You don't have to spend thousands of dollars on the latest racing wheels and wheelbases to get a competitive racing sim setup, companies like Thrustmaster are offering a great package called the T248 for just under $400. Of course, other racing wheels are more visually appealing, but I find myself coming back to the T248 more often than other wheels because of its superior force feedback.

The Thrustmaster T248 includes the T248 wheelbase, wheels, and a set of T3PM magnetic pedals. It's an all-in-one package that rivals the Logitech G923 or competes with Thrustmaster's slightly more expensive T300RS. In terms of basic force-feedback technology, it is also something between these two competing packages.

The best racing wheels produce precise force feedback through what is called direct drive. The motors convert in-game movements and calls from the game engine into shock, vibration, and rotational motion. However, this requires large motors, which are expensive to implement.

Inexpensive racing wheels get around this by using other systems such as gears and belts to increase the power of smaller, less expensive motors. However, as these additional parts provide power to the wheel, they also lose fine detail from the motor, which ultimately reduces response and accuracy. However, when costs need to be reduced, belt drive systems are typically used. Belt drive systems have the ability to amplify the power from the motor, minimizing clunkiness.

What Thrustmaster offers in the T248 is the Thrustmaster Hybrid Drive. While not exactly a gear drive or a belt drive, the belt is included to maximize the potential of the built-in motor in the game. The hybrid drive also feels like a smart move by Thrustmaster when setting up this wheel, as the power and response exerted through the wheel during a race is greater than that of a purely gear-driven motor.

However, the wheels feel heavy. To turn sharp corners at speed, the wheel must be swung around with some force. This is both a blessing and a curse: if not set up correctly for games like "F1 2021" and some of the cars in "Assetto Corsa: Competizione" (where the wheel rotation angle is well off the maximum of 1080°) Otherwise, you will have a lot of trouble turning the T248 as needed. However, this can usually be easily corrected with a little more time in the settings menu.

As for the rallying in WRC 10 or the cheeky drifting in Forza Horizon 5, it is not so easy to fix. Instead, the wheel force feedback needs to be lowered, which loosens things up a bit, but it's not an ideal option.

But, as I said, in some games it can be a blessing in disguise: after setting up the F1 2021 to a 360-degree rotation befitting an F1 car (the rotation is adjustable via on-board wheel settings), its high level of drag and tire and track feedback helped a lot to nail down accuracy in tricky corners. It is less controllable and accurate than the purely gear-driven Logitech G923 and less accurate than the T248, but definitely more fun to use and better suited for erratic drifting.

Some F1 tracks make it difficult to get the T248 to work well. Zandvoort in the Netherlands, which recently returned to the F1 calendar and the F1 game, is a tight and tricky track with lots of sharp corners, and we had to run many laps to balance the force feedback and response of the T248. Of all the wheels I've used, I've never had to make so many fine adjustments from track to track.

The lap times were much faster because of this. These wheels provide a high level of resistance throughout their entire rotation and smooth, responsive force feedback, making it easier to learn driving techniques between laps and gradually develop how to take corners.

So when I get into the driving game, I reach for the T248 rather than the G923; free runs with the G923 were more fun, but now I want to push my driving a bit more and focus on lap times. In a heavy sim game like Asset Corsa, the feedback from the car's tires and their connection to the track is crucial to setting faster lap times.

There are also three modes of force feedback, accessible through the wheel's easy-to-use on-board interface: FFB 1 is the standard response as determined by the game, FFB 2 is a slightly more powerful response, and FFB 3 is an additional source. I recommend FFB 3 whenever possible. The extra feedback provided does not compromise the accuracy of the response in any way.

However, compared to a direct drive unit like the Fanatec GT DD Pro, the T248's response is much weaker. It can be a bit muted if you really throw it around on a rocky surface. That said, it's not likely that anything at this price point will appeal to both casual gamers and seasoned racers more than the T248. Perhaps the fan-favorite T300RS with hot-swappable wheels and belt-driven force feedback, but that would miss the T248's shortcomings.

Cons such as the impressive pedal set; the T248 comes with Thrustmaster's T3PM pedal set; the T3PM pedals are magnetically actuated and covered with metal plates for long-term use without degradation. They are also great feeling brakes and set up right out of the box. The brakes can be fine-tuned with the included spring, and the small washer can be removed to adjust the overall feel of the brake in four different ways.

You may run into problems if you install the stiffest springs and washers on the pedals without frame or pedal support. When enough braking force is applied, the pedals will either tilt upward or move around, which can be quite frustrating when trying to break course records. We tested both pedals on carpet and on a smooth floor, and both experienced the same problem of shifting unexpectedly.

In short, some sort of racing sim frame is essential if you want to step up your sim racing experience. I have yet to find a pedal set with a decent brake pedal that can withstand the high pace and aggressive braking required by most games. That's true of the pedals that come with the Fanatec GT DD Pro and the Logitech G923, although the latter's carpet grip system definitely helps to minimize that movement.

Overall, however, this is an impressive set of pedals for the price, and we can report good form in other areas as well.

The T248's paddle shifters are the most responsive I've ever used. It is magnetic and I have yet to miss a gear when using it. The Logitech G923 paddle shifters feel great, but I often miss shift when I use them; the T248 shifters are really responsive and can definitely chop shifts, but there is one thing you should know before praising them too much.

The T248 paddles are loud. Really loud.

Not only are these the best I've used, they are by far the loudest. The plastic hits the plastic and rapidly returns to its original position with a deafening thud.

The T248 is also made of fairly cheap plastic; not that I'm worried about the T248's longevity, but the look and feel in the hand is not up to the G923's finish. It's a bit of a shame, because the T248 is superior when it comes to usability, on-board interface, and button layout.

There are some things we like about the Thrustmaster T248, and some things we find so-so. But fortunately, if you focus on doing what you do best, I think these "so-so" parts make up for the minor features that are less important. There are few bad parts.

The T248's impressive force feedback is most important when you're pushing for the pole, and the T248 is completely unbeatable by its competitors in this regard. the T300RS is a great option as a basis for a racing sim setup (especially if you have the T 248) if you need the same pedals as the T248.

As with most PC hardware, you can get a decent quality product if you invest a little more of your racing wheel budget, but the Thrustmaster T248 is a great fit for both new racers and enthusiasts who don't want to spend a fortune.