PS5: Vague center steering with Thrustmaster T300

U could test using some negative steering linearity like -2 to -5 etc (ingame inputs -> advanced settings for the wheel), this negative steering linearity creates some curvature to steering input so it's less sensitive in middle meaning u need to turn wheel overall more even on the straights -> perhaps getting rid of numb/vague center area.

Thanks! I had done that, and linearity is currently set at -3. It doesn't eliminate the problem though, which isn't steering sensitivity, it's the (lack of) force feedback in the center.

The only thing which appears to marginally improve the situation is to max out the top two force feedback settings to 150, but it doesn't fix it 100% either.

What is degrees of rotation u use, is it like a lot less than 540 in all cars because that can be cullprit as with low degrees u aren't turning the wheel more than few degrees on straights. If it's less than 540 I recommend you go up to this 540 and here u can still reach paddles well for shifting (+try steering linearity again at 0), but more turning happens even on straights and possibly ffb kicks in more. Maybe its console thing if you still can't feel forces enough or u need more powerfull wheelbase (T300 is 4Nm max)

Top two settings? If u are using lot of Wheel friction then try 0. My recommendation is to use 0 so ffb isn't dampened at all and steering wheel can turn more freely and it's not slowed down when it needs to spin fast into countersteer direction (to catch oversteer slides). This WF "effect" is just deadweight making steering only feel heavier to turn not giving any ffb but actually dampening proper effects.

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Try whole FFB like this +explanations below: SAT 100-150 / WF 0 / TF 50-75 / SUSP 60-90 / TS 40-60 / ENG 0-100 / COLL 0-100

- Self Align Torque: 100-150 (most important setting of ffb) this gives natural centering after a turn, it gives countersteer spin to catch slides when car is oversteering hard, it loads ffb in corners which u are pushing against to feel centrifugal? forces.

- Wheel Friction: 0 (max 10) Or only very little to try stop wheel oscillation if that happens. This is just deadweight friction making steering be heavier to turn so not a ffb at all, too high value has negative effects of dampening ffb and can make countersteer spin too slow so that car is unable to catch itself in oversteering momemts.

- Tyre Friction: 50-75 (adjust more?) This is other possibly better type of friction but happens between tyre+road surface. U can feel when front tyres have contact with road, maybe can feel tyre deformation in corners etc.

- Suspension: 60-90 (adjust more?) This give feedback when Coil Springs+Dampers in suspension are working, u feel bodyroll, uneven road, potholes, when hitting+landing bigger bumps+jumps, u feel impacts from crashes etc

- Tire Slip: 40-60 (adjust more?) This is vibrations when getting wheelspin

- Engine: 0 or user preference (adjust 0-100) This is vibrations when engine is hitting rpm-limiter. In my opinion useless ffb and can just cover stuff right above -> Tyre Slip wheelspin vibrations -> which is much more important information

- Collision: 0 or user preference (adjust 0-100). This is simulating G-forces to hands in crashes and makes wheel jolt+vibrate even more if crashing so car control becomes even harder. If u want to punish yourself from bad driving use high value 50-100 and if feeling Suspension ffb gives enough feedback when crashing use 0 etc.

If ffb is still too weak in the middle area maybe it's PS5 console thing and something is wrong there how ffb is done idk. Or T300 being belt drive has too vague middle area ffb and maybe bit too low amount of torque. I did personally use T300 briefly in Dirt Rally 2.0 NOTE! on PC and what I remember center area had enough feedback based on what u can get with wheelbase being Belt-drive +max 4Nm torque. Nowdays and since Fall 2019 I've been using Fanatec DD1 direct drive and in rallying minimum ffb 6Nm (and up to 10Nm), steering wheel 32-33cm diameter.

Wonder if issue on your wheel is just wear&tear from 100-1000h of usage meaning belt is worn -> more slack -> bigger dead area. Or that motor inside is about to give up soon if it's slow to activate.

Thanks! Indeed I thought about the possibility of the base simply being worn out, as it has seen a LOT of use. Then again, there are no weird noises, no unusual resistances, no unusual heating and the problem isn't nearly as pronounced in other games, like GT7.

Ok I forgot it was working fine in GT7.

But in GT7 what kind ffb settings u have there? What kind of roations u use in those cars, are they authentic ones etc so racing cars 360-720 etc and in regular road cars authentic 900-1080 etc? Is steering feeling much lighter in that game?

In EA WRC do not use wheel friction at high value because it's deadweight adding only more friction (to steering column rack+pinion) like car had no powersteering but in game it just doesn't work like irl (irl without powersteering forces would become stronger where as in game they get now dampened with this high friction). Motor in the base need to fight against this high friction effect which could explain lack of ffb and how it's slow to iniate. Wheel in the base needs to be able to move quickly to give more and stronger ffb effects which it ain't doing with crazy amount of extra friction.

If u are unhappy with how light the steering feel is even with those max 4Nm forces what your base can deliver then u need overall stronger wheelbase. Steering is supposed to be quite light in middle area because there's not much happening when tires are rolling straight line (at least in EA WRC straight line rolling friction and changes to this when speed changes isn't modelled in). Again if feeling in GT7 is different even in straight line driving maybe it's difference between these two game ffb's and GT7 just got overall better coded/crafted ffb.

Thanks for helping. I haven’t played GT 7 too much, just a few hundred km with various cars, including rally cars just to confirm how the FFB is different. The settings there appear to be very limited compared to EAWRC, and I remember that I have sent them to somewhere in the middle range.

To be clear, the problem isn’t the overall FFB strength in EAWRC with this wheel. It is the 10 to 15° dead area in the center. You only really start to feel the force feedback beyond that area to the left or right. Within it is barely felt, if at all. I understand there is no considerable torque felt on the wheel while a car is going straight, but this is definitely not what you feel in a real car, there should be consistent resistance off center. And again, it’s just the force feedback missing, the car will actually turn from the inputs in that dead space.

I’ve got some testing and debugging instructions now from Thrustmaster, to rule out mechanical problems. Let’s see after that, but I suspect it might have to do with the PS5 game and the firmware work together.

Based on the test program and logs, Thrustmaster determined ffb is working normally on the unit, so back to the drawing board. Stuck. New ideas?

From Dirt Rally 2.0 I remember seeing complains of TM wheels having low level of ffb to be a 4Nm base when everything is even maxed out (minus those friction effects). On Xbox One I don't it such an issue or can't recall any complaints.

Because on PC u can change ini.files and ramp up ffb if originally it's somehow ilimited there. 

So is there possibility for you to get testing chance with wheel on PC version of the game, at friends place etc? To see if it's same issue or actually FFB is better on PC. Because if in PC version wheel ffb is stronger or better then it's got to be issue with console version drivers for that base (or with all TM bases) or something like that.

Wonder if there's some sort of poor excuse like "mainly younger persons like under 15yo are using consoles for gaming so we can't have wheelbases utilize all the power in it because it might harm them physically so we wil llimit it". It can be Sony who has said this to developer to limit it and it's not a fault of EA/CM. But then it's not so in Gran Turismo game
Or it's same weak ffb bug carried over from PS4 console version of Dirt Rally 2.0 and TM bases just can't utilize all power if connected to PS5 console.

No possibilities for trying with a PC, I'm afraid. I doubt it would be that poor excuse, since the ffb is still strong in other areas of the range. So for now, it looks like it's a quirk or bug related to how the PS5 implementation and the wheel's firmware work together.
The only way to confirm would be to hear experiences of others with the exact same T300 RS base, with the same settings.

The bottom line is still that the limp 10-15 degree area around the center does not resemble a real car's steering feel at all. I can confirm that by taking my own car and going for a drive 😁