Gamepad for Racing Sports
Gamepad for Racing Sports
Considering a steering wheel and gear/pedal arrangement would be suitable for racing sims, but using a controller such as the XBox One controller is the best choice for racing games. Optical mechanical keyboards with switches are beneficial. What is your budget, where do you live, and which store do you prefer to buy from?
I would prefer quality over price when buying a gamepad, mainly using Amazon. I considered a racing rig but found it expensive, so I hoped to get a Thrustmaster one. On Amazon, I couldn't find a better sports racing controller, especially after much research. I was also looking at the Logitech f710 but didn't find it appealing.
It largely depends on how comfortable the player is with the system they're using. For those who've only played on PC with a keyboard and mouse, they might struggle with gamepads since they're not used to them. Keyboards are designed for quick responses, which makes it harder to adjust to the slower, more tactile feel of gamepad buttons. Over time, this can lead to frustration as players try to match their reactions to the slower input, often resulting in sluggish performance.
There are still challenges with keyboard racing too. One major issue is that you can't smoothly adjust throttle and brake, only fully on or off. This forces players to repeatedly press buttons instead of using smooth inputs. While well-designed games can help by adding steering algorithms, precise arc control often still requires button presses. Not being able to gradually ease into turns or accelerate can be a significant disadvantage for keyboard users.
Even with advanced optical systems like those in some KBs, the lack of smooth throttle and brake adjustments remains a problem. In fact, it tends to make acceleration more abrupt and increases the risk of wheel lock-up during braking. This is why many players who use KBs often rely on driving aids in games that support them.
Unfortunately, some racing titles, even popular ones like the Need For Speed series, no longer allow arc steering via key presses. While Codemasters performs better in this regard than EA, the situation changes if EA owns Codemasters, potentially limiting our options for keyboard-friendly racing games. The idea of pressure-sensitive keys for keyboards hasn't gained traction, which could have helped address this issue.
Speaking of gamepads, there was a time when a clever design seemed promising for racing games—something shaped like a pivoting parallelogram, mimicking a steering wheel. It allowed hands to move naturally, with triggers for throttle and brake and buttons for other controls. Though it was created by someone in Australia, I don’t remember the name or find any details about it. The developer claimed it could work across different games, and some professional racers praised it. This type of pad worked well in shooters too, making movement and aiming feel more intuitive.
If you know the name or can locate it through a search, please share the link so I can assist further. In the meantime, searching for alternatives for racing games might become necessary.
I decided to purchase G29 but noticed the game Assetto Corsa on Steam. The first option says "buy Assetto Corsa" while the next mentions "buy asseto corsa ultimate edition." Should I install the first one before getting the ultimate edition? The ultimate edition is more expensive, and I want to know if the game supports G29. I use Windows 10.
The first question seems redundant. I looked at the Steam page for the game and it's clear they sell the standard and ultimate editions separately. Just choose "Buy Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition" if that's the one you want.
As for how well the G29 works with the PC version of the game, expect it to have full support. All you needed to do was visit Logitech's support page for the G29 to see Assetto Corsa is one of the games with both "Trueforce" and Dual Clutch support.
https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/products...wheel.html
Note that Trueforce and Dual Clutch are new features for G923 that are not yet widely supported. Here's a review on G29 vs G923.
Here's a comprehensive review on the G29. It's basically one of the best budget starter wheel/pedal sets you can get. It's very commonly used and well supported. Fanatec and Thrustmaster make a bit better products, but cost more.
There are also tons of videos on YouTube showing how well it works with Assetto Corsa, some even in 4K, and some with the latest Ferrari DLC, so take your pick and watch a few.