Hero image: The Thrustmaster T-GT III. Image: Thrustmaster
Thrustmaster has become an Official Partner of the Gran Turismo World Series, and has used the moment to reveal the T-GT III — its fifth officially licensed Gran Turismo 7 steering wheel.
The announcement on gran-turismo.com went up on Saturday, the day of the series’ Round 3 event in Singapore.
The T-GT III is a bundle, and it is a first on two counts for Gran Turismo. It is the first Direct Axial Drive bundle designed for the game, and the first bundle to include a load-cell pedal set.
On paper, the wheel delivers a constant torque of 5 Nm, with an overshoot capacity of up to 10 Nm. The announcement says that power reserve prevents saturation and guarantees ultra-low latency.
It also adds two haptic effects with their own names — GEAR JOLT, which lets you feel every gear shift, and ENGINE ROAR, which makes the chassis resonate in time with the engine’s revs.
Thrustmaster says it will keep updating the T-GT III’s software and firmware to keep pace with Gran Turismo’s Spec updates — the next of which, Spec IV Part 1, arrives on 15 October.
Australian sim racers will have to wait. The complete bundle goes on sale at the end of the year, with worldwide availability expected before Christmas. The announcement gives no price, and says more details will come in the coming months.
The two companies have worked together for 16 years. “We are delighted to welcome them as a partners of Gran Turismo World Series,” Gran Turismo series producer Kazunori Yamauchi said in the announcement.
Thrustmaster’s Gilles Raulet, Director of Development and Licensing, spoke to the standard involved. “Meeting Gran Turismo’s exacting standards is no small feat,” he said.
The partnership doesn’t change the hardware on stage. Thrustmaster joins Moza as an Official Partner, while Fanatec remains the Official Steering Wheel Partner — and Fanatec gear is still what the drivers use at World Series live events, including the Singapore round that Gamers Classified covered this morning.
Source: Gran Turismo – Thrustmaster Becomes Official Partner of Gran Turismo World Series, Gran Turismo – Spec IV Part 1 trailer unveiled