Thrustmaster is a major player in the sim-racing and flight simulation industry, and has been for a long time (over 20 years). Over the years, the French manufacturer of driving peripherals has built up a reputation as the go-to for budding pilots looking for products that aren’t too expensive, but are still capable of delivering excellent sensations.

Thrustmaster’s catalog is rather complete, especially with the recent release of the T818the manufacturer’s first Direct Drive base. There are lots of steering wheels, pedals, shifters, a handbrake, and bases for just about everyone. There are also a number of products under official Sparco or Ferrari licenses, and partnerships with these two brands go back a long way.

Among the bases offered by Thrustmaster, we have the TX Racing Wheel Servo Base, which represents the entry-level model with motorized force feedback from the French manufacturer. In what follows, I’m going to introduce you to this sim-racing device, tell you about its strengths and weaknesses, and give you my opinion.

Main and technical characteristics of the base

• Burshless motor developing 25 Watts of power
• Maximum torque approx. 4 nm
• 900° rotation angle
• Compatible with the entire Thrustmaster ecosystem
• Compatible with Xbox and PC
• H.E.A.R.T magnetic sensor for reading inputs

TX Racing design

The design of the TX Racing Wheel Servo Base is rather basic, in the brand’s broadest sense. We’re treated to an all-plastic housing, quite oval in shape and, I must say, rather large in size.

On the rear, you’ll find all the connections you need to plug in sim-racing peripherals, and on the front, it’s Thrustmaster’s QR, with Xbox and ignition buttons on the front. All in all, the base looks good, even if the plastic isn’t exactly premium. But at the same time, it’s still the sim-racing peripherals manufacturer’s entry-level model, so it’s okay.

Customized assembly

The TX Racing Wheel Servo Base is mounted using the usual Thrustmaster clamp, but can also be attached to a chassis, cockpit or other stand.

As for the clamp, it’s borderline legendary and allows secure mounting, preventing the base from moving out of place. With it, you’ll be able to mount the TX Racing Wheel Servo Base on virtually any table or desk in your home.

As far as chassis are concerned, most of those available on the market take this basis into account without the slightest problem, as Thrustmaster products are widely used by the racing community.

Base fabrication and finishing

Thrustmaster has used plastic for virtually every part of the TX Racing Wheel Servo Base. From the drive shaft to the housing and other structural parts, everything is made of composite. In absolute terms, it’s well made, with clear lines at the joints between parts, but I didn’t notice or feel any burrs on the plastic, which is not bad at this price.

As for the finish, the whole casing is black, but like plastic black. It doesn’t have a specific paint job as far as I can tell, but it feels right to the touch. At the same time, the TX Racing Wheel Servo Base is an inexpensive product that’s all about performance, as we’ll see below.

Getting started

Plastic means lightweight. Even though the TX Racing Wheel Servo Base has imposing dimensions – and that’s to be expected, given the belt drive system inside – this device isn’t all that heavy, weighing in at just 4.5 kg.

The base is relatively easy to handle for installation on your setup, but ergonomics are not its strong point. You have buttons, or controls, on the front of the base, and these are somewhat essential (Xbox buttons, modes and ignition, for example). Except that, once a wheel has been installed, these buttons will be hidden by the wheel, which isn’t great for changing modes while in the middle of a race, for example. Once again, compromises have been made to include a good force feedback system, while keeping the price down.

Sensations during play

It’s time to move on to the sensations provided by the TX Racing Wheel Servo Base. For the record, this base’s motor develops 25 Watts, which is less than the brand’s flagship, which produces 45 Watts, not including the T818 in Direct Drive mode of course.

The motor is coupled to two belts to provide the drive, and the resulting sensations are pretty good if you’re not picky. Basically, this base is flexible and easy to use on many sim-racing titles, especially if you’re a beginner or amateur. Driving sensations and force feedback are well conveyed by the engine, with remarkable smoothness during trajectory changes.

The feel is there, whatever the power level at which the burshless motor is set. Riding with the TX Racing Wheel Servo Base is fine in most cases, and you’ll get a good degree of immersion with it.

However, and this is where the technology shows its age, the belt drive can be felt when the steering wheel is turned very slowly. You can also feel the notches in the belts when you change trajectory quickly or make sudden movements of the steering wheel. Even if Thrustmaster has mastered this kind of drive system for its basics, you can’t get past the limitations of the technology and materials used.

There’s also one point I must address, and that’s noise. Even though the TX Racing Wheel Servo Base features a frictionless mechanism, you’re going to hear belt noise and also that of the cooling fan, which can get a little noisy during long sim-racing sessions.

TX RW Servo Base compatibility

The TX Racing Wheel Servo Base is Xbox and PC compatible by default, and supports virtually all Thrustmaster peripherals. There’s also a version for Playstation and PC, the T300, which is virtually identical to the TX Racing Wheel Servo Base.

For sim-racing titles, you’ll find an exhaustive list on the product page, and it includes Asseto Corsa, Dirt, Forza, F1 and many other names. It’s pretty comprehensive, so you won’t have any problems there.

Value for money

The TX Racing Wheel Servo Base is listed at €280 on the Thrustmaster website, but you can find it cheaper on other online merchants. For the sensations it provides, this base offers good value for money, and you’ll easily be able to build a setup for under €400 with it.

My verdict on the TX Racing Wheel from Thrustmaster

Even if the TX Racing Wheel Servo Base is rather old, and above all largely outdated by today’s technologies, this base holds its own against the competition. Admittedly, the belt drive system has its limits, and above all its drawbacks, especially when you’re driving slowly and the base gets a bit hot after a long sim-racing session, but I have to admit that the sensations are correctly conveyed to the rider.

As far as I’m concerned, if you want greater realism and immersion in Forza Horizon, Dirt, WRC, or even Project Cars or Forza Motorsport, the TX Racing Wheel Servo Base is the ideal replacement for your Xbox controller. You’ll clearly get a better feel for the game with this base. But if you’re looking for a much more immersive experience, you’ve got the TS-XW for not too much money. In any case, I vote for the TX Racing Wheel Servo Base.

TX RW Servo Base alternatives