If you’re experiencing issues with your steering wheel or controller in BeamNG.drive, you’re not alone. Many players encounter problems getting their input devices to work correctly with the game. This guide will walk you through common problems and solutions to get your car controls back on track, ensuring you can fully enjoy the realistic driving experience BeamNG.drive offers. While we’re focusing on “repairing” your car control experience in BeamNG, it’s mostly about troubleshooting and configuration, not actual hardware repair. Let’s dive into how to fix those frustrating car control issues.
Device Not Detected in BeamNG.drive Options
One of the first hurdles players face is their steering wheel or controller not even showing up in the game’s settings. If BeamNG.drive doesn’t recognize your device in Options > Controls > Hardware, but it works perfectly in other games, the issue might be Steam’s input settings.
Steam Input Interference
Steam can sometimes hide input devices from games. Here’s how to resolve this:
- Enter Big Picture Mode: Open Steam, navigate to View, and select Big Picture Mode.
- Controller Settings: Click the settings icon in the top-right corner, then go to Controller > Controller Settings.
- Disable Configuration Support: Uncheck all options like PS4 Configuration Support, Xbox Configuration Support, and Generic Gamepad Configuration Support.
- Exit Big Picture Mode: You can now exit Big Picture Mode and restart BeamNG.drive. Your device should now be detectable.
Alternatively, you can disable Steam Input on a per-game basis:
- Game Properties: In your Steam Library, right-click on BeamNG.drive and select Properties.
- Steam Input Per-Game Setting: Under the Controller tab, find Steam Input Per-Game Setting and choose Forced Off.
Logitech G29 Wheel Detection
If you’re using a Logitech G29 wheel and still facing detection issues, ensure the Logitech Gaming Software is running:
- Search for Logitech Gaming Software: Use the Windows search bar to find and open Logitech Gaming Software.
- Run the Software: Simply starting the program in the background might be enough for BeamNG.drive to detect your wheel. Try launching BeamNG.drive again without restarting.
Device Detected But Controls Not Working
If BeamNG.drive recognizes your device, but nothing seems to work in-game, it might be due to a lack of default bindings.
Configuring Controls
BeamNG.drive provides pre-set control bindings for a limited number of common devices. If yours isn’t among them, you’ll need to manually configure the controls:
- Access Controls Settings: Go to Options > Controls.
- Configure Bindings: You’ll need to assign actions (like steering, throttle, brake) to your device’s inputs (wheel axis, pedal axis, buttons).
Steering Wheel Acting Erratically
Sometimes your steering wheel might be detected and seemingly working, but behaves strangely in the game.
Driver Window Conflicts
Having the Windows driver window for your steering wheel open while playing BeamNG.drive can cause conflicts.
- Close Driver Windows: Ensure you close the Windows drivers window for your wheel before launching BeamNG.drive.
- Avoid Opening During Gameplay: Do not open the driver window while BeamNG.drive is running.
Pedals Behaving Like Buttons
If your pedals are acting like on/off buttons instead of analog axes, it could be due to console compatibility modes on your steering wheel.
Console Compatibility Modes
Some steering wheels have modes for console compatibility that can alter pedal behavior.
- Consult Your Manual: Carefully read your steering wheel’s manual to understand its modes and how to switch between them.
- Software Interference: Check for any installed software that might intercept or modify joystick, steering wheel, or gamepad behavior. Disable or uninstall such software and try again.
Throttle and Brake Setup Issues
Problems setting up the throttle and brake can lead to unpredictable car behavior.
Combined vs. Separate Axes
Steering wheels can provide either combined throttle/brake axes or separate axes.
- Combined Throttle/Brake: If your wheel has a combined axis, use the “throttle and brake” binding in BeamNG.drive and remove any bindings from the separate “throttle” and “brake” sections.
- Separate Throttle/Brake: If your wheel has separate axes, use the “throttle” binding and the “brake” binding, and remove any binding from the “throttle and brake” section.
Steering Not Working or Veering to One Side
If steering is unresponsive or the car constantly veers to one side, check your steering bindings.
Steering Bindings
Incorrect steering bindings are a common cause of steering issues.
- Remove Incorrect Bindings: Ensure you haven’t accidentally added wheel bindings to “steer left” or “steer right”. Remove these if present.
- Use “Steering” Binding: Add only one binding for the “steering” action.
Steering in the Wrong Direction
If your car steers in the opposite direction to your wheel input, you need to invert the steering axis.
Inverting Steering Axis
- Invert Axis: Open the steering binding, click the “Inverted Axis” checkbox, and then click “Apply”.
Acceleration or Braking Issues (Inverted Pedals)
Similar to steering, if acceleration or braking is inverted, you’ll need to invert the respective pedal axes.
Inverting Throttle or Brake Axis
- Invert Throttle: For acceleration issues, open the throttle binding, click “Inverted Axis”, and “Apply”.
- Invert Brake: For braking issues, open the brake binding, click “Inverted Axis”, and “Apply”.
Unintended Reverse After Braking
If your car unexpectedly goes into reverse after braking to a stop, it’s likely due to the shifting mode.
Arcade Shifting Mode
- Switch to Realistic Shifting: You are probably using ‘Arcade’ shifting mode. Switch to ‘Realistic’ shifting mode by pressing the ‘Q’ key.
Overly Sensitive Steering
If the steering feels too fast and uncontrollable, ensure your wheel’s rotation range is correctly set.
Steering Wheel Rotation Angle
- Set Correct Rotation Angle: Make sure your steering wheel is set to 900º or 1080º (or the maximum angle supported by your wheel).
For Logitech G25/G27 wheels, you can adjust the rotation angle in-game:
- Logitech G25/G27 Adjustment: Press and hold the two middle red buttons on the H-shifter, then press the bottom black button on the H-shifter simultaneously.
For other wheels, consult their manual, as you might need to adjust the rotation in the Windows Control Panel driver settings, potentially requiring a BeamNG.drive restart.
Car Veering to One Side When Driving Straight
If your car slightly veers left or right when driving straight, several factors could be at play.
Vehicle Mods and Suspension
- Check Vehicle Mods: Vehicle mods might alter suspension settings, causing veering. Try a standard vehicle to rule this out.
- Vehicle Tendency: Some powerful vehicles or suspension types might naturally veer under acceleration. This could be realistic behavior within the game.
Steering Wheel Calibration
- Calibrate Steering Wheel: Calibrate your steering wheel using the Windows Control Panel drivers window.
- Recalibration Steps: Some wheels require unplugging and plugging back in after calibration.
Logitech Wheel Detection and Functionality Problems
If you’re experiencing broader issues with Logitech wheels like detection failure, clutch problems, limited rotation range, force feedback loss, or random failures, follow these steps:
Logitech Driver Issues
- Install Latest Drivers: Download and install the latest Logitech drivers for your wheel from the official Logitech support website.
- Driver Detection: Verify that the Logitech driver software correctly detects your steering wheel after installation.
- Model Verification: Ensure the Logitech software displays the exact model of your steering wheel.
If detection is still problematic:
- Reconnect Wheel: Try unplugging and plugging the wheel back into the USB port.
- Different USB Port: Use a different USB port on your computer.
- Restart Computer: Restart your computer.
- Reinstall Drivers: Uninstall and then reinstall the official Logitech drivers.
Logitech Wheel Misbehavior After G-Hub Update (Post August 2022)
Recent Logitech G-Hub updates around September 2022 have caused issues for some users.
G-Hub Update Issues
- Check Logitech Post: Refer to this Reddit post from a Logitech team member for instructions and potential fixes.
- Contact Logitech Support: Alternatively, contact Logitech directly for support regarding G-Hub update issues.
Force Feedback Loss After Alt-Tab (Post March 2023 Windows Update)
A Windows Update in March 2023 introduced an incompatibility affecting force feedback when alt-tabbing.
Windows GameInput Incompatibility
- Thrustmaster Wheels: Update to the latest Thrustmaster driver and firmware (“2023_TTRS_2” or newer).
- Logitech and Other Wheels: Update to the latest drivers and firmware from your wheel manufacturer. If updating doesn’t resolve the issue, contact the manufacturer for support or try workarounds to disable or uninstall Microsoft GameInput (at your own risk).
G29/G920 Turning Full Left/Right
Older or buggy Logitech driver versions can cause G29 and G920 wheels to turn fully left or right unexpectedly.
Driver Update for G29/G920
- Update to Latest Drivers: Ensure you have the absolute latest official Logitech software/drivers installed.
- Clean Installation: Fully uninstall any previous versions of Logitech drivers before installing the latest version.
- Version Verification: After installation, double-check that the installed version is indeed the one you downloaded and not a version automatically installed by Windows.
- Reinstall Software: If issues persist, try uninstalling and reinstalling Logitech Gaming Software and/or Logitech G-Hub.
G920 Game Crashing (Force Feedback Related)
Buggy driver versions before 2017 could cause game crashes with the G920 when force feedback was enabled.
Driver Update for G920 Crash
- Update to Latest Drivers: As with the previous issue, ensure you are using the latest official Logitech drivers.
- Clean Installation: Uninstall previous drivers before installing the newest version to avoid conflicts.
- Version Verification: Confirm the installed driver version is the correct latest version and not an older Windows-installed version.
G27/G29 Shifting LEDs Not Working
Steering wheel LEDs are not currently supported in BeamNG.drive.
LED Support
- No LED Support: LEDs are not functional for any steering wheel model in BeamNG.drive. This feature was removed due to potential issues with force feedback and steering angle resets.
Steering Wheel Turning Full Left/Right (General)
If your steering wheel turns fully to one side unexpectedly, check the force feedback inversion setting.
Force Feedback Inversion
- Inverted Checkbox: Try checking or unchecking the “Inverted” checkbox in the Force Feedback tab of the controls settings. Different wheels or driver updates may require different settings.
Refer also to the specific section “G29 / 920 turns all the way left / right” for Logitech G29/G920 specific solutions.
Thrustmaster Wheel Turning Full Left/Right (Post September 2017)
If a Thrustmaster wheel started turning fully left or right after September 2017, ensure you’re using a recent BeamNG.drive version.
BeamNG.drive Version and Reset
- Update BeamNG.drive: Update to BeamNG.drive v0.11 or newer.
- Reset Controls: If the issue persists, go to Options > Controls > Reset All.
SpeedLink Wheel Game Crashing
SpeedLink official drivers are known to cause crashes in 64-bit games, including BeamNG.drive.
SpeedLink Driver Issue and 32-bit Version
- Use 32-bit Version: Using the 32-bit version of BeamNG.drive can bypass the buggy 64-bit SpeedLink drivers and prevent crashes. This is the primary workaround for SpeedLink wheel crashes.
This issue is common with SpeedLink steering wheels such as the Drift O.Z. and others.
Direct Drive Wheel No/Brief Force Feedback
Direct drive wheels might require manual force feedback configuration in BeamNG.drive.
Force Feedback Configuration for Direct Drive Wheels
- Configure and Enable FFB: Direct drive wheels often don’t have default presets, so you need to configure and enable force feedback in the BeamNG.drive control settings.
- Update Type Setting: Try changing the Update Type in the Force Feedback settings from “Fast (default)” to “Full” and click Apply.
Input Lag Between Wheel and In-Game Response
If you notice a delay between your wheel movements and the in-game car response, first check if the input is being registered correctly.
Input Lag Troubleshooting
- Hardware Menu Check: Go to Options > Controls > Hardware and observe if the input slider in the menu responds without delay to your wheel movements.
If the Hardware menu shows delayed input:
- Steering Filter: Find the ‘Steering’ binding, click on it, and ensure the “filter” is set to “direct”.
- Increase Framerate: Try to increase your framerate as much as possible (100 FPS or higher is recommended). Lowering Graphics Lighting settings can help improve FPS.
- Fullscreen Mode: Switch to fullscreen mode. This reduces input lag compared to windowed or borderless modes.
- Disable VSync: If screen tearing is acceptable, turn VSync off. This can also reduce input lag.
By following these troubleshooting steps, you should be able to resolve most common steering wheel and car control issues in BeamNG.drive and get back to enjoying the game.
