Are you Faster With a Wheel?

  • Thread starter Thread starter GT5 King
  • 110 comments
  • 11,361 views
GT5 King
I've got a DFGT wheel and while I quite like it, I'm useless with it compared to the pad and have resorted to using the pad and am considering whether I should just return it.

Yet I read on here that most people seem to be faster with a wheel. So what's the score, I'm assuming I'm just rubbish with the wheel as other people on here seem to be ok.

What should I do, just improve and get a better stand or stick to the pad and save myself some money by returning the wheel?

Cheers guys.
Click to expand...

First, IMHO... the Wheel is a Must for a serious driving experience! However; it must be setup correctly. Ensure you have the following correct:

1) Seating Position must be natural and feel like your behind the wheel and not on top of it. I recommend a Playseat or something along those lines when you can afford one(building is an option as mentioend above, be sure to look around) . Until then, make sure the wheel is mounted firmly and chest high as a real wheel is when your in a car.

2) Pedals must be secure... any movement in the pedals distracts you from the driving. They should be bolted to a secure platform and be positioned properly. Again, a Playseat provides this and until then, mount them onto something like maybe a plywood base and if possible let the chair sit on it to secure it and help position it properly.

3) Setting/Positioning the Wheel and its sensitivity, FFB, linearity, and dead space is critical. Try the different setting... I'm spoiled as I have a Fanatec wheel and it allows you to set these independent of the game. However, I do have a G25 and it works well too! Your DFGT should be well suited for GT5. These settings are critical if your going to develop a rhythm and feel for the car. Tweak them until it feels natural

4) Setting/Positioning the Pedals, be sure to set braking strength in car setups... to much brake will cause jerky problems and lock up issues for you when entering turns. Again, I'm spoiled with the Sport Pedals by Fanatec, they allow you to set the ABS where you get a vibration when blocking the brakes.

5) Practice... apparently you've used a pad for ever and are pretty darn good and your times will suffer, replay the easy levels with you wheel and use a level car in each class, should provide fun challenging driving opportunities. Learn to follow, pass inside and outside and learn to apply just enough pressure to enter turns without locking them up and maximizing your entry speed.

Finally. I think you will come to enjoy the wheel and feel more immersed in the game. What also helps me is I use a Modified Butt Kicker which puts the feel in your seat, critical IMHO for driving games. Just as in your car, you feel bumps and the rumble strips which help not only immersifys the gamer (you/me) but brings you into the car.

BTW, yes I'm faster and have not used a game pad since Apex on Xbox... which then I was pretty good and topped out that game on a pad... sometimes going back to the pad, which I do sometimes in dual racing modes... I wonder how was I so fast!

Hope you keep the wheel and hope this helps!
RKip
 
Last edited:
I've only had my wheel for over the weekend, and while still not as good as my old times, they are beginning to pick up.

I should have a proper mounting stand built for me this week. My GF's dad is a Carpenter and is making me one out of scraps he has. Should be pretty cool...
 
My "cockpit" is horrible: I sit on the carpet on an old sofa back-mat (?) thing which is basically a 13 cm thick big sponge rectangle in some fabric (surprisingly comfortable ... for about 3 minutes), my back against another back-mat which leans against the bed, my DFGT mounted on a low, round table, luckily it's very sturdy and stable and the pedals under it on the carpet with those anti slip needle things holding it in place. Nothing is bolted to anything else, which makes for a very "on the fly" configurable setup, also a breeze to "dismantle". Unfortunately, I don't have the room and can't justify any kind of better setup at this time. It is still 10 better to use the DFGT like that than the Sixaxis.
 
Got my DFGT yesterday - my first ever wheel and I'm loving it.... My lap times are already quicker than on a pad, but maybe that's because I was never very good on it :p
 
I've had a dfgt for about a week and I can now get gold on some license tests that I couldn't with the controller. Overall I am happy with it but still getting used to it.
 
RKip
First, IMHO... the Wheel is a Must for a serious driving experience! However; it must be setup correctly. Ensure you have the following correct:

1) Seating Position must be natural and feel like your behind the wheel and not on top of it. I recommend a Playseat or something along those lines when you can afford one(building is an option as mentioend above, be sure to look around) . Until then, make sure the wheel is mounted firmly and chest high as a real wheel is when your in a car.

2) Pedals must be secure... any movement in the pedals distracts you from the driving. They should be bolted to a secure platform and be positioned properly. Again, a Playseat provides this and until then, mount them onto something like maybe a plywood base and if possible let the chair sit on it to secure it and help position it properly.

3) Setting/Positioning the Wheel and its sensitivity, FFB, linearity, and dead space is critical. Try the different setting... I'm spoiled as I have a Fanatec wheel and it allows you to set these independent of the game. However, I do have a G25 and it works well too! Your DFGT should be well suited for GT5. These settings are critical if your going to develop a rhythm and feel for the car. Tweak them until it feels natural

4) Setting/Positioning the Pedals, be sure to set braking strength in car setups... to much brake will cause jerky problems and lock up issues for you when entering turns. Again, I'm spoiled with the Sport Pedals by Fanatec, they allow you to set the ABS where you get a vibration when blocking the brakes.

5) Practice... apparently you've used a pad for ever and are pretty darn good and your times will suffer, replay the easy levels with you wheel and use a level car in each class, should provide fun challenging driving opportunities. Learn to follow, pass inside and outside and learn to apply just enough pressure to enter turns without locking them up and maximizing your entry speed.

Finally. I think you will come to enjoy the wheel and feel more immersed in the game. What also helps me is I use a Modified Butt Kicker which puts the feel in your seat, critical IMHO for driving games. Just as in your car, you feel bumps and the rumble strips which help not only immersifys the gamer (you/me) but brings you into the car.

BTW, yes I'm faster and have not used a game pad since Apex on Xbox... which then I was pretty good and topped out that game on a pad... sometimes going back to the pad, which I do sometimes in dual racing modes... I wonder how was I so fast!

Hope you keep the wheel and hope this helps!
RKip
Click to expand...

Great info thank you very much. Gives me something to think about regarding my setup. I think that's the main problem as when the pedals are moving around and the wheel isn't that stable it's hard to stay focused.
 
Pad can't compete with the smoothness of control you have with a wheel, i used a pad for GT1-4 and a wheel in GT5 (G27) and i would never go back.
 
I def think it decreases my times, I am so glad I purchased a wheel for both Xbox and Ps3.

I never cared for racing games until I tried a wheel. My wife (who hates videogames) actually tries it every now and then.

And when friends come over for get togethers, I can't ever get a chance to play the darn thing.

Sorry for going off topic, just am a firm believer in using a wheel.
 
It's harder in many ways. Correcting mistakes presents a great new challenge, because the pad requires lots of hidden assists to make it playable. For the wheel those are unnecessary, and that's what you miss at first. It took me a long time to get back up to speed but now I am completely confident and comfortable with the wheel: +Speed, +skill, +consistency, +fun and involvement :)
 
herburt
I immediately noticed a huge difference when I switched to a wheel. I had it mounted to a t.v. tray at first but that was to unstable so, I made a cockpit of sorts. The top is from and old dish washer , the chair is and old idea chair and the frame is made from 2x4's



Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Click to expand...

This sort of setup will not result in you being faster than the sixaxis/dualshock. This is because the chair/table/pedals will move over time while you play, and completely cancel out the advantage of precise, controlled, and deliberate inputs.

If you care only about being faster, then don't even bother with the wheel unless you can afford an Obutto. (Or something similar)

You might have a bit of fun with the tables and dining room chairs or whatever you scrounge together, but you will be less consistent and eventually put the wheel away in favor of controls that don't get out of place within 5 minutes of using them. You might be able to drive a good line somewhat slower than the limit without troubles, but you won't ever be able to do things like drifting reliably without a cockpit.
 
Much faster with a wheel(G25) ofcourse but I needed about a month to be on my pad pace and 2 months to really get the hang of it and it payed off.
My lap times now are more then a second faster, so give it more time the results will come.
 
BradKinder
This sort of setup will not result in you being faster than the sixaxis/dualshock. This is because the chair/table/pedals will move over time while you play, and completely cancel out the advantage of precise, controlled, and deliberate inputs.

If you care only about being faster, then don't even bother with the wheel unless you can afford an Obutto. (Or something similar)

You might have a bit of fun with the tables and dining room chairs or whatever you scrounge together, but you will be less consistent and eventually put the wheel away in favor of controls that don't get out of place within 5 minutes of using them. You might be able to drive a good line somewhat slower than the limit without troubles, but you won't ever be able to do things like drifting reliably without a cockpit.
Click to expand...
Good points, but with someones limited funds and/or room, this setup could be tweaked for next to nothing, all he has to do is turn the TV to be parallel with the bed, so the chair can push against it, then add a 2x4 to the backside of the table stand to keep the pedals from sliding forward.

The only problem I see after this is done is a way to prevent the table from moving, which goes back to your points.

But with a little modification, he will have a pretty decent setup.

Just don't try a professional set up and go back to ''yours'', I made that mistake and there is a huge difference.
 
I disagree the peddles have in the bottom a row of teeth that grip the carpet, the chair doesn't move because I'm sitting in it, and the table is heavy. The top of the table is solid wood about an inch thick.
The alternative is to pay thousands for a factory made cockpit
A stable set up with a wheel is quicker

Also I didn't just make this setup. I made it after the drafting test ( I think ) in GT 4. It is tried and tested and I don't need anything else and it doesn't need to be tweaked. I don't know how much force everyone else put on the peddles or the wheel but my style is pretty peaceful.
 
Last edited:
AngloAmericanYour at 99.9% in GT5??.

aa
Click to expand...

you got me wrong.. I meant 99% events I entered, i could do gold with my sixaxis.. Im about 85% in GT ;)
 
Last edited:
BradKinder
This sort of setup will not result in you being faster than the sixaxis/dualshock. This is because the chair/table/pedals will move over time while you play, and completely cancel out the advantage of precise, controlled, and deliberate inputs.

If you care only about being faster, then don't even bother with the wheel unless you can afford an Obutto. (Or something similar)

You might have a bit of fun with the tables and dining room chairs or whatever you scrounge together, but you will be less consistent and eventually put the wheel away in favor of controls that don't get out of place within 5 minutes of using them. You might be able to drive a good line somewhat slower than the limit without troubles, but you won't ever be able to do things like drifting reliably without a cockpit.
Click to expand...

So if you didn't have space/funds for a proper cockpit type gaming seat you would just stick to the pad?
 
Like others have said it is all about practice. On the XBox I was never able to match my controller times with the wheel on circut tracks. The looser the car the harder it was to do. Yet on ovals I saw a noticable improvement right away.

On the PS3 I at first I was having issues with cars that had oversteer but I was faster right away in everything I could keep the rear under using the DFGT. A little practice with no TCS and I was able to do much better even in the loose cars. Now with a little TCS I have no problems with any of them.

I now use the PWTS and am even faster with it. It part due to the larger wheel and in part due to the heavy resistance on both the wheel and the brake. I also found that running the beginner dirt rally race with a RWD car helped a lot with being able to control the car in a full drift around a corner.

So if you are struggling with the wheel stay with it. You'll be glad you did.

Oh and one more thing you do not need a cockpit to be fast with the wheel. You just need to make it stable and make sure the pedals are not moving around on you. Also your setting position is important else you can end up with pain in your legs or back after racing a while. Ideally you should be in a position like your would be in a real car. Still even if you can't get this position just so long as everythign stays in place you will be able to drive just fine.
 
herburt
I disagree the peddles have in the bottom a row of teeth that grip the carpet, the chair doesn't move because I'm sitting in it, and the table is heavy. The top of the table is solid wood about an inch thick.
The alternative is to pay thousands for a factory made cockpit
A stable set up with a wheel is quicker

Also I didn't just make this setup. I made it after the drafting test ( I think ) in GT 4. It is tried and tested and I don't need anything else and it doesn't need to be tweaked. I don't know how much force everyone else put on the peddles or the wheel but my style is pretty peaceful.
Click to expand...

I agree with your disagreement. I play with a sturdy old TV/cubbyhole combo. All I have to do is place my seat in a decent position, and everything is setup to make good lap times with a proper driving feel.

My lap times are significantly better with a wheel - I have almost zero confidence when I tried to play with a a controller again momentarily. Just practice your precision & accuracy with steering, brake, and throttle inputs. If you're just starting out with a wheel, I'd suggest practicing at Tsukuba Circuit. It has a great combination of corners, and the laps are quick to complete so that you can see which areas need improvement.
 
I'm faster with my DFGT. When I'm grinding for credits at the American Championship at Indy with the Corvette ZR1 RM, I can take the turns by just lifting off the throttle to slow down to 300-310 km/h. With the pad, I have to brake to slow down to 250-260km/h to make the turns. Taking the same turns at 300km/h with the pad ends up with me hitting the wall.
 
I do not even lift in the ZR1. Just keep in on the floor and zip around the track. It is a bit tricky as the car will push in the corners at high speed under full throttle but if you run the right line it will hold all four of them and turn laps in the upper 41 second range.
 
I've noticed that using the wheel is a lot more natural for me and as a test I tried using a proper wheel setup (On rFactor I must say) around laguna seca. I would say that I am confident that I am the fastest in Room2Race around Laguna lol.

But come onto GT5 and the pad, I have to adjust the braking zones and racing lines aren't "flowing" like they should be. Sadly, I cant afford a wheel or racing rig so I'll just have to make do with the Pad.
 
I am faster with the wheel NOW, since I can't use the pad with any degree of competency anymore. It is also infinitely more fun for me that way...
 
You'll eventually not think about it - it took me about 5 days to get used to it, and, like anything, much longer to master; I've been racing with a FF wheel for about 6 years now - I am hands down MUCH faster using a wheel than a controller. Not to mention the involvement you get using a wheel is just so much more satisfying.

As others have said, make sure the mounting point is secure, and has zero movement - I made my wheel stand/cockpit from PVC and MDC in a couple of hours (maybe an hour of planning) , and it doesn't move at all.
 
There are many factors involved. I just recently done quite a detailed study on the subject for uni. I will summarise on a few key points


  • Wheel is smoother on acceleration and braking thanks to larger travel on pedals than buttons as well as the extra levels of sensitivity. It does mean the reaction time is considerably slower however.
  • Similarly the wheel is also smoother on the steering.
  • At very low speeds the pad controller can turn sharper than any human can turn the wheel.
  • At high speed the wheel can be turned faster due to something call Speed Sensitive Steering on the game's interpretation of the pads steering

Usability factors aside i can say that overall the wheel gives a slight advantage overall in GT5. There are some track and car situations that give the pad an advantage. If you try a Nissan GTR around Eiger short that is quicker with a pad. F40 around the same track is quicker with a wheel.:)
I have much more info on if anyone is interested, but i cant publish the full report up as it hasnt been marked yet
 
I decided to get a wheel a year ago when I thought GT5 was going to be out in a couple of months, but I havent regretted it yet.
When I was startign out I was a lot slower than with a pad, but this thread has loads of useful tips:

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=115679

I also started out with a home built stand that was very flimsy, so I decided to invest in a Wheelstand Pro and it is well worth the investment, they pop up on e-bay every now and then for cheaper.
 
markoc84
I decided to get a wheel a year ago when I thought GT5 was going to be out in a couple of months, but I havent regretted it yet.
When I was startign out I was a lot slower than with a pad, but this thread has loads of useful tips:

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=115679
Click to expand...

:lol: I was just going to link him to my words there, I imagine he will find some use in it as I also started off useless with the wheel, as well as having a laughable setup.

A year and a half on from changing to wheel, I am over a second per lap faster on most tracks, or at least I was on Prologue. I think it is even more essential to have a wheel for GT5 👍

All the best
Maz
 
Getting Fanatec 911 Carrera wheel in a week or so...

Can't wait !

Have had a Driving force GT for 2 years.
MUCH faster with a wheel and since my DFGT broke I am not going to even entertain the idea of racing seriously until I get a wheel again.
 
I'm with the OP. I'm slower with the wheel.

I only play with my g27 and pcv rig(pictures tomorrow:sly:). I notice that although the wheel others a VERY realistic experience, its differcult for me to control my shifts. I'm currently Aspec level 10/ Bspec level 21. I cant even finish amature club races in apec, A.I. spins me!

Since last nite I have decided to continue Aspec using the controller to get my level up faster; maybe win races. Using the wheel is fun for me, the learning curve is a different story.

I ALWAYS play online with my wheel though

Side note: As I was told, do the license tests with the wheel, it helps!👍

As far as stands; pcv is the way to go. it disconnects, its easy to make, and inexpensive. mines was 20 DOLLARS!
 
markoc84
I decided to get a wheel a year ago when I thought GT5 was going to be out in a couple of months, but I havent regretted it yet.
When I was startign out I was a lot slower than with a pad, but this thread has loads of useful tips:

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=115679

I also started out with a home built stand that was very flimsy, so I decided to invest in a Wheelstand Pro and it is well worth the investment, they pop up on e-bay every now and then for cheaper.
Click to expand...

Synwraith
:lol: I was just going to link him to my words there, I imagine he will find some use in it as I also started off useless with the wheel, as well as having a laughable setup.

A year and a half on from changing to wheel, I am over a second per lap faster on most tracks, or at least I was on Prologue. I think it is even more essential to have a wheel for GT5 👍

All the best
Maz
Click to expand...

Thanks I will have a read of the linked thread. Looks interesting.

FerrariMarv
I'm with the OP. I'm slower with the wheel.

I only play with my g27 and pcv rig(pictures tomorrow:sly:). I notice that although the wheel others a VERY realistic experience, its differcult for me to control my shifts. I'm currently Aspec level 10/ Bspec level 21. I cant even finish amature club races in apec, A.I. spins me!

Since last nite I have decided to continue Aspec using the controller to get my level up faster; maybe win races. Using the wheel is fun for me, the learning curve is a different story.

I ALWAYS play online with my wheel though

Side note: As I was told, do the license tests with the wheel, it helps!👍

As far as stands; pcv is the way to go. it disconnects, its easy to make, and inexpensive. mines was 20 DOLLARS!
Click to expand...

Sorry I must be thick but what's PCV?
 

Latest Posts

Back