Thrustmaster Becomes Official Partner of Gran Turismo World Series and Unveils 5th Officially Licensed Steering Wheel

Thrustmaster has announced a new chapter in its long-standing partnership with Polyphony Digital, becoming an official partner of Gran Turismo World Series; additionally the company has announced the T-GT III, an officially licensed Gran Turismo 7 Steering Wheel for PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5, and compatible with PC.

“We have a long-standing partnership with THRUSTMASTER, who, over the years, have remained faithful to Gran Turismo by offering solutions which enhance the driving experience. The journey we’ve taken together has allowed us to extend the desired sensations through a steering wheel as technology and the game have evolved. We are delighted to welcome them as partners of Gran Turismo World Series,” comments Kazunori Yamauchi, producer of the Gran Turismo series.

“Meeting Gran Turismo’s exacting standards is no small feat. In the 16 years we’ve been working together, Yamauchi-san’s motto has remained a commitment to the game in every sense of the word; this has allowed us to take on projects that we believe no one else would have accepted in order to achieve that level of fidelity. This collaboration continues to inspire our teams year after year because passion remains at the heart of our discussions,” adds Gilles Raulet, Director of Development and Licensing at Thrustmaster. 

 

You can learn the details below.

About:

A historic collaboration etched into the legend of racing simulation

For 16 years, Thrustmaster and Gran Turismo have pushed the boundaries of racing simulation together to offer players ever more realistic driving experiences. As a long standing-partner, Thrustmaster served as the “Official Hardware Partner of Gran Turismo World Series” from 2018 to 2020, as well as of the prestigious Olympic Esports Series in Singapore in 2023. This new chapter reflects a shared ambition to continually raise the standard for racing simulation.

A pioneer in the development of Officially Licensed Gran Turismo® steering wheels and pedal sets, Thrustmaster has marked the franchise’s history with major innovations:

T500RS GT Edition (2011): “The Founding Innovation”: the first Thrustmaster steering wheel for Gran Turismo 5 to use a dual-belt-and-pulley drive mechanism and equipped with a Quick Release system; accompanied by a reversible, 100% metal pedal set for the PlayStation®3 console.

As early as 2010, during the unveiling of the T500RS GT Edition, Kazunori Yamauchi had already summed up the requirements of this partnership: “The goal I set for the Thrustmaster team was to design for me the most precise steering wheel ever developed, with low latency, to faithfully reproduce the feel of GT5.”

T300RS GT Edition (2016): “Redefining Smoothness”: This flagship model redefined the standards of its era by becoming the very first Thrustmaster steering wheel to feature a brushless Force Feedback motor.

T-GT Series (2017): “Our most faithful-to-game” model—the first Thrustmaster steering wheel to feature T-DFB technology, a transducer designed to reproduce the vibrations and invisible yet essential road details in GT Sport. It also introduced the first steering wheel to feature more than 13 buttons on the PlayStation®4 console, equipped with its four iconic rotary encoders for adjusting settings during a race.

The T-GT experience enters a new era

True to the original vision inspired by Kazunori Yamauchi, Thrustmaster reaffirms its commitment to gamers by unveiling the T-GT III, an Officially Licensed Gran Turismo® 7 Steering Wheel for Playstation®4 and PlayStation®5 consoles. This is the very first Direct Axial Drive bundle designed for Gran Turismo, as well as the first to natively integrate a load-cell pedal set.

Thanks to the Direct Axial Drive motor architecture inspired by today's most advanced performance hypercars, the T-GT III delivers a constant torque of 5 Nm with an overshoot capacity of up to 10 Nm. This power reserve prevents any saturation and guarantees ultra-low latency as well as instant responsiveness. Combined with Thrustmaster’s Harmony technology and its high-frequency torque, it introduces purpose-built haptic effects to the game: GEAR JOLT, which lets you feel every gear shift, and ENGINE ROAR, which makes the chassis resonate in time with the engine’s RPM.

Staying true to its commitment to innovation, Thrustmaster will continue to evolve the product through software and firmware updates to keep pace with Gran Turismo's SPEC updates, thereby ensuring long-term support for players to continue enjoying an ever-more immersive Gran Turismo experience.

The package includes the iconic T-GT steering wheel, with its leather finish and four rotary encoders directly mapped for Gran Turismo.

Engineered without compromise for the most demanding sim racers, the T-GT III represents the ultimate expression of Thrustmaster's expertise and delivers an authentic and immersive Gran Turismo experience in a turnkey bundle.

Sim racers eager to experience all the new features in the Gran Turismo Spec IV update will be able to purchase the complete T-GT III bundle from December 3 for €699.99, 749.99$, £649.99, ¥ 119 000,00 with worldwide availability expected before Christmas. More details will be revealed in the coming months.