With the release of the Gran Turismo DD Pro, it is more important than ever to know how to connect your Fanatec wheel to a PS4 or PS5. This how to guide will run you through the whole process.
Setting up your Fanatec racing wheel to your PlayStation console is the first step towards sim racing on PS4 or PS5. However, with so many peripherals in play, connecting your racing wheel isn’t always the easiest task.
Below I run through an easy-to-follow step-by-step guide for connecting your Fanatec wheel to PS4 or PS5.
This PS5 and PS4 connection guide for Fanatec applies to all Fanatec racing wheels, including the new Gran Turismo DD Pro, Podium F1, and older PlayStation compatible racing wheels.
If you are looking for a guide on how to set up your Fanatec wheel with an Xbox Series X or Xbox One, read our complete Fanatec Xbox setup guide here.
Read our guide on the best Fanatec wheels in 2023.
The first step, and probably the most crucial step, is to ensure your Fanatec wheel base is actually a PlayStation-compatible model.
Fanatec handles PlayStation and Xbox consoles differently, meaning most Xbox-compatible wheel bases won’t work on PlayStation consoles. This is true of the CSL DD wheel base and the higher-spec DD1 and DD2 wheel bases.
For a more in-depth breakdown of how differently Fanatec handles Xbox and PlayStation compatibility, check out our complete Fanatec ecosystem guide.
When the PlayStation 5 was released, Fanatec announced that all of their current PS4-compatible racing wheels will be PS5-compatible. So if you are upgrading from a PS4 to a PS5, you will be able to continue to use your current Fanatec racing wheel.
If you’re buying a new Fanatec racing wheel, you will be able to see on their webshop which products are PlayStation compatible. At the time of writing, the Gran Tursimo DD Pro racing wheel is the only PlayStation 5 compatible racing wheels that Fanatec sell.
The first real step you will have to do once you have unboxed your new Fanatec racing wheel is to connect your wheel base to the power. Use the power supply cable that is supplied with your racing wheel, and connect it to the rear of your wheel base, and then into a wall power socket.
Then connect your pedals to the rear of your wheel base using the RJ12 cable that should be supplied with your pedals.
If you have any other peripherals such as a handbrake or shifter, connect them to the rear of your wheel base using the supplied cables. Essentially, when racing with a Fanatec racing wheel on PS5 or PS4, all peripherals should be connected to the rear of your wheel base.
If you are racing with the powerful Podium F1 racing wheel, you can also connect the supplied torque key to the rear of your wheel base to enable the full force feedback power.
Finally, connect the supplied USB cable to the rear of your wheel base, and then into your PC. The reason we connect the wheel to your PC before the PlayStation console is so we can ensure we have the latest firmware installed.
This is also the stage where you would look to mount your wheel base to your sim rig or cockpit or desk. Ensure you use the correct table clamp or mounting method for your wheel.
View the best PS5 racing wheels in our buyers guide.
Once you have everything connected up correctly you can turn your racing wheel on at the wheel base. This next step will take you through the process of updating your wheel’s firmware. We do this to ensure it is running the latest software to give you the best racing experience possible.
Follow the steps below to update your wheel base and steering wheel to the latest firmware and drivers.
Connect the USB at the rear of the wheel base into the USB slot of your PS5 or PS4. Power on your console and then power on your wheel base. Once powered on, ensure your racing wheel is in the correct compatibility mode. Some racing wheels will have a different way of doing this, but generally, you switch compatibility mode by quickly pressing the power button.
Most Fanatec wheel bases such as the new Gran Turismo DD Pro feature a few compatibility modes. These are;
The first thing you should look to do once your Fanatec wheel is connected to your PS5 or PS4 is to calibrate the wheel centre. This will ensure your wheel is perfectly centred and aligned.
Do this by pressing the tuning button on your steering wheel to enter the tuning mode. Then make sure the wheel is centred to your wheel base. Depending on the steering wheel you are using, you may have to then press a different button combination to confirm the wheel centre.
With the Podium F1 steering wheel, you press the analogue and FunkySwitch at the same time. With the Gran Turismo DD Pro you press the start and x buttons together.
The shifter calibration is needed if you are using a H-pattern shifter peripheral. To enter shifter calibration mode, again you will need to press a different button combination depending on which PS5 compatible Fanatec racing wheel you’re using.
Read our in-depth guide to calibrating your Fanatec shifter.
With the Podium F1 wheel, press the tuning button and the lower right push button together. With the Gran Turismo DD Pro, press the tuning button and the start button together.
The screen on the steering wheel or wheel base will then ask you to engage each gear individually. Confirm each gear by pressing either the lower right button on the Podium F1 or the start button on the GT DD Pro. Then repeat this process for every gear.
After the above step, your Fanatec racing wheel will be ready to use with your PS5 or PS4. However, you can still make adjustments via the tuning options that are built into all Fanatec wheels.
The Best F1 23 Racing WheelsThese options include various force feedback settings as well as access to your different profiles.
Below is a quick overview of the Fanatec tuning options and how each one affects your wheel. You can scroll through each tuning option using the FunkySwitch if your steering wheel has one.
Some of these settings do differ from wheel to wheel.
Sensitivity – SEN (default = 900)
This is the degree of rotation for your wheel. This can be changed from 90° through to 1080° on most steering wheels. There is also an auto mode which is designed to automatically detect the in-game steering rotation.
Force Feedback – FF (default = 100)
This setting changes the maximum strength of the Force Feedback. This can be adjusted from 0% – 100%.
Shock – SHO (default = 100)
The shock changes the strength of the shock motors inside the steering wheel. This can be adjusted from 0% – 100%.
Anti-Lock Braking System – ABS (default = OFF)
This setting changes the amount of feedback you receive whilst applying braking force through the pedals.
Drift Mode – DRI (default = OFF)
This setting reduces the steering wheel resistance allowing you to rotate the wheel much easier.
Force – FOR (default = 100)
This setting changes the force strength that is applied to the wheel in a special direction.
Spring – SPR (Default = 100)
The spring changes how hard the steering wheel will be automatically centred.
Damper – DPR (default = 100)
Damper affects the wheel weight of your steering wheel when applying steering lock.
You can use the links below to shop for your favourite sim racing products, or for any products that we may have recommended. These links are affiliate links, and will earn us a small commission, with no additional cost for you.
Check the current stock levels of Fanatec's most popular products
Forza Motorsport is one of Xbox’s biggest racing games and is being released on Xbox Game …
The new Forza Motorsport is being marketed as the most realistic racing simulation ever. With a …
The new Forza Motorsport game has flipped car upgrading on its head. You can no longer …
