Back to Sim Racing after 9 years, Just got TM T300 RS GT - Questions

[PacNW_GT_64]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post here and since I didn't see anyplace to 'Introduce Yourself' I figured I would do that here as well.

I started Sim racing in around the year 2000, I started with NR2000(?) then moved on to NR2003, GPL, Rfactor, LFS, etc. Until life got in the way 9 years ago I did all of that with a non-FFB BRD Sim-Pro wheel. (Remember them? LOL) That wheel was built like a tank and I still have it but the 'mounting' depended on a plastic shelf that you sat your CRT monitor on to hold it in place, I had to get creative with that issue later.

Fast forward to about a year ago I started watching Jimmy Broadbent, Super GT & others and had been following ISRTV for a while just to know what the latest was even though I could not partake. Well, I was recently gifted a PS4 and the fever took hold again so I bought GT Sport and needless to say the controller left me wanting. So I did what all who share our condition do, I ordered the above-mentioned wheel.

I haven't even unboxed it yet, and I have never used an FFB wheel, ever. So what do I need to know? Any advice for a complete FFB virgin? Pedal mods? I'm planning to get a GT Omega Apex wheel stand at the end of the month as well.

Thanks all.

 

[FPV MIC]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post here and since I didn't see anyplace to 'Introduce Yourself' I figured I would do that here as well.

I started Sim racing in around the year 2000, I started with NR2000(?) then moved on to NR2003, GPL, Rfactor, LFS, etc. Until life got in the way 9 years ago I did all of that with a non-FFB BRD Sim-Pro wheel. (Remember them? LOL) That wheel was built like a tank and I still have it but the 'mounting' depended on a plastic shelf that you sat your CRT monitor on to hold it in place, I had to get creative with that issue later.

Fast forward to about a year ago I started watching Jimmy Broadbent, Super GT & others and had been following ISRTV for a while just to know what the latest was even though I could not partake. Well, I was recently gifted a PS4 and the fever took hold again so I bought GT Sport and needless to say the controller left me wanting. So I did what all who share our condition do, I ordered the above-mentioned wheel.

I haven't even unboxed it yet, and I have never used an FFB wheel, ever. So what do I need to know? Any advice for a complete FFB virgin? Pedal mods? I'm planning to get a GT Omega Apex wheel stand at the end of the month as well.

Thanks all.

First off, welcome to gtplanet .

Spoiler: Intoduce Yourself ;-)

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/board/introduce-yourself.223/

Regarding your wheel:
First thing you need to do is update the wheels Firmware via PC (USB 2.0, don't use a USB 3.0 port). All the information you need can be found here: https://support.thrustmaster.com/en/product/t300rs-en/

Also with your wheel, you should put it into forced cooling mode (red arrow in below picture) as they overheat if you run too higher force feedback. Those wheels do not handle heat well so it's very important!

There's many different upgrades for the pedals from stiffer springs, rubber brake mods, all the way up to load cells brakes (which I have ). There's also quite a few DYI upgrade solutions out there.

Spoiler: Some brake mod examples

https://www.ricmotech.com/Spring_Upgrade_for_Thrustmaster_Pedals_p/rmt-t3papro-tcs.htm
https://www.ricmotech.com/Load_Cell_Kit_for_Thrustmaster_Pedals_p/rmt-lc3.htm

You'll find the community here very helpful and knowledgeable, as I have done, so if you have any questions just fire away .

 

[PacNW_GT_64]

Thank you! I don't know how I missed that

I just unboxed the wheel and am going to thoroughly read the manual. Things have become a bit more complex than when I just plugged my BRD wheel in, calibrated and off I went. I am liking the fact that several Sims have now come to consoles, I never liked the frustration of having to constantly tweak and upgrade my pc. Although I will probably dip back into PC sim racing later on. The fact that now you can race online through a console is also a welcome change.

This will definitely give me something to do during the winter.

Thanks again for the warm welcome!!

 

[VBR]

FFB can really bring a game to life, & if you've not experienced it before you may be in for a treat. However, it depends very much on how well or badly individual game devs have implemented it & what you're looking for. If realism is what you're after, you might be disappointed with GT Sport as there is an unrealistic vibration effect/bug that happens when you understeer (and even sometimes when you oversteer). There's no way to turn it off. The game has very little road feels as well.

Make sure to pick up Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition when it's on sale in the PS Store, & the same goes for Project CARS/Project CARS 2; they're much better sims.

The T300 wheels have a very bad rep with faults & return rates, keep your fingers crossed that you have a good one! Click on "View Results" to see the poll...

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/poll-thrustmaster-t300rs-gte-reliability-poll.329969/

Welcome to GT Planet.

 

[kikie]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post here and since I didn't see anyplace to 'Introduce Yourself' I figured I would do that here as well.

Welcome!

Until life got in the way 9 years ago I did all of that with a non-FFB BRD Sim-Pro wheel. (Remember them? LOL)

Actually I do.

And I use to have the Speed 7 pedal box from BRD as well.

 

[Daz555]

Make sure you set the wheel up on your PC first. Allows you test it properly and also update the firmware which is critical.

 

[PacNW_GT_64]

When I checked at the TM site the last firmware was dated from 2015. So I assumed by this late date any wheel they shipped already had that firmware installed. Ran it last night on GT Sport for a couple of hours and it seemed fine to me, but then again how would I know with no basis for comparison?

I guess I should update it anyhow?

Welcome!

Actually I do.

View attachment 834953

And I use to have the Speed 7 pedal box from BRD as well.

Same wheel and pedal except I have the formula rim darn things were built solid that's for sure.

 

[FPV MIC]

When I checked at the TM site the last firmware was dated from 2015. So I assumed by this late date any wheel they shipped already had that firmware installed. Ran it last night on GT Sport for a couple of hours and it seemed fine to me, but then again how would I know with no basis for comparison?

I guess I should update it anyhow?

Sorry I stuffed up . It's the Drivers (+ Firmware) that should be updated.

The latest ones of those are from this year... and yes you should update them, they contain bug fixes and things like Forced Cooling Mode. You can check what version you have on the PC. Go to https://support.thrustmaster.com/en/product/t300rs-en/ then FAQ's, and where to find your version is on the last page in this section How can i verify the T300 RS / T300 Ferrari GTE is correctly installed on my computer? PC PS3™ PS4™

You really should get yourself acquainted with the Thrustmaster Technical Support area of their website, it has everything you need to know .

 

[Felix]

I use the T300 RS setup and I have the T3-PA "premium" pedals. These were the ones the original T500RS came with. I can not stress enough, just how much nicer they are to use, over the two pedal rig the T300 comes with.

One mistake people tend to make when they get a FFB wheel for the first time, is cranking up the strength of the FFB and this leads to the T300 getting too hot and the strength fades, then comes back over and over, during longer races. The other issue with this, is you lose some of the finer "detail" of what the game/wheel are trying to communicate to you. If you start off at a low/medium strength and step it up in small amounts, you should find a sweet spot of where you're feeling the car and have a nice weight to the wheel.

Sadly, the T300 is still plagued with reliability issue and the process of getting a replacement base under warranty is a pain, but Thrustmaster are more than willing to get everything fixed or replaced pretty quickly. My first base laster about 3 years before it died. I ended up getting a new base (had to buy it again) only for it to have the same fault out of the box. They were really good at getting me back up and running as soon as possible, which is something they deserve to be praised for.

I have found the wheel seems to go into low power mode much quicker with GT-Sport/PS4 than it does when I am using it on my PC with Forza Motorsport 7 and iRacing.

There are some good threads/articles where people have done custom cooling solutions for the wheel (which I want to do on my unit), which seem to stop the negative issues from reappearing. The T3-PA pedals, on the other hand, are just so sturdy and with the cleaver little rubber spike, gives a good break feel. They only cost between £88-£130 new these days and if you are able to afford them, you really should get them.

 

[Outspacer]

I use the T300 RS setup and I have the T3-PA "premium" pedals. These were the ones the original T500RS came with. I can not stress enough, just how much nicer they are to use, over the two pedal rig the T300 comes with.

One mistake people tend to make when they get a FFB wheel for the first time, is cranking up the strength of the FFB and this leads to the T300 getting too hot and the strength fades, then comes back over and over, during longer races. The other issue with this, is you lose some of the finer "detail" of what the game/wheel are trying to communicate to you. If you start off at a low/medium strength and step it up in small amounts, you should find a sweet spot of where you're feeling the car and have a nice weight to the wheel.

Sadly, the T300 is still plagued with reliability issue and the process of getting a replacement base under warranty is a pain, but Thrustmaster are more than willing to get everything fixed or replaced pretty quickly. My first base laster about 3 years before it died. I ended up getting a new base (had to buy it again) only for it to have the same fault out of the box. They were really good at getting me back up and running as soon as possible, which is something they deserve to be praised for.

I have found the wheel seems to go into low power mode much quicker with GT-Sport/PS4 than it does when I am using it on my PC with Forza Motorsport 7 and iRacing.

There are some good threads/articles where people have done custom cooling solutions for the wheel (which I want to do on my unit), which seem to stop the negative issues from reappearing. The T3-PA pedals, on the other hand, are just so sturdy and with the cleaver little rubber spike, gives a good break feel. They only cost between £88-£130 new these days and if you are able to afford them, you really should get them.

The T300 RS GT version comes with T3-PA pedals, so that's sorted

 

[PacNW_GT_64]

Just because I am a bit slow on the uptake these days apparently -when updating the drivers/firmware on my pc do I need to have the pedals attached when I do it? Or can I do it with just the base? Only going to be using the console for the foreseeable future so tearing down my temp rig is a pain.

Sorry for the basic questions.

 

[FPV MIC]

Just because I am a bit slow on the uptake these days apparently -when updating the drivers/firmware on my pc do I need to have the pedals attached when I do it? Or can I do it with just the base? Only going to be using the console for the foreseeable future so tearing down my temp rig is a pain.

Sorry for the basic questions.

Just the base, unless you want to test the pedal inputs 👍

... and there's no stupid questions, just stupid answers .

Edit: I use a dirty great long USB extension to update mine so I don't have to unbolt everything or move the whole rig.

 

[PacNW_GT_64]

Just the base, unless you want to test the pedal inputs 👍

... and there's no stupid questions, just stupid answers .

Edit: I use a dirty great long USB extension to update mine so I don't have to unbolt everything or move the whole rig.

That sounds like a good idea. How often does TM tend to issue driver/firmware updates in your experience?

 

[FPV MIC]

That sounds like a good idea. How often does TM tend to issue driver/firmware updates in your experience?

I'm not really sure, but pretty much every time they release new wheels for the Thrustmaster ecosystem there's an update. I tend to only check once a year or so. If my wheel starts playing up a bit, normally it's very minor calibration issues for my T-GT and T500, it's the first thing I try and it's always fixed my issue.

Edited to add: The updates are not just for wheel compatibility, they can also be for shifters and handbrakes.

 

[asteroulis]

Firmware update :

You shpuld install the latest drivers that install drivers, and software to your pc. Then, you run FIRMWARE UPDATE program that was installed. You will see the wheel, its currebt version, and the available last firmware to be flashed. If its the same then no need to flash obviously.

T300 switch should be set at ps3 mode when connected to pc.

ALWAYS USE FORCED COOLING. 90% of the bad reputation was caused by overheating. Other than that TM bases are more reliable compared to logitech.
In any case if it starts banging during calibration stop it immediately by unplugging. It is fixable. If it breaks it isn't.

Enjoy your new wheel!

 

[PacNW_GT_64]

Firmware update :

You shpuld install the latest drivers that install drivers, and software to your pc. Then, you run FIRMWARE UPDATE program that was installed. You will see the wheel, its currebt version, and the available last firmware to be flashed. If its the same then no need to flash obviously.

T300 switch should be set at ps3 mode when connected to pc.

ALWAYS USE FORCED COOLING. 90% of the bad reputation was caused by overheating. Other than that TM bases are more reliable compared to logitech.
In any case if it starts banging during calibration stop it immediately by unplugging. It is fixable. If it breaks it isn't.

Enjoy your new wheel!

Hi,

Yes, I got that done a couple of days ago when I found out the driver-firmware update was much more recent than I had thought. I did set the forced cooling to 'on' as well, if I understand correctly I only need to do that once and it stays activated (I hope that's the case)

I did read someplace that to calibrate the pedals you need to hold them down as the game starts up until you get to the main screen, I've tried doing that and not doing that and I don't know if I see a difference.

I am also debating buying either Assetto Corsa or PCARS 2 as I have also been told that the FFB on GT Sport is not really the best and I am not getting an accurate experience for my first go-round with FFB. My main desire for either title would be a robust multiplayer experience.

Eventually, I want to have most racing series/disciplines covered in as few titles as possible. i.e. Dirt, BTCC style, Open wheel etc.

So far I am enjoying the wheel as I slog through the single-player before I take it online, I don't want to be 'that guy' who jumps in without knowledge of the tracks or cars and ruins everyone else's race.

Cheers.

 

[Daz555]

I did read someplace that to calibrate the pedals you need to hold them down as the game starts up until you get to the main screen, I've tried doing that and not doing that and I don't know if I see a difference..

No need for that at all. It is worth calibrating your wheel and pedals in each new game you get - usually only need to do that once.

Assetto Corsa is a good game. The console version is a shadow compared to the PC version however with its countless mods.

Project Cars 2 is the best sim available on console by miles. It is worth getting the full bundle with all the DLC. Project Cars lacks the matchmaking of GT Sport so the best way to get a great multiplayer experience is through a racing league or making sure you assemble a good list of trustworthy players to race with.

 

[FPV MIC]

No need for that at all. It is worth calibrating your wheel and pedals in each new game you get - usually only need to do that once.

Assetto Corsa is a good game. The console version is a shadow compared to the PC version however with its countless mods.

Project Cars 2 is the best sim available on console by miles. It is worth getting the full bundle with all the DLC. Project Cars lacks the matchmaking of GT Sport so the best way to get a great multiplayer experience is through a racing league or making sure you assemble a good list of trustworthy players to race with.

In games like GT Sport, which is his main game, you do have to do this.... every single time you start the game.

 

[PacNW_GT_64]

In games like GT Sport, which is his main game, you do have to do this.... every single time you start the game.

Dang, thanks for confirming. Seems like such a basic thing that Gt Sport should have though.

 

[FPV MIC]

Dang, thanks for confirming. Seems like such a basic thing that Gt Sport should have though.

Apparently Assetto Corsa (on PS4) works better if you do the same, though I'm not sure if this is really the case. I tested it and couldn't confirm or deny it to be true.

With GT Sport the pedals will calibrate themselves eventually but if you're using the conical brake mod it can take a while before you get the full calibration. I normally go into a Time Trial and just press the brake while watching the meter on the screen (it only goes half way until it's properly calibrated) before I'll attempt a race.