The Thrustmaster T300RS wheel is a great piece of hardware, but as I noted in my review last week, the pedals it comes with can leave you wanting a bit more – and they don’t include a clutch. That’s where the T3PA pedal set comes in, providing a plug-and-play upgrade that’s compatible with the rest of the company’s ecosystem of wheels.
When Thrustmaster offered to send over a T3PA set to test with the T300RS (Thrustmaster has also purchased advertising on GTPlanet in the past), I was eager to get my hands feet on them to see just how different they felt from the stock set provided with the wheel.
As you can see in this side-by-side photo, the T3PA set (right) looks a bit different from its clutch-less brethren. Although the housing is also plastic, the internal mechanisms and pedal plates are polished metal; they sit a bit higher above their hinge, and provide a more professional appearance overall.
I’m a fan of adjustability, and Thrustmaster’s plates make it easy to reconfigure the pedal positions to your liking. The most common modification is to move the brake and throttle closer to one another. This is more similar to what you’ll find in actual racing cars and makes it easier to execute heel-toe downshifting, which is a personal favorite technique of mine.
A less obvious configuration option is the incline of the pedals. The small pedal supports behind each plate can be rotated to adjust their slant. Of course, you don’t have to use the provided plates at all – there are some third-party aftermarket plates available, or you can swap out plates from other Thrustmaster pedal sets you may have around.
When you’re using them, you’ll notice each pedal spring has a different feel in terms of resistance. The clutch is slightly stiffer than the throttle, and the brake is the strongest of all.
If you want even more resistance, you can install the optional “Conical Brake Mod” which comes packaged with the T3PA. It’s a small rubber cone which can be mounted behind the brake pedal; it provides a much stiffer feel by increasing resistance at the end of the pedal’s travel.
Once installed, you can adjust its position by simply turning the cone with your finger, effectively giving you full control over the brake’s range of motion. I like a lot of range to modulate the brake, so I preferred the cone in its most distant position; where it provided a nice feeling under maximum braking, much different from the stock pedals.
This brake mod is really what sets these pedals apart from those included with the T500RS, which look and otherwise feel the same. Of course, the T500’s set includes a frame which allows the pedals to be inverted in a top-hinged configuration, but they don’t support Thrustmaster’s brake mod – you’ll have to find bushings from a third party if you want to adjust them.
The T3PAs, however, are really designed for owners of Thrustmaster’s other wheels, including the T300RS, T300 Ferrari GTE, TX Racing Wheel Ferrari 458 Italia Edition, and Ferrari 458 Spider Racing Wheel. All of those wheels include basic two-pedal sets, and the T3PA offers an easy upgrade which, in my opinion, will significantly improve the overall sim-racing experience.
Currently priced at $99 USD on Amazon, you can buy the T3PAs with the T300RS ($399.99) for a total of $498, which still comes in at $100 less than the T500RS ($599). Because I prefer the T300RS due to its force feedback and PS4 compatibility, I would recommend the T300RS/T3PA combination to new wheel buyers over the T500RS set. If you already own the T500RS, though, the T3PAs are not different enough from your existing pedals to warrant a new purchase.
Check out my T300RS review for more information, and stay tuned for my review of the TH8A shifter coming up next week. If you found this review helpful, you can purchase the T3PA from any of the Amazon affiliate links above to support GTPlanet. As always, leave any questions in the comments below, and visit our Sim Racing Hardware forum for lots more discussion.
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Ah, and again, not available anywhere in europe as usual. Thanks Thrustmaster!
Dear friends, at the moment T300RS and T3PA is the only decent steering wheel that get support and compatibility for PS4. Of course, due to the only one wheel the price is very expensive, to spend 500$ for a this pedal set is much. Said this, I tested T300RS and T3PA with Driveclub and PS4, what can I say? That’s not bad, but the price of 500$ is huge.
PS Forget to play T300RS with pedal set included in the box, is ridicolous.
Great review, is the price as stated in USD?
Good review Jordan, I will definitely keep this set up on my list if PD doesn’t get G25/25 support for GT7 and my PS4. Any word on the Shifter or is that simply just buying what Thrustmaster have available? I have Drive Club and DS4 leave a lot to be desired when it comes to steering quickly and making small adjustments, not sure why but I’m anxious to test DC with my G25 for some odd reason.
For PS4 use, the Thrustmaster TH8A shifter will be your only option (fortunately, it’s really good). I’ll be publishing my full review on it next week, meanwhile check out this forum thread on the shifter for more info.
Thanks Jordan, that is looking like a very nice proposition for me a wheel with a brushless motor and the shifter that won’t have issues due to normal wear and tear. I think I’ll have to set aside a nice budget for this wheel, shifter and pedal set. I watched some of the video but didn’t notice anything about being able to reduce the height of the shifter arm(I love short throw for some odd reason, this thing reminds me of a pick shift stick long as an arm). Perhaps shift knobs would cut down on the look of the length? Not sure but I hope there is something I can do to give it a shorter throw, either way i’ll more than likely get it since it does have a beautiful look and sounds like durable multiuse tech. I await your review, please leave nothing out no matter how trivial you think it may be.
I do wish the throw was shorter; unfortunately there is no way to reduce the height of the stick. A different knob might help, but it wouldn’t be much. There are some third-party shift plates which help shorten the throw, but they can be hard to track down.
You could just cut the shifter shaft, cut an identical thread into it and screw the knob back on.
I waited 4 months between the original launch date (November) and now for them to be for sale in any shop here (EU: NL)… Release date kept being pushed back. Still no sign. And sadly my country doesn’t have a direct sale channel via the Thrustmaster website.
I’m starting to think that Thrustmaster isn’t going to release them in more than a few countries….. Anyone have good info on territory release dates?
Thanks for the extra detail in parts here, Jordan.
It seems it’s going to take a lot for me to get rid of my old load-cell-modded G25 pedals, for the price / performance they bring. Which is a shame because the G25 wheel itself is a far cry from what’s available now.
Still holding out on PS4 compatibility from benevolent developers (pwease Kaz), but “home-brewing” something to suit my specific needs may be my only option (again).
I’ve been interested in Thrustmaster combo lately , but seeing the price I’d pay in stores for : TX300 + pedals w.clutch + TH8PA shifter = 650€ ,versus: TX500 + TH8PA shifter combo = 560€ ,makes TX300 not so good value for money :( . No doubt they’re both decent wheels with some new tech ,but pricing is just ridiculous compared to Logitech products. Since I don’t plan to buy PS4 for at least a year ,I’m in no hurry and by the time GT7 comes out ,no doubt those wheels will get cheaper for few € or maybe ,just maybe, there will be support for older wheels.
The more I read about the new Thrustmaster gear the more I hope they add support for other wheels…not impressed in the least.
I’m confident my T500RS came with an optional increased pedal resistance as well actually
Not as good as the pedals that come with the t500rs. No option of inverted mounting, and don’t look as well made.
Are you crazy? These are junk compared to the t500 pedals. There is a reason they only cost 99$. The brake mod thing is a joke. There are other options out there. I understand that the review might be bias but as a previous owner of this set I have to 100% disagree about how great this set is.
The T3PAs are virtually identical to the T500RS pedals, aside from the fact they can’t be inverted. I’m not sure why you would call them “junk”.
OK junk is not the right word. I’ll give you that, but when it comes to comparing them to a set of T500’s it is not what I would do. Sure they might be similar but to say virtually identical is pushing it. The brake mod thingy that comes with the set is not even close to ideal. Way to much flex in the base and the rubber bumper is not what I would call a progressive feel. To get it to work just right is so time consuming that its not worth the effort to dial in. Even if you do get it right I found that it still will adjust itself in time which will require you to adjust it again.
Without the conical mod installed (which is entirely optional), I can’t feel any difference under foot between the T3PAs and the T500 pedals, and there is no significant flex in the T3PAs that I can see. If I give the brake pedal all the force I can muster (much harder than I ever would if I was actually playing a game), the accelerator does move a few millimeters, but it’s a total non-issue.
Even if you do prefer the T500’s pedals, it’s a moot point: you can’t purchase those pedals separately as you can with the T3PAs. I stand by my opinion that the T300RS+T3PA set is a better buy than the T500RS, and it’s $100 cheaper, too.
I agree Jordan. I’d take the T3PA’s over the T500’s anyday especially with the conical brake mod.
And I’d also take the T300 base over the T500 as well so I have to agree with you on that too. It’s $100 less and better in almost every way. The only thing I hate about the T300 is the paddles being attached to the wheel. I’ve only had my T300 for a week and already have hit the wrong paddle several times because the wheel was turned upside down. I can’t believe some people would rather have paddles on the wheel instead of having them in the same place all the time frankly.
Interesting perspective, Tom. By contrast, I prefer the attached paddles of the T300. My hands rarely leave the 3/9 positions, so I found the stationary paddles on the T500 were sometimes out of reach in some corners, forcing me to let go of the wheel mid-turn.
I’m also glad the paddles are attached to the wheel and not the base. I’ve gotten accustomed to it with the G27 and have no interest in switching.
The only problem is that they’re not available anywhere…
They have been out of stock everywhere since December or so.
I didn’t realize the T3PA was that cheaply priced. The adjustable brake mod would really come in handy for racing without ABS. Nice review Jordan, thanks.
I can’t find them for sale in the UK other than from Thrustmaster for £89.99, which works out at $138.84. Not such a good deal for UK consumers.
It is a great price. Great value compared to other pedals and shifters on the market.
Do you consider it “great value” to buy a wheel for about £250 that ships with rubbish pedals, & then have to spend a further £89 for better pedals?
This is my main objection. I wonder what the reasoning behind not upgrading the T500 with the new bits of motor tech in the T300 is (I’m comparing because I’d want the shifter, too). Aside from the cynically obvious, but full benefit of doubt given.
I don’t particularly see that I’d need a spare set of pedals, either.
@VBR I meant the T3PA pedals. $100 is a great deal on these pedals. Compare them to Fanatec Clubsports at $200. I don’t think anyone would try to say that the clubsports are worth twice as much money. Hell, Fanatec’s CSR pedals are $80 and they’re no where near as good as these.
@TomBrady you must be kidding, Clubsports not worth twice the money? Considering they are about ten times as good as these little plastic toy pedals….
I’m so happy with the T300 stock pedals that I’m no longer worried about getting the T3PA. At least not for a long time. I just got the T300 and the T3PA just aren’t a necessity. The stock pedals are awesome.
Not awesome… just fine.
I’m using the T500 pedals with my T300 and i have to say, the difference is hugh!
I disagree. I’ve used the T500 pedals and if it weren’t for the clutch I’d take the T300 pedals anyday.
Wh… w…why?!
The T500 pedals have a better quality in every single aspect than the T300.
Do you like the hugh deadzone in the T300 pedals? Is that it?
Yeah, I don’t get the “stock pedals are awesome” thing. Everyone I know that’s gotten the wheel says they are very basic, low quality pieces, suitable for a casual user, but nowhere near on the level a dedicated sim racer would be satisfied with. And without a clutch pedal…well it’s just not sim racing without a clutch…lol. If all one is used to is a DFGT I’m sure they seem fine. But even for me going to the G27 pedals with the GTEYE mod is like night and day from the DFGT and I could never go backwards. Different strokes I guess.
I know right? Just like some here saying the T3PA’s are as good as the T5000’s pedals. For the casual user sure they will be the fine or seem the same but to a more hardcore person you look at what is or can be done to them to improve the product or how they stack up from the get go. I’m sorry but a cheap plastic base that weights nothing is not the same as a tank of a steel base that has inversion options and better options for brake mods. I dont care if the TX/T300 and the add on pedals are cheaper than a T500. That is not even a fair comparison. One is new generation and the other is older generation for consoles that is.