Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Thrust To The Finish With The Thrustmaster

In the days of passenger space travel, mind boggling robotics and an unprecedented level of graphical detail and design, gamers often ask the question “Is this the best there is” when it comes to their gaming controllers. Although designed to perfectly handle all inputs by the user, when it comes to racing, it’s often a lamented upon fact that console controllers and joysticks leave the gamers yearning for better, faster and more realistic controllers. Thus came by the development and introduction of the racing wheel. Manufactured and sold by many electronics giants, these racing wheels have different levels of control, realism and designs.



Again however, people asked the same proverbial question because of the many problems in the design of these wheels. Some are too light, some too sensitive, some face a problem of latency while some simply cannot take more than one input at a time. Apart from this, those who want to experience the power of force feedback and the sheer gritty realism that it can simulate were left unsatisfied because of weak motors and spotty performances. Racing wheels which came with pedals in order to completely simulate the driving cockpit environments, were starting to become an over hyped and incomplete solution to the problems faced by the people.

There were several problems that came with different kinds of racing wheels. These included time lags (imagine trying to judge the lag and attempting a tight 180 in a race), over sensitivity (the slightest shift in the wheel could send the car careening at breakneck speed into the sidelines affecting time, position and in some games affecting damage to the car) and lack of feedback. Hardcore racing fans were often frustrated because they were unable to tap the entire potential of the game and the car leaving them completely unfulfilled.



Some say experience is the mother of all teaching and teaching is the mother of all invention. Muscling its way into the market, the Thrustmaster T500RS racing wheel quickly and successfully demolished competition and thrust its way (excuse the pun!) into the attentions of hardcore gamers. Built almost entirely out of metal, the racing console consists of the racing wheel which is table mounted and the pedals which can be either floor mounted or hanging (depending on the type of racing the user is indulging in). The wheel console weights a hefty 10 pounds while the pedals come in at 18 pounds. Needless to say it’s one of the heaviest console systems around the market, but that also makes it the best. Attribute it to the ingenious yet very simple design or the sheer power of the materials packed in the casing, the console provides the best and closest simulation to real driving that gamers can possibly achieve without actually getting behind the wheel of a racing machine. 

The weight allows for an extra strength motor for force feedback, extreme control, balance of sensitivity and even allows for sheer precision. Readers may find it hard to believe that such a heavy controller can provide such precision control but it’s made possible because of the patented H.E.A.R.T or HallEffect AccuRate Technology which is basically being used in flight sticks in combat fighters these days. The direct result of the inclusion of this technology is a deadly precise and impeccably accurate steering wheel with as many as 65386 values and 16-Bit resolution. It’s not every day that consoles such ingenuity is exercised in gaming controller design.

For those thinking about the force feedback on the wheel, the 65W motor of industrial build which provides 150mNm at 3000 RPM provides more than a simple sensation during driving. The power of the force feedback is enough to leave drivers sweating in their seats as if they were in a 4D theatre watching a their car come close to the side rail. Designed to suit literally unlimited driving styles, the wheel is adjustable in all sense of configuration and works well whether gamers are drifting, drag racing, sprinting, time running or anything more imaginable. Be it GT style racing with heavy cars or f1 style racing with almost inhuman speeds, the T500RS makes short work because of its 1080 degree configuration. The HEART technology that provides the control is made up of a contactless magnetic sensor system which allows for longevity and the system is completely open to any further upgrades that the company may launch. Realism is even further accentuated because of the brushless metal used in the make along with non slip rating at the bottom and 100% adjustable pedals. The brake pedal offers the correct amount of resistance and the entire floor console is made authentic with the slip eliminating texture of the floor.




Because of its sturdy and extremely heavy design and the use of metal, the console continues to operate with the same deadly efficiency and effortlessness even after a prolonged period of time. Durability which is very important in these cases because of the constant or intermittent high level of use and pressure is at its highest and best. The console requires nothing more than the simple occasional dusting before its ready to muscle its way into the fantasies of the gamer and make them come alive. A fantastic level of versatility which is lent by the high level of technology (contactless metal sensors and patented HEART technology counts as super high end tech) makes the console perfect for any racing gamer and literally any type and style of race. To generate the extremely high level of control while effortlessly controlling the backlash and instability, the system uses a dual belt system which assures that while the force of bumps and turns and crashes is felt, there is no loss of control in the wheel or any major disturbance. 

Basically speaking it means that people can feel all the forces that can affect the racing wheel and their hands while racing, without actually feeling the damage or adverse effects of crashes. Such simulation is highly coveted by gamers. Literally thrusting out the competition, the T500RS racing wheel has earned the reputation of unbeatable.       

0 comments:

Post a Comment