Stuff that Rocks: Thrustmaster outs new Ferrari-themed Xbox racing controllers

If you’re a hardcore race-gamer – or at least ‘hardcore’ enough to spring for a dedicated race cockpit kit for your racing games – you’re going to love this. Thrustmaster has unveiled the Ferrari Vibration GT Cockpit 458 Italia Edition, a race controller kit for the Xbox 360 that rocks an “exact replica” of the Ferrari F458 Italia’s steering wheel.

Just a note: it’s not exactly “exact”. This game controller has been mini-fied down to 11.2 inches (7/10 scale) to make it universally easier (for kids, mostly) to handle. Past the size difference, we’re assuming it’s a good copy. It’s not like we can compare it with the Ferrari in our garage.

Whether it’s a good copy or not, the Cockpit 458 Italia looks awesome as a game controller. The wheel attaches to the pedals via an adjustable metal stalk that folds and extends to make it easy to store or set up. The design also allows for max flexibility, allowing you to set it up for comfort without needing to clamp the wheel to a table. The connected design also allows for vibrations to be felt from the wheel down to the pedals, adding a little bit of realism. At least until that racing game you’re playing forces you to drive a non-Ferrari car. That’s when you forget about the ‘replica’ stuff and just appreciate a nice gaming kit.

Other features include “ultra-precise steering” with 16-bit precision, sequential paddle shifters behind the wheel, metal pedals, a weighted base, and a headset connector.

No word on an exact release date yet, but the Ferrari Vibration GT Cockpit 458 Italia Edition will be available for pre-orders in September for $300.

For Ferrari fans who just need a regular Xbox controller, Thrustmaster also introduced the GPX LightBack Ferrari F1 Edition gamepad, which is basically a red-and-white controller with team Ferrari’s colors, sponsor decals, and a “special” added feature. The GPX LightBack gets its name from 2 sets of LED lights on top, and “light feedback” under the left and right analog sticks. The LED lights up top are designed to light up when you speed up or slow down for “visualization”, although it seems like a purely aesthetic feature at best. We doubt you have the time to look down at it when you’re racing anyway. For people who prefer to game without the distraction, the lighting features can be turned off with a switch.

The GPX LightBack will be available at the end of September for $50.