Thrustmaster unveils its sporty new TH8S Shifter Add-On  

After entering the direct drive wheelbase market late last year with its T818, gaming peripheral giant Thrustmaster has released details on its latest sim racing-focused controller: the TH8S Shifter Add-On. 

Featuring seven forward gears and one reverse, the TH8S has short-shift action with a sporty-looking gear knob. The black and red-lined design is simple, yet attractive, providing a more ‘grown-up’ appearance compared to its main rival, the Logitech Driving Force Shifter. 

The red ring design is a nod to the French company’s T128 and T248 entry-level hybrid-driven wheels, something shared by its latest T818 Direct Drive wheelbase.

According to Thrustmaster, the TH8S is suitable for all types of sim racing; including touring and sportscar racing, as well as rallying. Thrustmaster has also stressed the TH8S can be used for truck sim titles, such as Euro Truck Simulator 2 and Snowrunner, by assigning a keyboard shortcut to allow players to switch from low to high range ratios. 

The TH8S also employs a built-in clamp system, allowing players without bespoke sim rigs to fix it to desks or tables (between 0.1cm and 4 cm thick). And the best part is, no tools are required. 

In terms of compatibility, the TH8S Shifter Add-On is suitable for use with any PC racing wheel via its USB-C/USB-A connection. The TH8S is also compatible with PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S when connected to any Thrustmaster Force Feedback racing wheelbase via its DIN connection. 

The TH8S Shifter Add-On is available to pre-order today (29^th June 2023) for £59.99 / $69.99 / €69.99, with Thrustmaster aiming for an official release date of the 27^th of July. 

Are you interested in picking up Thrustmaster’s TH8S Shifter Add-On? Let us know in the comments below.