The Fanatec/Sony spat, or Why I Sold My PS4

[donnyd]

In yet another overwhelmingly short-sighted maneuver, Sony have required that PS4 dedicated racing titles developers no longer include support for Fanatec products. What?? Yep, remember the BetaMax, or the "$599 US Dollars" PS3 debacle? Well, they've done it again!

Essentially, what Sony have done is to gather up a rather large portion of the already niche market of console sim-racers, corralled them and unceremoniously screwed them! In their inimitably myopic style, they seem to truly believe that sim-racers will go out and buy yet another >$350 toy wheel just to play their games on their platform. Really?

The "we're too big to care/fail" attitude that leads them into thinking that those of us who did the research, spent the time, saved the money to buy our beloved Clubsport Wheel and Pedal set will just abandon it in favor of a $300 games console... Just wow!

Another head-scratcher is why in the world would Sony want to wage an unnecessary war among constituents, thereby further alienating an already dubious segment? Did they stop getting emails from their marketing department? With Fanatec set to launch the undoubtedly Thrustmaster-killing new platform in the CSL, naturally aimed at the burgeoning console market, this just seems really stupid.

In another ironic turn of events, it's perfect timing for two upcoming major launches. With Assetto Corsa and Gran Turismo Sport on the horizon, I think Sony are in for a rude awakening. When sales of GTS come in at 2/3 of projected market penetration, I wonder if Sony will wake up and smell the FAIL. I wonder if the payola Thrustmaster must have slipped them not to use their competitor's gear will offset the losses. I'm betting not.

As for my former PS4? Well, that recouped $250 is going straight into my XBox Scorpio savings fund.

This is JMHO and YMMV.

 

[Nick Gregory]

AFAIK, any pre-existing Fanatec hardware will still work (Project CARS for example), and I last heard that Fanatec is developing a rim for use on the PS4. They just had to remove the Playstation compatibility from the website because Sony probably wised up to Fanatec piggybacking off the Logitech G27 for compatibility on the PS3. I'm also fairly sure that if a developer wanted to include Fanatec compatibility on the PS4, they can.

The restrictive mindset of both Sony and Microsoft is the main reason I moved to PC last year. All of my stuff still works just fine. Anything I buy in the future will work just fine. One of these days, they'll learn what happens when you restrict potential customers on compatibility.

 

[Skazz]

The trouble is that Fanatec's first announcement on PS4 compatibility was early March (they stated that they were removing PS4 compatibility statements of existing kit on their website, pending release of their fully PS4 licensed wheel). However we're in August and still no launch of PS4 licensed wheel from Fanatec.

It seems from the announcements out of Codemasters and Kunos (F1 2016 and AC launches on PS4 both have zero Fanatec supported wheels) that Sony and Fanatec are jointly being finger-pointed. It sounds to me like Fanatec decided to play the licensing game, which triggered Sony to have a closer look at the situation, and then because of delays Sony is playing hard-ball on existing wheel compatibility.

Fanatec effectively triggered the current situation with their move to license a new wheel, as far as I can tell.

 

[Paul-Malcolm]

"For the first time ever, CronusMAX now offers support for a full range of Fanatec Racing wheels on the PlayStation 4 – as long as the wheel supports PS3 mode, they’re good to go. The amazing PS4 Wheel Edition Mode now gives the ability to connect Fanatec Wheels with Full Force Feedback Support, including support for pedals, shifters and other add-ons, all without the need for a computer to be connected to the console or any software plug-ins. This is what the Fanatec Racing Wheel community has been waiting for! So you have a CSW V2 and want to play F1 2016 or Assetto Corsa on the PS4? You got it!"

 

[Skazz]

There are other alternatives than CronusMAX, I believe. For example GIMX.

 

[GuitarTech]

This thread gives me the opportunity to ask a question I've been meaning to ask for ages: why do people bother at all with consoles? I've always used PC as a platform, the last console we had was for the kids. I remember playing (and getting soundly beaten at ), crash team racing on a PS1. But as my youngest daughter is now 27, I think that was a while ago.
So what advantages do consoles have at all for driving sims? Isn't a PC principially always better? I'm not trolling here, it's a genuine question.
All the problems with hardware compatability, and the ongoing war between Sony and MS, I mean, is it all worth it?
Why not just buy a PC and be done with it?

 

[Skazz]

Two words: content, playerbase.

Take Gran Turismo for example. The physics are poor compared to PC, the FFB is rudimentary. But you get a huge set of licensed cars, the ability to throw after-market tuning parts on them, and just generally enjoy "collecting" and playing around with all of these cars in a relaxed setting.

The console communities are also vast. I remember running Gran Turismo 5 weekly time trials 2 years after the game launched and seeing multiple hundred thousand entrant numbers, every single week. There were way more players using Gran Turismo than all of the complete player bases of every single PC sim combined.


Things are changing now, with Forza coming to PC. The only non-PC race sim left is Gran Turismo, and it's a mess with unknown release date. But the thing is... once Gran Turismo Sport hits it will sell multiple millions of copies with ease (just by looking pretty, supporting PSVR and being on PS4) and still dominate the overall race simulator player base once more.

 

[Andy_J]

Why not just buy a PC and be done with it?

Because a console is about the quarter of the price of reasonable gaming PC. And it is literally plug and play.

 

[GuitarTech]

Because a console is about the quarter of the price of reasonable gaming PC. And it is literally plug and play.

But there must be some disadvantages, otherwise everybody would use a console. Can you connect wheel, shifter and pedals to a console? I have 6 USB ports connected on my PC with all the hardware I use. How many USB inputs do the consoles have? If you have to drive with a hand-held controller, sorry, then it's only a game: I can't imagine driving my car in real life with a controller either. I have never been able to use controllers anyway: My daughters used to thrash me driving crash team racing back then

 

[Skazz]

But there must be some disadvantages, otherwise everyboy would use a console. Can you connect wheel, shifter and pedals to a console? I have 6 USB ports connected on my PC with all the hardware I use. How many USB inputs do the consoles have? If you have to drive with a hand-held controller, sorry, then it's only a game: I can't imagine driving my car in real life with a controller either. I have never been able to use controllers anyway: My daughters used to thrash me driving crash team racing back then

Yes, you can connect wheel, shifter and pedals to either console, however you usually have to buy the full set from one make (e.g. Logitech or Thrustmaster or Fanatec). They come with limited USB ports but you can either buy USB hubs or hook up the pedals and shifter directly to the wheelbase.

In fact, our "consumer" wheels are all effectively aimed at the much larger console market. You can probably thank console owners for the advances in belt driven wheels, by giving the wheel vendors a large enough market to justify the R&D.

The disadvantages are: only more mainstream content makes it to console compared with PC, and the absolute graphics or number of AI are less on console hardware than on more expensive PCs.

 

[Andy_J]

If you have to drive with a hand-held controller, sorry, then it's only a game: I can't imagine driving my car in real life with a controller either. I have never been able to use controllers anyway:

I have news for you. Its still a game even if you use a plastic and fake leather wheel and some pedals.

 

[GuitarTech]

I have news for you. Its still a game even if you use a plastic and fake leather wheel and some pedals.

But at least with a wheel, pedals and shifter I can pretend that It's real the sense of immersion is greater. I'd just feel silly sitting there with a game controller in my hands, but that's just me ....As well as that, I've spent nearly €4000 since April upgrading my sim computer and hardware, if I buy a console too, my wife will divorce me I'd still be interested to see what all the sims look like on the consoles, but I don't know anyone that uses one. I only know one other chap here in Lübeck that even drives a sim: he drives R3E and has a PC....

 

[Mick Aspinall]

Play any track or rally sim with a FFB wheel and pedal combo and your driving! the same sim with a controller and your gaming. I know which I prefer, I'm here to drive

 

[Andy_J]

Play any track or rally sim with a FFB wheel and pedal combo and your driving! the same sim with a controller and your gaming. I know which I prefer, I'm here to drive

Well you take care while you are driving matey. I take it you have insurance in case you have an accident.