Interfacing motorcycle /bike Cab (Namco Gp 500) controls to PS5

[rmwilson]

I have a namco Gp 500 motorcycle racing cab

I have three outputs via potentiometers from the cab (left/ right) (throttle) and (Brake)-

Anyone find a GOOD way to take these output values send them to a ps5 controller so I can then play modern ps5 Motorcycle games while still using the arcade bike as the controller... ?  (can be custom arduino boards or software or things like ps mod chips that makes for easy solder connections to triggers and yokes?

Any and all thoughts welcomed,

Thanks,

Ryan

[buttersoft]

Are there still pots in a PS5 controller? Those analog joysticks and triggers are probably still based on pots. i would google projects where people have opened up a PS5 or even PS4 controller and wired to the inputs. There might also be boards made by companies like Brook, but those things often don't have analog. There are certainly projects out there with people soldering directly onto the PCB's for Xbox360 controllers, i was thinking something similar.

[MrThunderwing]

Ditch the Namco gear, go proper old skool with one of these bad boys for your bike games

[buttersoft]

Analogue simulation in digital controls! Genius ;P

[MrThunderwing]

Analogue controls are overrated Butters 
Real men use digital 

[rmwilson]

Ditch the Namco gear, go proper old skool with one of these bad boys for your bike games

I can most certainly appreciate the novelty of it but having the FULL namco bike is a tad cooler ...( to sit on and lean and have throttle and brake)

[baritonomarchetto]

I converted a Suzuka 8 hours years ago to work with a PC. I used a properly programmed arduino as interface.
I set up a couple of Moto GP games (don't remember, maybe moto gp '18) and Milestone's superbike 2000. My findings where that only superbike was playable. This was not because of the PC, nor the interface but the faact that motorcicle games optimized for gamepads are not "compatible" with a whole bike controller. Motorcicle games have a programmed lag intended to simulate a real bike. With a gamepad that lag is beneficial. With a full motorcicle controller (cabinet) you have an additional lag due to the cabinet inertia.
In other words simulation lag + cabinet inertia make those bike games unplyable on arcade hardware
Different is the case of arcade games such as hang on series, taito world grand prix etc. Those are still hard to play because of the cab inertia, but enjoyable.

[MrThunderwing]

I can most certainly appreciate the novelty of it but having the FULL namco bike is a tad cooler ...( to sit on and lean and have throttle and brake)

I stand corrected  That looks pretty damn awesome!

[Xiaou2]

I converted a Suzuka 8 hours years ago to work with a PC. I used a properly programmed arduino as interface.
I set up a couple of Moto GP games (don't remember, maybe moto gp '18) and Milestone's superbike 2000. My findings where that only superbike was playable. This was not because of the PC, nor the interface but the faact that motorcicle games optimized for gamepads are not "compatible" with a whole bike controller. Motorcicle games have a programmed lag intended to simulate a real bike. With a gamepad that lag is beneficial. With a full motorcicle controller (cabinet) you have an additional lag due to the cabinet inertia.
In other words simulation lag + cabinet inertia make those bike games unplyable on arcade hardware
Different is the case of arcade games such as hang on series, taito world grand prix etc. Those are still hard to play because of the cab inertia, but enjoyable.

Actually... even Arcade motorcycle games that had Sit on versions... were Impossible to play well.

A perfect example is Super Hangon.  Ive played both the Standup and Sit-On version of it.   The game itself, is downright Brutal in
its difficulty level..  and that is with the quick standup controls.   Trying to move the cabinet with your legs... makes it impossible, IMO.


The problem is that the Spring mechanism cant replicate the quick self-righting nature of the spinning tires Gyroscopic nature.

 A few ideas on building a functional sit-on controller:

1)  Make the pivot closer to the center of the bike, and make the leaning mechanism resemble a Parallelogram... where you
shift the entire structure to the left or right.

2)  A bit more crazy:  Make an actual spinning tire, to act as a Gyroscope.  The speeds would have to be dialed in, in such
a way.. that they are able to hold your mass up good enough.. but not so strong that you cant lean the bike.  Again, you still
would likely have to raise the pivot closer to the center.   This would probably require a Weight sensor in the seat.  Tires would
have to be enclosed for safety.  And it still might fail to work as expected.

3)  Motor Driven mechanism.  Sort of like a CNC machine.  Depending on the Degree that you turn your handlebars... the
more that the bike will Lean.   To be able to react fast enough.. you will probably need something like a Chain Drive mechanism,
and good strong gearing.

A good Counter-Mass system, might make physical transitions even more effortless, and speedy.


Now... to go all out... you would add a Z-Axis (height control)  for Hill Simulation.  One for each Tire.  They might also serve
to act as road bump simulation (haptics).

If the Entire platform could rotate 360 degrees... you could also have a pretty realistic VR solution.


 But the simple Parallelogram pivoting system, could be a pretty easy build... and give enough of good feel, that it satisfies most
peoples desires (just enough).

[Xiaou2]

This was a very quick mockup.  I think the pivot probably has to be places higher up... I just dont want to redraw it at this point.

[rmwilson]

Interesting ... the MNAXX operates like this - and I hated it the bike was more of a swing /and pivot rather than a lean .... I hunted for namco GP so i could get the lean - I am sure I can find someone to build a arduino controller that takes the analog outputs from the Pots on the arcade and converts that to the mapped equivalent signal the PS5 is expecting ... with a bit of MATH I am sure someone way smarter tha me could figure out - ok the bike moves the pot x amount and that is y amount of movement on the ps5 stick  (for the left to right) and same for brake and throttle - eg half throttle is this value on arcade and thus this would equate to y value on ps5 joystick trigger 

[baritonomarchetto]

There's no "smart" math involved here: it's a matter of phisical limits of the hardware itself as me and others are trying to explain. Scaling the axis to get an appropriate full range span is super easy with microcontroller boards.
This is a link to my project, just in case:
https://youtu.be/5bScGFOAH1k?si=bd75YKQlmm4jL1U-