Thrustmaster T300RS GT Review: Still Worth It In 2026?

The Thrustmaster T300RS GT Edition is one of those products that refuses to disappear. It has been on the market for years, it is still recommended in a lot of beginner and mid range buying guides, and for a long time it was the obvious choice if you wanted a “serious” wheel on PlayStation without spending a fortune.

But a lot has changed. We now have affordable direct drive options, stronger ecosystems, and better pedal sets at similar price points. So I wanted to answer a simple question. How does the T300RS GT really hold up in 2025?

Last year, Thrustmaster sent me a unit, and I have tested the full bundle. The T300 wheelbase, the Gran Turismo branded wheel rim, and the T3PA pedal set. Here is what actually holds up, what clearly shows its age, and when I would still recommend it.

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What You Get In The T300RS GT Bundle

Inside the T300RS GT box you essentially get three separate products:

• The T300 wheelbase
• The Gran Turismo branded steering wheel
• The T3PA three pedal set

Each of these has its own strengths and weaknesses, so I will go through them one by one before looking at how they stack up against newer alternatives.

T3PA Pedals: Fine In 2016, Outclassed In 2025

The main upside of the T3PA pedal set is simple. You get three pedals right out of the box. A clutch, a brake, and a throttle. That alone already puts it ahead of a lot of older entry level bundles that only included two.

The base and housing are entirely plastic, which does not scream quality, but the metal pedal faces help a little. They feel decent underfoot, look a bit more refined than bare plastic, and the spacing between the pedals is good. On track I had no issues hitting the right pedal every time.

Underneath you get rubber pads to keep the set from sliding around on the floor, plus hard mounting points if you are bolting it to a cockpit or wheelstand. To be honest, hard mounting almost feels excessive here, because the pedals do not require much force to press.

That light resistance is really the core problem. All three pedals are very soft. That is nice for younger users or for people literally running the set on tile or carpet, but as soon as you start taking your driving a bit more seriously, it becomes a limitation.

The biggest technical downside is the sensor type. The T3PA pedals use potentiometers to measure travel, not a load cell to measure force. That makes consistent braking harder and introduces long term wear and tear issues that you simply do not have with better sensor designs.

Out on track the lack of resistance is immediately obvious. You can modulate the brake, but there is very little “wall” to lean on, and there is virtually no adjustment unless you start experimenting with third party mods or DIY parts. What you feel out of the box is basically what you are stuck with.

To be fair, there are some positives. The pedal plates are large and comfortable, the spacing feels natural, and there is essentially no flex in the pedal arms themselves. They work. They just feel dated.

The real problem is not that the T3PA set is horrible. It is that similarly priced modern bundles are shipping with much stronger pedal options. For example, metal pedal sets like Fanatec’s CSL and Moza’s SR-P range use better sensors, offer load cell upgrades, have sturdier constructions, and generally feel like a proper long term foundation. Often at around the same total bundle price.

Back when the T300RS GT launched, the T3PA pedals made sense. In 2025, they are one of the weakest parts of this package.

Gran Turismo Wheel Rim: Small But Surprisingly Solid

The Gran Turismo branded steering wheel that comes with the T300RS GT is smaller than many people expect. Its diameter is similar to something like a Logitech G29, so if you prefer big, car sized rims, this might raise an eyebrow when you unbox it.

Once you get past the size, it is actually pretty good in the hand. The rim is wrapped in a grippy rubber material that feels secure and comfortable during longer sessions. The metal paddle shifters on the back are large, positive, and satisfying to use. They have a solid click without feeling cheap.

On the front you get a D-pad and a total of 9 buttons. The tactility of the buttons and the D pad feels very similar to what you would find on a mainstream controller. Not premium, not terrible, just “gets the job done”.

Behind the rim is Thrustmaster’s well known quick release system. I will talk more about that when we get to the base, but the key point here is that you can swap this rim for other Thrustmaster wheels if you want to change style or size down the line.

Out on track, the small diameter did not bother me as much as I was expecting, although that will depend heavily on your hands, your favourite discipline, and your personal preferences. If you have very large hands, or you are mainly drifting and rallying where you constantly throw the wheel around, the size may become an issue.

For more conventional circuit driving, the rim works well. The rubber grips give good confidence, the paddles are easy to reach and satisfying, and the light weight of the rim actually helps the T300 wheelbase feel more lively, since there is less mass for the motor to move.

It is not the fanciest rim on the market, but for a bundled wheel it is a decent match to the base.

T300 Wheelbase – Solid Performer, Old Tech

The T300 wheelbase has built up a strong reputation over the years, mainly because of its driving feel and because, for a long time, it was one of the only mid range options with full PlayStation support.

You can buy the wheelbase on its own for roughly the mid two hundreds when stock and pricing behave. In the GT bundle you get the same base paired with the GT rim and T3PA pedals.

Physically, the base is light and compact. It is made entirely from hard plastic and it does not look or feel like a premium bit of gear. That said, looks are not the reason people buy a T300.

Underneath you get slots for hard mounting, and Thrustmaster also includes a table clamp in the box. That is important, because a lot of people do use this base on desks instead of full rigs. On the left side there is a small switch to toggle between PS and PC mode.

If you want an Xbox compatible version, that is what the Thrustmaster TX line is for. It is essentially the same base with different console support and slightly different wheel bundles.

Cooling is handled by vents around the shell, and the base uses a dual belt force feedback mechanism. In my testing it stayed reasonably quiet and was basically drowned out completely once I had headphones on. I did not notice a drop in force during longer sessions, although some long term owners have reported torque fade after years of use.

The belt system inside is dated now, with almost every new mid range wheelbase going the direct drive route, but the T300 can still put out around 4 Nm of peak torque. That is clearly stronger than a Logitech G29 or a Thrustmaster T150, but noticeably weaker than modern entry level direct drives like the CSL DD or Moza R5.

On track, the T300 does an okay job. The overall resistance is there, the wheel recenters with reasonable speed, and you can absolutely be competitive with it. Where it shows its age is in the fine detail.

Small road effects, surface changes, kerb texture, and the feeling of the tyre working at the limit all feel muted compared to a good direct drive unit. I often had trouble telling the difference between tarmac, grass, and gravel in titles where that is usually crystal clear on a better base. The information is technically there, but it is blurred.

In other words, the T300 gives you the core information you need to control the car and race well. It just does not deliver the same level of immersion, texture, and precision that newer direct drives give at similar or slightly higher prices.

On the hardware side, we also have to talk about the “quick” release. I have complained about this system many times before because it is simply not quick. Changing wheels means flipping the rim, finding a screwdriver, removing a small screw, carefully loosening and re aligning the wheel, and then putting everything back together. It works, and it does allow rim changes, but compared to true quick releases that change wheels in seconds, it feels clumsy and outdated.

The positive spin is that, unlike some cheaper Thrustmaster bases, the T300 at least supports interchangeable rims at all, so if you are willing to deal with the hassle, you can build out a small collection of wheels for different cars.

Is The T300RS GT Still Worth It In 2025?

This is where things get more nuanced, and where your location and available alternatives matter a lot.

In the United States, at the time of recording, the T300RS GT typically sits around 450 dollars new. At that price, you are directly in the territory of entry level direct drive bundles. There are packages from brands like Moza and Fanatec that give you stronger bases, more modern ecosystems, and better pedal options for a similar amount of money.

In that scenario, on PC, I would not recommend buying a T300RS GT new. You are simply leaving performance and long term value on the table. A small direct drive base with a metal pedal set will feel better now and give you more room to grow later.

However, that is not the whole story.

In many regions of the world, especially outside North America and Europe, those direct drive bundles are either not officially available, have very limited stock, or end up costing double what they cost elsewhere once shipping, taxes, and local markups are added. In those markets the T300 can still be the only realistic mid range option that does not require you to sell a kidney.

If that describes your situation, the important thing to understand is that you can still be completely competitive on a T300, especially if you plan to upgrade the pedals to something better later on. The wheelbase will not magically hold you back. The technology is older, but it still delivers enough torque and enough information for you to drive at a high level.

The pedals are the weak link, but replacing those with a decent load cell set in the future goes a long way.

So my answer is this:

• If you have easy access to modern direct drive bundles at fair pricing, the T300RS GT is hard to justify at full retail.
• If your local market makes those newer options unaffordable or unavailable, and the T300RS GT is the only mid range path into sim racing that makes sense, then yes, it can still be a good purchase, as long as you understand what you are getting.

Final Thoughts: Who Should Still Buy The T300RS GT?

The Thrustmaster T300RS GT is no longer cutting edge, and it clearly shows its age when you compare it back to back with newer direct drive systems and modern pedal sets. The T3PA pedals in particular feel like a product from another era.

At the same time, the core of the bundle still does what matters. The wheelbase delivers enough force and responsiveness to let you race well. The GT rim feels good in the hands and makes the most of the motor. And the overall package still has a place for people who cannot easily step into the latest hardware.

If you are in a region where direct drive bundles with better pedals are roughly the same price, I would skip the T300RS GT and go straight to those. If you are somewhere that does not have that luxury, and this bundle is realistically your only way into a mid range wheel, you can still buy it, enjoy it, and be fast with it, especially if you plan to improve the pedals later.

You will not have the nicest tech on the grid, but you will have more than enough to beat people like me who spend thousands on hardware and then still run out of talent.

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