Thrustmaster has shown off the first new sim racing hardware of 2018. Say hello to the TS-PC Racer Ferrari 488 Challenge Edition.
It’s the latest in a string of Prancing Horse-branded items from the company. At the beginning of December, Thrustmaster took the wraps off the tasty 250 GTO add-on wheel. Shortly after—and at the other end of the price spectrum—it showed the T80 Ferrari 488 Edition to the world.
As the name implies, the 488 CE is based off the unit found in the latest one-make series from Ferrari. It’s a nine-tenths scale model, clocking in at 12.6″ across. With hand-stitched Alcantara wrapping the rim, the face houses no less than 25 programmable buttons. For maximum accuracy, they’re all accurately labelled, though sadly we don’t think the wheel can actually provide a drink (yet).
A keen eye will notice the LED rev lights punctuating the top of the wheel plate. This marks a first for a Thrustmaster product.
The base is the same as the regular TS-PC. Launched back in late 2016, the TS-PC boasts a powerful 40-watt brushless motor and an embedded cooling system. It also features the turbo-shaped external power supply; not simply a gimmick, the shape drastically reduces heat build-up.
Regular readers will have known this was coming. Last autumn, a sleuthing GTPlanet staff member uncovered a variety of future products from Thrustmaster. All three of the Ferrari items appeared on the document, so it stands to reason the remainder can’t be too far behind.
The TS-PC Racer Ferrari 488 Challenge Edition should now be available from various retailers. It’ll come with a sticker of $699.99 USD, making it one of the pricier sim-racing items from Thrustmaster, behind the GT Sport-optimized T-GT.
See more articles on Ferrari, Steering Wheels, and Thrustmaster.
