Community Question | FFB or No FFB?

[Paul Jeffrey]

Technology allows an amazing array of different Force Feedback wheels in sim racing nowadays, but some argue racing without can be quicker... which do you prefer?

Are you all about the immersion experience and want your wheel to "talk" to you about the car on the virtual circuit, or do you sacrifice the feedback provided by the simulation in the quest for additional laptime?

Are you a racer who uses the supplied Force Feedback from a wheel, or do you turn FFB off and rely on the senses provided by your eyes and ears?

Let us know below!

 

[AccAkut]

but some argue racing without can be quicker

who?

 

[Steve Worrell]

who?

Quite a few esports pros I've spoken to have mentioned that they can be quicker with ffb off.

 

[mopro]

I don't play racing games just to be the quickest on track. Immersion through graphics, sounds, physics and ffb is the most important factor for me.

 

[Dady Cairo]

Silliest question ever!

 

[CrimsonEminence]

who?

Quite a few esports pros I've spoken to have mentioned that they can be quicker with ffb off.

FFB can actually be an obstacle, instead of a helpful tool, if you are not in the "learning phase" anymore, but in the "guitar-hero phase", with predefined steering angles etc.

FFB is there to immerse you. Maybe it even helps you to catch the car. But it's definetly not making you fast. (If hotlapping is the desired mode)

 

[Fleskebacon]

Silliest question ever!

One time, someone asked me if I would like a free beer. So, nah, this is obviously not the silliest question ever.

 

[Mikec87]

I had a Thrustmaster Nascar Pro Racing Wheel and Pedals back a long time ago. It has two huge rubber bands inside giving resistance to left and right as you turn. Loved it particularly with IndyCar Racing 2 and NASCAR games.

I then got a MOMO Force Feedback wheel and was heaps slower until I got used to it.

Now I have a G27 and use FFB but only on light - medium setting as too strong I am slower. I tend to be a bit more gentle with steering inputs and this setting helps my style.

I use the G27 with IndyCar Racing 2 in Windows 10 with no FFB and only the self centering of the wheel. Works fine and I am reasonably fast.

 

[mantasisg]

Better bit weaker steering forces than too strong. But no FFB at all ? eSports = LOL

 

[Mr Deap]

I always use FFB. I am fully aware it makes me countersteer cause I have that drifting vibe to me. But no, I have to turn in cause simracing is about understeer.

Although some game the FFB or Physic is just wrong. Niche Esport conquest nobody watch exist. Thus the reason to turn it off. Completely understandable.

 

[UMC 22]

It's obvious how this poll is going to turn out, but I'd love to hear the views of the few who vote for no FFB rather than those who think it's a silly question. Genuinely interested to know their reasoning.

 

[IceColdBeard_24]

Lol who said no ffb is better lol

I've been sim racing for a long long time I've started from keyboard to gamepad to no ffb wheel then low budget ffb to mid budget wheel and so far I've clearly seen the difference as more input gave far better understanding of the cars and more driving precision. With more inputs you also better drive the cars as you can feel everything from curbs, loss of grip and so on !!! I'm planning on going next level sometime soon and I can't wait

 

[Benutzername]

It's obvious how this poll is going to turn out, but I'd love to hear the views of the few who vote for no FFB rather than those who think it's a silly question. Genuinely interested to know their reasoning.

Had a non FFB years for decades. Im not kidding, its a Microsoft Sidewinder Precision Wheel. Its brother was the Microsoft Sidewinder Precision FFB wheel and it was the very first wheel to have FFB from what ive heard.

I used the non FFB years up until two years ago. It was okay. The main problem is the limited steering radius.
My first FFB experiences were with G27s and i hated it. It felt so clunky and not smooth at all. I couldnt drive like that. So i was faster with my wheel from 1999...


But with the T300 its way smoother than a G27 and it improved my driving. FWD cars, you really feel if the tyre cant take it so you open the steering. With the old wheel Id just turn more and overdrive my tyres and lose speed.
Cant imagine anyone preferring non FFB over a somewhat decent FFB, at least nowadays, where there are enough options in affordable price ranges.

 

[DirkW]

A warm beer is still colder than no beer. So in reference to that, a wheel without FFB is still more immersive than no wheel. But if there is a choice, FFB please!!!

 

[mantasisg]

Reason for no FFB - absolute control of front wheels. Basically becoming worlds strongest human, like if you were so strong those few Newton meters of force is literally nothing to you, while you also have fastest and most precise hands, which of course contradicts each other lol And at the end of the day eyes is dominant factor at reading the car and all you need to have is to be able to feel precisely where the fronts are pointing to. FFB is very overrated, but it is nice to have when you understand how it works, which means understanding good chunk of underlying physics, but that seems not to be necessary to be very fast. You could also not only drop FFB way down, but also reduce steering degrees, which will make steering faster without cost of extra resistance, although with less steering degrees you'll loose some amount of precision, but in sims where tires are very blunt instead of sharp, there is not that much need of precision as there should be.

All this being said, I know some very fast guys who likes heavy steering forces, and they are not that buff

 

[Luciano Santos Filho]

I was told to try the qualify for the Indy500 in iRacing with no FFB. Turns out, it worked... It eliminates unnecessary/unwanted input and makes the car faster. So I understand why guys competing in higher levels might want that.

But it was a one-off for me, I do simrace for fun, and no FFB is no fun.

 

[Paul McCluskey]

I think you get an extra sense using no ffb as that you can still feel when your on the limits, was like that anyway for me before we had rumble gamepads etc

 

[BillyBobSenna]

I use inverse FFB just to keep me on my toes.

 

[Enagee]

Racing with no feedback will get you faster if you can handle it... But the keyword in all of thus is simulation and no FFB is a stepping further away from simulation.

No FFB should be made illegal

 

[acidburn82uk]

I've had instances over the years where upon jumping into a race, I had no FFB for whatever reason, and still did the race...

Did it slow me down - not really.
Did it make me enjoy it less - 100%