SimRacingGirl – Fanatec CSL Elite PS4 VS Thrustmaster T-GT Comparison

Not so long ago, our favorite SimRacingGirl reviewed both the Thrustmaster T-GT Wheel and the Fanatec CSL Elite Wheel for the PlayStation 4 Console. With the recent release of the Gran Turismo Sport racing title by Polyphony Digital, both force feedback wheels will be in high demand and will most likely become popular Christmas gifts next month.

To help out those who are in the market for a new PlayStation 4 compatible racing wheel, SimRacingGirl published a comparison video in which she shares her personal thoughts and lists the pros and cons of both the Thrustmaster and Fanatec PS4 products. Keep in mind that both the TG-T and CSL-Elite wheels are also fully compatible with the PC.

Edit: Let us also mention that those who want to use their existing non-compatible racing wheels on the PS4, can also take a look at the CronusMax DriveHub which will let you in principle,  connect and use just about any wheel on the PS4. (Important – Before you decide to purchase a Drivehub, make sure to check out some reviews or forums to make sure your personal wheel will work.)

Thrustmaster T-GT

The T-GT, features some major innovations developed for competition, is based on three fundamental aspects:
1.    The T-GT Servo Base’s tailor-made motorization
2.    A Gran Turismo Sport exclusive: T-DFB
3.    The T-GT wheel

First innovation: The T-GT Servo Base’s tailor-made motorization
From the very start, Thrustmaster had a clear understanding that in order to accurately reflect all of the sensations provided by the game for a realistic driving experience – particularly in a continuous manner during long competition sessions – every bit of information is crucial.

T-LIN Force Feedback linearity.

The wheel’s power setpoint is completely accurate and 100% proportional, providing a linear response perfectly in line with the Force Feedback commands issued by the game.
The T-GT has been fine-tuned to give exceptionally precise indications to the driver: there is absolutely no over-compensation or under-compensation, for incredibly lifelike force rendering.
Cars’ behavior and track conditions are faithfully reproduced – instantly, along with all accompanying details – throughout long gaming sessions. This enhances drivers’ ability to anticipate what’s coming up ahead in order to improve their performance, break records and win races.

The T-40VE custom brushless motor.

This need for lifelike linearity pushes the boundaries of the motor’s power: that’s why the motor combines velocity, instant responsiveness, and intense torque on a constant basis, no matter how many hours the wheel is used for, or how long you’re competing. The wheel provides more refined Force Feedback and stall force – particularly by way of allowing for more simultaneous effects – than was possible in previous generations. The wheel is able to handle considerable power peaks without any reductions in terms of force output.

The T-40VE motor – specially designed, developed and manufactured by Thrustmaster’s R&D teams – meets these needs thanks to T-MCE (Motor-Cooling-Embedded – patent pending) technology, which manages heat transfer and dissipation more efficiently than ever before. The T-40VE incorporates this cooling system right in the very heart of the motor, in a highly constrained and enclosed environment. This combination ensures constant precision in terms of rendering of the T-GT’s performance and effects throughout racing sessions, allowing the driver to experience the full complexity of sensations.
This motor and its innovative cooling system – combined with the optimized T-FOC (Field Oriented Control) algorithm with Hall effect sensors (another of Thrustmaster’s patented technologies) – has the advantage of instantly sensing the wheel’s position with unrivaled accuracy. The wheel dynamically optimizes the response to intense torque demands with lightning-fast speed, switching and avoiding any losses of power.

Second innovation: A Gran Turismo® Sport exclusive: T-DFB

With the same goal of providing even more genuine car racing sensations, T-DFB (Depth Feedback) – a major innovation – introduces a new dimension with respect to Force Feedback.
As a complement to standard Force Feedback, this unique, completely novel system adds a new range of effects including tire adherence (grip or slippage) in understeering and oversteering, mass transfers, road textures and irregularities, suspension and other parameters specific to each vehicle and circuit.
This unique system is a Gran Turismo® Sport exclusive. Polyphony Digital® has encoded all of these parameters and incorporated this new information into the T-DFB system, for a level of in-depth sensations in the steering column that’s never been possible until now.
In this way, these two different worlds – racing simulation, and real-world racing – are coming closer together than ever before. The T-GT is a “Real Simulator” in the truest sense.

Third innovation: The T-GT wheel

In addition to these specific sensations and overall feel, in order to create the most lifelike wheel possible, the T-GT now lets drivers be even more responsive in terms of adjusting their car’s settings on the fly during races, without losing a precious millisecond of driving time.

The T-GT wheel features:

•    4 rotary selectors, for direct control of 4 key settings: brake balancing, control of anti-skid systems, torque distribution allocation, and fuel injection mapping.
•    25 possible action buttons: an amount never before available on PS4™.
•    2 customizable mini-sticks: for faster navigation through menus, in photo mode, and more… or for interior cockpit views and peripheral vision.
•    Leather specially selected in terms of its grain: the decision was made to select a very smooth texture, among the types and textures of leather available – to facilitate drifting in particular, in the same way as wheels on real race cars. Seams and stitching have been designed to be as inconspicuous to the driver as possible. The leather’s stitching pattern and positioning – avoiding the thumb-rest zone – makes a huge contribution in terms of handling comfort.

The T-GT is retailed as a combo pack including the T-GT Servo Base, the detachable T-GT steering wheel, the custom T-TURBO toroidal power supply, and the three-pedal T3PGT pedal set. The Thrustmaster T-GT has a retail price of £699.99 – €790.78 – $885.91.

Official Webpage – www.thrustmaster.com

 

Fanatec CSL Elite PS4

Back in June 2017, Fanatec officially announced a new CSL Elite Racing Wheel which is officially licensed for the PlayStation PS4. As an officially licensed racing wheel, it will be used as a reference during game development. The license ensures the peripheral is fully tested and is supported in the menu of the PS4™ system. However, being marketed as a dedicated PlayStation peripheral, this new CSL Elite wheel is also compatible with the PC and Xbox One.

The new Fanatec CSL Elite Wheel looks allot like its original predecessor, released back in 2016, it does contain some significant improvements. Fanatec also added some electronics provided by Sony to ensure that the racing wheel is properly recognized by the PlayStation console. furthermore, Fanatec has incorporated some of the features of the the ClubSport 2.5. The motor tor driver electronics are completely different to the CSL Elite Wheel Base and the same as on the ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5. The motor itself and the power supply is also identical to the CS WB V2.5 but because of the different gear ratio, this wheelbase has less torque but more speed.

The wheelbase is fitted with an 11.8-inch Sony-inspired wheel featuring a perforated genuine leather and suede fabric with blue stitching. The weight of the rim is reduced to 970g which makes it the lightest steering wheel in the Fanatec range. The shifter paddles have been re-designed and now include Snaptron® snapdomes. Last but not least, the buttons are now interchangeable so you can use easy symbols to remember the mapping of your most important racing game functions.

The new wheel is already available for purchase at the Fanatec web store and orders will be shipped immediately. The standard CSL Elite Racing Wheel base which costs 499.95€ Incl. 19% VAT, Fanatec also introduced a special bundle containing the CSL Elite Racing Wheel and CSL Elite Pedals. The bundle will be available for 519,95 €.

Official Webpage –  www.fanatec.com