You can drive iRacing with a controller. It is not what the sim was built for, and I will not tell you it is as good as a wheel. But it works, it is enough to find out if you like the service, and with the right setup you can race clean in the rookie series.
The setup is short. iRacing has very few controller options compared with F1 or Gran Turismo, so the few that exist have to be right. Here they are.
iRacing controller settings
| Setting | Where | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | Options, Controls, Steering | Left stick, left and right |
| Device is a joystick/gamepad | Steering calibration | Ticked. The most important box on this page |
| Throttle | Options, Controls, Pedals | Right trigger |
| Brake | Options, Controls, Pedals | Left trigger |
| Brake force factor | Options, Controls | 0 |
| Clutch | Options, Controls, Pedals | Not assigned |
| Force feedback strength, damping, min force | Options, Controls | Leave them. A pad has no force feedback motor to drive |
| Shift up and shift down | Options, Controls | A and X, or the bumpers |
A word on the old version of this page. It listed a wheel range, a force feedback strength in Nm and a min force. Those are wheel settings. On a pad they change nothing you can feel, so I took them out. If you do have a wheel, my iRacing wheel and FFB settings are where those numbers belong.
How to calibrate a controller in iRacing
iRacing treats a pad like a wheel and pedals, so you go through the same calibration.
- Plug the controller in, by USB or with its wireless dongle, before you start the sim.
- Join any test session and open Options, then the Controls tab.
- Click the Steering button to start the calibration. Move the left stick fully left and fully right when it asks.
- Tick Device is a joystick/gamepad. This tells iRacing that your steering has a few millimetres of travel and not 900 degrees, and it changes how the input is handled.
- Click Pedals. Press the right trigger all the way for the throttle, then the left trigger for the brake. Skip the clutch.
- Assign shift up and shift down, then the other buttons, one at a time.
Step 4 is the one people miss. Without that box, the smallest touch on the stick is a big steering angle, and the car spins on the first straight.
If the calibration goes wrong and nothing answers any more, see how to reset your iRacing controls and start again. For the buttons, I have a longer guide on how to assign buttons in iRacing.
Xbox, PS4 and PS5 controllers
Xbox. One, Series or Elite, wired or wireless. Windows knows it already. Nothing to install.
PlayStation. iRacing says it clearly in its own support pages: the sim does not support the Steam controller layer, so a DualShock 4 or a DualSense needs DS4Windows. That is a free tool that makes Windows see your pad as an Xbox one. Set it up first, then calibrate in iRacing. The steps are in my guide on how to use a PlayStation controller on iRacing.
DS4Windows has one more advantage. It lets you set a curve on the stick, so the first part of the travel is slower. That is the best way I know to calm the steering, and I explain it in how to lower your controller sensitivity in iRacing.
Is iRacing on PS5 or Xbox? No. iRacing is a PC sim. This page is about a console pad plugged into a PC.
Driving aids for a controller
The aids are in the Options screen. Names move a little from build to build, so look for the closest match.
| Aid | First weeks | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic shifting | On | Off as soon as you can. Manual is faster |
| Auto clutch | On | On. You have no clutch pedal |
| Anti stall clutch | On | On |
| Brake assistance | On | Off. It brakes early and costs lap time |
| Throttle assistance | On if you spin on exits | Off |
| Driving line | On | Off once you know the track |
Do not be proud about this. On a wheel I would tell you to turn everything off on day one. On a pad the aids cover for what the hardware cannot do. Take them off one at a time, the brake assistance first.
Also remember that many iRacing cars have their own traction control and ABS, like the real cars do. Those are not driving aids. They are part of the car and everyone has them, so use them.
A button layout that works
iRacing gives you no default layout for a pad. You build it. This is what I would map:
| Button | What I would map |
|---|---|
| Left stick | Steering |
| Right trigger | Throttle |
| Left trigger | Brake |
| A | Shift up |
| X | Shift down |
| B | Pit speed limiter |
| Y | Push to talk, or look behind |
| Left and right bumper | Brake bias, or traction control down and up |
| D pad | Black box select and change value |
| Right stick | Look left and right |
You will run out of buttons fast. Keep a keyboard next to you for the rest. The keys you need most are in my iRacing keyboard shortcuts list.
How to stop the twitching
This is the real problem on a pad, more than any setting.
Push the stick forward. This tip comes from iRacing itself. Hold the left stick all the way up and steer by rolling it around the top edge. Your thumb rests against the rim, so the movement is longer and steadier than a push from the centre.
Slow hands. Never throw the stick to the stop. In a fast corner you need a few millimetres. Move it, hold it, bring it back.
Brake in a straight line. A trigger has about a centimetre of travel. You cannot trail the brake into a corner the way you do with a pedal. So do most of the braking before you turn, come off the trigger, then steer.
Throttle in two steps. Half first, wait for the car to be straight, then all of it.
Pick the right car. This matters more than anything above.
The best cars for a controller
Slow and stable. The Mazda MX-5 Cup is the one I would start with: it comes with the base membership, it has little power and it tells you before it lets go. The Toyota GR86 drives in a similar way, but check whether you own it first. My list of free iRacing cars covers what comes with the membership.
After that, the GT4 and GT3 cars are easier on a pad than you would think, because they have ABS and traction control.
What I would stay away from: the Formula Vee and the old open wheel cars with no aids, anything with a lot of power and no traction control, and the big ovals in a pack. One twitch at 300 km/h and you take ten cars with you.
Fixed setup series are your friend. Everyone has the same car, and you do not need to build a setup around the pad. If you are new to all of this, read my iRacing beginner guide first.
Can you be fast with a controller?
Fast enough to race, yes. Fast enough to win at the top, no.
The limit is not you. It is the input. A wheel gives you 900 degrees of travel and force feedback that tells you what the front tyres are doing. A stick gives you a few millimetres and no feedback at all. You drive with your eyes and your ears only.
So set your target right. On a pad I would aim for clean races and a good safety rating, not for pole. If you still enjoy it after a month, that is the moment to buy a wheel. Even an entry level one is a big step.
Common problems
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| The car darts left and right on the straights | Check that the joystick box is ticked, then push the stick forward and roll it around the top |
| Throttle and brake cancel each other | The triggers are read as one axis. Calibrate the pedals again and update the pad driver |
| The car creeps to one side | Stick drift. Calibrate again with the stick centred and untouched |
| iRacing does not see the PlayStation pad | Install DS4Windows. iRacing does not use Steam Input |
| The rears lock when you brake | The trigger is too short for a hard stop. Press slower, and move the brake bias forward one or two clicks |
| The buttons do nothing | Assign them one by one in Options, Controls |
FAQ
Can you play iRacing with a controller?
Yes. iRacing supports any PC gamepad with analog sticks. You calibrate it like a wheel and tick Device is a joystick/gamepad during the steering calibration.
What are the best iRacing controller settings?
Left stick for steering with the joystick box ticked, right trigger for throttle, left trigger for brake, brake force factor at 0, auto clutch on, and automatic shifting on until you are comfortable.
Does a PS5 controller work on iRacing?
Yes, with DS4Windows. iRacing does not support Steam Input, so the DualSense needs that tool to be seen as a standard pad.
Does an Xbox controller work on iRacing?
Yes, and with no extra software. Plug it in, open Options, Controls and calibrate.
Do force feedback settings matter on a controller?
No. Strength, wheel force, damping and min force are made for a wheel motor. On a pad you can leave them where they are.
Why is my car so twitchy with a controller in iRacing?
Usually because the joystick box was not ticked in the steering calibration. If it is ticked, push the stick forward and steer around the top edge, and add a stick curve in DS4Windows if you use it.
Can you play iRacing on PS5 or Xbox?
No. iRacing only runs on PC. You can use a console controller, but on a computer.
Is it worth playing iRacing with a controller?
To try the service and learn the tracks, yes. For the long term, a wheel and pedals change the whole experience, and even a cheap set is worth it.