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How to Fix Assetto Corsa Steering Wheel Not Working

Assetto Corsa is one of the most thrilling sim-racing games in the market. It boasts over eighty cars and a handful of special edition models tailored in collaboration with an array of prestigious automotive manufacturers. 

Thanks to this, Assetto Corsa reigns supreme in force feedback and offers a realistic feel, especially when paired with a sim racing steering wheel. But while excellent, the game may sometimes fail to detect your wheel. Read on for tips on how to fix the Assetto Corsa steering wheel not working.

Tricks to Fix the Assetto Corsa Steering Wheel Not Working

Assetto Corsa might be one of the most popular games out there, but there have been numerous reports of it not recognizing or detecting sim-racing steering wheels. If that is the reason you are here, check out these quick fixes for Assetto Corsa steering wheel not working:

1. Ensure the Steering Wheel Is Compatible With Assetto Corsa

Although Assetto Corsa supports a wide range of peripherals, not every sim racing steering wheel is compatible with the game. So, before you think too hard about why the Assetto Corsa steering wheel is not working, check to see if it’s compatible. Some of the sim-racing wheels supported by Assetto Corsa include:

  • Logitech G29/G920
  • Logitech G923
  • Thrustmaster T150, Thrustmaster Ferrari F1
  • Thrustmaster T128 P/X
  • Fanatec ClubSport Steering Wheel Formula V2.5
  • Fanatec Podium DD1 and DD2
  • Fanatec CSL DD
  • Moza RS V2
  • Hori Apex/Overdrive

Visit Assetto Corsa’s website for the complete list of supported wheels on different gaming platforms. If your wheel is not on the list, then you should consider getting one so you can enjoy this thrilling game in the most realistic way possible.

2. Check to See If Drivers Are Properly Installed

Assetto Corsa might fail to detect a sim-racing wheel if the wheel’s drivers were not properly installed. Steering wheel driver installation may fail due to:

  • Steam’s Input Mapper: Sometimes, Steam’s Input mapper may wedge between the driver and the game, causing incomplete driver installation.
  • Windows updates: If Windows was installing updates when you were downloading the wheel’s drivers to PC, there’s a high chance it may have corrupted the files. Suppose you had already installed the drivers when Windows sent their updates. In that case, there’s also a chance the new device and drive settings updates may interfere with existing settings, consequently corrupting your Assetto Corsa drivers.
  • Improper Installation: Sometimes, it’s possible that even though Assetto Corsa drivers were installed, you declined to restart your device for them to start running.

That said, here’s how to see if your racing wheel’s drivers were correctly installed:

  • Go to Windows Device Manager. Here you’ll find a list of all drivers on your PC.
  • Click on Sound, Video, and game controllers to expand your view of that category.

If you see a yellow dot next to your steering wheel’s driver name, then the drivers did not get installed correctly, and to fix the Assetto Corsa steering wheel not working, you’ll have to uninstall and reinstall the drivers.

 If there’s no yellow dot, do the following:

  • Left-click on your steering wheel’s name to open it.
  • Right-click on the properties tab on the dialogue box that appears to check the wheel’s status.

If it shows “the device is working properly,” then according to Windows, the steering wheel’s drivers were installed correctly. Restart your device to complete the installation process, and if this doesn’t work, then the problem is probably the steam input mapper, so disable it. If this proves unsuccessful, then the problem is not your steering wheel’s drivers.

Another easy way to check if wheel driver installation was correct is by using the Windows Game Controller tester app. It’s designed to test gaming controllers’ functionality and other gaming peripherals such as a sim-racing steering wheel.

3. Update Wheel Drivers and Firmware

If it has been a while since you updated your wheel’s drivers and firmware, you should consider doing so, as this might be why the game does not detect it. Visit your wheel’s manufacturer’s website for recently updated drivers and firmware.

4. Disable Steam Controller Support

If you’ve tried reinstalling your wheel’s drivers without any success, then another probable culprit is Steam’s Controller Support feature. The feature was designed to allow users to stream Steam games directly from the platform’s library to their TVs or PCs. Video and audio data is typically sent from your PC, while your wheel’s input (or any other gaming controller) is sent in real-time.

Although the feature was designed to simplify things for Steam gamers, its default gaming settings may cause Assetto Corsa and all other Steam games not to work with your sim-racing wheel. To determine if this is the reason Assetto Corsa steering is not working, try pairing your wheel with other Steam games. 

If it’s not detected, you now know why Assetto Corsa is not working with your sim-racing wheel. Your next step should be to disable the feature. Here’s how you go about it:

Head over to Steam, and click “Big Picture Mode” on the upper right corner of the page (this automatically opens Steam in full screen on your TV or PC):

  • Click “Library
  • Choose “Assetto Corsa
  • Click on “Manage Game
  • Select “controller options
  • Select “steam input per-game” in the dropdown box that appears
  • Click “Forced Off

Alternatively:

  • Head over to Steam and right-click on Assetto Corsa
  • Click “Properties
  • Select “forced off” under the “Steam Input per Game Setting (requests restart of the game)” tab. This will turn off the Steam controller configuration settings for Assetto Corsa only. To turn it off for all your steam games, select “Forced Off” under the “Use your global steam settings” tab.

With that done, re-launch Assetto Corsa, and your wheel should be working. If it’s still not detected, try re-launching the game again. This fix works not only for sim-racing steering wheels but all types of inputs that weren’t recognized due to the Steam controller configuration feature.

5. Customize In-Game Settings

You may successfully connect your sim-racing wheel in Assetto Corsa only to realize that nothing is detected whenever you try to play. In this case, you’ll have to assign each action manually. Only hitting the upload button is not enough. 

Manually set each action, and your wheel should be ready. Once you do this, ensure you use the same USB port every time you want to set up your sim-racing steering wheel, or you will be forced to repeat this process.

6. Remove Other Controllers

If you have other controllers connected to your PC or gaming console, make sure you remove them before you plug in your wheel. Also, disable the generic controller setting, and ensure you have your wheel selected as the input device.

7. Try a Forced Reboot

If the problem is not Steam Controller Configuration feature, you should try plugging and unplugging your wheel. This forces it to restart and clear any temporary software issues that might be causing it not to work on Assetto Corsa.

8. Try Rebooting Your PC

If you are playing on PC and the Assetto Corsa steering wheel is not working, you should try rebooting it. This refreshes it and wipes away your software’s current state, including problems it might have developed. That means if there was any problem hindering Windows from functioning optimally and consequently affecting your racing steering wheel for Assetto Corsa’s software, it’s automatically corrected. 

That leaves your PC running at peak performance and enables you to enjoy the whole Assetto Corsa experience using your steering wheel. Besides, rebooting your PC also helps complete the driver installation process.

Wrapping Up

Hopefully, one of the tricks above helps you fix the Assetto Corsa steering wheel not working. If the problem persists, consider contacting your wheel’s manufacturer customer care desk or Assetto Corsa customer support team.

Last Updated on June 3, 2023