Thrustmaster Reveal New Ferrari SF1000 Add-On Wheel

TRASGU · Apr 21, 2021

They did 99% of the job flawlessly, and they screwed so much the other 1% that I'm not sold out on the idea of purchasing it.

On the reviews that I've seen the wheel wiggles quite a lot even with the mere force of pushing a button or with the force of just resting your hands on the wheel, that much flexing is unaceptable, that's just a lazy mechanical engineering work. I'm not sugesting to make the wheel hub made in metal, or having a quick release. But the back of the wheel surounding the plastic wheel hub is made of metal, they could at least made 4 x M5 threaded holes to atach a mounting plate or something sturdier.

The wheel lacks buttons and rotarys that the real wheel has (minor inconvenience, but it was supposed to be a replica of the real one they licensed) and also sports a dpad that rubs me the wrong way, it does'n belong in a f1 replica wheel.

From reviews it seems that 3 of the rotarys are already locked as display controls (very frustrating, but at least it's firmware fixable if thrustmaster has the will to fix it), the paddles for the clutch don't make any sense, the real life wheel only has 1 and it is way longer than those 2 in order to allow better sensitivity.

In all the reviews that I have seen until now nobody has tested them on camera, so I don't even know if they are digital (god forbid they don't dare to do them digital) or analog, nor if they can be configured to be used as an adjustable bite point 2 stage clutch release (another thing that could be fixed in firmware, and the only reasonable reason to install 2 clutch paddles).

Nowadays simhub is a de facto simracing standard that is offered free of charge unless you want 60fps framrates, it allows infinite customability, free support and exchange of custom designs and compatibility with any game on existence.

Their first engineering meeting with the directives must have been similar to this:

Thrustmaster engineer: well we can benefict from the comunity work and wide compatibility with all racing games saving man hours of coding work and only having to make the display compatible with a free of charge software that most of our user base already uses.

Directive: You are fired, Steve. We can't shill the **** out of it if the market for wheels with lcd displays gains traction. We must go the propietary software route just in case.

So by now the display only works with a single game, we don't know if they will add support for other games, and in the future after the wheel is discontinued a lot of people will be screwed with no compatibility with any titles that come after that point in time, meanwhile everybody with simhub compatible hardware will have compatiblilty with any game for life. Thankfully it also can be fixed via a firmware update.

It's frustrating, I like 99% of the wheel, the price is on point, but the propietary display implementation, the paddles, the wheel hub, the lack of buttons and rotarys are pushing me away from purchasing it when on paper I should be totally gushing over it. It is so close that just I feel myself only a firmware update and a sturdier hub away from purchasing it.

eg01st · Apr 21, 2021

In 2 weeks they will announce non-special unlimited edition for 249 euros XD

Badwheels · Apr 21, 2021

The war has begun. Just got a note from Fanatec saying the CSL is now Direct Drive.

Ruy Horta · Apr 21, 2021

I’ll buy - but wait for August’s regular release.
lcd, decoders, build, worthwhile if you are in the system.

CDwyer · Apr 21, 2021

TRASGU said:
so I don't even know if they are digital (god forbid they don't dare to do them digital) or analog, nor if they can be configured to be used as an adjustable bite point 2 stage clutch release (another thing that could be fixed in firmware, and the only reasonable reason to install 2 clutch paddles).

Someone said that they are mapped to braking and acceleration for the F1 games.

RichardHessels · Apr 22, 2021

TRASGU said:
They did 99% of the job flawlessly, and they screwed so much the other 1% that I'm not sold out on the idea of purchasing it.

On the reviews that I've seen the wheel wiggles quite a lot even with the mere force of pushing a button or with the force of just resting your hands on the wheel, that much flexing is unaceptable, that's just a lazy mechanical engineering work. I'm not sugesting to make the wheel hub made in metal, or having a quick release. But the back of the wheel surounding the plastic wheel hub is made of metal, they could at least made 4 x M5 threaded holes to atach a mounting plate or something sturdier.

The wheel lacks buttons and rotarys that the real wheel has (minor inconvenience, but it was supposed to be a replica of the real one they licensed) and also sports a dpad that rubs me the wrong way, it does'n belong in a f1 replica wheel.

From reviews it seems that 3 of the rotarys are already locked as display controls (very frustrating, but at least it's firmware fixable if thrustmaster has the will to fix it), the paddles for the clutch don't make any sense, the real life wheel only has 1 and it is way longer than those 2 in order to allow better sensitivity.

In all the reviews that I have seen until now nobody has tested them on camera, so I don't even know if they are digital (god forbid they don't dare to do them digital) or analog, nor if they can be configured to be used as an adjustable bite point 2 stage clutch release (another thing that could be fixed in firmware, and the only reasonable reason to install 2 clutch paddles).

Nowadays simhub is a de facto simracing standard that is offered free of charge unless you want 60fps framrates, it allows infinite customability, free support and exchange of custom designs and compatibility with any game on existence.

Their first engineering meeting with the directives must have been similar to this:

Thrustmaster engineer: well we can benefict from the comunity work and wide compatibility with all racing games saving man hours of coding work and only having to make the display compatible with a free of charge software that most of our user base already uses.

Directive: You are fired, Steve. We can't shill the **** out of it if the market for wheels with lcd displays gains traction. We must go the propietary software route just in case.

So by now the display only works with a single game, we don't know if they will add support for other games, and in the future after the wheel is discontinued a lot of people will be screwed with no compatibility with any titles that come after that point in time, meanwhile everybody with simhub compatible hardware will have compatiblilty with any game for life. Thankfully it also can be fixed via a firmware update.

It's frustrating, I like 99% of the wheel, the price is on point, but the propietary display implementation, the paddles, the wheel hub, the lack of buttons and rotarys are pushing me away from purchasing it when on paper I should be totally gushing over it. It is so close that just I feel myself only a firmware update and a sturdier hub away from purchasing it.

Simhub wont work on consoles...

TRASGU · Apr 22, 2021

Richard Hessels said:
Simhub wont work on consoles...

And yet they only need to automate in firmware the display to work in default mode if a console is detected or no simhub data is present (the display as it is now is already coded in firmware to work in standalone mode, simhub compatibility can be coded without removing the display functionality that allows it to work in standalone mode). It's a no problem at all if they had the will to do it, it would take a coder less than half an hour to code that feature, they don't do it because they can't shill it to their advantage.

TRASGU · Apr 22, 2021

CDwyer said:
Someone said that they are mapped to braking and acceleration for the F1 games.

That's actualy good, it means that the paddles are analogic axis in game, so you can manually map them as clutch in game. For console players I don't know if they can map controls there, I haven't had a console since the original playstation.

RichardHessels · Apr 22, 2021

TRASGU said:
And yet they only need to automate in firmware the display to work in default mode if a console is detected or no simhub data is present (the display as it is now is already coded in firmware to work in standalone mode, simhub compatibility can be coded without removing the display functionality that allows it to work in standalone mode). It's a no problem at all if they had the will to do it, it would take a coder less than half an hour to code that feature, they don't do it because they can't shill it to their advantage.

Simhub mostly works the other way around. It will probably support this piece of hardware in a few months.
Nobody makes simhub compatible gear.
Because they work with standardized hardware, thats why it works.
As the coding for making it capatible is done by Simhub not the other way around.
So that why we all need to donate to Simhub (I did 5 times).
It's more valuable by now to me than the sim/game it self.

TRASGU · Apr 22, 2021

Richard Hessels said:
Simhub mostly works the other way around. It will probably support this piece of hardware in a few months.
Nobody makes simhub compatible gear.
Because they work with standardized hardware, thats why it works.
As the coding for making it capatible is done by Simhub not the other way around.
So that why we all need to donate to Simhub (I did 5 times).
It's more valuable by now to me than the sim/game it self.

That's supposing that the display acts as a pc monitor screen that shows whathever image that is sent to it. But if it works standalone then unless thrustmaster modifies their firmware to allow direct interfacing with the display then simhub devs can do nothing about it.

The reason why simhub can make it compatible with phones, arduinos, and other hardware is just because they can interface it to the display via API, disclosing with them how to make work their hardware as fanatec does, custom firmware code (arduino uses that), displays that simply act as monitors so displaying info on them is dead easy, or using simple https shown in a web browser on smartphones.

The thustmaster display as far as we know don't have any of that posibilities as of now, unless thrustmaster want to do otherwise. They won't allow a third party to have access nor modify their intelectual propiety (firmware).

We could arge that someone clever with a lot of spare time to waste could reverse engineer their comunications protocol and code an app that just injects data in the display format to allow other games info being shown on the display.

But still, that would be far from being simhub 100% compatible as the display styles, colors, format nor the data positions, format of data, amount of data, fonts or fonts sizes can't be changed at all. And the worst of all is the fact that doing reverse engineering is completely illegal, moreso from a company that comertialy would ask for money for an application that makes use of reverse engineered intelectual property, so thrustmaster lawyers could sue simhub and have a field day with them with ease, that's not the way.

It's not so difficult for thrustmaster to release an API and a firmware update that allows a third party application to take full control of only the display on demand, that would keep console compatibility and would work as default without simhub presence. But as I said it implies that thrustmaster would need to want to collaborate, and their directives and lawyers maybe see that in a different way.

CDwyer · Apr 23, 2021

I was so excited for this....until.....a direct drive fanatic base, for the same price. Now thinking of changing ecosystem.

Bart Snijders · Apr 23, 2021

I managed to find 1 left here in Portugal, should be arriving Monday or Tuesday...can't remember being this excited over a piece of hardware to arrive in a long time

spudweasel · Apr 23, 2021

DOES NOT WORK WITH THE T500RS BASE!

The following is from the 4.20.21 press release:

Like its predecessor the Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-On, launched in 2011, the Formula Wheel Add-On Ferrari SF1000 Edition features the Thrustmaster quick release system: the wheel was developed to be compatible with Thrustmaster T-Series bases* (excluding the T500RS). [OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

]

The Formula Wheel Add-On Ferrari SF1000 Edition is therefore fully compatible with the following racing wheel bases: TS-PC Racer, T-GT Servo Base, TS-XW Servo Base, TX Racing Wheel Servo Base and T300 Racing Wheel Servo Base.

Source: thrustmaster.com/en_UK/press/displaying-perfection-thrustmaster-unveils-sim-racing-replica-ferrari-sf1000-wheel

Tormentor · Apr 28, 2021

There is a MAJOR Problem with this wheel and the T300 base. Anybody should know this before purchase!

With the new firmware (needed to make T300 ready for SF1000) the 2 cables inside the front of your wheelbase (attached photo) are deactivated!

I know some guys (me included) used this cables to have a simple solution to connect a sequential shifter to the wheelbase, because this cables are connected in parallel to the pedal shifter. Good thing is, you can switch from pedals to sequential ingame without changing the key assignment.
This is now gone. The new firmware deactivated both cables, they are dead now.

I will contact Thrustmaster later today and try to find a solution for this.

Cosimo Gasparo · May 8, 2021

TRASGU said:
Hanno fatto il 99% del lavoro in modo impeccabile e hanno rovinato così tanto l'altro 1% che non sono esaurito all'idea di acquistarlo.

Nelle recensioni che ho visto la ruota si muove parecchio anche con la semplice forza di premere un pulsante o con la forza di appoggiare semplicemente le mani sul volante, tanta flessione è inaccettabile, è solo un pigro lavoro di ingegneria meccanica. Non sto suggerendo di fare il mozzo della ruota in metallo, o di avere uno sgancio rapido. Ma la parte posteriore della ruota che circonda il mozzo della ruota in plastica è di metallo, potrebbero almeno realizzare 4 fori filettati M5 per attaccare una piastra di montaggio o qualcosa di più robusto.

La ruota non ha pulsanti e rotarys che ha la ruota reale (piccolo inconveniente, ma doveva essere una replica di quella reale che hanno concesso in licenza) e sfoggia anche un dpad che mi sfrega nel modo sbagliato, non appartiene a un f1 ruota replica.

Dalle recensioni sembra che 3 delle rotarys siano già bloccate come controlli del display (molto frustrante, ma almeno è risolvibile con il firmware se thrustmaster ha la volontà di aggiustarlo), i paddle per la frizione non hanno alcun senso, la vita reale la ruota ne ha solo 1 ed è molto più lunga di quelle 2 per consentire una migliore sensibilità.

In tutte le recensioni che ho visto fino ad ora nessuno le ha provate su fotocamera, quindi non so nemmeno se sono digitali (dio non voglia che non osino farle digitali) o analogiche, né se possono essere configurate da utilizzare come rilascio della frizione a 2 stadi con punto di morso regolabile (un'altra cosa che potrebbe essere risolta nel firmware e l'unica ragione ragionevole per installare 2 paddle della frizione).

Al giorno d'oggi simhub è di fatto uno standard di simulazione che viene offerto gratuitamente a meno che non si vogliano frame rate a 60 fps, consente una personalizzazione infinita, supporto gratuito e scambio di design personalizzati e compatibilità con qualsiasi gioco esistente.

Il loro primo incontro tecnico con le direttive deve essere stato simile a questo:

Thrustmaster engineer: beh, possiamo beneficiare del lavoro della comunità e dell'ampia compatibilità con tutti i giochi di corse risparmiando ore di lavoro di codifica e dovendo solo rendere il display compatibile con un software gratuito che la maggior parte della nostra base di utenti utilizza già.

Direttiva: Sei licenziato, Steve. Non possiamo farne a meno se il mercato delle ruote con display lcd guadagna trazione. Dobbiamo seguire la strada del software proprietario per ogni evenienza.

Quindi, ormai il display funziona solo con un singolo gioco, non sappiamo se aggiungeranno il supporto per altri giochi, e in futuro dopo che il volante sarà interrotto molte persone saranno fregate senza compatibilità con i titoli in arrivo dopo quel punto nel tempo, nel frattempo chiunque abbia un hardware compatibile con simhub sarà compatibile con qualsiasi gioco per tutta la vita. Per fortuna può anche essere risolto tramite un aggiornamento del firmware.

È frustrante, mi piace il 99% della ruota, il prezzo è giusto, ma l'implementazione del display propietario, le palette, il mozzo della ruota, la mancanza di pulsanti e rotarys mi stanno spingendo lontano dall'acquisto quando sulla carta dovrei essere totalmente sgorgando su di esso. È così vicino che mi sento solo un aggiornamento del firmware e un hub più robusto lontano dall'acquisto.

Cosimo Gasparo · May 8, 2021

Cosa dire se Thrustmaster non lo rende compatibile con altri titoli di corse, basta aprire il volante, rimuovere l'hardware corrente e salvare tutti gli encoder, i pulsanti e il display a LED, installare un modulo Arduino, un po 'di saldatura e il gioco è fatto.

kondor999 · May 17, 2021

I wonder how much it weighs? That's all I care about in a wheel.

Inferno187 · May 23, 2021

kondor999 said:
I wonder how much it weighs? That's all I care about in a wheel.

I ordered/got mine last week. Its very lightweight which is nice. Probably the lightest of my 5 rims. Haven't been able to use it much since I've been swamped with work, but it's a nice rim and very much worth the price imo.

kaijuh · Jan 29, 2022

Tormentor said:
There is a MAJOR Problem with this wheel and the T300 base. Anybody should know this before purchase!

With the new firmware (needed to make T300 ready for SF1000) the 2 cables inside the front of your wheelbase (attached photo) are deactivated!

I know some guys (me included) used this cables to have a simple solution to connect a sequential shifter to the wheelbase, because this cables are connected in parallel to the pedal shifter. Good thing is, you can switch from pedals to sequential ingame without changing the key assignment.
This is now gone. The new firmware deactivated both cables, they are dead now.

I will contact Thrustmaster later today and try to find a solution for this.

what was the solution? I have a T300 base but this was making me want to wait for a better wheel

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TRASGU

eg01st

Badwheels

Ruy Horta

CDwyer

RichardHessels

TRASGU

TRASGU

RichardHessels

TRASGU

CDwyer

Bart Snijders

spudweasel

Tormentor

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Shifting method

I use whatever the car has in real life*

I always use paddleshift

I always use sequential

I always use H-shifter

Something else, please explain