Communities opinions on gamepads

[Matt Gale]

I have recently started playing racing sims on pc, Race 07 and Campos de Marcas, and wanted to know what peoples opinions are on game pads. I have played racing games a lot but have only recently started playing on pc and most racing I do is on xbox 360 so I am used to those controllers. I don't currently own a wheel but I would like to know about what you think so that if there is a negative view towards people using game pads I can avoid it by saving up for a wheel before racing online.

 

[Blkout]

You can play with a game pad and some people are actually quite fast with them but you'll never experience the true immersion of a good FFB wheel. It can't really be explained to someone that doesn't have a wheel or hasn't used one. Once you use one properly set up, you'll likely never want to go back to a game pad.

 

[Moxley6969]

Holy f, Something me and Blkout agree on

Maybe the world is round after all.

 

[Blkout]

Holy f, Something me and Blkout agree on

Maybe the world is round after all.

You would argue with me about that too if Fanatec said it was flat.

 

[David O'Reilly]

I have recently started playing racing sims on pc, Race 07 and Campos de Marcas, and wanted to know what peoples opinions are on game pads. I have played racing games a lot but have only recently started playing on pc and most racing I do is on xbox 360 so I am used to those controllers. I don't currently own a wheel but I would like to know about what you think so that if there is a negative view towards people using game pads I can avoid it by saving up for a wheel before racing online.

There are a few guys out there who are properly fast in PC sims with the pad.
If you have got that very fine motor control in your fingers after lots of drving you can do it.
But.. to echo above.
In terms of the "immersion" that can come when in a race with a wheel, a controller wont do that.
When a front wheel lock up can be felt and some axle forces through the wheel its quite special.
Or the rear end coming around can be felt through your hands.

Its a bit like driving cockpit view. Its just more real and immersive.
I was a pad user till 2010 and went wih a cheap wheel for Xbox. (£40.00 Madcatz).
Then a Fanatec CSR set @ £230 appr.
after 3 years
I'm now waiting on the Fanatec V2 and Formula Rim.@ £550 appr.
Yep there something about wheels.

Id you want bang for your buck. many very very fast drivers use the Logitech G27 and they have been seen at £170.00.

 

[Blkout]

As David touched on and I was going to mention in my previous post but didn't, once you start down the path of becoming a wheel and pedal user, its hard not to get addicted and continue to take it to the next level. Most wheel users end up with at least 2 or more wheels at some point and sometimes more than 2 sets of pedals, multiple screens, cockpits, shifters, etc. Its a wonderful hobby that somehow just seems to take hold of most people that are fans of the genre. I haven't used a wheel at all until November of 2013 but since then I have/had a lot of sim racing equipment. Its almost an addiction at this point but when I think about all the other hobbies I could be doing that are either bad for my health or more expensive, I don't feel so bad about sim racing.

 

[Dynamitry]

Used Logitech Rumblepad 2 back in 2005-2007 which just performed better than my entry level Thrustmaster wheel that was way too bad back then (bungee cord "center spring", combined gas-brake pedals [Thrustmaster still makes "bungee cord" wheels till today BTW]).
I can say that I was pretty fast with gamepad (rFactor/GTL/GTR/GTR2/Race06 public servers racing), though some mods were very hard to handle with gamepad.

When I switched to G25 in 2008, I couldn't drive with gamepad anymore.