Have Your Say: Can You Sim Race Competitively With a Controller?

Just a litte off-topic question: Does anyone here have that RaceRoom gamepad shown in the OP? Now I'm interested in that. I do not have RaceRoom but on their website it says it's compatible with all racing games on PC.
 
I'm forced to use my Dualshock 2 for some time, due to the lack of space for my simrig at home, so I can tell you my experience with AC/rFactor2.
I have fun with both sims, but it will NEVER be the same as using a wheel and pedals. And I have an old Momo Racing wheel, which is not something you can be proud of... :roflmao:

I try to use no driving aids. Depending on the cars, some vintage modded cars need some amount of stability control to avoid a frustrating gameplay. Factory controls, always.

I use AI within 95-98%. I usually don't play online with pad, so I can't say how competitive I am. Perhaps I should try.
 
i could kick good number of asses with gamepad (and i did!) while i was smoking hookah at the same time!
but i use wheel since 2015 (i feel civilize now lol , but honestly maybe because i could not use pads anymore) because now i don't like the easy way, i like the immersion and sucks at it :D
 
Yes you can! Here is my example, driving on a Logitech Rumblepad 2 since my G25 broke. All the races on SRS were done with a gamepad. Tried to repair the wheel but it didnt really work well anymore, and as I am moving too often to other countries, I didnt want to buy a new wheel and carry it everywhere with me. Most wins in the league, 3rd place in the rating.

The thing is, that most of the people dont know how to drive with a gamepad, you have to move the pads softly, what most people just cant control. I gotta long experience with a gamepad and I can be competetive and drive safe with people around

There you go, screenshots attached
 

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Can´t drive anymore with a controller in a way that I´m not a menace to any other drivers with me on the same virtual track.
But I used to play TOCA and V-Rally with the NeGcon controller on the original PS1.
That controller was brilliant for racing games and I think even nowadays would work very well if properly supported on PC.
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I knew a guy back in the GPL-days who destroyed us mortals with wheels using a controller. He used crazy setups and driving corner entries and exits only doable by drift masters... and being faster nonetheless. Watching replays of races with him gave me goosebumps... awesome stuff.
 
Over the last 10 years or so, I've lost the ability to use a gamepad. In arcade games like The Crew I was okay but I even need a wheel for that now.
 
Over the last 10 years or so, I've lost the ability to use a gamepad. In arcade games like The Crew I was okay but I even need a wheel for that now.
Yeah once you get a good enough wheel there is no going back to controller lol I even played using my wheel in the crew too :)
 
Heres my little penny-worth. I have been in races with people who use controllers and can normally spot them immediately. the steering is not smooth like a wheel. Its jerky and off-putting. When you go on youtube and watch replays its simply awful. jerky, not at all, "simmy" and should be BANNED. keep the controllers for xbox and the other silly box thing. it isn't sims on them.
PC's run sims. I bet there will be some who disagree. Well, fill yer boots boys but its only an old mans opinion which ain't worth nuts. :mad::mad: :laugh:
 
I wonder where all the joystick-warriors went. I remember when I started simracing 14-15 years ago that quite a few people at the top were joystick-warriors. That was what I started with as well when I was 8-9 years old, using a joystick. I never managed to do any useful stuff with it in any games except GP3 (due to the aids provided there).
However, I haven't heard about a single joystick-warrior in years. It's either wheel or gamepads with the random keyboard or mouse thrown in now and then.

I honestly miss my joystick!
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I've used the very same joystick for years! Having endurance races done with it I've even got some weird blister on my little finger, that was there for years :p
Now i'm using the same joystick for a handbrake.
 
I've seen it done at a pretty high level in most types of racing that are in iRacing, though I have no idea how people do it on asphalt. On dirt, I actually find some of iRacing's cars are *easier* to control with a controller, though it's probably very slightly slower. For example, the non-wing dirt sprints are just too much for me in iRacing with a wheel, but with a controller I can at least get it around the track consistently. I'm sure someone who's better on dirt than I would do much better with a wheel, but it can be done.
 
Sure you can be competitive/fast but whats the point? Racing a SIM(ulator) game to immerse yourself as much as possible to be close to reality and then use a totally "unimmersive" input device? I do not see the point.
Especially because wheels are not that expensive anymore (entry level)
 

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