Coming from GTS, new to youPS4

[Mr Grumpy]

I must admit this is a good topic regarding sim racing vs game playing.

I know full well my wife/family/friends would fully support the idea of spending alot of money on a full racing sim setup if I actually raced/could afford to race in real life, because it's seen as that's what I would do for a living/hobby.

But just because I don't race/can't afford to in real life my racing habits on a pc/console are considered geeky, if bought a steering wheel for £300 she'd be like "what a waste of money" but it's ok for her to spend £300 on a coat/bag or shoes. Figures

 

[slthree]

I posted this in the Sim Hardware section but I don't know how many people are viewing that section so I need to get help from you guys now

Although I am definitely returning the t150 wheel because I want something a little more premium, I have another problem altogether

I wanted a wheel to have more fun and for the racing to become more immersive. But, after about two and a half hours yesterday it made me feel like the racing was a chore, an exercise in fighting against the wheel and the car, instead of having fun and being able to run through the track a little quicker and smoother

Things got really troublesome when I went off the road a little bit and my car started spinning and my wheel went crazy like it was possessed. I even hurt my wrist a couple of times

If this is normal and it all goes away and the experience does become better, then please let me know. It became so grueling that I had to go back to using the controller.

So, I apologize for being confused. Most people say once you use a wheel you can never go back to a controller but I HAD to go back to the controller.

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE RIGHT NOW WOULD BE WELCOME,

 

[hasslemoff]

I posted this in the Sim Hardware section but I don't know how many people are viewing that section so I need to get help from you guys now

Although I am definitely returning the t150 wheel because I want something a little more premium, I have another problem altogether

I wanted a wheel to have more fun and for the racing to become more immersive. But, after about two and a half hours yesterday it made me feel like the racing was a chore, an exercise in fighting against the wheel and the car, instead of having fun and being able to run through the track a little quicker and smoother

Things got really troublesome when I went off the road a little bit and my car started spinning and my wheel went crazy like it was possessed. I even hurt my wrist a couple of times

If this is normal and it all goes away and the experience does become better, then please let me know. It became so grueling that I had to go back to using the controller.

So, I apologize for being confused. Most people say once you use a wheel you can never go back to a controller but I HAD to go back to the controller.

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE RIGHT NOW WOULD BE WELCOME,

Turn the FFB down you don't need it high, I use a T150 and run informative with tone and volume at 20 no need to make it hard to turn the wheel and fight with the FFB.

Any wheel you buy will take time to get use to in any game if you have never used one.
Normal tips start with a slow car (Ginetta Junior) and stick with one track until you find yourself comfortable with the wheel and car. Never worry about lap times, more on enjoyment and consitantcy.


Edit: don't worry about tunning until you are comfy with the car and wheel either.

 

[David Brooks]

Agree with turning the forces down.

Also you probably don't want to completely let go of the wheel at any time whilst driving (or when you spin) as the feedback motors can then drive the wheel all the way to full lock. It's better to just hold on even if this feels odd, and again, turning down the forces will make this feel less odd.

Edit: Also the thing you mentioned in another post where your pedals were moving away from you. Obviously your wheel stand that is coming will fix that, but in the meantime that is going to seriously affect your enjoyment. You will probably find that you are tense in your legs or even curling your toes in your shoes to somehow grip the pedals. That needs to be resolved.

I had a similar issue before I built my rig. I got around it by having a big piece of wood that I would slide under the TV table until it hit the wall. Then I would butt the pedals up behind that. It worked but was an average solution.

 

[panzer72]

Perseverance would be my recommendation. When people say "There's no going back from a wheel to a controller", I'd have to agree, but I think few would claim it's a seamless transition. I am well settled with my wheel (T300) now, to the point that I am utterly disinterested in racing without it. But some settle into using a wheel quicker than others....My first wheel was a DFGT back in the GT5 days. I'd racked up a few weeks' mileage when a friend came round for a go, as he was looking to get a wheel also: he knew the game well enough, and on his first lap round High Speed Ring he was on it. Manual gears and all. Within an hour, he'd put in laps comparable to my best at that point, at several tracks. I had to put in the miles; he could just do it.
However, I have got faster since, he hasn't. I can show him a set of brake lights any time nowadays. It will come to you. Adjust, adapt, recalibrate, learn, improve. And like the rest of us, you won't look back.

 

[Wolfe]

@David Brooks @Mr Grumpy -- As a musician, I can compare sim racing or just gaming to learning and practicing a musical instrument. I was never really interested in being a performer, just learning to play for my own enrichment, as plenty of people do. It's no different from honing your gaming skills, or your driving skills in a sim. My wife tells me she likes that I do sim racing for a hobby because she can tell in my driving and it makes her feel safer in the car. But she's also a gamer herself.

@slthree -- I'll third turning down the FFB. There's no need for it to be stronger than the power steering in your real car, as a point of reference. Whatever is comfortable and still gives you feedback. 👍

On "There's no going back from a wheel to a controller" -- I actually began sim racing with a wheel, never a controller until I played Gran Turismo 3, with multiple '90s PC sims already under my belt. Ever since I gave up on PC gaming, I've been racing with a controller, as I do for PCARS2. The two inputs are interchangible to me. I'd use a wheel for PCARS2 if I didn't have to buy a CronusMAX DriveHub for my G25 and move the PS4 and HDMI monitor to my computer desk (or buy/build a wheel stand).

 

[Miths]

With the T150 don't use the immersive setting for force feedback. That felt quite unpleasant and way too strong for me too in most cars, and indeed with some insane rattling at times. I use raw, but informative is also okay if I remember correctly.

 

[Morgoth_666]

Another thing to keep in mind is that the feedback on a wheel is not the same as what you might feel in a real car, and you need to learn how to properly adapt to it, both physically and mentally. A lot of games including pCARS(depending on the settings you use, I believe) try to communicate more of what the car is doing than just what gets directly transferred to the steering rack. Stuff you would generally feel more with your butt than your wrists. Some people like having all that extra feedback, some don't. It can definitely be confusing at first, just feels almost random. But even what is coming from the front wheels is a bit different than the way it really feels, getting a feel for it is just something that will come with time.

Early on though, especially if you have the strength turned up too high, it can be very disconcerting when the wheel is kicking and hopping this way and the other. It feels like your fighting with it. Over time you'll find a way to hold it that shouldn't take too much actual force to hold still... it's just a matter of practice. It might feel like you need to grip so hard it will make your arms hurt, but when you get it right you can be barely squeezing your fingers and keep it under control despite it trying to kick back and forth... most of the time.

Turning down the strength so only the stronger forces are really noticeable is a very good way to help learn, as you're not going to be gaining anything by just fighting against it. First you need to learn how it works, then you can learn how to master it. Like panzer72 said, it can be much different for different people. Some people are faster straight away, In my case it was probably a week before I really felt comfortable and a couple more before I was as fast as my controller times. Now I can't even come close with a pad, but then again I almost never use one. I first learned on an old 200-degree Driving Force a long long time ago, not sure if it's easier or harder with a better one with fancier motors and that can turn 3 or 4 times around.

Having it properly secured is a big help too. I used to use a way-too-big table, eventually I just made a simple table out of leftover lumber around the house(use big screws, not nails) and that works plenty good enough until things get really hairy, and have a box+board against the wall to keep the pedals steady.

 

[Gr8_Lakes]

http://forum.projectcarsgame.com/showthread.php?42397-Thrustmaster-T150-wheel-set-ups
There may be something helpful in this thread as well. Wrong degree settings can make wheels miserable. I often adjust the steering ratio in vehicle settings too.

 

[simsimsheree]

Until I get a new wheel I’m going to fight with this one. Can you recommend any settings that would help me with the wheel until I get used to it?

You mentioned being able to return it... return it NOW, before any wear makes return difficult. Get the T150Pro. The pedals are far superior, and the pedals come with a brake mod rubber cone, which when fitted, gives the brakes far more resistance and feel. I couldn't control the cars at all before I fitted it, they locked up like crazy (came from a DFGT on PS3, which has pedals like the base T150, but played GT6, which isn't as tricky to brake with). Fitted the brake mod cone, night and day difference!

Then go to SMS's forum and look up suggested T150/300 FFB settings. The default ones are (as you have noticed) pretty heavy.

Get a USB keyboard (retask an old computer USB keyboard if you have one laying around). There are TONS of things you can't get to with the wheel that are easy to assign keys to (FFB strength, headlights, seat adjustments, ABS/TC/SC on/off, stuff like that).

But the advice to start low and slowly work your way into the faster cars cannot be stressed too much. Coming from GTS or GT6, you may be under the impression that race cars should be as easy to control as road cars. Nothing could be further from the truth! They are knife wielding maniacs, bent on killing you every chance they get (if you drive them on authentic aids)!

This will put a high level of frustration if you compare them to GTS/6. Work your way through the Group G/F roadcars. Try the Ginetta G40 Junior, then the G40 GT5, slowly up the power only once you have got to the point you are doing clean races with no spins. The higher power cars will come to you, but not if you jump in them right away.

PC2 hasn't gone out of its way to ease ex-GT players into its ranks. There are no options to put racing supersofts on road cars! So, be patient, and don't expect a GT-like game and much high power fun to start.

But stick with it, it will come...

 

[simsimsheree]

http://forum.projectcarsgame.com/showthread.php?42397-Thrustmaster-T150-wheel-set-ups
There may be something helpful in this thread as well. Wrong degree settings can make wheels miserable. I often adjust the steering ratio in vehicle settings too.

That's a PC1 thread though... I'd advise finding a PC2 T150 FFB thread. Be careful about taking PC players' settings, as well... They have access to more controls than you do, and also usually flash the T150's firmware with adjustments on a PC.

Solid accurate info about PS4 settings with and without firmware settings updates is difficult to pin down given how many variables there are.