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

[ozm8ey]

It also depends on the game. Some games you have the advantage using controller because looking around is quicker and easier but a wheel has a lot more precision as long as the wheel doesn't have input lag in the game

 

[M-Bimmer]

No way jose...can’t imagine anyone with a controller would go for an endurance race.

 

[TheMaroon47]

The feeling of using a pad and wheel are completely different. In a wheel you can get feedback. You know when the car is understeering and when that snap of oversteer is coming. You feel the destabilization of your car when passing bumps or high kerbs. Personally, I think the precision of the wheel more than compensates for the "instantaneous" turning rate of the pad, allowing you to get that perfect steering angle where the turn in is enough and the tyres aren't rubbing sideways along the track. You can get precisely the amount of throttle, braking and clutch that you want without hoping that you don't accidentally depress the button +/-0.5mm for the brakes to lock up. While being competitive is certainly possible, you'd have to be a true alien to do that

 

[TheMaroon47]

No way jose...can’t imagine anyone with a controller would go for an endurance race.

Having sat for a non-stop 3 hour and 5 mins of racing a few days ago in the AMG GT3 around Nordschleife VLN, I can certainly agree.

 

[Butzemann]

mod-edit: no need to offend those with a different opinion

Come on, you are kidding?

 

[Wedge]

It's only February and I think this thread already wins "Best Popcorn Thread" of the year.

So many good and reasonable answers with lots of "disagree" votes, and so much rage to whom thinks it's not possible to be competitive with a gamepad.

For those who think it is possible, I'd love to see the results on an endurance race on iRacing or rF2 for example. No assists allowed.

 

[Mr Deap]

I hate to say this, but how sim racing game physic are at the moment, using speed steering sensitive & adjust it for the specific car & track you use is a big advantage.

 

[Lukas Wirtz]

I know one Greek dude who is way too fast with the pad. Competing in rF2 VEC.

 

[apex11]

Of course you can, you can drive anything pretty much with anything.
For me its a case of i need the immersion of actually driving using wheel and pedals, but hell each to there own man, do i care if someone wants to use a pad? No, can you play sims on keyboards? Yes, would i want to? no...
Quite why someone would get angry about how someone chooses to play THEIR game i have no clue....
If someone is faster than me with a pad so what, no worse than people being faster using a stupid glitch set up like running no ride height at all and whack tire pressures and mental camber etc....

 

[infamouswaine]

you could play with a controller but you would question your own sanity after loosing

 

[apex11]

Well I used a joystick with Geoff Crammonds F1 back on the Amiga and loved every second. Then went to controllers on dreamcast, PS2, Xbox360 but then got an MS wheel and Race Pro and never really went back to controllers for car racing games.
I still can get immersed in MotoGP and RIDE 2 though with a controller and sometimes maybe stick Forza on and use a pad...
I use a pad with Spintires mudrunner and i love it.

But yes once you have a wheel with a sim racing game its pointless using a pad..... but if a pad is all you have or you are unable to use a wheel through a disability then good on you no bother form me, enjoy it and remember the percentage of people playing 'sims' on wheels and pedals do not pay the devs bills.

P.S. this is total click bait, they want us to argue.....

 

[stubs66]

They can be super quick for sure, but i thought we were looking for the ultimate in 'simulation' aren't we ? Unless you have some physical restrictions (not including can't be arsed to move off the sofa), then really they don't have a place do they, surely, blimey, what's the world coming to...

 

[pinkimo]

My off topic useless opinion:

We probably can be competitive with a gamepad, but what's the point?

Before having a wheel, I was avoiding all sims, "I'll try them when I'll have a wheel". I have even stopped playing to racing games for a while before having a wheel to wait for the wheel to enjoy those games as they should be.

Since I have a wheel:
- I don't want to play ever again to any racing game (except the ones made for a gamepad like mario kart or trackmania) without a wheel. If I can't configure properly my wheel with a game, I just don't play to it (and I can take many hours to make it work properly).
- I want to try (and complete if I appreciate them) most if not all good racing games with analog support since Out Run, even the ones I've completed with a gamepad (I've completed GT1 on emulator with a CSL Elite a few months ago, and it was surprisingly good!)

Playing with a wheel brought me back the envy and the smile I had when I was young when playing and the eagerness to play when I'm not playing, something I have sadly a bit lost with age.

For me, playing to a racing game with a gamepad is a complete waste, the feeling is so much better with a wheel, even with games without FFB, as long as we can get a linear analog steering. And of course it's even more true with a sim where you feel everything in the wheel, which is so fun.

So obviously, I can't understand people who play to sims with a gamepad, even an old and cheap $20 used wheel attached on the desk is way better.

 

[smeisinger]

I'm doing just fine at SRS with a Xbox One controller (600-something rating, consistent top-five-positions, a win or podium every now and then).

I had a wheel but now I live at a apartment too small for a wheel, but I don't really look back. My next big investment will be VR and not a wheel. Maybe some day again.

Immersion is ****, yes. But the racing itself still is perfectly fine.

 

[BeliacosGR]

Yes you can! It depends on some facts thought...
1- The type of the SIM
2- Type of player
3- Assists

Personally i had almost 1000 Hours on Assetto Corsa in my Xbox 360 Controller...Because AC has such a smooth feeling i was fine with my pad before getting back my Wheel.I had also played almost 450 Hours with my pad on DiRT Rally. Simillar hours on Richard Burns Rally...and much much games...Sometimes space or time is an issue for some and prefer pads over Wheel. Personally i am a simmer so Wheel all the way just saying...but YES you can play a SIM on a pad.

 

[rosgillies]

Tried backing my BMW z4 off the drive with a controller. For some reason it refused to move, so no!! Joking aside i use a t500rs set with my next level motion platform rig and buttkickers plus Oculus rift. Couldnt imagine running Asseto corsa or PC2 without the immersion factor. Not rich. Just a pensioner who does`nt p**s his money against the wall on a Friday night.

 

[Rage9one]

Of coarse it's possible, but you need to be insanly good with it.

 

[Nicecuppatea]

The Steam Controller's gyro control works quite well I find, the triggers are its biggest flaw for me, they don't have enough travel for any kind of fine control which, immersion aside, is what I suspect makes the real difference between wheels/pedals and controllers: that finer degree of control over your inputs.

Been having a great time using it with Assetto Corsa, not so much with RF2, but I still feel the call of the wheel, the rig, VR - the whole sim-racing money-pit.

 

[RichardHessels]

If you put enough effort in , you might even go faster with a gamepad. No feedback also means less distraction. If the game properly works with a gamepad that is, some don't. When i'm doing my work every now and than i have to go ingame to test some things. So for that i just use the keyboard, it's amazing how much better i got with it over time. Offcourse my DIY-OSW simrig is a much better drive, but i think if i put enough time in it i could be almost as fast with just a keyboard.

 

[Ferenczy36]

I used to totally rock F-Zero on Super Nintendo gamepad long ago...