PS4 Controller Users - Which button configuration do you use to change gears

[Sven Jurgens]

I'm in the same boat, my right thumb is kinda unreliable due to RSI. I've been experimenting with short shifting yesterday and occasionally my thumb 'fires' twice going up multiple gears at the same time. I also use R2/L2 for gas and brake which rules out using L1 and L2 at the same time (simply can't do that, games that require both R1/R2 always trip me up) I wish there were buttons on the inside bottom where my other fingers rest while holding the DS4.

I'll try using the right analog stick for shifting, see how that goes. I'll probably go back to AT soon as my right thumb is not appreciating the extra work. Ruined from working with a mouse up to 12 hours a day.

For me the best combination I found was to increase the gear with "L1" and downshift with "R1", just the opposite of accelerating and braking.

This setting allows you to make a quicker exchange since the only fingers you use are the index fingers. This is specially useful when you have to shift gears during a turn depending on the situation because, in my opinion, is faster. Using "L1" and "R1" allows you to make a more natural and fluid movement with your hands, so to speak. I feel a lot more comfortable using these buttons

I have always used this settings in Project Cars 2 and I continue to use it in Gran Turismo. After so many tests I truly believe this was the best solution. Try to use this setting, but allow some time for your brain to get used to it and assimilate it. Then tell me what you think.

I'll give this a try as well. Guess I'll find out quickly how much trail / 'left foot' braking I really do!

 

[AllanYesu]

I'm in the same boat, my right thumb is kinda unreliable due to RSI. I've been experimenting with short shifting yesterday and occasionally my thumb 'fires' twice going up multiple gears at the same time. I also use R2/L2 for gas and brake which rules out using L1 and L2 at the same time (simply can't do that, games that require both R1/R2 always trip me up) I wish there were buttons on the inside bottom where my other fingers rest while holding the DS4.

I'll try using the right analog stick for shifting, see how that goes. I'll probably go back to AT soon as my right thumb is not appreciating the extra work. Ruined from working with a mouse up to 12 hours a day.




I'll give this a try as well. Guess I'll find out quickly how much trail / 'left foot' braking I really do!

Yes, give it a try. There's is no right way to play, but I like this configuration the most.

 

[Pururut]

X for upshifts and square for downshifts.

 

[seadog777]

A little bit off topic but.... got back into GT after many years away as I was given a wheel / seat for Christmas. Great!
Have been practicing at Kyoto driving park in a Honda beat hoping to get times down to avoid being humiliated in the Daily Race (not working!).
Just for giggles I tried it today with the controller..... and was 3 seconds quicker than my best with the wheel (on the first attempt!).
I think the reason is that you can counter steer so much more quickly.... the second it starts to slide, it can be corrected with the controller but with the wheel, no chance, spin away.
It was a bit of a surprise, that's for sure as I thought I'd now got used to the wheel and would be putting up better times than with the controller....

 

[Cerebral303]

I thought I'd now got used to the wheel and would be putting up better times than with the controller....

As a controller user I have heard it takes time to get used to but wheels are ultimately better in the long run. I wonder if you feel as much benefit from the wheel driving a slow car as you would a fast one, as some of the advantages are finer control at speed for example feeding steering angle through while accelerating out of a corner with more control allowing more power a fraction of a second earlier, which adds up over the lap. Also it helps with tyre wear a lot (which won't be an issue with Race A).

 

[AllanYesu]

A little bit off topic but.... got back into GT after many years away as I was given a wheel / seat for Christmas. Great!
Have been practicing at Kyoto driving park in a Honda beat hoping to get times down to avoid being humiliated in the Daily Race (not working!).
Just for giggles I tried it today with the controller..... and was 3 seconds quicker than my best with the wheel (on the first attempt!).
I think the reason is that you can counter steer so much more quickly.... the second it starts to slide, it can be corrected with the controller but with the wheel, no chance, spin away.
It was a bit of a surprise, that's for sure as I thought I'd now got used to the wheel and would be putting up better times than with the controller....

I think is only a matter of learning curve. Give time and be patient to learn the ways of playing with a wheel. Practically everybody who change from controller to the wheel feels the difference in the beginning, but trust me, this combination of wheel and pedals are so much superior to an DS4.

 

[esoxhntr]

left stick steer, r2 throttle, square brake, x up shift, r1 downshift.

 

[SpaceMaN47y0]

I just converted to l2 r2 brake gas, after decades of X gas [] brake. Took getting used to but I'm lapping faster now. Went AT at first, as l2 r2 were my shifters and it screwed me all up. Tried right stick gas brake so i could keep l2 r2 as shifters but I don't like braking with the stick, end up with left stick down too, control gone. As of now I'm back on MT with X upshift [] downshift. Only bobble it once a lap or so.

For the record, I just switched yesterday.

 

[Dad7261]

Right analog up = gear up
Right analog down = gear down

It's very confortable and fast.

 

[coltsjugg]

I don't use a controller anymore, and I don't think you can get these inputs on gt sport, but it was X for up, right stick down for down, or x and square.
L1 and R1 seems sensible until you have to feather the brakes and shift down, but my fingers just get too twitchy for that nonsense.

 

[Sven Jurgens]

I don't use a controller anymore, and I don't think you can get these inputs on gt sport, but it was X for up, right stick down for down, or x and square.
L1 and R1 seems sensible until you have to feather the brakes and shift down, but my fingers just get too twitchy for that nonsense.

Yeah that works. My L1 R1 experiment didn't pan out. It's easy enough to shift, just not comfortable to switch between R1 and R2 all the time. However you can map as many buttons (and sticks) to shifting as you like. So using X for up and right stick for down totally works. I'm using both stick and X and square buttons atm. Switch it up to keep my thumb loose.

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

L1 and R1 seems sensible until you have to feather the brakes and shift down, but my fingers just get too twitchy for that nonsense.

Are you to use your index fingers for the gear shift and the throttle/brake at the same time?

I use my middle fingers for the throttle and brake and my index fingers for the gear shifting. Like I said before, my downshift is on L1 and my upshift is on R1 so downshifting while feathering the brakes is easy as they're on the same hand performing the same concept of slowing down.

 

[coltsjugg]

Are you to use your index fingers for the gear shift and the throttle/brake at the same time?

I use my middle fingers for the throttle and brake and my index fingers for the gear shifting. Like I said before, my downshift is on L1 and my upshift is on R1 so downshifting while feathering the brakes is easy as they're on the same hand performing the same concept of slowing down.

Middles on L2R2, index on L1R1, but my middle finger gets all sketchy when I hit L1 at the same time.
I could always put abs on and just slam the brakes, problem solved!

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

Middles on L2R2, index on L1R1, but my middle finger gets all sketchy when I hit L1 at the same time.
I could always put abs on and just slam the brakes, problem solved!

Maybe you could try buddy taping them together at the first knuckle? Or just use surface buttons. *shrug*

 

[2clicks]

Before I switched over to a wheel, I would use Triangle to shift up and Square to shift down. This was the default configuration for Driveclub, which was inexplicably the first racing game where I switched fully over to manual. It just made sense, as I was never accustomed to manual transmissions in the PS2 days due to X being accelerate. Therefore I couldn't fathom why X (or A on Xbox 360) was the default button to shift up. I went with this dogma, sticking solely with automatic, until Driveclub introduced me to the configuration which I used for subsequent games.

 

[Voodoovaj]

I am really surprised more people don't use the right analog for shifting.

up for upshift, down for downshift. It feels natural like a sequential gear box. it's also nice that it's in one place rather than using the face buttons.

 

[Cerebral303]

I am really surprised more people don't use the right analog for shifting.

Quite a long throw which you have to fully travel where a quick flick might not register so it slows you down whereas a button is instant. Especially a problem with multiple downchanges in rapid succession, just found it too in the way for me.

 

[Voodoovaj]

Quite a long throw which you have to fully travel where a quick flick might not register so it slows you down whereas a button is instant. Especially a problem with multiple downchanges in rapid succession, just found it too in the way for me.

Actually, since the shift is a digital input the slightest movement on the stick up or down engages the shift. It's super quick and requires no thought as to which button you are moving toward.

As far as rapid downshifts, I find it an advantage there as well since downshifting too rapidly will lock up the rear end where as there is less tendency to do that with the stick.

Just MHO

 

[KcChris]

This is mine I use kontrol freek red stick toppers so my thumbs won’t bleed.
Lstick steering L3 flashing light
L2 brake L1 Shiftdown
Rstick up gas down brake R3 upshift
R2 gas R1 change view
TriA reverse O ebrake- square- down shift
X upshift
Touchpad L rearview Tp center hazard light
TpR my secret sauce button

 

[Knobgoblin72]

I've managed to get A and S rated whilst still using Auto somehow, but now its increasingly harder to get at the front let alone stay there, with auto. I've experimented with manual - it just feels all wrong as I use motion sense. After about 10 laps of suzuka I actually beat my q time a while ago with manual but it still felt unnatural. I use L2 and R2 for throttle and brake, never thought of L1/R1 for gears nor the thumb stick. I'll have to give them a try as I'm sure its what's holding me back on lap time.

 

[gtpierre]

Am I the only one that uses the standard configuration ? left analog stick to turn, right analog to accelerate and brake, and L2 R2 to shift gears? I don't understand the point of all these complicated combinations

 

[flanylla]

Using standard L2/R2 combo.

 

[K3Tuning]

I had to make a switch coming from GT6 to GTS

I used to run triggers for throttle & brake with the right joystick as my shifter and left joystick for steering.

I've switched to using the square and X for shifting so I can use the right joystick for looking around and shoulder checks. I have the D pad set up for adjusting brakes and TC while driving.

I find this gives me everything I need.

I don't use top triggers for shifting because it requires the finger already in use for either throttle or brake.

I dont use the joystick for throttle/brake because you cannot left foot brake or cross inputs for cars like Porshes

 

[Calmlity]

Right analog.
Up shift = up
Down shift = down 👍

 

[JamboGT]

When I use a pad I use circle for upshift, square for down.

 

[Cerebral303]

Am I the only one that uses the standard configuration ? left analog stick to turn, right analog to accelerate and brake, and L2 R2 to shift gears? I don't understand the point of all these complicated combinations

This is what I used for many years from original analog pad up to PS3 era, but being able to use the accelerator and brake at the same time allows a lot of advanced techniques the right analog stick can't do.

Adding a small bit of power under hard braking to keep things balanced, or skimming the brake to perfect a line round a tight corner while holding the throttle in the perfect position can really help shave the tenths off lap times.

 

[mwoodski]

I am really surprised more people don't use the right analog for shifting.

up for upshift, down for downshift. It feels natural like a sequential gear box. it's also nice that it's in one place rather than using the face buttons.

That would be the reverse of every single sequential 'box I can think of.

I use X for upshifting and Square for downshifts.

 

[K3Tuning]

That would be the reverse of every single sequential 'box I can think of.

I use X for upshifting and Square for downshifts.

Yup and in some instances unchangeable default in some games although one doesn't come to mind lol

In TT its fine but racing online I need the ability to use everything including look around and adjust the bb TC and fuel map while driving. The best way I've found to do everything got me off the stick on to buttons that in the end equate to the same thing

 

[Voodoovaj]

That would be the reverse of every single sequential 'box I can think of.

I use X for upshifting and Square for downshifts.

Literally, every single motorcycle on the street is configured this way unless modified post purchase. Up to shift up, down to shift down.

You can switch to a "GP" shift so you can press down to upshift in the middle of a corner, but as the name implies, it's usually found in racing.

Hence the "1 down 5 up" assortment of items to purchase. 1 click down to go from neutral to first, then 5 upshifts from there.

Don't knock it 'til you try it

 

[blausven]

L2: Brake
R2: Acclerate
Circle: Upshift
R1 Downshift
Right Stick Down for Clutch (in Project Cars 2)

With this setting, I am able to use the full manual transmission with heel-toe shifting