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0 Over at Thumb Culture, we love simulation games. And one simulation game we love the most is the Farming Sim franchise. Having covered multiple games over the years we were overjoyed when Thrustmaster offered us a review sample of the SimTask FarmStick X. We jumped at the opportunity to improve the immersion and enjoyment using a new piece of kit.
Fast forward a few days and a neat little package arrived at our doorstep. Featuring the T128 steering wheel as well as the SimTask Steering Kit. After a little over half an hour getting everything set up, we were away into farming life!
Harvesting Joy
Whilst we got to grips with the other bits of awesome tech by Thrustmaster. The main aim of this review is to talk about the SimTask FarmStick X, and whether it’s worth you picking up. So let’s dive in.
Design
Taking it’s design queues directly from the interior of high-end modern farming equipment, Thrustmaster has gone for authenticity with its dimensions as well as comfort. Featuring a thick shaft to grab a hold of, the SimTask FarmStick X is ambidextrous so you can easily take control.
Featuring a black and grey design, this model is designed for use on the Xbox and the PC, whereas the original FarmStick was only compatible with the PC. The downside to this is that they are both identical, apart from the newer version having the Xbox button on the base.
The SimTask FarmStick X is full of buttons. With 33 buttons you can remap them however you see fit, although there are some buttons that you will want to keep as they are initially set up. I absolutely loved using the joystick with Farming Simulator 25. Although at first, it was a bit confusing as the button queues in the game all referred to the number of the button. It was definitely a case of trial and error until I found the button I was after. After that though the game unfolded into an incredible experience.
Features
Talking about the buttons on the SimTask FarmStick X leads us nicely into the features section. The stick itself has 6 buttons, 2 triggers, 1 mini stick and 1 thumbwheel. Giving you as much control as possible over the many types of machinery. You can even switch between “Driving” and “Working” by using the top trigger. This allows you to access potentially 6 additional actions. The LED light will change between orange and white to indicate which mode you have switched to. So you shouldn’t have to ever guess. Ahem.
Moving to the All-In-One Control Panel base. You get a whopping 18 buttons that can be remapped to whatever action you want in each type of vehicle. You also get a nice little hand throttle to ensure that you can control your speed as well. If you are using this on the PC, you also have a “Combo” button which allows you to double the number of buttons available. Giving you 33 buttons in total it really is a beast of a stick.
The SimTask FarmStick X works best when paired with a steering wheel. Giving you full control over the machinery in both situations. Thankfully Thrustmaster sent over a T128 wheel to make use of. This wheel, whilst one of the lower-end wheels they do, gave me so much joy when using it I honestly have been looking forward to getting back to the Farm each night.
Compatibility
Being a stick that can be used on both the Xbox and a PC you would think that it’s just plug and play right? Well, it kind of is, for the PC at least. The controls do get automatically mapped for each vehicle, however, as I mentioned before sometimes it’s just trial and error to find the right button.
On the Xbox however, the SimTask FarmStick X is only compatible with Farming Simulator 25 and you MUST be using a steering wheel. To be fair, Thrustmaster has done a great job of making this clear. There is a big banner on the store page for extra clarity.
On the reverse of the stick there is a selector for switching between PC and Xbox compatibility. Alongside that is the USB-C port for plugging into your computer. A DIN port for any additional accessories that are all sold separately. The most interesting option is the RJ12 port for the TFRP aka Thrustmaster Rudder Pedal. Adding of these to the setup gives you an additional 3 axis of control for you to make use of however you see fit.
Final Thoughts
Thrustmaster has been clever with this bit of kit. By releasing an updated version of their already well-received SimTask FarmStick gives access to the hardware to Xbox players. They’ve opened up the doors to allow more people to experience the fantastic quality of Thrustmaster‘s design team. Allowing it to be used with a steering wheel to give the ultimate in farming setup just is genius.
Using the stick has changed the way that I play Farming Simulator 25. It has given me the freedom to be more confident in my actions. Steering up to a piece of equipment is a joy with the entire setup. Although I do think I might have to get the desk mount for the stick just to bring everything down to the same level.
Overall though, the build quality and features that the SimTask FarmStick X brings to the table are fantastic. This piece of hardware is going to be firmly situated either on my desk being used, or close by for easy access. Nights of farming have never been so much fun.
The Thrustmaster SimTask FarmStick X gets the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Disclaimer: A sample was received to write this review.
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