Project CARS 2 has a reputation for being undriveable on a controller. It is not. But the default settings do not help you, and the same pad setup will not suit every car in the game.
I drive sims with a wheel, so I am not going to pretend these are my race settings. This is a baseline built from what pad players have run for years, plus what each slider really does, so you can adjust it yourself. I checked it on 5 October 2026.
The baseline
Go to Options, Controls, then Configuration.
| Setting | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Steering deadzone | 3 | 0 on a new pad, 5 to 8 on a worn stick |
| Steering sensitivity | 35 | Lower if the car is nervous on the straights |
| Throttle deadzone | 2 | |
| Throttle sensitivity | 45 | Lower if you spin the rear on exits |
| Brake deadzone | 2 | |
| Brake sensitivity | 45 | Lower if you lock the fronts |
| Clutch deadzone | 10 | Only matters with a manual clutch |
| Clutch sensitivity | 25 | |
| Speed sensitivity | 75 | The big one. Default is 95 |
| Controller damping | 70 | Default is 67 |
| Opposite lock help | On | |
| Controller vibration | 80 | To taste |
| Minimum shift time | 0 | |
| RPM/gear display | Yes |
If you only change two things, change speed sensitivity and controller damping. The rest is fine tuning.
What the sliders do
The names in this menu are not clear, and two of them work the opposite way to what you expect.
Steering deadzone. How far the stick moves before the car reacts. Zero is the most precise. Raise it only if the car pulls to one side with your thumb off the stick.
Steering sensitivity. How much steering you get in the first part of the stick travel. High means small movements do a lot. Low gives you a calm centre and all the lock at the end of the travel.
Speed sensitivity. This limits how much steering lock you have as the speed goes up. The default is 95, which leaves you with very little lock in fast corners. Lower the number and you get more steering at speed. That is why most pad players come down to around 75.
Controller damping. This limits how fast the steering can move. The default is 67. Lower is quicker. At 0 the wheels follow your thumb with no filter, which is great if you are smooth and terrible if you are not.
Opposite lock help. When you countersteer, the game gives you more lock than the speed limit would allow. Leave it on. It is what lets you catch a slide.
Throttle and brake sensitivity. Same idea as steering. Lower gives you more control in the first part of the trigger.
Three setups real players use
There is no single answer, and the settings players post on GTPlanet prove it. These three are all from people who are happy with the car.
| Setting | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering deadzone | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering sensitivity | 10 | 50 | 1 |
| Throttle and brake sensitivity | 45 | 50 | 1 |
| Speed sensitivity | 75 | 75 | 90 to 95 |
| Controller damping | 85 | 0 | 100 |
Look at the damping column: 85, 0 and 100. Then look at speed sensitivity: nobody is at the default.
So the pattern is this. Speed sensitivity goes down from 95. Damping is personal: smooth thumbs like it low, busy thumbs like it high. And if you run steering sensitivity very low, you need a little more speed sensitivity to keep it stable.
Assists for a controller
In Options, Gameplay, set driving assists to Authentic. Each car then has the aids the real car has. A GT3 car has ABS and traction control, an old Lotus has nothing.
That is the honest way to play it. On a pad I would still make it easier at the start:
- Gears. Automatic for the first hours. You have enough to do with your thumbs. Go to manual when the lines are there.
- ABS. On, if you lock the fronts in every braking zone. A trigger has a few millimetres of travel. A real brake pedal has a lot more feel.
- Traction control. On for powerful rear wheel drive cars.
- Stability control. Off. It slows the car and hides the mistakes you need to feel.
The full menu is in my Project CARS 2 assists and AI difficulty settings.
The trick most people miss: steering ratio
Controller settings are global. Every car gets the same ones. But a Formula car and a road car do not want the same steering.
So fix it per car. Open the tuning setup of the car and find the steering ratio. A higher number makes the steering slower and calmer. A lower number makes it more direct.
If one car is twitchy and the rest are fine, do not touch the controller menu. Raise the steering ratio of that car by one or two steps and save the setup.
Fix it by symptom
Change one thing, do five laps, then decide.
| What you feel | What to change |
|---|---|
| The car weaves on the straights | Steering sensitivity down 5, or steering deadzone up 2 |
| It will not turn in slow corners | Speed sensitivity down 5 |
| It is twitchy in fast corners | Speed sensitivity up 5 |
| The steering feels late | Controller damping down 10 |
| You saw at the stick and the car snaps | Controller damping up 10 |
| You cannot catch a slide | Opposite lock help on, damping down 10 |
| You spin on corner exit | Throttle sensitivity down 5, traction control on |
| The fronts lock on the brakes | Brake sensitivity down 5, ABS on |
How to drive it on a pad
Settings are half of it. The other half is the thumb.
- Never go to the stop. Full stick is full lock, and full lock only scrubs the front tyres. Most corners need half the travel.
- Roll the stick. Move it in an arc along the edge, do not flick it from side to side.
- Brake in a straight line. Then come off the brake as you turn. On a trigger this is hard, so do it early.
- Squeeze the throttle. Half trigger until the car is straight.
- Warm the tyres. In this game cold tyres have very little grip. Give them a lap or two before you judge the settings.
- Learn in a slow car. The Ginetta G40 Junior or a Formula Rookie. Not a hypercar.
More on the driving side in my Project CARS 2 tips.
Can you still get Project CARS 2?
Not new, at least not as a download. The game was taken off the digital stores on 21 September 2022, when the car and track licences ran out. If you already own it, you can still download and play it. Disc copies for PS4 and Xbox One still work too.
If you came from the newer game, the menus are different: see Project CARS 3 controller settings. And with no pad at all, there is the keyboard controls page.
FAQ
What are the best controller settings for Project CARS 2?
Start with steering deadzone 3, steering sensitivity 35, throttle and brake sensitivity 45, speed sensitivity 75, controller damping 70 and opposite lock help on. Then adjust one value at a time.
Is Project CARS 2 playable with a controller?
Yes. It takes more setup than an arcade racer, and you have to be smooth with the stick. With lower speed sensitivity and a slow car to learn in, it works well.
What does speed sensitivity do in Project CARS 2?
It reduces your steering lock as the speed rises. The default is 95. A lower value gives you more steering in fast corners.
What does controller damping do?
It limits how fast the steering moves. The default is 67. Lower values react quicker, higher values smooth out your inputs.
Should opposite lock help be on?
Yes. It gives you extra lock when you countersteer, so you can catch a slide.
Why is my car so twitchy on a controller?
Usually steering sensitivity is too high or speed sensitivity is too low for that car. Raise speed sensitivity by 5, or raise the steering ratio in the setup of that car.
Do these settings work on PS4, Xbox One and PC?
Yes. The menu is the same on all three. Only the deadzone may change with the condition of your sticks.
Should I use automatic gears on a controller?
At the start, yes. Change to manual once you know the tracks. You get better control of the car on corner entry.