Thrustmaster TS-XW Racer Sparco P310 review: Worth the cash?
The Thrustmaster TS-XW Racer Sparco P310 is as realistic as steering wheels come, but can it justify the wheely big price tag? Ben Griffin finds out.
Most of us buy a steering wheel for our video game console of choice because either we are unable to drive a real car (legally, anyway) or want to embroil ourselves in the pleasures of driving, even when at home.
Not only does a good steering wheel enhance the overall experience beyond that of a controller (or, in the case of Project Cars 2, make the game playable), it can actually make you faster. This can, quite possibly, translate into actual real-life driving ability ─ just look at the Nissan GT Academy for proof.
It makes sense, then, that Thrustmaster has used an actual steering wheel design as the centrepiece of the TS-XW Racer Sparco P310 Competition Mod. Instead of ocean-killing plastic and rubber, you get cool metal and grippy suede leather.
Mmmm suede...
Because it is a 1:1 replica, you could use it for an actual car. Although it would look somewhat odd, given that Thrustmaster has added 14 buttons and one directional pad so you can use it as a controller, as well as two adjustable paddle shifters for changing gear.
Setting up the steering wheel bundle is a relatively painless process. Simply connect the pedals to the steering wheel, connect the steering wheel to the Xbox One or PC via the supplied cables (of which there are three) and then use the turbo-shaped power supply to give it juice.
If the element behind the TS-XW Racer Sparco P310 looks familiar, that is because it features in other Thrustmaster offerings. It uses a 40-watt brushless servomotor served up through a duel-belt pulley system with the axle mounted on metal ball-bearings to create movement. In simple terms, the system is designed to provide strong rotational force in a silky smooth fashion.
Red steering wheels are always fastest.
The pedals may look familiar, too, as they also come with other steering wheels in the range. What they lack in style compared with a rival Fanatec offering, they make up for with ample modulation and a base that sticks to the floor. Fit the optional conical rubber brake mod, which sits under the pedal to increase resistance at the end of the pedal's travel, and you can brake even more precisely.
Being a D-shaped steering wheel means the Thrustmaster TS-XW Racer Sparco P310 looks the business and, for the most part, it proves immensely comfortable as you hurtle along the virtual straights of the Nürburgring, lap after lap. The flip-side is that it is less comfortable for games where you need to go from lock to lock fast. The drifty, rally-based ones.
With that said, you can adjust the angle of rotation from between 270 and 1,080 degrees or remove the steering wheel and add another ─ Thrustmaster items typically place nice with each other.
Having been lucky enough to drive a McLaren 720S in real life and then in Project Cars 2 on the same day, I can honestly say there is no replacement for the real thing. The movement of your internal organs being pushed into the seats at full acceleration, the whoosh of the two turbos bouncing around the Alcantara-clad, jet fighter-esque cabin, the need to discolate your limbs to get in ─ the virtual equivalent is never as memorable.
But the strength of the feedback as you wrestle to keep your digital motoring steed within the racing line and the judder as you hit an apex too hard and the subtle vibrations as you sail off onto the grass each make a race more satisfying, more visceral ─ even without the optional gear shifter. Braking from 200mph as hard as possible while battling to keep an LMP1 race car straight is a difficult task whether at the simulated Laguna Seca or the real one. But once mastered, the experience can be as exciting and rewarding.
Plastic for days.
Admittedly, the learning curve of racing game mastery is Mount Everest steep, particularly if you turn all the electronic hand-holding off. But practice enough and you will eventually end up scything through corners as if your parents had actually paid for karting lessons during your formative years.
It helps, too, that the paddle shifters do their thing without issue and that each of the many buttons make a satisfying click so you know when you have pressed them. Even the pedals provide varying levels of resistance, sparing you from wondering whether your foot is currently on the accelerator, brake or clutch. A useful bit of information, indeed.
Customisation is possible for those who want to move the pedals up or down a bit or bring them further apart or closer together, as well as increase or decrease the force feedback. Using the free computer software, you can really fine-tune the characteristics to your taste.
The Thrustmaster TS-XW Racer Sparco P310 benefits from being mounted to a heavy slab of wood because the motor is one hell of a handful. Our initial use of an Ikea coffee table ended badly because it kept moving it about like it was one of those rodeo horses. Luckily the clamp system lets you lock the base into place securely, or you can mount it to one of those fancy frame and racing seat combinations.
The delivery of that rotational torque is delivered smoothly and quietly enough to disappear into the background of whatever engine noise your Xbox or PC is currently pumping out. But those who, for whatever reason, have to play with the sound off will hear mechanical whirring.
Yes, that thing to the right is the power supply.
Overheating should never be a problem, as Thrustmaster has included a unique cooling system. We played at room temperature for over four hours (healthy lifestyle) and it refrained from catching fire and burning our house down. Mileage may, of course, vary in other climates.
There are a few negatives. For one thing, Fanatec pedals look a thousand times more appealing than Thrustmaster's uninspiring slab of plastic. Then there is the lack of a shift light and rev counter, which may upset some enthusiasts, and the fact the turbo-shaped power supply weighs about as much as a family hatchback and is only slightly smaller. Something a little easier to hide would have been nice despite its petrolhead aesthetic.
At £649.99 RRP, the Thrustmaster TS-XW Racer Sparco really is going to be your 'main' present at Christmas. Luckily you do get a very complete wheel for your money, even if it excludes a proper gear shifter, and one that can be had for £580 at the time of writing.
The problem, though, is that you are paying a premium for that glitzy Sparco centrepiece when you could get similar-ish levels of satisfaction from cheaper alternatives such as the Logitech G920 / G29.
You could also make a case for spending a bit more on Fanatec's ClubSport package, which is very capable (maybe the most capable), but then it becomes very easy to spend an absolute fortune on obtaining the perfect setup. Think the amount of cash needed to actually go out and drive a real car.
Ultimately, those who take the plunge based on that lovely Sparco aesthetic will find themselves getting a whole lot more drama from their polygon-based racing sessions, which is exactly as it should be.
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Comments (3)
It is a bit expensive
Nice honest review. G920 is really not a good way to go though. I went through 3 before realizing I was wasting money on a product that was the same as the g29 aside from the small aesthetic changes and the addition of a hall sensor instead of the encoder wheel. I switched to a Tx wheel and from there got the tsxw. Yeah the pedals are plastic. But after 3 years they still work. And I don't have to clean any sensors or mess with anything. The logitech pedals have major calibration issues not to mention the new hall sensor in three wheel can hardly keep track of wheel position. If your looking for a start up rig. Just spend the extra money and go with thrustmaster or fanatec. Just my opinion based on my experiences with there products.
My throttle pedal has become mega sensitive, in the sense that half pressed IRL is full in game 🤔 I've already had them apart multiple times for brake issues before and thrustmaster don't seem bothered about helping 🙄 want to go for the...
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