Sim racing · head‑to‑head
The choice between the Asetek Aluminum Button Color Kit and the Thrustmaster QUICK RELEASE UPGRADE highlights the divide between cosmetic personalization and essential mechanical refinement. While one is a premium visual luxury, the other is a functional necessity to fix physical flex.
The Thrustmaster upgrade requires opening your wheel rim to swap internal cables, which can intimidate beginners, and it frequently suffers from poor stock availability in Europe and Canada. Meanwhile, the Asetek kit costs a steep $89.00, which is hard to justify for VR users who cannot see the cosmetic changes, and it frustratingly omits matching aluminum thumb rotaries.
These accessories are locked to their respective ecosystems. The Asetek kit only fits Asetek SimSports steering wheels, while the Thrustmaster upgrade is designed specifically for Thrustmaster wheel rims and their direct drive bases like the T818 and T598.
If you are already in the Asetek ecosystem and want to eliminate the bright orange accents while gaining a more tactile button feel, the Aluminum Button Color Kit is a premium, albeit expensive, cosmetic luxury. However, for Thrustmaster users, the QUICK RELEASE UPGRADE is a highly functional, budget-friendly necessity that directly improves your driving physics, making it the far more impactful purchase despite its tedious installation process.
| Aluminum Button Color Kit | QUICK RELEASE UPGRADE | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Asetek | Thrustmaster |
| Ecosystem | Asetek | Thrustmaster |
| Starting Price | $89.00 | $40.54 (£29.99)Best |
| Price trend | Unchanged over 90 days | Unchanged over 30 days |
| Type | steering wheel customization kit | Quick Release Conversion Kit |
| Connectivity | none | none |
| Compatibility | all Asetek SimSports steering wheels | Thrustmaster wheel rims (including SF1000, Sparco R383, Sparco P310, 599XX EVO, TM Open Wheel) and Thrustmaster Direct Drive bases (T818, T598) |