Sim-racing is very simple these days, thanks to the wide range of products available on the market, and especially their different qualities. In the past, you had to make do with a single steering wheel for sim-racing, which greatly limited immersion and realism.

Today, we are fortunate to have brands such as Thrustmaster , which offers a wide range of products for its fans, and the T500RS is one of them. It’s important to remember that not all sim racers are the same, and so their needs in terms of peripherals differ. You have those looking for bundles and others for individual peripherals.

In what follows, I’m going to introduce you to this steering wheel, the T500RS. I’ll tell you about its features, its design, its advantages and weaknesses, and finally give you my opinion of it.

Main and technical features of the steering wheel

• 30 cm diameter wheel
• 1080° rotation angle
• Wheel changing system
• Bundle with pedals, base and steering wheel
• Powerful brushless motor for force feedback
• Metal pallets
• Officially licensed Gran Turismo steering wheel

Thrustmaster T500RS design

The design of the T500RS is surprisingly good-looking, especially for a steering wheel that’s over 10 years old. The wheel is 30 cm in diameter, which will suit virtually every sim-racer in the world, except perhaps those looking for a steering wheel specific to a motorsport discipline.

Continuing with the wheel, its structure is made of brushed aluminum, with a beautiful effect. As far as I’m concerned, it’s magnificent, with 12 buttons in all, including 9 on the wheel. Well, I’m not going to lie to you, but the 3 buttons on the base(Mode, L3 and R3) are a little hard to reach “on the fly” during a hot race.

As for the paddles, they are superbly beautiful and made of metal. Thrustmaster has chosen to place them directly on the base so that they have a fixed location. This choice may be debated in the sim-racing community, as well as the automotive community. Personally, I have no problem with it.

Customized assembly

Like many recent peripherals, the Thrustmaster T500RS is equipped with a system that allows you to remove and change the wheel on the steering wheel, and I love it. The system is designed so that sim racers can switch from one wheel to another, increasing their immersion during their race.

Another positive aspect of having such a system is the ability to change bases. This system is perfect for sim-racing pros and e-sports players, enabling them to have a base for different car disciplines. At least, it is for recent steering wheels.

Manufacturing and finishing

Even though the T500RS is relatively old, its build quality would make a modern brand’s steering wheel pale in comparison. It has to be said that, at the time, there weren’t many sim-racing peripherals on consoles and PCs.

Be that as it may, the T500RS is a very well-made steering wheel, using premium materials for its structure. The wheel is made of brushed aluminum to great effect, and is entirely round, with very good quality perforated leather.

The paddles are solid aluminum, large and click very well when in use. The base, or at least the cover, is made of plastic. Admittedly, it’s not a very noble material, but concessions had to be made to keep the price down. Bear in mind that this steering wheel came out over 10 years ago. As for the rest, the structure is very well made. It’s solid, stable and, above all, well finished.

Handling the steering wheel

With a diameter of 30 cm, this steering wheel is easy to grip. Bear in mind that a car steering wheel is between 30 and 33 cm, which is exactly the same as the T500RS, and this gives it a good dose of realism.

This steering wheel is mainly aimed at sim-racers who dabble in a bit of every automotive discipline, even if marketing tends to sell it more as an F1 and GT steering wheel. For me, in GT, it’s perfect, as are many of the brand’s competitors. But in F1, the shape of the steering wheel doesn’t allow for total immersion, especially after trying out the Fanatec Podium F1 ( click here to find out more).

The T500RS has large, base-mounted paddles. On the one hand, this means they’re always in the same place, just like on a GT-R. On the other hand, you’ll be forced to reposition your hands to shift gears in the middle of a bend, even if this is inadvisable in real life.

As for the buttons, they’re easy to reach with your fingers, without your hands leaving the steering wheel. At least, they are for the 9 on the wheel. For the others, it’s not at all “user friendly” to have them on the base.

Sensations during play

The steering wheel is the key element of a sim-racing setup when it comes to in-game sensations, and I can tell you that the T500RS is a well of pleasure. The base Brushless motor is quite powerful for its time and technology, giving us an excellent feel for everything the car does.

Another strong point of the T500RS is its “Quick Release” system, which is surprisingly well done on such a product. Today, we have Fanatec steering wheels with plastic QRs that have play in the center, which is not at all the case on Thrustmaster‘s wheel. Steering is very precise, thanks in particular to a magnetic angle sensor and the powerful Brushless motor. I didn’t notice any blurring at all during my sim-racing sessions using this steering wheel. What’s more, the maximum angle of rotation is 1080°, which is simply perfect for many motor racing disciplines.

The pedalboard in this bundle, the T3PA Prois a decent product for sim-racing enthusiasts who don’t want to pay for their setup. What’s more, the brake – well, the brake pedal – has an adjustable resistance that lets you modify the braking feel. In absolute terms, it’s not going to make much difference, but it’s always nice to have this extra feature. Even though Thrustmaster has used metal for the T3PA Pro’s structure, this doesn’t prevent it from having a cheap feel overall. After all, for a bundle costing less than €500, you shouldn’t expect too much either.

Thrustmaster T500RS compatibility

Where things get sticky with the T500RS is platform compatibility, given that this peripheral was released in 2011. You should know that this steering wheel was developed to work properly on the consoles of the time, namely the PS3, and this compatibility has not been fully transferred to the PS4 or even the PS5. Sure, you have a few titles where the T500RS will work wonderfully on PS4, but they’re not many. If you’re going to use this wheel for sim-racing on PC or PS3, it’ll do just fine. If not, you can also discover the 6 Best Steering Wheels for PS5 at 2025 by clicking here..

As for compatibility with the manufacturer’s other products, it works without a hitch. Thrustmaster’s ecosystem is well-developed enough to ensure excellent interoperability between its products.

Value for money

As much as I enjoyed sim-racing on this wheel, let’s face it: the T500RS is old, and pales in comparison with today’s competition. However, it’s still an excellent device for inexpensive sim-racing with modern standards.

For less than €500, you’ll get an excellent steering wheel and pedals that will give you a great driving sensation. Except that you’ll need to find this bundle to enjoy it. As I said above, the T500RS was released in 2011, and is no longer sold by Thrustmaster. You can find it on Amazon or other online stores, but you need to be lucky. Otherwise, you have the second-hand market, which should be approached with great caution.

My verdict on the Thrustmaster T500RS

I’ve always loved Thrustmaster products, and the T500RS is one of them. For a relatively reasonable price, you get an excellent wheel for amateur or even semi-pro sim-racing.

What I don’t like about this wheel, however, is its very limited compatibility with modern platforms. If you play on anything other than a PS3 or PC, I wouldn’t recommend the T500RS. But if you’re a GT5 fan and can find this steering wheel for a reasonable price, I think it’s an excellent choice. If you’re interested, I’ve also written an article on the 6 Best Steering Wheels for Sim Racing in 2025which I invite you to discover.