- 27
- United States
I’m switching over to a wheel from controller any tips you guys can give me for my first few races on the wheel? I don’t want my SR to drop too much haha.
Switching from a controller to wheel!
- Thread starter Ascendancy
- 100 comments
- 15,465 views
- 706
- Australia
Practice in Time Trials and lobbies, you won't lose DR or SR there.
For me it took me a few weeks (not just a few races) to adjust from a DS4 to a G29, but it depends on your skill level, what wheel you get, and how comfortable you feel with it.
I changed from chase cam to bumper cam when I got a wheel, as I found it more intuitive. A lot of World Tour competitors use chase cam with a wheel, so just use whatever you are comfortable with.
- 3,832
- Canada
I couldn't do it, I'll try again some day with a proper rig maybe but man, I spent about 50 hours on it and was still SECONDS slower than I was and more error prone.
- 27
- United States
- 3,723
- São Paulo
- Philip-Giger
On my change, I had to run 300 kilometers (Time Trial) to match my times with the controller. Then the improvement over the controller was significant.
DesertPenguin
(Banned)
- 10,691
- Long Island, New York
- DesertPenguin_
I hope you're relatively fit because you will actually have to turn the wheel more than you might expect. For most turns you're turning it around 90 degrees and closer to 180 for the hairpins. The best advice I can give is to be smooth. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
- 12
- India
Hey, I recently switched to a wheel too. Give yourself time, you will get the hang of it. Start slow, on track you are familar with and keep hot lapping till you get comfortable. Not comparing my wheel lap times with my controller time helped, as that made me more impatient. Since its completely different controller, its about relearning.
Spend sometime in getting the setup right. Make sure your pedal and steering reach is comfortable and that things arent moving around too much. Try out different setting for force feedback strenght and sensitivity and see what works.
It look me a good 2 weeks to get up to speed on daily races. Now I feel much more confident on a wheel then I ever did on the controller.
Spend sometime in getting the setup right. Make sure your pedal and steering reach is comfortable and that things arent moving around too much. Try out different setting for force feedback strenght and sensitivity and see what works.
It look me a good 2 weeks to get up to speed on daily races. Now I feel much more confident on a wheel then I ever did on the controller.
- 3,723
- São Paulo
- Philip-Giger
The track I trained on was Grand Valley East... (I think I'm going to cry a little now...)
- 17,672
- United Kingdom
After 15 or so years with a controller it took me a number of months, maybe even a year, to get back to the same level with my first proper wheel. Even now, I'm not sure I'm as consistent over a number of laps... so my tip would be have patience. I don't care if I am slower to be honest, the experience is far more enjoyable.
- 195
- Germany
If you (OP) cannot match your controller times after a short while, you must have been a wizard with the DS4.
Or you have some settings wrong. A relaxed position is important. Close to screen. Seat must not move.
I had an armchair that turned, initially. Fixed that, really got pains in the hip/lower back from the tension.
Or you have some settings wrong. A relaxed position is important. Close to screen. Seat must not move.
I had an armchair that turned, initially. Fixed that, really got pains in the hip/lower back from the tension.
- 2,336
- United Kingdom
- breeminator
- breeminator
I let someone have a go with my rig who has plenty of experience of driving real cars, and he was over 20 secs slower than me for a lap of Fuji. I think it's the linearity in games that causes most problems. Some real cars have non-linear steering, and when you're used to it, it's really hard to adapt to a game's steering if it's linear, or has a different non-linear response to what you're used to. I find this if I try to play PC2, for example, there's some sort of linearity difference where I can't put my finger on what exactly it is, but it just doesn't respond to wheel movements how I expect. Some games let you adjust the non-linearity, but I've found that even then it can be impossible to make it feel right.
- 17,672
- United Kingdom
I know this wasn't aimed at me, so I'm not speaking for the OP (especially given I'm not really wizard with either), but if you play long enough with a controller, you become accustomed to leaning on the input smoothing performed by the game. A wheel allows you to be more precise more quickly, but it doesn't make you more precise on its own.
Of course I am not saying driving a real life car is anywhere near in game but what I mean is that if you can control a car in real life, and use your steering wheel and accelerator, breaks, etc in real life, ingame experience should be quite easy for you.
You will need to work hard to get better times, but I'm sure you can hit your DS4 level with a wheel without a problem
You will need to work hard to get better times, but I'm sure you can hit your DS4 level with a wheel without a problem
- 27
- United States
I wouldn’t say I’m fit but I should be able to handle the wheel.
- 27
- United States
This is one of the most incorrect statement of the forum.
It's completely different, it's frustrating and takes lots of time. In a real car you have the actual feeling of grip, centrifuge force etc, there is not weird play, no dead angle, not weird vibrations, everything makes sense.
On the wheel everything feels different, and this feeling changes depending on the wheel, settings of the wheel, game, update of the game etc
- 3,832
- Canada
- 2,649
- Glasgow
- stpatty
I made a thread about this last December when I switched: https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/tips-for-changing-from-controller-to-wheel.391481/
I use a G29 on a fold-up wooden table that's weighed down by a toilet roll holder base to (try to) stop it from moving about too much. I sit on a normal wheeled office chair, on an uneven floor, which means when I brake too heavily or steer too heavily everything moves. I am, broadly, as fast as I was before, which is still a lower-mid DR A, 1-2 seconds off the aliens depending on the car/track level of ability. I had no prior driving experience.
It's frustrating, but you can get used to it and it's worth it. One thing I did was reset my DR and SR because I wanted to start from the beginning, and I knew if I went straight in at the level I was at I'd be slow and dangerous. Don't try to be fast in the early stages, just focus on getting round.
I use a G29 on a fold-up wooden table that's weighed down by a toilet roll holder base to (try to) stop it from moving about too much. I sit on a normal wheeled office chair, on an uneven floor, which means when I brake too heavily or steer too heavily everything moves. I am, broadly, as fast as I was before, which is still a lower-mid DR A, 1-2 seconds off the aliens depending on the car/track level of ability. I had no prior driving experience.
It's frustrating, but you can get used to it and it's worth it. One thing I did was reset my DR and SR because I wanted to start from the beginning, and I knew if I went straight in at the level I was at I'd be slow and dangerous. Don't try to be fast in the early stages, just focus on getting round.
- 3,832
- Canada
- 4,814
- SoCal
- GTP_MooCow
In time, you will get used to it...
Start slow... Meaning take a car you are comfortable driving with, I would advise a low power car, drive it slowly so that you can allow your brain to rewire and recalibrate to the new commands of steering...
Just like me, when you have been driving using the joystick or the pad for a long time, your muscle memory has made the task pretty much second nature...
Switching to the wheels will feel weird, even if you are an experienced driver IRL like myself.
It will take some times.
Some people transition real fast, some will take a few months before the times can be comparable...
The whole point is to enjoy, so don't force it and just enjoy the transition...
Drive slowly at first and alllow yourself to process thing and you will start to see the minute details from each wheel input!
Best of luck mate!
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- 665
- Edmonton, AB
- GTP_Torontoblue
This is the BIG difference, for me in going from a DS4 (using motion control) to a wheel (G29). The apparent lack of front end grip takes some getting used to and does get very frustrating.
As others have said, use time trials, license tests or even the circuit experiences to learn how the wheel is different from the DS4. This certainly won't affect your DR/SR and you'll come out of it with a better feel.
- 27
- United States
Thanks for all the tips guys! I will be sure to take it slow at first to rewire my brain from the DS4 that I’ve played on for years. It’s going to be kinda fun having to relearn GTS I think anyway I enjoy a good challenge. 
- 62
- Curitiba
Another reminder I can add is: don't mind getting back to DS4 sometimes. I personally feel that we have the obligation to race on the wheel because it's more "realistic" (and because we spent some hard earned cash on it), but sometimes we just want to laid back and relax playing on our couch. Remember: in the end, what matters most is enjoying the game and having fun.
- 3,053
- England
- kilesa4568
- 828
- United Kingdom
Sounds like that's understeer. Something that I think I've read the G29 doesn't relay back to the driver (I could be totally wrong). When I first got a wheel I was turning the wheel too much and too fast, resulting in massive understeer everywhere (which with a T-GT you can feel, so makes it easier to get used to).
I know the DS4 has a few little aids when you use it, I crashed in lots of strange ways after switching to a wheel and that's the reason that now, as my pedals are being fixed, I don't want to use a DS4 while I'm waiting to get them back. So GT has been gathering dust, so to speak
For the OP, patience and practice is the key. I made the mistake of thinking that getting on a wheel would be like waving a magic wand at my lap times. As mentioned above, I had crashes a plenty, and 'weird' ones too. No consistency and I did genuinely feel like abandoning the whole thing, cutting my losses and selling the rig after a couple of weeks. Then I decided to knuckle down on time trials, gradually it started to come together and I've been slowly improving ever since.
The single best gaming purchase I've ever made, and the sooner Thrustmaster sort out my pedals the better!
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- 26
- Netherlands
I switched myself this week from controller to t300. Had some time off so could put in quite some km’s I’m quite close to my controller times after 3 days, depending on track. Big pro is the extra immersion and that my hands don’t cramp up from using the controller.
Catching a slide is something to get used too though, while on controller this was 2nd nature. The Porsche endurance races are good practise for this I think, as you can really feel the weightshifts.
Catching a slide is something to get used too though, while on controller this was 2nd nature. The Porsche endurance races are good practise for this I think, as you can really feel the weightshifts.
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- 5,284
- Sick_Cylinder
I repeated this comment because I think it is the best advice in this thread @Ascendancy
I switched to a wheel about ten years ago and for me it was easy because I was so bad with a hand controller! The better you are with a controller the longer it will take to switch over.
I started the game again when I switched to a wheel and also changed to a more realistic view - I went from bumper cam to bonnet then from bonnet to cockpit when I got my second wheel.
Chase cam is a very unnatural view to use with a wheel - I find it virtually impossible, but I understand there may be a few aliens who use it in order to get a better view around the car - I suggest you avoid it because it is not immersive or natural with a wheel. I think bumper, bonnet or cockpit view work best with a wheel - bumper gives the best sense of speed, bonnet gives a reference for vehicle width and cockpit gives the most immersion, but will normally be slower - but may be worth learning as it is a required view on some more serious sims.
One of the most important things is ensuring that pedals don't move away from you as you brake, that the wheel is at exactly the right angle and the seat has good comfort - if you are racing from a couch or armchair I suggest investing in a good quality, highly adjustable wheelstand - you want one where you can alter the angle of the wheel as well as its height and depth. Something like a Wheelstand Pro will make a big difference to comfort and potentially to speed and consistency.
Don't forget to take regular breaks and make sure the wheel is able to fully cool down - some wheels need the PS4 to stay on so that the cooling fans can continue - my T500RS needs the PS4 to stay on for about an hour after racing to avoid the circuits frying!
