Gyro steering for racing games: setup and tuning

Tilt steering is the feature that makes a phone feel different from an ordinary controller. You hold the phone like a small steering wheel and turn it left and right, and the game car follows. Done well it is more natural than a thumbstick. Done badly, with the wrong sensitivity or an off-centre zero point, it is twitchy and tiring. This guide explains how it works and how to tune it.

How it works

The phone's motion sensors measure how the phone is tilted. In racing mode, GamepadOS maps the left-right tilt to the left stick's horizontal axis, which is the axis nearly every racing game uses for steering. A tilt to the left becomes a stick pushed to the left. A larger tilt pushes the stick further. Because the output is a normal stick value, any game that supports steering with an analog stick works. You do not need special support in the game.

The rest of your controller stays as it is. Your thumbs handle the pedals and any buttons on screen, while your hands do the steering.

Turn it on

1. Open the app's settings and switch on Tilt steering. The option works per layout, so you can keep it off for platformers and on for racing.
2. Make sure the mode is Racing, where left and right tilt controls the left stick.
3. Hold the phone in the position you will actually play in, then press CALIBRATE.

Calibrate to how you hold the phone

Calibration tells the app which angle counts as "straight ahead". If you skip it, your zero is whatever the phone's sensors consider level, and you will be steering with a permanent lean. Press CALIBRATE with the phone held in your normal playing posture. The app remembers the zero you set across launches, so you only need to do this again if you change how you hold the phone, for example when you move from the couch to a desk mount.

Set the steering sensitivity

The Steering sensitivity slider sets the angle you must tilt to reach full lock, from 1 to 90 degrees. The label can feel backwards, so think of it this way:

• A small angle (say 20 to 30 degrees) means a short tilt is enough to turn fully. It feels quick and sharp, and suits tight, twisty tracks and arcade-style racers.
• A larger angle (say 45 to 60 degrees) means you tilt further for full lock. It is calmer and more precise for realistic simulators and long straights, but it demands more wrist movement.

Start at about 40 degrees and adjust by ten at a time. A good value is one where you can reach full lock without straining your wrists, and you can hold a gentle curve without wandering.

Use the dead zone to keep the car straight

Ignore small tilts sets a dead zone around the centre, from 0 to 30 degrees. Inside it the steering stays at zero, so natural hand wobble does not make the car weave on straights. Outside it, steering follows your real angle. Set it to 0 to respond to every tiny tilt, which suits delicate sim driving. Set it to a few degrees if the car drifts left and right when you want to go straight.

Tilt throttle

With racing mode on, you can switch on Tilt throttle. Tilting the phone forward accelerates and tilting it back brakes, using the left stick's vertical axis. This lets you drive with a phone alone, with no on-screen pedals. Many players prefer to keep pedals on screen for finer control and leave tilt throttle off. Try both.

Pause when laid flat

The Pause when laid flat option pauses tilt input whenever the phone is resting flat. It stops the car steering itself when you put the phone down on a table between races. Turn it off if you play with the phone nearly flat, such as on a desk mount, so that motion input stays continuous.

Feedback you can feel

The app's vibration setting gives physical feedback for button presses and for full-turn bumps in wheel mode. In racing games, rumble from the game itself comes back to the phone as well, so curbs and collisions buzz in your hands.

Troubleshooting tilt steering

• The car pulls to one side. Recalibrate, holding the phone the way you play.
• Steering feels jittery. Increase "Ignore small tilts" by a couple of degrees, or increase the steering sensitivity angle.
• I cannot reach full lock. Reduce the steering sensitivity angle so a smaller tilt is enough.
• The car steers the wrong way or the zero is off after you change posture. Hold the phone the way you intend to play and press CALIBRATE again.
• It feels delayed. Try a USB connection. Steering is continuous, so link timing is easy to feel. See Wi-Fi or USB.

When to use wheel mode instead

Tilting works within about a quarter turn each way. If you want the long steering travel of a truck, bus or sim wheel, mount the phone and use wheel mode, where you rotate the whole phone through up to 900 degrees.