After years of barely having any real choices in the budget H-pattern shifter market, Thrustmaster finally stepped in with the $70 TH8S, a simplified and far more affordable sibling to the well-known TH8A. At this price point, it sits squarely against the Logitech shifter, which has dominated the low-end segment for almost a decade.
But it’s now 2025, and with several cheap newcomers entering the market, the question is simple: is the TH8S still a good buy today?
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The TH8S is built almost entirely from plastic, and you can immediately tell it’s an entry-level device. It’s compact, lightweight, and visually simple, but Thrustmaster has made good use of the size limitations. Despite its small footprint, it has 7 forward gears and an independent reverse slot, something most shifters at this price point don’t offer.
Hall effect sensors handle the signal input. This is an important detail because it means the TH8S avoids the wear-and-tear problems that cheaper potentiometer-based units often run into. Internally, there’s even a dust-prevention fabric sleeve to keep debris out of the mechanism.
The spacing between gears is tight, but the travel is long enough to feel intentional rather than twitchy. Nothing here screams premium, but everything feels functional.
This is one of the strongest features of the TH8S.
Thrustmaster includes two connection methods:
This allows the shifter to plug directly into your PC as its own separate device. This makes it compatible with any wheelbase from any brand, just like the Logitech shifter.
So if you run Fanatec, Moza, Simagic, or anything else on PC, the TH8S will work alongside them.
For PlayStation and Xbox racers, the TH8S must be plugged into a compatible Thrustmaster wheelbase. You cannot connect it directly to a console’s USB port.
Console users get plug-and-play convenience, PC users get universal compatibility, a smart design choice that makes this shifter accessible to almost everyone.
Like the Logitech shifter, the TH8S comes with an integrated table clamp, making it easy to mount without drilling holes or buying brackets.
Out of curiosity, I removed the clamp to inspect the underside, and it does appear mountable to a cockpit if you use your own hardware. For the purpose of testing, I simply clamped it to my rig and had no issues.
The most interesting adjustability feature is the resistance tuning. A small slot on the right side of the housing allows you to tighten or loosen internal tension with a flat-head screwdriver. It doesn’t transform the feel, but it does let you fine-tune the shifter to be slightly firmer or lighter depending on your preference.
The included knob is, frankly, the weakest physical component of the TH8S. It’s a plastic “sport” style knob that doesn’t match the realism or immersion you’d hope for.
Most reviewers online seemed able to remove it easily, but on my unit, the lower section of the knob was completely stuck, almost as if it had been glued from the factory. I’m sure it would come off with more force, but since the goal is to test the product as it ships, I reattached it and continued.
The takeaway is simple:
The knob is removable on most units, but if you want a premium feel, you’ll probably want to replace it with a third-party metal knob.
On track, the TH8S feels exactly like a shifter in this price range should. It does not deliver a mechanical, tactile sensation like higher-end models, and it doesn’t pretend to. For realism and immersion, premium H-pattern shifters sit in a different universe.
However, for $70, it does the job.
There’s enough resistance to make shifting feel deliberate. The gear slots feel clear and predictable. The travel between gears is satisfying enough to give you something physical to work with. It doesn’t feel premium, but it does feel functional.
Miss-shifts were a little common at first, largely due to the lack of tactile “notches” between gears, but after a bit of practice, it became more accurate.
Compared to the Logitech shifter, the TH8S offers:
Several ultra-cheap shifters now exist online, often from smaller overseas brands, but most of them fall behind the TH8S when it comes to consistency and input accuracy. The TH8S keeps its advantage by simply being reliable and predictable.
If immersion matters, you’ll eventually want to upgrade. But for beginners? It works well.
The Thrustmaster TH8S is exactly what an entry-level shifter should be in 2025. It’s affordable, practical, and more versatile than its biggest rival, and while it won’t impress enthusiasts seeking realism, it delivers everything a beginner needs to start exploring manual transmissions in sim racing.
The 7-speed layout, hall effect sensors, wide compatibility, and simple tuning system make it a surprisingly competent piece of hardware for the price. Yes, the knob feels cheap, and the mechanism is far from high-end, but none of that stops the TH8S from being a reliable and genuinely useful addition to a low-budget setup.
If you’re starting your sim racing journey and need a shifter that works across most platforms without spending much, the TH8S remains one of the best entry-level options you can buy today.
timmet06 says:
Is this shifter worth it for someone who is looking to improve their driving but doesn’t have a big budget?
Anonymous says:
its a great choice!!
iva says:
unless ur on console 70$ for a shifter mostly made out of plastic is really bad, thrustmaster fell off so hard all of their products are filled with plastic and sell for 2X the price. just buy the generic USB shifter for 40$
joJOSim says:
In my opinion its a good shifter. Yes, its made out of plastic but it does feel pretty good.
Mr_Murgia says:
Thsi video is really good, it helped me pick out my first shifter and it’s really clear and useful. Thanks oscar.