Design & the screen: premium touches where you notice them
The T248 doesn't look like a budget wheel, and that's deliberate. The outer ring is wrapped in leather where your hands actually sit, the face carries a brushed two-tone treatment, and the rim shape is a versatile near-round that suits everything from GT racing to rally. Across the wheel you get 25 action buttons including two dual-position encoders on the spoke ends — nearly twice the controls of the old T150 generation, which matters in sims where you're juggling brake bias, TC and pit menus mid-race.
The headline feature is the built-in race dashboard screen — more than 20 switchable displays covering telemetry (gear, RPM, best lap time), wheel settings, and the force-feedback preset you're running. It sounds like a gimmick until you use it: adjusting FFB strength between corners without touching a menu, or glancing at your delta on the wheel itself, is the kind of feature that used to live two price brackets up. Nothing else near AED 1,000 has it.
HYBRID DRIVE: 70% more punch, honestly delivered
The T248 runs Thrustmaster's HYBRID DRIVE system — a mixed belt-and-gear mechanism that delivers 70% more power than the previous T150-series hybrids. The belt stage takes the harsh edge off the gears, so you get force with much less of the grinding texture that defines pure gear-drive wheels. In our 40-hour block it communicated weight transfer, kerbs and grip loss clearly enough to trail-brake with confidence in GT7 and Assetto Corsa.
The honest ceiling: it's smooth for a hybrid. Back-to-back with the T300's dual-belt system you feel the difference immediately — the T300 is more liquid, more detailed at the limit. That's the AED 400 gap in one sentence. What the T248 adds that even the T300 lacks is Dynamic Force Feedback: three presets switchable on the fly — FFB 1 (100% proportional to the game), FFB 2 (enhanced, for better skid control) and FFB 3 (boosted, so every kerb and off-track excursion arrives loud). Casual guests love FFB 3; hot-lappers live in FFB 1.
- GT7: preset FFB 2 is the sweet spot — skid information arrives earlier than the default.
- F1 25: strong wheel weight; drop in-game FFB to ~90% to avoid clipping on kerb-heavy circuits.
- Desk use: the clamp holds firm; the pedal base benefits from a carpet spike mat under hard braking.
The magnetic hardware is the long-game advantage
Two pieces of hardware separate the T248 from everything else in the bracket, and both are magnetic. The paddle shifters use Thrustmaster's contactless H.E.A.R.T system — a 30-millisecond response with a clean, clicky action, and because nothing rubs, they'll feel identical in year five. The included T3PM pedal set uses the same technology: three full-size pedals reading at 12-bit precision on PC (10-bit on PlayStation), with four spring configurations on the brake so you can stiffen it as your braking technique matures.
That last detail deserves emphasis: potentiometer pedals — which is what this price bracket normally ships — physically wear and drift. Magnetic sensing doesn't. For a wheel likely to serve years of family duty before an upgrade, that's real money saved down the line.
Who should buy it — and who shouldn't
Buy the T248 if…
- You want the most capable wheel under AED 1,000, no asterisks
- You're moving up from a gamepad and want gear that won't need replacing in a year
- The dashboard screen and on-the-fly FFB presets appeal (they will)
- You value hardware that doesn't wear — magnetic paddles and pedals
Skip it if…
- You can reach AED 1,300+ — the T300 RS GT's belt drive is a genuine class up
- You're on Xbox — that's the T248X or TX Leather Edition
- You want the add-on rim ecosystem — the T248's rim is fixed
- Absolute smoothness matters more to you than features
How it sits in the market
Below it, the T128 (AED 599–749) shares the HYBRID DRIVE idea at lower power with two pedals — the right call only when the budget is hard-capped. Above it, the T300 RS GT (AED 1,299–1,499) buys dual-belt smoothness and the interchangeable-rim ecosystem. Against its classic rival, the Logitech G29, the T248 gives up a little build heft and takes everything else — power, screen, magnetic hardware; the full round-by-round is in our T248 vs G29 matchup. Under AED 1,000 in the Gulf, this is the default answer.
Where to buy in the UAE & KSA
Prices are indicative ranges from our last check — the retailer page is always the source of truth. We earn a disclosed commission on these links at no extra cost to you.
FAQ
Is the Thrustmaster T248 good for beginners?
Yes — it’s the sweet spot between toy wheels and enthusiast gear: real force feedback, durable magnetic internals, and a screen that teaches you to read your own laps. It’s the wheel we recommend most often under AED 1,000.
Does the T248 work on PS5?
Yes — officially licensed for PS5 and PS4, and compatible with PC (Windows 10/11). There is a separate T248 Xbox version (T248X); buy the SKU that matches your console.
What does the screen actually do?
More than 20 displays: telemetry (gear, RPM, best lap), settings (force-feedback preset, rotation angle) and dashboard views. You can switch the three FFB presets on the fly mid-game without opening a menu.
T248 or T300 RS GT — which should I buy?
If the budget reaches ~AED 1,300, the T300’s dual-belt drive is a genuine feel upgrade and shares the rim ecosystem. If it doesn’t, the T248 gives you 80% of the experience plus the screen — and no regret.
Are the pedals any good?
The included T3PM set is the best in this bracket: three pedals with contactless magnetic sensors (12-bit on PC) and four spring configurations on the brake. It’s a real advantage over potentiometer sets that degrade with use.