Is a steering wheel for a PC compatible with Grand Theft Auto V? This question may pop up in your head while navigating through the cityscapes of GTA V with your brand new Ferrari.
As a core gameplay element, cars have always been essential in the Grand Theft Auto series. What good is a “heist” game if the protagonists don’t have fast cars to escape in?
Since exploring Los Santos in a vehicle is such a significant part of the action in GTA 5, why not do it in comfort and style with a real Steering Wheel?
Problems with Racing Wheel with GTA 5 on a PC
Since Grand Theft Auto V is not a racing simulator, a racing wheel cannot be used while playing. Numerous RPG components may be found. To the best of my knowledge, the game only works with controllers that have the same number of buttons and layouts as the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The vast majority of Windows gamepads are emulations of either the Xbox or PlayStation controller, as both consoles’ Windows versions are almost identical in terms of button count and layout.
There is no analogous button layout, axis orientation, etc., on a wheel.
I wish there was a bridge program that could convert DirectInput to behave like an Xbox controller. For us, X360CE has come as a savior. You’ll be lost in a sea of confusion as soon as you download it, but if you invest in learning the controls and mapping each input on the wheel to a button on the controller, you can have fun.
As the wheel is useless for moving around and flying, you’ll need to switch between controllers for different actions. This is quite irritating and prevents further use.
Neither did I like shooting while driving a vehicle. My hand makes weird, crab-like motions across the controller if I try to fire and drive at the same time while using a controller. It’s not only unnatural and likely to cause repetitive stress injuries, but it also prevents the development of muscle memory for the game. To this day, I still use the pedals to stop and go, freeing up my hands for aiming and firing. Win.
Furthermore, X360CE enabled the use of a flight stick for aerial maneuvers in games. Even if that’s all you do, you’ll have a good time. Because of the restrictions imposed by trying to mimic a controller, the translation is poor. The most fundamental change is to assign the z-axis of the control stick to the rudder. To steer, all the game needs from the player is a pair of thumbs to push a pair of buttons.
Workaround for Racing Wheel with GTA V on PC
Even though there are a lot of drawbacks of the racing wheel with GTA V on PC if you want to taste what it feels like or if you want to solely drive with the racing wheel you can follow these instructions to achieve this.
On PC, you can use a steering wheel with Grand Theft Auto 5, but only after installing a third-party mod that adds support for such devices.
The Manual Transmission Mod, available at gta5-mods.com, enhances the game with features including steering wheel assistance, driver aids, and sensitivity adjustments.
Highlights include:
- Force Feedback on the Steering Wheel
- Complete command of the gearbox and drivetrain components:
- Automatic transmission modes include sequential, H-pattern, and bespoke.
- clutch in operation;
- Differential emulation with limited slip;
- Driver Assistance:
- ABS;
- Control of Traction;
- Control of Stability;
- Cruise Control; Launch Control;
- AWD (Adaptive All-Wheel Drive);
Other settings, such as button assignments and force feedback intensity, may be adjusted under the Manual Transmission Mod menu.
Before you begin, make sure you have the most recent version of ScriptHookV installed, as this mod relies on it to function properly.
- Download the Manual Transmission Mod for GTA 5 from the link provided above.
- Extract the downloaded file: Copy the downloaded folder’s ‘ManualTransmission’ folder and the three ‘Gears. asi’ files.
- Navigate to your GTA 5 root folder and copy and paste the two files there.
- On Steam, the root folder for GTA 5 is located in Local Disk C>Program Files>STEAM>steamapps>common>GTA V.
- The root folder path for Epic Games is Local Disk C>>>Program Files>Epic Games>GTAV.
- Copy both files and paste them into the GTA 5 root folder.
- Start your GTA 5 game.
- On your keyboard, press the “[” or “{” button to bring up the Manual Transmission Mod menu.
Conclusion:
Getting a wheel to work with GTA 5 may need more effort, but trust me when I say it will be worth it once you get your wheel up and running.
That’s all there is to it! That’s all it takes to install, set up, and utilize a steering wheel in GTA 5.
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