When I was sent the Thrustmaster T-Flight Rudder Pedals for review, I legitimately had no idea what to think, especially having no prior experience with flight simulator accessories. After spending some time with them, I realized that while it may have not appealed to me specifically, there’s a lot to love for dedicated flight simulator fans.
The T-Flight Rudder Pedals, or TFRP for short, is very well designed. The rudder is designed in a way where you can either rest your feet on the pedals, or partially on the removable heel rests placed at the bottom. As someone who has big feet, I was glad that the pedals could be customized in a variety of ways. While the TFRP is lighter than I thought, the rudder is surprisingly very stable. There was never a point where I felt like the rudder would shift during more intense sessions with it.
“While the Thrustmaster T-Flight Rudder Pedals is lighter than I thought, the rudder is surprisingly very stable.”
The TFRP is also very easy to plug in, as it’s compatible with all PC-based flight sticks and primarily the PS4-based Hotas 4 flight stick via USB. However, after spending some time playing War Thunder while using both the Hotas 4 and the TFRP, the pedals didn’t give the game a learning curve as much as it did a learning cliff.
Two of the key features in the TFRP are differential braking and the S.M.A.R.T. slide rails. Based on real-life aircrafts, differential braking allows for each pedal to have its own individual brakes, allowing for tighter turns in the air. At the same time, the S.M.A.R.T. slide rails self-center the rudder’s axis, giving the feeling of resistance. The TFRP is well calibrated. The problem is trying to manipulate the slide rails, the brakes and the flight stick simultaneously makes things a lot more difficult for newcomers.
“There’s a lot to love for dedicated flight simulator fans.”
I would continuously press on a pedal and or accidentally adjust the slide rail and ended up spinning out and crashing my plane within minutes, if not seconds. It makes it tougher for casual players to want to get into flight simulators. It’s only really worth it for those who are willing to put the time into practicing it.
The Thrustmaster T-Flight Rudder Pedals are great additions for flight sim fans looking for the most realistic flight experience there is, aside from actually flying a plane. Its solid design and lower price point make this a good entry point for those willing to enhance their flight sim experience, but I still would only mainly recommend it to hardcore fans, as the steep learning curve make it hard for any casual or inexperienced player to fully enjoy.
