Good Driving Gamepad? (not overly sensitivee)

[somegeek]

Can anyone suggest a good PC driving game gamepad with analog sticks that don't imitate a digital input due to sensitivity? :)

[Nhut Pham]

If you're looking for a good analog stick controller for PC, I would say your best bet is the xbox 360 controller.

It has the most support, and what I consider the best analog joystick of any console controller.

Alternatively, the Thrustmaster offerings look nice.

[FudgeNuggets]

I agree on the 360 pad for PC

[benbaked]

Another vote for the 360 controller from me. It is great with Forza 3 and more comfortable then a playstation-style gamepad IMHO.

[tinymouse2]

Echo of above. Had mine for over a year now, works perfectly even after it broke a monitor (I got angry :P). Just a wonderful gamepad and works amazingly well in almost all racing games (Dirt, Dirt 2, Flatout, Grid and the Toca race driver games) and the sensitivity is just spot on.

Possibly not enough resistance meaning that a very small turn is slightly more difficult than with say a joystick but as far as controllers go this is the best I've found.

[somegeek]

Thanks for the info all. /me orders a 360 controller. :)

[tinymouse2]

Very good choice :thup:

[somegeek]

I've read these are identical...

MS 360 Controller (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BT4CF4/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER)
MS PC 360 Controller (http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Controller/dp/B000B6MLTQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1272060341&sr=1-4)

But the PC controller is $6 more making me wonder if the hardware is slightly different?

Edit - google ftw - the PC type controller has some extra firmware info (http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/177697-28-xbox-controller) making it a little more user friendly. Gonna go that route.

Thanks again for the feedback.

[tinymouse2]

The one that says it's for PC is for PC. I think the 360 controller has a PS/2 style adapter thingy.

The little adapter thing is what you get for the extra 6 bucks as far as I know.

82293

82294

[somegeek]

Cool - I ordered the PC version. Will report back with what I get.

[BenF]

Good choice on the 360 controller. I brought a gamepad a couple years back. It worked ok for driving but I'd definitely recommend a 360 controller over it.

[benbaked]

I've read these are identical...

MS 360 Controller (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BT4CF4/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER)
MS PC 360 Controller (http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Controller/dp/B000B6MLTQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1272060341&sr=1-4)

But the PC controller is $6 more making me wonder if the hardware is slightly different?

Edit - google ftw - the PC type controller has some extra firmware info (http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/177697-28-xbox-controller) making it a little more user friendly. Gonna go that route.

Thanks again for the feedback.

I read that user's (Vizone) post in that Tom's thread and I don't think he's correct. As far as I've ever seen, and thru checking google too, I can't find anything showing that the two controllers are different. No mention of different firmware other then a couple of people on forums with no hard sources.

I am 99.9% certain that the only difference between the controllers is the inclusion of the driver CD in the "for Windows" package. The 360 controller works in OS X too with this (http://tattiebogle.net/index.php/ProjectRoot/Xbox360Controller/OsxDriver) driver. :cool:

[Nhut Pham]

yeah, they should be the same, but don't forget you get the connector wire!

[Mpegger]

I am 99.9% certain that the only difference between the controllers is the inclusion of the driver CD in the "for Windows" package.

That and they are wired.

You could just buy the wired version, which doesn't include a driver CD, but the drivers can be downloaded from MS, or included in W7 (I think Vista as well).

[jaymz9350]

Yeah as far as I know the only difference is the useless driver CD.

And Tinymouse, that is a safety quick release so you don't fall and or pull your 360 (or PC) off it's stand if you trip over the wire.

[tinymouse2]

Oh so the 360 has a USB connection for the controller as well? it has served that exact purpose a couple of times here :P

As for the drivers, the one that come on the disk aren't designed for W7 I don't think and it's kinda buggy. You can download the latest versoin by using windows shiney driver finder here (http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/download/download.aspx?category=gaming).

[ArcturusVi]

I just plugged my wired 360 controller in and it worked fine out of the gate. I use it for Dirt2. I have Windows7 and do use Games for Windows:Live features, so drivers may have been there from the get-go.

I didn't notice it on the 360, but it likes to pull to the left a tad, and I can't find a way to calibrate it*if at all*.

[somegeek]

I just plugged my wired 360 controller in and it worked fine out of the gate. I use it for Dirt2. I have Windows7 and do use Games for Windows:Live features, so drivers may have been there from the get-go.

I didn't notice it on the 360, but it likes to pull to the left a tad, and I can't find a way to calibrate it*if at all*.

Can you increase the steering deadzone to ignore this small input?

[Mpegger]

I didn't notice it on the 360, but it likes to pull to the left a tad, and I can't find a way to calibrate it*if at all*.

Normally, the controller will "self calibrate" at startup (plug in) and also during use. You can goto the joystick panel in W7 and run the calibration there, but usually all you have to do is just move the joysticks through the entire range to calibrate it.

[tinymouse2]

Basically although the self calibrate thing will work fine the 360 controller has the first +-15% of its movement without any resistance. As a result you'll often slowly drift left or right until you've sorted the deadzone out.
I have mine set to 20% since I don't do any serious racing with it that's fine for me.