R300 podium relabelled as pc only after purchase?!?!?!
Jason Pascale
Member
Bait and switch! I just bought a dd1 ps4 podium setup. I didnt even want the f1 rim to begin with as i play rally games. Fanatec forced only ps4 players to buy this rim while at the same time not allowing us to buy a dd2 setup. The only round wheel available that was labeled as ps4 compatible was the r300 podium. I buy the wheel for $500 extra dollars just to get a round wheel cause not everybody likes f1 Wheels regardless of a big licensing deal with sony. I get the wheel set it up and find out that the wheel is no longer classified on fanatecs website as being for ps4... it is now labelled pc only. So the conpatible wherl is not compatible... This is beyond a bait and switch and i did not spend $500 extra on topof being forced into an f1 wheel just to be told it is not compatible. I think its time for @fanatec to answer for this wheel being labelled as ps4 compatible... And i refuse to keep a $500 paperweight while i “wait for fanatec to figure it out”. Does anybody have a solution or is it time for me to dispute this purchase with my cc company as ive been sold an expensive product inder false pretenses?
Comments
I wonder what the deal is? The way it’s always worked for ps4 is as long as you have a PS4 compatible base, you can use any wheel you want. I guess the components of the podium series has capabilities consoles can’t decipher.
from the r300 product description:
“This product is currently only functional on PS4 using the Podium Racing Wheel F1 via beta driver 356. PS4 compatibility of the PHUB with clusters on the CSL E WB+ will be supported in a future firmware update.”
looks like they working on a workaround at least. I cant see why they wouldn’t take back the F1 wheel and let you pick out any club sport level wheel to use in the meantime.
Dont know whats your problem here as EVERY Fanatec wheel is ps4 compatible if its used on a ps4 compatible wheel base, so its the same for the R300 which is still ps4 compatible on your PS4 DD Base.
PS4 compatbility doesnt come through the wheel but only through the base, therefore the wheel never was advertised as being ps4 compatible but ps4 ready (which EVERY wheel is or was labeled because, as said, EVERY wheel is PS4 compatible in the Fanatec eco-system because it only depends on the used wheel base!)
It does appear that the PS4 ready label is missing from the R300 wheel on the website but it is able to be used with the PS4 - albeit it is quite limited ( on PC too) as it has no funky switch.
All the wheels are PS4 compatible apart from the Porsche 911 GT3 wheel , which confusingly IS labelled as PS4 ready but in fact IS NOT as there is no PS4 ready firmware for it! Fanatec really need to sort this out - it would take two minutes.
BTW - the R300 is not round - it's D shaped which makes it poor for rally. You should return it for Clubsport Steering Wheel Classic 2 - PS4 compatible, is round, more buttons than the R300 and a funky switch. And it's cheaper. That's what I use for rally and really like it. The R330 has the same advantages and would be another good option that is actually round.
i guess my next question is what is the difference between “PS4 READY” and “PS4 COMPATIBLE”? And for an admitted technotard using a prosumer wheel set that shows a PS4 logo; Shouldnt this company, after charging $1799 for the same setup that used to be $1599, at least explain in laymans terms to their customer at point of purchase what is compatible and what is not? How do i navigate menus? Hot swap my f1 wheel? How do i map the buttons to make sense? What about the paddle shifters? (Extra cost of podium paddle shifters pointless without mapping). Thats not $500 worth of compatibility ... why is pc and x box no problem but when it comes to ps4 functionality i need a voodoo shaman to get answers? (Backstory: first wheel with fanatec was porsche gt3 rs v2... nerfed by sony in the infamous licensing wars... so to have this happen again for 5x the price with the r300 podium ps4 wheel burns and makes me think maybe sony wasnt the bad guy here).
PS4 Compatible: The two PS4 licensed wheel bases sold by Fanatec namely the CSL Elite WB+ and the DD1 PS4.
PS4 Ready: Pretty much every steering wheel Fanatec offers, functionality can differ from wheel to wheel and game to game on the PS4 though. This depends to 100% on the implementation done by the developers (this is the same on the pc btw, but I guess way easier as PC is a more open plattform).
Ok so if the wheel is ps4 “ready” then how do i map the buttons for ps4? theres 6 buttons and 6 paddles on this wheel and i cannot see anywhere in fanatecs driver software to map the buttons. If the buttons (X, triangle, circle, square, L123, R123, and ps button cannot be mapped for Or from a console how is it “ready” for advertised console or even functional as a controller for anything other than turning the front tires?... plain and simple... if the wheel is not truly compatible or “ready” for ps4 and is now only advertised as pc ready then that is an issue that fanatec needs to address as this is the epitome of what credit card companies fix when a purchase is disputed for “not as advertised”. I would be ok with some reduced functionality (like having to turn the wheel left and right to make up for no dpad or funky joystick while having the buttons be mappable) but selling the the bells and whistles(podium paddles, podium button set) that are useless is Just bad business... like selling me a transmission upgrade for a car with no engine. This was $500...For that much id expect more than a pile of accessories that were Sold as console “ready” but were not designed for Console use.
Update: i was testing r300 wheel with gran turismo sport... buttons and paddles not mappable or useable... i have since tried dirt rally 2 and assetto corsa...
in dirt 2 buttons and main shifter paddles are mapped... and is driveable But only after hot swapping f1 wheel in between all race changes... this is doable but gets tedius fast... And definitely Is already waaaay more hub Action/abuse than id like Seeing as im trying to use the r300 and not the f1 wheel at the time.
in assetto corsa the wheel must also be hot swapped with f1 wheel to navigate menus. While the Main paddles Are mapped... no secondary Or podium paddle mapping and button mapping seems minimal.
i take back that its a bait and switch... its a beautiful wheel and 90% compatible... but there it still way too much wheel switching just to change a setting or try a new car/race.
so the only question that remains is when is fanatec gonna update the wheel hub Software for something like menu navigation via steering wheel input left and right Or add an optional Seperately purchased dpad/funky stick to the hub to make a way to navigate menus?
There will be no update, the R300 misses to much buttons to get that working and hardware doesn’t support extra buttons. Unless you would connect a podium endurance module but that module is not really ready yet in terms of firmware.
Just use your controller in between sessions. No need to swap wheels that much.
Good to hear it is working for you :) The thing with mapping the buttons ingame on consoles is, this is to 100% in the hands of the developer.
Can you use a controller with your steering wheel simultaneously on the ps4?
To your last question: the PHub alone can only handle up to 2 button clusters.
Ok so after going back and forth between a few games with wheel so far i have found out a few things:
PS4 PODIUM BUTTON CLUSTER MAPPING:
left cluster:
button 1 - share/options
button 2 - square
button 3 - x button
right cluster:
button 1 - start/hold for 3 secs = PS button
button 2 - triangle
button 3 - circle
by using the ps4 remote you can change the button mappings for most things.
-assetto corsa controller and wheel both work simultaneously at all times in menus and during game which allows to to navigate and also map buttons.
-dirt rally 2.0 controller and wheel both work during menus but the ps4 controller Must be turned off when its time to drive... 2 button presses no big deal. In dirt rally i have also mapped the triangle button to be the up button on d-pad for vertical menu navigation, and i mapped the gold paddles(technically clutch) to be the right direction button horizontal menu scrolling. This has given me 99% wheel functionality in game for dirt rally!!!
I am happy as a clam... thanks and sorry for my frustration. Had even a shred of this info been available on fanatecs website.... this post wouldnt even exist... if fanatec is interested id be willing to write a ps4 for dummies guide to help with “ps4” ready wheels... would stop a lot of confused console users from posting harsh reviews.
the way i see it at this point... fanatec actually should put the PS4 logo back up and simply add in the compatibility section that a ps4 remote must be used in conjunction for Menu navigation and mapping and that in some instances a dpad can be mapped to eliminate the need for the ps4 remote.
the only thing i see fanatec needing to do is program a button press combo to access tuning menu... since that has nothing to do with game developers... would be great to be able to press say both left buttons on the clusters to access tuning then A combination of paddles And buttons to change values. I believe this should be doable as its fanatecs software and hardware only.. no 3 rd party.