Thrustmaster Competition Wheel AddOn Sparco P310 Mod – Review

Thrustmaster Competition Wheel AddOn Sparco P310 Mod – Review

Ordering and shipping

Thrustmaster’s steering wheel can be purchased regularly from many of the major retailers for electronic accessories in Germany. The prices fluctuate in the course of the year roughly between 170 and 200€, the recommended price is 200€. The wheel used here was purchased from Amazon and was delivered on the next business day (Prime shipping).

Compatibility

The Competition Wheel AddOn Sparco P310 is compatible with all current relevant wheelbases from the Thrustmaster range. The listing in detail:

• T300 RS
• T500 RS
• TX Racing Wheel
• TS-XW RACER

Additionally, the manufacturer states compatibility with all relevant platforms:

• PS4™
• Xbox One®
• PC (Windows® 10, 8, 7).

The steering wheel presented in this review was operated on a T300 base under Windows 10.

Features (The steering wheel in detail)

The steering wheel is an officially licensed 1:1 replica of the very popular Sparco P310 (Link to Sparco: https://www.sparco-official.com/de/p310.html), which is also the name giver. Only the two buttons embedded in the steering wheel rim of the original must be omitted here. The 31 cm diameter steering wheel is covered in black suede and makes a much higher quality impression than the standard steering wheel included with the T300 base. It is considerably more torsion-resistant and at the same time has a higher-quality finish.

The steering wheel is equipped with comparatively few controls, which are surrounded by a carbon look trim:

• 9 action buttons
• 1 D-pad with push button.
• 2 adjustable sequential shift paddles (13cm long) made of full metal
• The shift paddles

Shift paddles

The paddle shifters of the Sparco mod are made entirely of metal and are similar to those of the standard steering wheel. They can be screwed in two different positions (see photo). They are pleasant to hold and provide a gentle feedback about the shifting process, but they don’t come close to the feel of high-quality magnetic shifters. Overall, however, they are quite positive, especially in view of the purchase price.

The buttons

The buttons of the steering wheel are the biggest point of criticism for me personally. They have an extremely short travel and thus offer very sparse feedback when pressed. While they work flawlessly and without fail, they are not really an advantage over the standard steering wheel in my opinion.

Size and weight

With a diameter of 31 cm, the steering wheel is about three centimeters larger than the standard T300 steering wheel. At the same time, however, it is about 200g lighter at just over one kilo. It’s therefore not to be expected that you’ll have to accept a strong loss of force feedback effects by switching to the larger Sparco mod.

Grips

The steering wheel rim covered with black suede is probably the biggest difference compared to the conventional T300 steering wheel. It feels very comfortable in the hand as a result and has a very high-quality feel to it. However, proper care is necessary for long-lasting good looks. With its D-shape, the steering wheel stands out from the mass of round variants, but in my opinion this is purely a matter of taste.

Quickrelease

There are no surprises with the quickrelease of the P310. The well-known Thrustmaster twist lock is also used here. It is simple and straightforward in its function, but perfectly adequate.

Conclusion

After all, the Competition Wheel AddOn Sparco P310 is a clear recommendation for all those who value an improved feel or are simply looking for a somewhat larger steering wheel.