No one ever said that gaming is an inexpensive hobby.
For example, take the Thrustmaster: TX Racing Wheel, Ferrari 458 Italia Edition for Xbox One. With this steering-wheel controller, players can feel like they are really at the helm of a $400,000 supercar in Microsoft’s upcoming Forza Motorsport 5 driving game (or other racing titles). It re-creates the actual wheel from a Ferrari, has paddle gear shifters, and comes with metal floor pedals.
Thrustmaster’s device is an awesome way to experience racing video games, but to pick it up on launch day (it comes out Nov. 22 alongside Xbox One) it’s gonna set you back $400 at GameStop, as first spotted by Twitter user LikChan.
That means the TX Racing Wheel costs the same as Sony’s next-gen PlayStation 4 console.
Of course, the new racing controller isn’t just old the same old Xbox 360 device repackaged for next gen. Microsoft is using an entirely new type of the rumbling force-feedback technology, and Thrustmaster’s wheel is taking full advantage of that.
“Force feedback has been done for over 15 years,” Xbox director of strategic alliance Branden Powell said in an interview with Microsoft spokesperson Larry Hyrb. “Previously, [game makers had] some canned forces that they could push down to the device to simulate the feeling that they wanted. What we’ve done is figure out a new way to do that using an equation language.”
Powell explains that with the equation language, developers can push down exactly what they want to devices like a racing wheel, and the controller can replicate it exactly.
“It delivers a level of precision [in force feedback] that we just haven’t had before,” said Powell.
Thrustmaster isn’t the only company making a racing wheel for Xbox One. Peripheral manufacturer Mad Catz revealed its Force Feedback Racing Wheel for Xbox One, but it didn’t specify a release date or price.
We’ve reached out to Mad Catz to ask how much it will charge for its controller, and we’ll update this post with any new information.