest doing some research. If I wasn't invested in TM already, I might go a different route.

[@kondor99999]

I have a TSXW and a CSL-DD. To be honest, I sort of prefer the TSXW in a lot of sims. I actually have to add in quite a bit of dampening to get the DD to feel more like what a real car feels like. By the time I’m done, it’s like a TSXW with an extra 3nm of torque. The only thing where DD is vastly better is drifting. But even there the speed of the DD is actually unrealistic and gives you bad habits if you carry those over to IRL (IRL the steering wheel doesn’t spin like a greased roulette wheel when you counter-steer).

[@lapsedtime]

I can see it being a subjective thing and I do utilize irffb as a 3rd party tool for iracing to improve the DD feel. Have not used CSL_DD so not sure what options there are to tweak the settings. For me, it was the feel of the wheels in the corners vs the weight down the straights. Appreciate the comments and perspective.

[@SIMRIG412]

You have no clue what you’re talking about 😂 dd wins in every way for any sim game

[@shul5684]

I went from a tmx to the ts PC racer.. and I WAS NOT IMPRESSED. at this point I think I would want something like 15nm of torque to actually enjoy the force feedback. Don't get me wrong.. it was a good improvement.. just not "night and day" like some people claimed. The only reason I would get this new direct drive is to get rid of that loud fan the PC racer has. Never thought it would be so loud. Can't race without headphones on.

[@lapsedtime]

Been a while since I had my PC-Racer but don't recall the fan being overly loud. Wonder if you got one with a bad fan in it.

[@shul5684]

@@lapsedtime well I check a few videos because I bought my unit used.. it really looks like that's just how loud they get... I'm only saying loud because it does not compare to the quietness of the tmx, but then I can see why the tmx would have quieter fans as it's not doing too much work. Either way the FFB is very enjoyable in the PC racer.. but DEFINITELY not as much as I was expecting and it's supposed to be double the force of the tmx.

[@billynolanjr2266]

I want to add that with the T818, o found every track and car jas to be set different ? So ne aware of that , i just use custom settings for each car and save that ! Still a great base !

[@jamiepoulton5584]

Hopefully they won't be too long releasing something for console

[@GregoryShtevensh]

Awesome video! Thanks for your time, money and effort mate

[@kenbarthSimAV8tor]

Not yet available in Canada eh! Oh and I will also wait for sale price in anada too

[@tanguy_endenmann]

Thank you for your video and your help. I'm about to buy an other steering wheel because I lack information on cornering grip to be fast, with my current equipment. Your observation about the possibility of improving acceleration thanks to direct drive helps me a lot. THANKS !

[@lapsedtime]

@lokanratum I appreciate the feedback and hope you have the same experience I did. Good luck out on track.

[@brianstoneley227]

I upgraded from a g920 to Thrustmaster wheel base and pedals , belt drive. It is far better than the g920 . I would love to get the direct drive wheel base that you have in this video but will have to wait until prices drop or a used one comes available in the future. Thanks for the informative video. Best wishes Brian.

[@lapsedtime]

The Thrustmaster belt drive wheels are still really good so nothing wrong with that approach. Took me a long time to pull the trigger on a DD wheel.

[@MrEDET]

Just a quick question - You use the irFFB 2022 version you say, but the latest release in your link is from 2018? I use the Fuzzwah version, seems they have some different options. Will test yours too to compare, interesting. - edit: maybe you linked the wrong version? I now see there is also one from thogue95 which is called irFFB2022. Confusing, all these versions :)

[@lapsedtime]

I appreciate you pointing out the incorrect link - here is the correct link to the version I am using: github.com/thogue95/irFFB/releases/tag/irFFB2022

[@pietmanmauer945]

Thanks for the Video. I have the TS-PC and love the wheel base. I am not anywhere close to my limit but will rather get better pedals something with a load cell break before upgrading the wheel with your advice at 12:33 to 13:02.

[@lapsedtime]

From your description, I think new pedals is a logical next upgrade. You gain a lot of lap time with consistent braking and the TS-PC is still a good wheel, I used mine for several years.

[@henzim76]

Hi. Good information, thanks. I recently got mine and I am not sure if the oscillation on straight when getting hands off is normal for direct drives or not. Its no big thing, i just have to hold the wheel at least with one hand. However its kind of stange coming from t300, where little dampening helped. Ah forget to say, playing acc, not iracing.

[@lapsedtime]

I am not sure if it is consistent across all DD wheels or not but seems to be. I think this might be an area that TM may need to provide more settings in the software to dial it down. I agree that it has not bothered me but I can see where it is a challenge at times to keep control of the wheel.

[@luizschirmer16]

awesome video my friend! Sure your feedback convinced me to buy this DD :)

[@lapsedtime]

I am still happy with my purchase and don't regret it. Enjoy!!

[@mintcocobrown]

Great video! I upgraded from tspc to the T818. 😊

[@lapsedtime]

Glad you liked it and appreciate the feedback.

[@A-man-yf6pr]

Hey there. So I just watched your 6 month old video on going from belt to direct drive. I notice in this vid that you are on a vr headset. I have a ps5 with a g29 wheel and the g pro pedals hooked up to a 43” oled c2 lg tv screen. All of this I love. I’ve been considering buying a fanatec dd pro bundle but am now considering buying the psvr2 headset as well. I can only buy one at this time and the other in 6 months or so. In your opinion what gives you the most immersive effect when racing the car is it the headset or the dd wheel? I realize this is only your opinion but am looking for just that. Thank you

[@lapsedtime]

Ever since I purchased the Oculus DK1 VR headset years ago, I was hooked. I have upgraded to several different VR headsets and for me, this was always the best immersion. DD is nice, but if I had to make a choice, VR would be it.

[@A-man-yf6pr]

@@lapsedtime Thank you so much.

[@SSRacer_UK]

Currently using a T300RS and looking at the 818 as my next upgrade. Good informative video the only other thing I would like to have seen is your lap times with old wheel compared to the new one to give an idea of the gains. But you really explain thing well 👍

[@lapsedtime]

I have been sim racing for a long time so I did not have a significant improvement in my lap times but felt I was able to be more consistent over the coarse of a race. Did improve slightly but not as much as it did when I first upgraded to decent pedals. It is the little things that just add up to give you more control and feel of the car.

[@SSRacer_UK]

Thank you for the reply I appreciate it. Yes a loadcell is first on my list 👍

[@WOES888]

subbed / just got mine today waiting for the rims.

[@lapsedtime]

The anticipation is half the battle :)

[@WOES888]

@@lapsedtime looking forward to more of your content.

[@michahund4879]

Great Video!

[@lapsedtime]

I really appreciate the feedback and am glad you found it helpful.

[@lbm323]

Thanks for the video. I came from a Tgt and feel the same way as you. The underwhelemd part. Ive spent some time and have not been able to dial it in as i like. I would like the characteristics my tgt had just turned up and the snappyness of direct drive. So far to get a weight that feels good to me i get major oscilations and adding damper reduces it but does not eliminate. I will mess around with irffb and see if i can dial it out. I seem to get the same oscilation in all sims. The only real way to get rid of it is to turn down ffb but at that point my tgt felt stronger.

[@lapsedtime]

Have you tried changing the mode in the TM software? Maybe try sport mode. I prefer irffb to default iracing.

[@lbm323]

@@lapsedtime i have messed with all those settings. The issue i have is strong oscilations on straights. This is eveident across all sims. Force feed back is not clipping and im getting good detial when i load up the wheel. Its almost like the wheel is trying to center it self and it becomes a mess on the straights. Damper only tames it a bit to make it driveable but alot of detail is lost.

[@lapsedtime]

@@lbm323 Wish I could help but I am not experiencing that. On the straights, I hardly even feel the force of the wheel.

[@lapsedtime]

I did some laps tonight and I do get violent shaking of the wheel on the straights if I take my hands off the wheel. As long as I have a firm grip, I tend to notice the road bumps causing some oscillation. Seems like other people have found this with direct drive wheels so not sure if that is what you are experiencing or not.

[@lbm323]

@@lapsedtime Ive noticed it more with formula rims. I have the open wheel rim and the ferrari sf1000. When i use a custom large diameter rim its less noticible and more stable. The smaller the diameter rim the more the i noticed the oscilations becoming distracting. 1 handed driving while pressing a button box or some other one haded action can sometimes be risky on straights given the oscilation. There has to be a way to dial this down. All the upsides of direct drive have been a bit negated if my expereince on long straights is not even as stable as entry level wheels.