HKS controller

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Well, I saw this thing by chance at Walmart and decided to pick it up while I saved up for the new ThrustMaster. I am new to PS3 and GT5, but I got to Level 20 in about a week since Christmas. I used to race cars, so most of the learning was trying to get used to the darn controller :yuck:.

I logged about 16 hours on the thing and I think it is far superior to the regular controller. Finessing the Thumbwheel feels much more natural and immersive than flopping a joystick. Definitely a major improvement from using a regular controller.

It took me a few hours to figure out the pedals were too sensitive and found all these Forum threads with no solution other than remapping the L/R buttons which is like ordering a 7UP when what you really want is a Beer.

Switching to the R/L buttons? Are you serious? Those are the gear shifters, and I wouldn't want it any other way (I used to race, remember?). The nice big pressure pedals are 50% of the reason to get this controller. The Thumbwheel is the other 50%, couldn't care less about the wire, it's pretty long, besides I like to be close to my 62" screen anyway; feels like you're in the car.

The Brake pedal is fine, perhaps a little too sensitive, but I'm getting used to it; a small tap and a quick return to the throttle when going through corners is getting to be second nature. The Throttle travel however is way too sensitive. Yes the 27% reported somewhere is accurate, and it's mostly linear, but it's not something I want to have to get used to.

I suppose the only real solution is to work my namesake and fix it. I will pull off the pot for the throttle and replace it with a pot 1/3 the resistance. That should fix it. I'll perform the mod and report back in here with the ideal value pot (and perhaps a part number).

Hopefully the designer reads this thread and the next version controller will have a switch to change the button response, since I suppose there are some games that work well with the way the button is designed; just not good for GT5 if you want to finess the throttle.

It puzzles me that HKS, who are actively involved with the GT5 programmers didn't realize the throttle was so lame.

Another good solution would be for the GT5 guys to issue a patch to allow these buttons/controllers to be used, but that's wishfull thinking. A soldering iron and pliers to the rescue...

Regards,
Majiktom
 
MajikTom
Well, I saw this thing by chance at Walmart and decided to pick it up while I saved up for the new ThrustMaster. I am new to PS3 and GT5, but I got to Level 20 in about a week since Christmas. I used to race cars, so most of the learning was trying to get used to the darn controller :yuck:.

I logged about 16 hours on the thing and I think it is far superior to the regular controller. Finessing the Thumbwheel feels much more natural and immersive than flopping a joystick. Definitely a major improvement from using a regular controller.

It took me a few hours to figure out the pedals were too sensitive and found all these Forum threads with no solution other than remapping the L/R buttons which is like ordering a 7UP when what you really want is a Beer.

Switching to the R/L buttons? Are you serious? Those are the gear shifters, and I wouldn't want it any other way (I used to race, remember?). The nice big pressure pedals are 50% of the reason to get this controller. The Thumbwheel is the other 50%, couldn't care less about the wire, it's pretty long, besides I like to be close to my 62" screen anyway; feels like you're in the car.

The Brake pedal is fine, perhaps a little too sensitive, but I'm getting used to it; a small tap and a quick return to the throttle when going through corners is getting to be second nature. The Throttle travel however is way too sensitive. Yes the 27% reported somewhere is accurate, and it's mostly linear, but it's not something I want to have to get used to.

I suppose the only real solution is to work my namesake and fix it. I will pull off the pot for the throttle and replace it with a pot 1/3 the resistance. That should fix it. I'll perform the mod and report back in here with the ideal value pot (and perhaps a part number).

Hopefully the designer reads this thread and the next version controller will have a switch to change the button response, since I suppose there are some games that work well with the way the button is designed; just not good for GT5 if you want to finess the throttle.

It puzzles me that HKS, who are actively involved with the GT5 programmers didn't realize the throttle was so lame.

Another good solution would be for the GT5 guys to issue a patch to allow these buttons/controllers to be used, but that's wishfull thinking. A soldering iron and pliers to the rescue...

Regards,
Majiktom
Click to expand...

I don't have the controller, but from reading this thread, after you re-assign the throttle/brake to R2/L2, you flip a switch on the controller which makes the "pedals" work as R2/L2. So you still use the pedals, but because GT5 sees them as R2/L2 and not [] and X, they work properly.
 
I'm unable to make use of pedals for now due to a high speed motorcycle accident. So for a quite a while yet (permanently?) I'm stuck using a controller, so I picked up the HKS controller to see if it can help me find a few tenths here and there. To give you a little background info, I consider myself fairly adept with the controller and golded over half the licenses so far, all A-spec races (sans enduros), and most special events, rarely ever buckling and using SRF, the exception being a couple seasonal races or where my frustration just got the best of me. :banghead:

The mini thumb pedals:
Having already read other's reviews prior to purchase, I already knew about remapping the buttons and the mode switch to make the PS3 think the pedals are the L2/R2 buttons and having tried it both ways I must say without this they lose any advantage they might have with only 1/3 the resolution and have an enormous dead spot when fully depressed. The gas and brake pedals on their own work quite well and taught me how much time can be gained by being smooth on the gas ESPECIALLY with wet track conditions or cars prone to excessive wheelspin. Where they fall tragically short is that the pedals have too much of a gap in between them and they're a different size from one another. As a result it's difficult to quickly switch from one to the other, you can't "roll" your thumb between the two, you actually have to lift off and press them separately. This makes it impossible to "left foot brake" something very easy to do on the the standard PS3 controller whether using buttons or the triggers. This was the ultimate deal breaker for me.

The HKS's Wheel:
The wheel takes some getting used to since it's more like a real steering wheel that has a constant rate unlike the more sensitive DS3. As a result the first time you use it you won't turn nearly as much as you need to and will go straight off at the first corner. Once you get used to it though, holding a clean line through a high speed sweeper is cake, it's excellent in that respect. However the steering seems slow to respond like there's a delay to your input, so when trying to catch oversteer or any quick extreme direction change it fails miserably. Whether this is the fault of the controller itself or just lag in how the PS3 interprets it (which I strongly doubt), the result is the same.

The rest of the controller:
It is wired but there's plenty of it, so not really a big deal, but you can no longer turn the PS3 on remotely which is kind of annoying but w/e. They obviously hoped you'd exclusively use the "clever" buttons that drew you to the controller in the first place because the L2 and R2 triggers feel very cheap and on/off, they have almost no analog feel at all.

The result:
For more novice players or early on in the game I can see this controller maybe helping out in some areas, but as your skill improves and you and the game get more competitive it will become more of a hinderance than an asset IMO. After giving it more of a chance to get used to it than I should have, it's back in the box waiting to be returned. It did however teach me how important it is to be as smooth as possible on the gas and brakes so I have now started using the triggers rather than the buttons on the stock controller and my times improved a fair bit across the board. I also bought the $5 clip on trigger extensions which before I thought were kind of silly since they don't change the throw of the triggers, but they really improve button feel and your fingers won't slip at all as a result of the angle of the trigger when fully depressed.

Still waiting for an RC style controller, though I fear it could easily be superior to using a wheel so I doubt the big boys like Logitech would risk hurting the profits from their golden goose.
 
I have one and the wired thingy isnt too much of a problem as there is lots of it. Overalli would give it a8 out of 10.Its worth the asking price at any rate
 
Acheron79
I have one and the wired thingy isnt too much of a problem as there is lots of it. Overalli would give it a8 out of 10.Its worth the asking price at any rate
Click to expand...

Sounds good. I see you're also in Europe... where did you get yours? By any chance from an online retailer that may also ship to the Netherlands? :)

Edit: Never mind - I see you already added where you got it from! Thanks a bundle!
 
Any US people looking to buy. On Sale today:


From Ben's Bargains: http://bensbargains.net/deal/175224/

Eagle3 PlayStation 3 HKS Racing Controller $34 at 6ave.com

6ave.com has the Eagle3 PlayStation 3 HKS Racing Controller for $35 - 4% off with coupon code AFL4COUPON = $34 with free shipping. Features analog pressure acceleration and brake pedals, light-up numerical indicator displays, digital readout and race mode switch.

..
 
nerv2112
...Another poster suggested it was because the pedals on this controller are mapped to the X and O buttons and GT expects them to be digital not analog...
Click to expand...

I don't have one yet tho am interested. Sounds like I definitely want to wait for some revisions and/or hopefully a v2. I'm posting due to the above though.. the X & O buttons are analog, not digital, and GT reads them as such.
 
I'm kind of seasoned on the Dual Stick and got one. It takes a day or two before it becomes second nature, but I really like the HKS. My DS3 style was very twitchy and light on the sticks, tapping it with my thumb on both sides. I still do that some with the HKS, but on longer corners you can just move it over and roll around nicely.

It allows taking smooth corners really nicely, where with the DS3 it's very switchy and jarring.

I am not convinced I'm much better with controlled "pedals" but I think the fact that the inputs are thus smoothed makes it a little better with lower TCS or TCS off... just a hair.

Is it faster? I think so. There were some license tests that I found a lot easier.

Is it more fun? Definitely for me.

It seemed it took a while for the rumble to "break in" or something, I used to think it wasn't as good but it seems fine enough to me.

Anyway, I would recommend one for sure if anything for just making the racing feel a little smoother and less jarring without all of those micro adjustments.

Mine pedals hit about 100% throttle at about 80% travel, so it's pretty good. I also find that the steering wheel is in a very good position, and combined with a light touch on the wheel (i.e. a little switchy, not thinking of it as wheel) it is better than the dual shock for me.

I have also read about people turning it into "NFS" mode and remapping the controls for better adjustments but I don't think it's necessary.
 
I have it and love it. I just wish it was wireless. I can prove to you it works: Take an X2010 out on the Top Gear Track with a DS3, and then again with the HKS. Do that and tell me the HKS sucks with a straight face.

The HKS controller is so awesome for drifting also. The "steering wheel" is also great. It acts like a real steering wheel. It springs right back to center when not being pressed. I love this controller, and I cannot imagine how I ever raced with a DS3. The DS3 is so loose compared to the HKS. It does take getting used to, but when you do, you will never want to go back. To all saying it's too sensitive: you are doing it wrong. It is so unbelievably precise.

NFS mode also allows my Forza friends to play too by remapping instantly so the triggers are throttle and brake.

/testimonial. :lol:
 
Last edited:
TopGearJB007
I have it and love it. I just wish it was wireless. I can prove to you it works: Take an X2010 out on the Top Gear Track with a DS3, and then again with the HKS. Do that and tell me the HKS sucks with a straight face.

The HKS controller is so awesome for drifting also. The "steering wheel" is also great. It acts like a real steering wheel. It springs right back to center when not being pressed. I love this controller, and I cannot imagine how I ever raced with a DS3. The DS3 is so loose compared to the HKS. It does take getting used to, but when you do, you will never want to go back. To all saying it's too sensitive: you are doing it wrong.
Click to expand...

This 👍

Like with everything else there is a learning curve.
 
raz_10
This 👍

Like with everything else there is a learning curve.
Click to expand...
Thanks for agreeing. :)

I'd also like to add that the learning curve is only a couple hours, maybe a day or two at the most because (at least with me) it was hard to undo the habit of using the left thumbstick for steering. I've been I've been using the left thumbstick since GT2.
 
I have this controller and last night, I remapped the buttons so that L2/R2 were brake and accelerate then put the controller in NFS mode. The improvement was very noticeable. Before the gauge for the accelerator was full on GT5 at 30% on the LCD now they are more in line with each other. There is still about 3 millimeters or so of extra travel after the LCD reaches 100% which kind of sucks. If there wasn't that little bit of extra travel beyond 100% I think it'd be ideal.

As for my opinion on the controller overall: I really prefer it to the DS3. I feel like my driving is much smoother with this thing. I also agree that after a long time playing, the controller hurts my thumb.
 
Anyone know where I can find PC drivers? I'm trying to get this to work with a few pc racing games and so far no luck.
 
Bob is busy winning a Zonda R for me, so I have some time to write a review of the HKS Racing Controller I've been putting through its paces in the past 4 days.

hks_racing_controller_for_ps3_1.jpg


This is a replacement of a normal DS3 controller and claims to be specifically designed for race games like GT5 and NFS. Before wheel-users chime in with the usual "save up for a real wheel instead", some people prefer not to use a wheel. In my case (I do own a DFEX) it's because I simply can't always wire up a wheel in my living room. It's not practical and my wife doesn't appreciate it.

So... is the HKS better than a DS3? If you don't want to read any further: YES, it is better than a DS3, and -expectedly- not as good as a wheel.

Read on for details:

The HKS is special because it replaces the X and [] keys with pressurized pedals. Additionally, it adds a special steering-shuttle designed to be used with your thumb for much better control over steering than the joystick or the directional keys (which are also usable on the HKS).

I have used the HKS on lots of races now, including the Grand Valley endurance and the Laguna Seca endurance, and I can say that the more precise steering and throttle control do make a real noticeable difference.

Sadly, throttle control is not linear, but seems to be exponential, so pushing the gas pedal for 25% gives you nearly 100% throttle. In actual practice I didn't find this particularly problematic since the pressurized pedals somehow makes it feel much more natural than using the X key or the R2 trigger.

The build quality of the HKS is surprisingly good for a 3rd party accessory and the plastic used is nice and soft - actually nicer to the touch than a DS3 and reminded me of the soft plastics used in premium car interiors. Nice!

The rumble is a bit more noisy and less refined than the DS3's but works effectively.

The thing that may put people off this controller is the fact that it is wired. The long (10ft) USB cable has to be plugged in for this thing to work. I don't mind it because it's comfortably within reach of my PS3 and it means it won't run out of juice in the middle of a heated endurance battle, but some people may care more about it than I do.

There's a switch to reconfigure the default key mappings between GT and NFS, but since most people reconfigure their keys to perfect taste I could do without this.

There's also a 'Macro' key to quickly let you remap [some] keys on the fly without having to dive into the menu - but it's not as useful as it could have been, because the remaps are lost when the PS3 is switched off. I used it a few times in the middle of an endurance when I couldn't go into the menu for another hour or so.

I bought the HKS from Amazon.com - and including S&H to Europe I paid around 55 Euros for it. I feel it's worth it if you're really spending many hours on racing games but somehow don't want/can't use a wheel.

So... I give this product my thumbs up! 👍

Oh, and in case you're wondering: the Vettel challenges are still impossibly hard with the HKS :) Although I found steering with the HKS's slightly less sensitive joystick easier than with the DS3.

Let me know if you have any specific questions!
 
Cheers for the review. Was kind of hoping someone would buy one and review it. Sounds like it's pretty much what I was expecting. Think I'll still stick with my DS3 though 👍
 
it would be cool if they made the joystick into a 'mini' steering wheel. been thinking of getting one of these but i feel im starting to get bored with gt5 and it just wouldnt get used.
 
Interesting. A wheel might be impractical for me, so this could be another option.
 
The only thing I care about is if you can get gold on Suzuka and GP/F with it in the Vettel Challenges (The only two things I probably won't be able to do with my DS3). Apparently this is not the case so I'll just stick with the DS3.
 
Can you do Gold in Vettel challenge with this pad? If not then it's pointless buying HKS.
 
ussr
Can you do Gold in Vettel challenge with this pad? If not then it's pointless buying HKS.
Click to expand...

It is slightly easier with the HKS, though not much. I've found it to be quite a nice change to the DS3 but the build quality doesn't seem particularly good; noisy rumble, sticking buttons and now a very temperamental PS button.
 
This controller is a must for racers! I own the DFGT and this HKS controller and i mostly use the controller, ive even noticed im a bit faster than using the wheel
 

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