You can drive rFactor 2 with an Xbox controller on PC, and the settings that matter are the steering filter, steering rate, steering aggression and the deadzone and sensitivity on the calibrate page. Studio 397 rebuilt how pad steering works in the Q1 2023 update, so most of the "best settings" lists written before February 2023 describe a game that no longer exists.
Below is what the game actually offers today, what each setting does, and how I would tune a pad from a clean start. I give you a method, not magic numbers, because Studio 397 has never published official gamepad values.
Checked on 15 October 2026 against Studio 397's rFactor 2 release notes on support.studio-397.com (04.12.2020, 27.07.2021, Release Candidate Update 2 of 7 February 2023, Release Candidate Hotfix 3 and the Q1 2023 Update of 21 February 2023), the rFactor 2 user guide on docs.studio-397.com, the rFactor 2 and Le Mans Ultimate Steam store pages and the rFactor 2 news feed on Steam. Where Studio 397 has not published something, I say so instead of filling the gap.
Can you play rFactor 2 with a controller?
Yes. On Steam, rFactor 2 is tagged Partial Controller Support. The system requirements even say "Keyboard or gamepad required" in the VR line. So a pad is a supported way to drive.
One thing the old version of this page got wrong: rFactor 2 is a PC game. There is no Xbox 360, Xbox One or PlayStation console version. What you use is an Xbox or other gamepad plugged into a Windows PC.
On the profile side, Studio 397's release notes of 4 December 2020 list a new official profile called XBOX One Controller For Windows, and the same notes say all controller profiles were updated to fix problems with Detect on first-time hardware setup. So with an Xbox pad, the cleanest start is to let the game detect it and load that profile.
Can you be fast with a gamepad?
You can be quick. You will not be as consistent as on a wheel, and I won't pretend otherwise.
The problem is resolution. A thumbstick travels a couple of centimetres. A wheel turns through hundreds of degrees. On a pad, a tiny movement of your thumb is a big steering input, and rFactor 2's tyre model punishes sudden inputs hard. That is exactly why the game puts filters between your thumb and the front wheels.
So the job on a pad is to make your inputs smooth enough that the tyres can follow them. The settings below are the tools for that. If you later move to a wheel, my rFactor 2 wheel and FFB settings cover that side.
What changed in 2023 for pad players
This is the part every old guide misses. In February 2023 Studio 397 reworked controller and keyboard steering. The release notes, in order:
| Date | Release | What changed for pad and keyboard |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Feb 2023 | Release Candidate Update 2 | A permanent steering filter "that acts like a smarter version of speed sensitivity". The old, hidden steering rate setting was replaced by a steering aggression slider that controls how aggressively the filter lets you turn in. |
| 10 Feb 2023 | Release Candidate Hotfix 3 | Adjustable steering rates came back. Added a selection for gamepad steering filters. Both filters became adjustable independently. Added a snappiness slider. The new filter was made more direct. |
| 21 Feb 2023 | Q1 2023 Update (public) | All of the above went live. Controller and keyboard now default to the new steering sensitivity filter "that simulates vehicle forces". The steering configuration page now swaps wheel-only settings for non-wheel settings when a non-wheel device is in use. |
Two practical consequences.
First, when your pad is the active device, the steering page shows you different options than a wheel user sees. If a guide tells you to set "wheel range" or "vehicle set range" for a pad, it is written for the old layout or for a wheel.
Second, the default since February 2023 is the new filter. You do not have to build pad steering from scratch any more. You start from a filter that already models how much steering the car can use, and you tune around it.
The steering settings, one by one
Here is what each setting does, based on how Studio 397 describes it in the release notes. The exact label on your screen can vary with the build, so match by meaning.
| Setting | What it does | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Gamepad steering filter | Picks which filter sits between your stick and the wheels. Since Q1 2023 the default is the new filter that simulates vehicle forces. | Leave it on the default first |
| Steering aggression | How aggressively the new filter lets you turn in. | Default, then small steps |
| Steering rate | How fast the steering moves toward the position you ask for. Studio 397 brought it back as adjustable in February 2023. | Default |
| Snappiness | Part of the steering rate configuration. Studio 397: "0% is original behaviour", higher is snappier without raising the steering rate. | 0% |
| Speed sensitivity | Cuts steering input as speed rises. Studio 397 describes the new filter as a smarter version of it. | Low, the filter does this job now |
| Deadzone | The stick travel that is ignored around centre. | As low as your stick allows |
| Steering sensitivity | Shapes the response curve of the stick. | Default, adjust last |
What Studio 397 has not published: official default values, a recommended range for any of these sliders, or a written explanation of how the filters differ beyond the lines quoted above. I checked the user guide on docs.studio-397.com and it has no gamepad page. So treat the "where to start" column as a starting point to adjust, not a tested setup.
How I would tune a pad from zero
This is the method I would follow. It is the same logic I use for any new car on track: change one thing, do laps, decide, then move on.
- Detect the pad and load the official profile. With an Xbox controller that is the XBOX One Controller For Windows profile from December 2020.
- Leave the new filter and aggression on default. Do 10 clean laps on a track you know, in a car that is not too powerful.
- Set the deadzone first. Push the stick gently left and right on the calibrate page. Lower the deadzone until the car reacts to the smallest touch, then back it off one step if the car wanders when you let go. A worn stick needs a bit more.
- Then aggression. If the car feels lazy to turn in at the start of a corner, raise it. If the front washes wide or the rear snaps when you flick the stick, lower it.
- Then steering rate and snappiness. Only if the steering still feels like it lags behind your thumb. Small steps.
- Sensitivity last. If you are always at full lock in slow corners, or always twitchy on the straight, change the curve.
Change one setting per run. If you change three and the car feels better, you learned nothing.
And save the result as your own controller profile. Studio 397's notes from November 2022 mention a crash fix for "null" values in controller.json, which tells you the game keeps the active profile in that file. Back it up before you edit anything by hand.
The old numbers on this page
The earlier version of this article listed steering rate 10%, speed sensitivity 74%, controller steering sensitivity 25%, controller deadzone 20%, steering range locked to 180° and wheel range 310°. Those values match a community Xbox profile shared on RaceDepartment. They were never published by Studio 397, and I never tested them.
They also predate the February 2023 rework. Speed sensitivity at 74% made sense when the old steering had no smart filter. With the new filter doing that job, stacking a heavy speed sensitivity on top can make the car feel numb at speed. So I removed them as a recommendation. If you want to try them, load them as one experiment and compare against the default.
The "310° wheel range" line also mixed a wheel concept into a pad guide. On the current steering page, wheel-only settings are swapped out when a pad is the active device.
Button mapping that helps on a pad
The pad gives you few buttons, and rFactor 2 has a lot of controls. Studio 397's notes show how open the mapping is: replay controls became fully assignable in the controller tab in December 2020, and the February 2023 release candidate added configurable controls for regen level, electric motor map and push-to-pass map.
What I would put on the pad, and what I would leave on the keyboard:
| On the pad | On the keyboard |
|---|---|
| Steering, throttle, brake | Pit menu navigation |
| Gear up and down | Replay controls |
| Look left and right or look behind | Headlights, wipers |
| Pit limiter | Brake bias, TC and ABS maps |
| Push-to-pass or regen, if the car has them | Anything you use once a session |
Throttle and brake on the analogue triggers. Never on face buttons, because a button is either 0% or 100% and the car cannot handle that on corner exit. If you have no pad at all, my rFactor 2 keyboard controls guide covers that setup.
Assists for pad players
On a pad, assists are not cheating. They cover for the input resolution you do not have.
rFactor 2's traction control and ABS were reworked in 2022. Studio 397's notes for the Q4 2022 Content Drop list a new traction control system, and the developer guide explains that cars can now have TC power cut and slip angle maps, and that ABS works differently. How much TC and ABS you get depends on the car. A GT3 car runs them in real life, a classic open-wheeler does not.
My order for a pad driver: keep TC and ABS on where the car has them, and run auto clutch. Turn them down one step at a time as your laps get consistent. I am not listing every aid option by name here, because Studio 397 does not document the aid menu in its user guide and I only print what I could check.
For the driving side, my rFactor 2 driving tips still apply on a pad. Smooth hands, or in this case a smooth thumb, are what makes the time.
rFactor 2 in 2026
Straight facts from official pages:
- Price and developer. On Steam today, rFactor 2 is developed and published by Studio 397, priced at $29.99 in the US store and 28,99€ in the EU store.
- Updates. The most recent rFactor 2 announcement on its Steam news feed is dated 4 March 2025: the Formula E 2024/25 liveries and track branding, free to owners of the Formula E content. Before that came a store content update on 29 November 2024. The last full release notes on Studio 397's support site are the October 2023 Release Candidate, and in November 2023 the new rF2 Online experience went live in the public build.
- Le Mans Ultimate. Studio 397 also develops and publishes Le Mans Ultimate, and Steam lists its release date as 22 July 2025. Both games appear on Studio 397's own site, and Motorsport Games lists rFactor 2 among its games on motorsportgames.com.
- Ownership. Motorsport Games agreed to buy Studio 397 in 2021. Press reports, including Traxion, say it finished paying for the studio in July 2025 under a February 2025 settlement. I could not open Motorsport Games' own filing, so treat the date as reported.
What I could not find: any official 2026 rFactor 2 roadmap, build notes or end-of-life statement. So rFactor 2 is still on sale and still works, but the steering code you get in 2026 is the February 2023 version.
If you want the newer Studio 397 game on a pad, read my Le Mans Ultimate controller settings. Studio 397 publishes more pad guidance for that game than it ever did for rFactor 2.
FAQ
Can you play rFactor 2 with an Xbox controller?
Yes, on PC. Steam lists Partial Controller Support, and Studio 397 added an official XBOX One Controller For Windows profile in December 2020. Use Detect in the controls menu and load that profile.
Is rFactor 2 on Xbox or PlayStation?
No. rFactor 2 is a Windows PC game sold on Steam. You can use a console gamepad with it, but there is no console version.
What is the best steering rate for a gamepad in rFactor 2?
Studio 397 has not published one. Start on the default, set the deadzone first, then tune steering aggression, and only touch steering rate and snappiness if the steering still lags behind your thumb.
What does the gamepad steering filter do?
Since the Q1 2023 update, pad and keyboard steering pass through a filter that Studio 397 says simulates vehicle forces and acts like a smarter speed sensitivity. You can pick the gamepad filter and adjust it separately from the keyboard one.
Should I use speed sensitivity on a pad?
Less than old guides say. The new filter already reduces steering as the car needs it. A high speed sensitivity on top of it can make the car feel numb at speed, so start low and raise it only if the car is twitchy on straights.
Is rFactor 2 still updated in 2026?
The last rFactor 2 announcement on Steam is from 4 March 2025, a free Formula E livery update. Studio 397 has published no rFactor 2 roadmap for 2026, and its newer game is Le Mans Ultimate.