Do you find driving easy with the DS4?

  • Thread starter jp_footy
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Controller since the first GT game. I’m pretty quick with it but I’d love to move to a wheel set up one day. Steering inputs on the controller can be jerky.
 
You should be getting to a point where you only run ABS with controller or the wheel.

I do use a touch of TCS1 on some high power cars in the wet or at the end of a long enduro OR if its an F1500 or something painful like that.
 
TonyJZX
Now there are downsides... the brake and throttle does have too little granualarity... they are very "on and off" but that seems to be a problem with controllers overall and not just the DS4.
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This is what I don't like. The controller I got off Amazon has so, so much better granularity. And the d-pad is where the analague-stick is on the DS4. (Any game that allows me to use the d-pad instead of the right analogue stick I use it)

I just sold my T150 on ebay because I think I'm just as faster with this new controller

Well, if anyone is interested in a great controller for GT Sport search "Pictek PS4 Controller" on Amazon and let me know what you think
 
I used a pad since i was a kid, then 2 years ago put my big boy pants on and bought a wheel etc.

i tried using the DS4 recently (just to see what it was like), didnt last long though..i just didnt have it in my to persevere.

TonyJZX
You should be getting to a point where you only run ABS with controller or the wheel.

I do use a touch of TCS1 on some high power cars in the wet or at the end of a long enduro OR if its an F1500 or something painful like that.
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Ive found TSC1 really doesnt do much, i find its got to be off... or TSC2 if its ever required.
 
I used to play with a G25 wheel on PS3 GT5 and GT6 - and found the old DualShock 3 quite hard to control with/without motion steering (called SixAxis I think).

But since moving to PS4 with GT Sport, I lack the space at home... and had to play with the current DS4 controllers. I must say it has been a very easy and fun experience using the motion sensors for steerings. I am able to match (and usually improve) lap times from my previous years with a proper G25 wheel.

I echo some of the other guys here that you should map the R1/R2 triggers as brake/throttle -- and for me, somehow I find shifting -/+ using the analog stick (L3/R3 buttons) a very realistic experience comparable to a real car with paddle shifts.
 
TJC_69
I find GT Sport to be the best optimised GT game for the DS4 thus far. With practice you can achieve almost anything. A wheel will give you more direct control and inputs but the end result is very close. I'm still improving and learning on the DS4, and I will upgrade to a wheel in the future. In the meantime, it's practice practice practice that is your best friend.
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I agree. It appears other racing games on DS4 (e.g. Project Cars, Assetto Corsa) have worse experience with either analog stick steering, or motion-sensing steering.
 
GT Sport is by far the easiest game to play on a controller. And when you can't use a wheel, it's impossible to go past. When I did some league racing, I was regularly in the mix at the top of the table. In Project Cars and F1, I'm at least 1.5 seconds slower than the fastest drivers. Those games are tailored to wheels and it clearly shows in qualifying. In GT Sport I can compete at a higher level because it's more intuitive.
 
@Nielsen i love using the motion controls! Took a while to get used to it, but seems second nature now and feel I get more precision than I did with the stick. Thanks for help! I set my sensitive to 4 for anyone interested.
 
After 2 weeks of playing GT sport i realised sticks and pad couldnt do the trick to be competitive, motion sensor it´s a must but you need to pratice to get used to it and after you do it i don´t think sticks will be an option.

Using sensor you can me smoother and your fingers will not hurt anymore, anyway i think a wheel offers other possibilities and fun/immersion, the downside is that to play on a wheel probably you have to start from almot 0 and learn to deal with fbb.

I think this week i´ll buy a t150 or a g29 they are very cheap, t150 it´s arround 150€ and g29 200€ that´s prices from store with warrancy i think i will not miss the chance.
 
MattJones_e36
I'm sorry but the motion sensor is just not up to pair compared to triggers and stick. Just ask any top DS4 player and they'll agree. Stick controls with max sensitivity is the way to go if you want to get the most out of it and don't/can't go the wheel route.
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Can you explain what stick sensivity precisely does ? I have a vague idea, I use it ... but I'd appreciate to hear it from a top driver 👍 !
 
ROCKET JOE
Can you explain what stick sensivity precisely does ? I have a vague idea, I use it ... but I'd appreciate to hear it from a top driver 👍 !
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You can steer more quickly when sensitivity is set to max (7). It's harder to drive smoothly with it, though, so you can tone it down depending on the track/car combo, it's not set to stone but it's a good rule of thumb.

Back on the topic, i'm not against motion controls, it's actually pretty good and perfectly acceptable for most levels of play. But Calster is winning top split lobbies in EMEA (the most stacked region imo) with his mighty pad with max sensitivity, so who am i to disagree :lol:
 
MattJones_e36
I'm sorry but the motion sensor is just not up to pair compared to triggers and stick. Just ask any top DS4 player and they'll agree. Stick controls with max sensitivity is the way to go if you want to get the most out of it and don't/can't go the wheel route.
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Triggers and stick? You still use L2 and R2 with the motion sensor. It’s just for steering.

And I don’t agree.
 
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Coming from a wheel background since 2006, a few weeks ago I had injured my ankle and decided to give the DS4 a shot to see how it goes. In the beginning it took a bit getting used to (well no 🤬 Sherlock) but getting the hang of it was surprisingly quick. I did a few dozen laps on Blue Moon Bay just to familiarize myself with the pad and then went to Maggiore GP in the AMG GT3 courtesy car to avoid any benefits to the wheel from using a car set up with it. After around 40 km of driving I had a time I felt to be good. Only ABS, stick steering, old school stick throttle and brake so no left foot braking available, default 0 sensitivity.

After getting my ankle healed I took the same car and went out with the wheel, expecting to completely shatter the DS4 time. It quickly became apparent that such a thing wasn't going to happen and in the end I did indeed go faster with the wheel but only by slightly over half a second. While the wheel definitely gives an advantage in being more accurate with the movements it also requires just that - the movements have to be exactly right whereas with the DS4 you just shove the stick to the side and the car begins doing a smooth arc if you got the speed and turning point right.

The driving line is the same, the braking points are the same, and as long as those two are correct there's nearly no difference between the DS4 and a wheel. I was very surprised at how easy it was to adapt to the DS4 and especially how competitive it was even in the hands of someone who hasn't driven with a pad for 13 years. Getting a wheel certainly isn't a shortcut to success, learning the proper way around the track is.
 
I don't have a wheel to compare to, nor I am competitive enough for online play, but the DS4 works great for me, build quality aside.

The triggers and the analog sticks are much better than the DS3. Especially for racing games.
 
Greycap
Coming from a wheel background since 2006, a few weeks ago I had injured my ankle and decided to give the DS4 a shot to see how it goes. In the beginning it took a bit getting used to (well no 🤬 Sherlock) but getting the hang of it was surprisingly quick. I did a few dozen laps on Blue Moon Bay just to familiarize myself with the pad and then went to Maggiore GP in the AMG GT3 courtesy car to avoid any benefits to the wheel from using a car set up with it. After around 40 km of driving I had a time I felt to be good. Only ABS, stick steering, old school stick throttle and brake so no left foot braking available, default 0 sensitivity.

After getting my ankle healed I took the same car and went out with the wheel, expecting to completely shatter the DS4 time. It quickly became apparent that such a thing wasn't going to happen and in the end I did indeed go faster with the wheel but only by slightly over half a second. While the wheel definitely gives an advantage in being more accurate with the movements it also requires just that - the movements have to be exactly right whereas with the DS4 you just shove the stick to the side and the car begins doing a smooth arc if you got the speed and turning point right.

The driving line is the same, the braking points are the same, and as long as those two are correct there's nearly no difference between the DS4 and a wheel. I was very surprised at how easy it was to adapt to the DS4 and especially how competitive it was even in the hands of someone who hasn't driven with a pad for 13 years. Getting a wheel certainly isn't a shortcut to success, learning the proper way around the track is.
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Half a second is a lot not a little.
 
Yes and no. I can drive just about any car without traction control and not spin. With good warm up, I can get top 50 times. But, there are some things that I don't find easy.

First, is that usually, when I drive Gr3 or faster cars for a longer time ( 30+ minutes ), my fingers usually start to hurt a bit and also get stiff. Second is, that sometimes, my steering isn't working properly. In the middle of corner, or in almost of exit, suddenly, my steering stops working and car understeers out. I think it's some bug.

I think with enough practise, experience and smoothness, driving on DS4 can be easy and good. But it will never be like a wheel, that's for sure.
 
JayRS200
Half a second is a lot not a little.
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OK, let me put that into perspective. Since 2006 with a wheel:

GT4: 48.000+ km, everything golded
GT5: 27.000+ km, Platinum trophy, including the original Vettel Challenges
GT6: 34.000+ km, Platinum trophy
GTS: 86.000+ km, Platinum trophy, DR A+

With a DS4: perhaps 100 km of Blue Moon Bay oval and 40 km of Maggiore GP.

And the difference was half a second.
 
I normally use a G29 but PD did a great job with the ds4. I find it relatively easy but I’ve also been playing GT since the late 90s.
 
ASH32
Main advantage with a wheel is in sweeping corners as you can carry more speed and of course the lower tyre wear on average.

DS4 is better at braking (can brake much later than most wheels), although maybe load cell pedals are just as good as the pad, I wouldn't know. The pad is also better at quick corrections, like when others are crashing into you and/or you end up off the track.

The pad has a lot of built in assits in GT Sport to help against wheel users, hence why, in the right hands at least, it's very competitive (not that I'm that person myself).
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Actually the main advantage of the wheel in GT is in hairpins (or basically any situation that requires a lot of steering angle). The steering lock is reduced on pad, so anyone who's tried the banked hairpin at Maggiore in a Super Formula/X2019/W08 on DS4 will notice!

General rule of thumb is wheel is better on turn in/pad better on exit. Actually find I can brake a tad later on wheel as can scrub off more speed on turn in compared to the pad.
 
mthomas_95
... The steering lock is reduced on pad, so anyone who's tried the banked hairpin at Maggiore in a Super Formula/X2019/W08 on DS4 will notice! ... Actually find I can brake a tad later on wheel as can scrub off more speed on turn in compared to the pad.
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If I remember correctly PD coded that as some "hidden DS assist" which reduces steering lock towards higher speeds. Although I can see the RL logic behind it, I more than once found that quite restrictive. You probably remember that GT Academy run on a Belgium track :D where wheel users went through Eau Rouge and Blanchimont at full throttle while DS3 users just couldn't and had to lift.
Now you're definitely a very advanced DS user ;) - wouldn't you prefer that "assist" to be removed or at least have the option to switch it off ? Curious to hear about your opinion 👍 !
 
ROCKET JOE
If I remember correctly PD coded that as some "hidden DS assist" which reduces steering lock towards higher speeds. Although I can see the RL logic behind it, I more than once found that quite restrictive. You probably remember that GT Academy run on a Belgium track :D where wheel users went through Eau Rouge and Blanchimont at full throttle while DS3 users just couldn't and had to lift.
Now you're definitely a very advanced DS user ;) - wouldn't you prefer that "assist" to be removed or at least have the option to switch it off ? Curious to hear about your opinion 👍 !
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I mean without the restriction pad would be better than wheel more often than not so it'd be useful for people like me who can still jump on a pad and be quick :lol:.

If they lifted that they'd need to get rid of the non-linear throttle to level things up as well, as I swear that's a game design decision to nerf wheel/pedals as much as restricting steering lock is a pad nerf.
 
mthomas_95
I mean without the restriction pad would be better than wheel more often than not so it'd be useful for people like me who can still jump on a pad and be quick :lol:.

If they lifted that they'd need to get rid of the non-linear throttle to level things up as well, as I swear that's a game design decision to nerf wheel/pedals as much as restricting steering lock is a pad nerf.
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Well, as long as you don't operate throttle/brakes like an on/off switch :lol:, linear inputs would be another big improvement even on a Dualshock. Let's hope things change for the next GT :).
 
Lifting the steering lock restriction would be a nightmare. With a 900 degree wheel movements at high speeds are usually below 45 degrees, often even in single digits, in other words using zero to five percent of the entire movement available. The movement of the DS4 stick between the two extremities is barely over 10 mm so it would mean having to do accurate steering moves measured in tenths of a millimetre. No thanks!
 
I find it easy in that I'm used to it and it's the only way I've ever driven. However, I'm consistently 4-5 seconds off the top drivers and I'd be interested to see if a wheel and pedals would make a difference. For me I think it's the pedals that would make the biggest difference. I use the R stick for accelerating and braking. I've tried using L2 and R2 but really struggled when needing to steer and simultaneously use a small amount of brake - my finger and thumb just wouldn't work independently of each other.

So I'm back to the R stick and my 5 seconds off the top.
 
PanchoBallard
I find it easy in that I'm used to it and it's the only way I've ever driven. However, I'm consistently 4-5 seconds off the top drivers and I'd be interested to see if a wheel and pedals would make a difference. For me I think it's the pedals that would make the biggest difference. I use the R stick for accelerating and braking. I've tried using L2 and R2 but really struggled when needing to steer and simultaneously use a small amount of brake - my finger and thumb just wouldn't work independently of each other.

So I'm back to the R stick and my 5 seconds off the top.
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Upto GT4 I always used R stick for Acceleration/Braking. But R2 & L2 really are far more nuanced and quicker. I’d also recommend upping steering sensitivity to max.

With a pad I’m 1-2 seconds off the top guys. I think that’s a reasonable amount. If your 5 seconds off that’s more to do with your general driving, your lines, braking points etc.
 

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