Racing games have evolved over the years, offering a variety of experiences ranging from high-speed arcade thrills to meticulously detailed simulations. Whether you are looking to race through open-world environments or compete in precision-controlled tracks, mastering each game requires different techniques.
While the quality of the physics engines underpinning these games is improving and converging, there is still a great amount of difference in how different racing games are played.
While many players opt for racing wheels, there's still a vast community that excels using just the controller. Here’s how to fine-tune your skills in today's top five racing games: Gran Turismo 7, Forza Horizon 6, Forza Motorsport, F1 25: 2026 Season Pack and Assetto Corsa EVO.
Gran Turismo 7: precision and control
Gran Turismo 7 is known for its realism and attention to detail. Its physics engine offers a unique challenge, requiring the player to have precise control over their car. To excel in Gran Turismo 7 using just a controller, the key lies in understanding the car’s responsiveness and how the game simulates weight distribution.
Recommendations for the controller:
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Throttle and brake modulation: the throttle and brake buttons are highly sensitive, so use gradual inputs instead of sudden pushes. This will help maintain control, especially in turns. Your heads-up display will tell you exactly how much braking and acceleration you are applying at any time.
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Stick sensitivity: adjust your controller’s sensitivity settings to find a balance that feels natural. Lower sensitivity allows for smoother control in tight corners, while higher sensitivity provides quicker responses in straights.
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Tuning the car: while tuning a car isn’t exclusive to controllers, understanding how the suspension settings impact handling will give you a significant edge. Use the in-game tuning options to adjust the car for more stability, particularly on more difficult tracks. If you struggle with this, try searching the internet for car setups you can copy or download.
By mastering the precise control offered by your controller with Thumb Soldiers Racer Kit, you can still compete at a high level in Gran Turismo 7 without needing a racing wheel.
Forza Horizon 6: open-world thrills
Forza Horizon 6 moves the series to Japan, trading Horizon 5's Mexican landscapes for a dense mix of neo-lit city streets and quiet rural mountain roads inspired by real Japanese driving culture. The game is still built for accessibility, meaning players can easily pick it up, but excelling at it requires understanding the environment and your car's handling - and Japan's tighter, more technical road network rewards a different kind of control than wide-open highways of past entries.
Recommendations for the controller:
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Assists: turn off most assists (such as traction control and stability management) to get a more challenging and rewarding experience. While some assists help with stability, turning them off will allow you to have more control over your car.
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E-brake: the emergency brake is vital for tight corners. Use the right trigger or button to initiate controlled drifts around bends but be sure to ease off quickly to regain control when exiting the drift.
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Vehicle tuning: while tuning might be more accessible in Forza Horizon 5, experimenting with different setups for your suspension and gear ratios can help you make the most of the controller's response. Focus on balance over extremes in tuning for better handling in diverse terrain.
In Forza Horizon 6, with the innovative Racer Kit from Thumb Soldiers, the controller’s natural responsiveness is key to enjoying the game’s dynamic landscapes and achieving fast lap times. Think about having fun first, the performance will come after.
Forza Motorsport: track-focused racing
Unlike its flashier open-world cousin, Forza Motorsport is for the purists and focuses on track racing, where precision and skill are paramount. The handling model in Motorsport is more akin to simulations (but isn’t considered a simulation by the racing community), so mastering the controller is crucial for competitive play.
Recommendations for the controller:
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Braking zones: one of the most important aspects of Forza Motorsport is understanding your braking zones. Use the trigger buttons carefully to apply incremental braking pressure. Tap the brake lightly in corners and gradually apply more pressure as you approach sharper turns.
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Turn-in technique: the right thumbstick should be used for smooth but decisive turning. Quick, jerky movements can unsettle your car, so strive for smooth inputs.
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Controller feedback settings: activating vibration feedback can help you feel the car’s limits and when you’re about to lose traction. This can be a game-changer when you are pushing the car to its limits.
By refining your inputs and relying on subtle feedback which can be enhanced with the additional of the Racer Kit, you can achieve lap times that are as competitive as those using a racing wheel.
F1 205: 2026 Season Pack: speed and precision in formula racing
The F1 series is all about sharp corners, fast straights, and heavy braking zones. F1 25: 2026 Season Pack brings the sport's biggest regulation shake-up in years to the game — lighter, smaller cars with active aerodynamics, plus new teams Audi and Cadillac on the grid. On a controller, that active aero adds a new layer: your car's wings adjust in real time, so getting the most from a trigger-based throttle takes some relearning even if you've played F1 games before.
Recommendations for the controller:
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Throttle control: the throttle on a controller can be tricky as they respond more sharply than previous seasons' machinery. Use soft and gradual inputs to avoid spinning out of corners, especially in lower-speed turns where the car's grip is tested.
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Play with assists: assists can slow you down a lot in F1 games, especially traction control. Experiment with turning it down or off, as well as your anti-lock braking system (ABS). If you can master manual gears, you’ll be quicker than the majority of players online.
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Track awareness: since F1 cars are so sensitive, track awareness is key. Knowing where to brake, accelerate, and downshift is paramount. Spend time learning the tracks in time trials and practise getting the braking points just right, including the new Madring circuit which was built specifically for the 2026 cars.
Perfecting control in F1 25: 2026 Season Pack using the controller requires intense focus on timing and fluid inputs - give yourself the winning advantage and add the Racer Pro thumbsticks to your controller.
Assetto Corsa EVO: stepping into the simulation world
Assetto Corsa EVO is Kunos Simulazioni's newest and most ambitious sim yet. it builds on the legacy of its predecessor, Assetto Corsa Competizione, with an all-new physics and graphics engine. While the game is still mostly played with a wheel, controller support has come a long way through in-game assist tuning and community-shared presets.
Recommendations for the controller:
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Steering sensitivity: adjust the steering sensitivity to avoid oversteering or understeering. Assetto Corsa is unforgiving when it comes to handling, so make sure the sensitivity allows for smoother transitions through tight corners. Many players find starting with a low deadzone and moderate curvature a good baseline before fine-tuning further.
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Brake balance: balancing the brake force between the front and rear is crucial. If your rear tyres lock up, you risk spinning out. Play around with brake bias to find a setting that prevents this.
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Modulate throttle: Assetto Corsa’s physics engine requires the throttle to be modulated carefully. Abrupt inputs on the controller can easily result in loss of traction, so practice applying throttle gently, especially in corners.
- Steering assist: unlike a wheel, a controller can't convey force feedback in the same way, so it's worth enabling the in-game steering assist and tuning its strength to taste - it does a lot of the work a wheel's force feedback would otherwise handle.
By adding the Racer Kit to your controller and taking the time to fine-tune the controls and adjust to the simulation’s nuances, you can achieve fast lap times and take full advantage of Assetto Corsa EVO’s deep realism - your fluidity in the way you play will be on a different level.
Level up your controller
Racing wheels are great fun and can truly elevate your racing experience, but they’re not cheap. An entry-level wheel (for adults) comes in at around the £200 mark, and it won’t come with the quality build and features that you’d really want after shelling out £200.
A great way to seriously improve your abilities without breaking the bank is a thumbstick attachment. Our Racer Thumbstick Grips attach onto your existing thumb sticks to give you greater control over your car, whether it’s gentle turns or sharp cornering, allowing for smoother inputs and more precise handling. This simple attachment can make a big difference in how you feel the car’s responsiveness, ultimately helping you shave off those crucial milliseconds on the track and its only £25!
Try these techniques and leave your competitors in the dust
With these game-specific tips, you’ll be able to compete at a high level without needing a racing wheel.
Each of these top racing games offers a unique challenge, but with the right controller settings, techniques and add-on, you can excel in all of them. Whether it's mastering smooth inputs in Gran Turismo 7, navigating the streets of Japan in Forza Horizon 6, or learning precise braking techniques in F1 25's 2026 spec cars, the controller is a powerful tool for competitive racing.
