Moving from a T300 to a T598 changes more than the wheel in your hands. The T598 is a direct drive base with 5 Nm of constant torque and up to 100% overshoot, while the T300 uses a belt to pass force from the motor to the rim. That means sharper, faster forces reach your frame, so a stable mount, the right mounting pattern and a solid pedal position matter more than before. Your rims, shifter and handbrake often carry over, but your desk clamp or wobbly stand usually does not.
In this guide you learn what really changes on your setup, what you keep and when a dedicated sim rig starts to make sense.
What is the real difference between a T300 and a T598?
The biggest change sits inside the base, and it shapes everything around it.
Belt drive versus direct axial drive
The T300 uses a brushless motor with a belt system. The belt smooths out small details, so the wheel feels soft and a little delayed. The T598 uses what Thrustmaster calls a Direct Axial Drive motor. The motor connects straight to the shaft, with no belt in between. Thrustmaster promises zero cogging and an ultra low latency of 5 ms. In plain words: you feel kerbs, slides and grip changes almost at the moment they happen.
Why overshoot matters for your mount
Thrustmaster lists 5 Nm of constant torque with an overshoot of up to 100%. Overshoot is a short burst above the constant level, for example when you hit a kerb or catch a slide. These bursts are short, but they are sharp. A T300 on a desk already moves a little. A T598 on the same desk moves more, because every quick force pushes and pulls on the clamp. So the upgrade asks more from whatever holds the base.
What do you keep from your T300 setup?
The good news is that a large part of your Thrustmaster gear stays useful.
Rims, shifter and handbrake
The T598 works inside the Thrustmaster ecosystem. Thrustmaster says the standard rim swaps for many existing Wheel Add On models, although some of them need an adapter. The TH8A and TH8S shifters and the TSS handbrake also appear on the official compatibility list. So if you built up a collection of rims and extras around your T300, most of it moves over to the new base.
Pedals that still fit the picture
The T598 comes with Raceline Pedals LTE, a two pedal set with H.E.A.R.T. sensors. Many T300 owners already use the T3PA pedals, and Thrustmaster lists the T3PA as compatible with the T598. That gives you a clutch again for manual cars. The T598 pedals sit on the floor with non slip pads, which works on carpet for a while but slides under hard braking. A fixed pedal deck solves that for good.
SIMGASM | Hobby Aluminum Sim Racing Cockpit - White
What changes in how you mount the base?
This is where most T300 owners need to rethink their setup.
Hard mounting instead of clamping
Thrustmaster designed the T598 with four attachment points on the underside of the base for cockpit mounting, plus a desk mounting option. Direct mounting on a wheel deck keeps the base low and removes the play that a clamp adds. Before you order, compare the official T598 mounting diagram with the exact mount on the cockpit page. A mount made for another Thrustmaster base does not automatically fit the T598. On SIMGASM cockpits, the Bottom Mount covers supported underside patterns from Thrustmaster and several other brands. Our guide on bottom, front or side mounting explains the differences step by step.
A lower and more natural wheel position
On a desk, the wheel often sits too high and too far away. On a frame, you set the wheel height, the reach and the angle once, and they stay put. Johan Akkerman, founder and product designer of SIMGASM, treats seating position, wheel angle and pedal geometry as performance factors, not cosmetic details. He knows the desk phase well: he started sim racing in 2008 with Gran Turismo and a PlayStation controller, later moved to a Logitech G25 and even welded his first frame from used gas pipes.
SIMGASM | Club Aluminum Sim Racing Cockpit - Black
Does a T598 need a stronger frame than a T300?
It needs a stable frame, but not an oversized one.
Hobby as the starting point
SIMGASM places the T598 in its up to 16 Nm Hobby category. The Hobby uses a 40 × 40 mm main aluminium profile and handles a rated braking load of 150 kg at the pedal deck. That gives the T598 a fixed foundation for steering, seating and pedals. If you still wonder whether you need a frame at all, read does the Thrustmaster T598 need a cockpit first.
When the Club makes more sense
The Club steps up to a 40 × 80 mm main profile and a rated braking load of 200 kg. SIMGASM advises the Club if you often race at the highest force setting, brake hard on a load cell pedal or plan a stronger base later. For long sessions at maximum force, the Club is the SIMGASM choice for a flex free platform. You find every matching option in the Thrustmaster T598 cockpit collection.
SIMGASM | Hobby Aluminum Sim Racing Cockpit - MARINI
How do you plan the switch step by step?
A short plan saves you from buying parts twice.
A simple upgrade order
Start with the base and the frame, because they decide how the wheel feels. Then mount the pedals on the deck, so your brake stays in the same place every lap. Our guide on mounting T598 pedals on a cockpit shows how. After that, add the shifter, the handbrake and a screen at the right height. Each step builds on the last one.
Check your space first
The Hobby measures 500 × 1270 × 580 mm (W × L × H), and the Club 500 × 1350 × 620 mm. Measure the spot where the rig goes and leave room to get in and out. A compact sim racing cockpit fits in most bedrooms, offices and gaming corners.
Quick answers about upgrading from a T300 to a T598
These are the questions T300 owners ask most before they switch.
Do my T300 rims work on the T598?
Many Thrustmaster Wheel Add On rims work on the T598. Some need an adapter, so check the official Thrustmaster compatibility list for your rim.
Do the T3PA pedals work with the T598?
Yes. Thrustmaster lists the T3PA pedals as compatible with the T598, so you keep a clutch pedal for manual cars.
Does the T598 work on PS5?
Yes. The T598 works on PS5, PS4 and PC. The cockpit itself works with any platform, because it only holds your hardware.
Is a seat included with a SIMGASM cockpit?
No. SIMGASM sells seats separately, so you choose the seat that fits your body and your driving style.
Want to learn more? The SIMGASM experts are happy to help.
