Thrustmaster T598 Xbox wheel pre-orders start in September

Positioned below the flagship T818, the T598 is Thrustmaster’s mid-range direct drive wheelbase. Currently, it’s only compatible with PC, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, with no equivalent Xbox model – but that’s about to change.

Thrustmaster has announced a new Xbox version of the T598, with preorders set to start on 10^th September. The announcement comes after Thrustmaster assured fans “we will not forget the Xbox community” last October in response to inquiries about an Xbox-compatible T598. And now it’s set to deliver on that promise.

No further details have been announced, but the specifications are identical to its PlayStation and PC counterparts. That means you get 5 Nm of constant torque, with a peak of 10 Nm, and detailed force feedback.

The bundle includes a two-pedal set and a 300mm diameter Sportcar racing wheel with aluminium paddles. Thanks to its quick-release system, the T598 is compatible with existing and future wheels in Thrustmaster’s evolving ecosystem. However, older wheels require the quick-release upgrade adapter.

Aside from the Xbox-branded Y, X, A and B face buttons and a home button on the top right sporting a prominent Xbox logo, the wheel rim appears to be identical, with the same red accents and rubber grips.

Pricing and a release date have yet to be confirmed, but we expect to find out more details when preorders start on 10^th September. Based on the PC and PlayStation T598, we expect the Xbox version to retail for around £449.99 / $689.99, making it one of the best-value direct drive wheels.

“Value-wise, you will struggle to find something that packs so much punch per pound,” we wrote in our Thrustmaster T598 review.

“For sim racers, the feedback clarity and strength puts it far ahead of existing entry-level bundles, but close behind premium offerings that are often more than double the price. If you are looking to take your sim racing as seriously as you take your finances and care about performance over ostentation, you need look no further.”

The T598 Xbox is presumably one of two new sim racing wheels that its parent company, Guillemot Corporation, plans to launch before the end of this year, with the peripheral manufacturer “accelerating the transition of its range of racing wheels.”