Forza Horizon 4 is made for a controller, and the default settings are fine to start with. The lap time on a pad comes from three changes: smaller deadzones, fewer assists and manual shifting.
Here are the values I would run on an Xbox pad, what each one does, and how to fix the usual problems.
The quick version
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Steering Axis Deadzone Inside | 0 to 5 |
| Steering Axis Deadzone Outside | 100 |
| Steering Linearity | 50 |
| Acceleration Axis Deadzone Inside | 0 |
| Acceleration Axis Deadzone Outside | 100 |
| Deceleration Axis Deadzone Inside | 0 |
| Deceleration Axis Deadzone Outside | 100 |
| Clutch Axis Deadzone Inside | 10 |
| Clutch Axis Deadzone Outside | 100 |
| E-Brake Axis Deadzone Inside | 10 |
| E-Brake Axis Deadzone Outside | 100 |
| Vibration | On |
| Vibration Scale | 50 |
You find all of them in Settings, Controls, Advanced Controls. Change them once and they apply to every car.
Steering deadzones and linearity
Steering Axis Deadzone Inside is how far you have to move the stick before the car starts to turn. A high value gives you a dead area in the middle. On a new pad go to 0. On a pad that has seen a few years, start at 5.
Steering Axis Deadzone Outside is where the game reads full lock. Leave it at 100. If you lower it, you reach full lock before the stick reaches its edge, and you lose precision for nothing.
Steering Linearity is the shape of the curve between the two. At 50 the response is linear. Above 50 the first part of the stick travel is softer, which calms the car on fast roads. Below 50 it is sharper around the centre. I would leave it at 50 for a week before touching it, and then move it 5 at a time.
In a real car you never think about the first degree of steering. It is just there. That is what a low inside deadzone gives you on a pad, and it is why this is the first setting I would change.
Throttle and brake deadzones
Acceleration and Deceleration work the same way as the steering. Inside 0 means the car reacts as soon as you touch the trigger. Outside 100 means full throttle and full brake only come at the end of the travel.
That long travel is what you want. With all of the trigger to work with, you can hold 30% throttle through a wet corner or brake at 70% without locking a wheel. If you set the outside value lower, the pedal turns into a switch.
There is one case for a lower outside value: an old trigger that no longer reaches 100%. If the car feels slow on the straights, open the telemetry and check the throttle bar. If it stops short, lower Acceleration Axis Deadzone Outside to 90.
Clutch and handbrake deadzones
Leave the clutch and the E-Brake at 10 inside and 100 outside. These are on and off controls on a pad. The small inside deadzone stops a light touch from slipping the clutch or dragging the handbrake.
Vibration
Keep vibration on at 50. On a pad it is the only feedback you get from the tyres. You feel the kerbs, the wheelspin and the moment the fronts lock. If it tires your hands in long sessions, go down to 30. I would not turn it off.
Assists for a controller
The assists make a bigger difference than any deadzone. This is the order I would take them off.
| Assist | First hours | Once you are comfortable | Fastest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braking | ABS On | ABS On | ABS Off |
| Steering | Normal | Normal | Normal |
| Traction Control | On | Off | Off |
| Stability Control | On | Off | Off |
| Shifting | Automatic | Manual | Manual |
| Driving Line | Full | Braking Only | Off |
| Rewind | On | On | Off |
- Stability control goes first. It cuts power every time the car slides a little, and in Forza Horizon 4 a small slide is often the fast way through a corner.
- Traction control goes next. Without it you have to be gentle with the right trigger out of slow corners. Put it back on for winter and for heavy rain if you need to.
- Manual shifting is free lap time. You pick the gear for the exit of the corner, and you can hold a gear where the automatic would shift in the middle of a turn. The steps are the same as in my guide on how to switch to manual in Forza Horizon 5.
- ABS is the last one. With ABS off you stop a little shorter if you are precise, and a lot longer if you are not. On a trigger that is hard. Keep it on until the rest is natural.
- Driving line on Braking Only shows you where to slow down and leaves the rest of the road clean. It is the best setting to learn the map.
Every assist you turn off also raises your credit bonus at the end of a race.
Normal or Simulation steering
With a controller, use Normal. The game smooths your stick inputs a little and helps you catch slides. Simulation takes that help away. It suits a wheel, where your hands can make small corrections. On a stick the car gets twitchy, mostly at high speed and on dirt.
Some good drifters use Simulation on a pad because the car changes direction faster. If you want to try it, do it in one car you know well, and give it an hour.
Button layout
The default layout works and I would keep it. If you move to manual shifting, check these before your first race.
| Action | Default button |
|---|---|
| Accelerate | RT |
| Brake and reverse | LT |
| Steer | Left stick |
| Handbrake | A |
| Shift up | B |
| Shift down | X |
| Rewind | Y |
| Clutch | LB |
| Look around | Right stick |
Layouts can differ between profiles, so open Settings, Controls and check yours against this table. The throttle is on the right trigger and the brake is on the left one. An older version of this page had them the other way round. That was a mistake, and it is fixed now.
Two things worth knowing:
- Manual with clutch on a pad means you press the clutch for every shift. It is a little faster in a straight line, and a lot of work. If you try it, some players move the clutch to A and the handbrake to LB, so the right thumb can roll from A to B or X.
- You can save your own layout as a custom profile in the Controls menu, so nothing is lost if you want to go back.
Seasons change the grip
Forza Horizon 4 has four seasons, and the car does not behave the same in each one.
- Summer. Dry roads, most grip. Run the fastest column of the assist table if you can.
- Autumn and spring. Wet roads and mud. Be softer with the throttle. Traction control back on is not a shame.
- Winter. Snow and ice. Fit snow tyres in the upgrade shop, brake earlier, and turn the car with small inputs. A low inside deadzone helps you a lot here.
Which controller for Forza Horizon 4
The game is on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. It was never released on PlayStation.
- Xbox pad. The best choice on both console and PC. It works with no setup, and the triggers have their own rumble motors, so you feel wheelspin and brake lock in your fingers.
- DualShock 4 or DualSense on PC. On the Steam version they work through Steam Input, and the game reads them as an Xbox pad. You lose the trigger rumble, and the button icons on screen stay Xbox ones.
Fixing common controller problems
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| The car turns a little by itself on the straights | Stick drift. Raise Steering Axis Deadzone Inside one point at a time until it stops |
| The steering is too nervous at high speed | Steering Linearity from 50 to 55 or 60 |
| The car is slow to react in tight corners | Steering Linearity from 50 to 45 |
| You cannot reach full throttle | Your trigger is worn. Lower Acceleration Axis Deadzone Outside to 90 |
| The car creeps or drags the brakes with your fingers off | Raise the inside deadzone of that trigger to 5 |
| The rear spins out of slow corners | Squeeze the trigger, do not stab it. Turn traction control back on in the wet and in winter |
| The fronts lock and the car goes straight on | Turn ABS back on, or brake to 80% of the trigger and no more |
Can you still play Forza Horizon 4?
Yes, if you own it. The game was removed from sale on 15 December 2024, because licences for cars and music ran out. If it is in your library, you can still download it and play it. You cannot buy it new in the digital stores any more, and the DLC is gone with it.
If you are choosing a Horizon game today, the same logic for a pad applies in the newer ones. See my Forza Horizon 5 controller settings and my Forza Horizon 6 controller settings.
More Forza Horizon 4 settings
- Forza Horizon 4 tips to get faster
- Forza Horizon 4 FOV settings
- Forza Horizon 4 graphics settings
- Forza Horizon 4 keyboard controls
- Moving to a wheel? Logitech G29 and G920 settings, Thrustmaster settings and Fanatec settings
FAQ
What are the best controller settings for Forza Horizon 4?
Steering deadzone 0 to 5 inside and 100 outside, steering linearity 50, acceleration and deceleration 0 inside and 100 outside, clutch and E-Brake 10 and 100, vibration on at 50.
Is Forza Horizon 4 good with a controller?
Yes. It is designed around a pad, and plenty of very fast players use one. You do not need a wheel to be quick in this game.
Should I use Normal or Simulation steering on a controller?
Normal. Simulation removes the smoothing on the stick and makes the car twitchy on a pad. It is meant for wheels.
What deadzone fixes stick drift in Forza Horizon 4?
Raise Steering Axis Deadzone Inside one point at a time until the car stops turning by itself. Most worn pads need between 5 and 12.
Which assists should I turn off first?
Stability control, then traction control, then go to manual shifting. Keep ABS on until you are consistent on the brakes.
Is manual faster than automatic in Forza Horizon 4?
Yes. You choose the gear for the corner exit and the car does not shift in the middle of a turn. Manual with clutch is a little faster again, and much harder on a pad.
Can I use a PS4 or PS5 controller in Forza Horizon 4?
On PC, yes. On the Steam version it works through Steam Input, and the game treats it as an Xbox pad. There is no PlayStation version of the game.
Can I still buy Forza Horizon 4?
Not in the digital stores. It was removed from sale on 15 December 2024. If you already own it, you can still download it and play.