Introduction:
I'm probably one of the few users on here who has owned both the Thrustmaster TX and the Logitech G920. I haven't owned both at the same time to be able to do a side to side comparison, though I've had each for at least a few months, so I thought I'd share some thoughts as I know many people ask about which wheel to get. I have also only used these on the Xbox One as I don't game on a PC. I've used the TX on Forza 5, Horizon 2 and Project Cars. I've only played the G920 on Forza 5, Forza 6 and Project Cars. I have a Fanatec CSR wheel stand that I used with both wheels and pedals to hard mount everything (which is really a necessity with either wheel).
Disclaimer: These are my personal thoughts, I'm not trying to claim one wheel is better than the other. They each have their own positives and negatives. I'm not trying to take a side here on which is better, just starting a conversation that I hope will be helpful to others in choosing which wheel is better than them.
Just for background, I got my Thrustmaster TX about a year ago. The first one I got lasted 30 seconds on Forza 5. It went into a corner, it locked up and made a burning smell with smoke coming out the vents. It wouldn't register on either the PC or the Xbox so I returned it and bought a second one. The second TX wheel I had I used for 9 months. Never had a problem with the second wheel, though I never ran it at over 50% FFB or vibration. Just a hunch, but I think many of the problems with TX failures (except my first wheel of course) are related to overheating or excessive heat in the motor unit.
Thrustmaster TX:
This wheel has much stronger FFB than the Logitech G920. Even at half strength it is more powerful than the G920 at 100%. Some people say the TX with it's belt drive is smoother and quieter. I don't feel that is the case. The belt still makes a whirring noise that is audible. The G920 is technically noisier but I wouldn't say either wheel is inaudible.
I like how you can change many of the TX settings from the wheel in the middle of the game (such as DOR and wheel sensitivity). The G920 lacks any adjustability on the Xbox One other than in the controller settings. Also the ability to update drivers on the PC is handy (or a frustration if you're a Mac user like me). They have added many features and also improved the functioning of the cooling fan over time.
The 458 replica wheel looks like a Fisher Price toy and feels cheap. In actual use it isn't as bad, though I found the buttons hard to identify at times. The paddle shifters are pretty good at least with a satisfying click. The pedals also are quite poor. The brake pedal has a spring but it doesn't offer progressive feedback which makes braking difficult. The T3PA pedals are supposed to be much better with the conical brake mod and I'm guessing any of the aftermarket TX wheels are light years ahead of the rather cheap feeling stock TX wheel. The limited edition TX that comes with the T3PA pedals and leather 28 gt wheel rim is what I'd get if you are new to a TX. Another great advantage of the TX is there are aftermarket wheels, pedals and shifter to get. So you have some customization options you don't get with the G920.
The reason I decided to get rid of my wheel is that it was nearing the end of it's warranty period, which is only 1 year in North America. With the amount of TX wheels that have failed, I wasn't sure if I wanted to take the risk of it failing outside of warranty. I have heard mixed things about Thrustmaster support and didn't want to take the chance on having to buy a new wheel if mine failed out of warranty so I opted to get the G920 which has a 2 year warranty. I did try to contact Thrustmaster by phone when my very first wheel died right away, and after 20 minutes of calling I gave up. Both their website and phone message said they were open during the time I was calling but there was no one to talk to. I've heard they are best contacted by e-mail but it can take a few days sometimes. I have e-mailed them with questions and they have replied and been helpful, just slow to respond.
As for price, the TX at around $300 US is a good deal. Budget for new pedals and a better rim or buy the limited edition version with both upgrades included. Wish they did a 2 year warranty for North America.
Logitech G920:
I've had the Logitech G920 for about 2 months now. I know some users have had a problem with a wiring harness coming lose inside the wheel causing buttons not to work sometimes, but mine has been fine so far. The only problem I've had is in Forza 6 with the DOR resetting to 900 despite it being set to something lower in the advanced controller settings. This bug does seem to affect other wheel users as well though, so I don't think it is a hardware problem specific to the G920.
The G920 does have weaker FFB than the TX. In my opinion at 100% the G920 is strong enough for my liking. I always felt that overly strong FFB is unrealistic. Some people also claimed the G920 rotated more slowly than the TX. The G920 does it's calibration rotation slower than the TX, but I think they actually turn a similar speed in a game, with maybe the TX being slightly quicker though there is no advantage to the quicker TX in my opinion.
The G920 does make some noise. When the wheel is turning with FFB there isn't any more noise than the belt drive with the TX. Both wheels are fairly quiet. The G920 does get a gear chatter that is loud and annoying with certain FFB effects, most noticeable for me when driving off a circuit onto the grass. In this respect it does become louder than the TX, but I'm used to it now and it doesn't bother me at all. Some people also say the G920 has a deadzone at centre. I don't notice it in Forza 6 although the steering feel is numb at centre with either wheel. There is a small deadzone to the G920 at centre, but it's so small it's not an issue for me. If you're driving down a straight on a track, the only thing you might miss is a little bump. So you aren't really losing any feedback you need. As soon as you crank in sone steering the wheel firms up nicely.
The included pedals that come with the G920 are fantastic. The brake pedal was stiff the first few times I used it, but once it breaks in it is easier to modulate and very progressive. I can hit my braking threshold very easily. I know ISRTV nocked the resolution of the pedals as being 8-bit with about 250 input values. I don't find the pedal resolution poor at all. In the telemetry in Forza 6 I can modulate the pedals to hit each individual percentage increase on the throttle, so I think any more resolution wouldn't make throttle, clutch and brake inputs any more precise.
The quality of the wheel is much better than the stock TX 458 wheel. The buttons are clearly marked and everything feels quality. Some people say the shift paddles have a long engagement, but I think they feel great with a precise tactile click to tell you they engaged. The leather wrap is fantastic and this feels like something that will last a long time. I like the placement of the buttons on the G920. The "LSB" and "RSB" buttons seem to not work on either Project Cars of Forza 6 on the Xbox One, so I assume they only have PC functionality (or my wheel is defective). The one knock agains the G920 is you are stuck using the included pedals and wheels. Some people like being able to swap out rims using the Thrustmaster Eco-system.
As for the $400 US price, I think the shifter should be included. I bought the shifter as I like the experience of driving a manual shifter, but including it like it was with the G27 would make the price easier to swallow. At $350 or so the wheel would be a better value. I like that Logitech has a 2-year warranty period and I've heard good things about their support for their product.
As a final note, I do have the Driving Force Shifter which I find to be OK for $60. The H-patter is decent, but I do sometimes miss a shift. The leather and steel construction looks durable. The top of the shifter is a plastic piece that is made to look like aluminum with the H-pattern shift map engraved. This is really cheap and I wish they had put an actual aluminum piece on. I have never used the Thrustmaster TH8A shifter so I can't compare them. I have no doubt the TH8A is better in every way. But the $60 Logitech shifter is decent for it's price, so I guess you get what you pay for. I do wish the Logitech shifter had the sequential option like on the G25 as the TH8A also has that option though this is a relatively minor complaint.
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