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Hello there unboxer!
This is Sakis Karpas in another episode of Unboxholics.
Before diving any deeper into this unboxing, we would like to wish you a Happy New Year!
In front of me, we have two products from Thrustmaster. A racing wheel and a controller.
Let's start with the smallest item.
This is the Thrustmaster GP XID controller and works with all PC titles that support a controller and you can plug it in and play instantly.
The only thing we found inside its package is a manual which is quite boring and there's no need to show it.
The GP XID controller comes into a white color, it has a matte texture and its build quality is mediocre.
This is not a controller that seeks attention. It just serves its purpose as a cheap substitute of an Xbox 360 controller and that is why it looks quite similar to it.
The controller connects to a PC via a white USB cable.
Its most impressive feature is its analog stick which are quite robust and have nothing to be jealous of other elite gaming controllers.
On the other hand, the most disappointing feature is the D-Pad which has a very poor feeling.
The face buttons are located on the right side as usual and they look exactly like Xbox 360's buttons.
The start and back buttons can be found on the center part of the controller along with a home button which is made out of silicone and lights up when it is active.
On its top side, we found the bumper buttons which have a nice feedback and the trigger buttons which are hard to press, something useful for FPS games, but are flat and not concave.
The controller is quite lightweight due to the absence of a vibration mechanism and the overall experience we had with it was not bad at all.
We did put the controller to test with Battlefield 4, Injustice and FIFA 14 and we were satisfied but the absence of vibration is certainly a drawback although looking at the price tag again makes us a bit more lenient.
The GP XID controller serves as a cheap substitute of the Xbox 360 controller and it does a great job at that.
Let's continue with something that racing fans will appreciate.
The Thrustmaster T80 DriveClub Edition is a product intended for PS3 and PS4 users. The delay of DriveClub though, Sony's upcoming PS4 racing exclusive, is quite a bummer for Thrustmaster.
Inside the package we found the racing wheel, the acceleration and brake pedals, the mounting base and a manual.
The T80 can be installed on most offices and you won't be able to change its position when driving.
The build quality of T80 is quite amazing. The thing that stood out for us is the rubber textured cladding on the wheel’s grip surfaces which provides a smooth experience.
As you can see, the racing wheel has 11 action buttons, a multidirectional D-pad and the PS4 share, options and PS buttons.
The wheel-mounted sequential paddle shifters are situated on the back along with a PS4 to PS3 switch button.
The pedals of the Thrustmaster T80 met the two requirements that were needed to enhance our digital driving experience.
1. It occupies a good amount of space
2. It has the appropriate weight
Moreover, the pedals have an accurate pressure balance. The acceleration pedal needs less pressure than the brake pedal and that means more realism.
One of T80's most interesting feature is the Force Feedback feature which greatly improves the overall driving experience.
We tried out the T80 with Gran Turismo 6 on a PlayStation 3 and we think that it asks very little money for the amazing experience that it offers.
T80 Drive Club Edition is now available for €117 while the GP XID controller costs €27.99.
Don't forget to enter our PS4 Giveaway which you can learn more about by checking the description.
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Until the next episode, take care!