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Start with the assist that solves your specific problem, not with a supposed universal “best” preset. If you regularly leave the track, enable Steering Assist. If holding the accelerator is tiring, try Auto Accelerate. If aerial tricks are difficult, enable Auto Trick. Keep the other assists at the level of control you enjoy, then disable them one at a time as your consistency improves.
SEGA’s official guidance confirms that Steering Assist, Auto Accelerate and Auto Trick are intended to make control easier. It does not publish evidence that one combination is objectively fastest, so the setup below is a practical starting point rather than a laboratory-proven speed configuration.
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The best starting setup by player type
There is no source-backed controller configuration that is best for every CrossWorlds player, platform or driving style. Use the table to choose a sensible first setup, race with it long enough to notice a pattern, and then change only one setting at a time.
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|---|---|---|---|
| You are new to the game or frequently run off-track | Steering Assist on | Auto Accelerate and Auto Trick only if those inputs are also difficult | After several races, turn off one assist and compare your control in a low-stakes event |
| You want fewer repeated button presses | Auto Accelerate on | Choose Steering Assist and Auto Trick according to your steering and trick needs | Keep it if it reduces fatigue without making your driving feel less direct |
| Aerial tricks are the hardest part | Auto Trick on | Decide separately whether steering or acceleration needs help | Try manual tricks later; the French manual says manual execution can produce more tricks |
| You want maximum direct input | Turn assists off individually | Use the layout that feels most natural on your controller | Use Time Trial ghosts to learn lines instead of assuming assist-off is faster |
| You already know Team Sonic Racing’s shoulder-button layout | Try the Team Sonic Racing layout, if your platform offers it | Do not assume the layout improves results | Compare it in a low-pressure race and keep the one that reduces mistakes |
This sequence follows SEGA’s statement that the assists simplify control. It is an editorial recommendation for finding a comfortable baseline, not a claim that the recommended settings produce the lowest possible lap time.
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What each assist actually does
Steering Assist
Steering Assist is the first option to test when the car feels difficult to keep on the intended route. SEGA’s support FAQ specifically names it as an assist to enable when the game is difficult. The available official material does not establish a universal description of how strongly it corrects every corner or surface, so consult the in-game description for the current version rather than relying on assumptions about invisible steering or automatic braking.
Use it when your main problem is directional control: clipping barriers, missing a turn, or repeatedly correcting in the wrong direction. Leave Auto Accelerate and Auto Trick independent so you can tell whether steering help alone solves the issue. Once you can complete races consistently, disable Steering Assist for a few comparable races. If errors return immediately, re-enable it and practise the troublesome corners before trying again.
Auto Accelerate
Auto Accelerate removes the need to keep providing acceleration input, according to the official online manual’s settings description. It is therefore the most direct choice for players who find continuous acceleration tiring, have difficulty holding a trigger or button, or want to concentrate on steering and drifting.
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It does not answer every control problem. You still need to manage direction and the other actions required by the current vehicle state. Keep Steering Assist off if you want fully manual steering, or turn it on if steering is also causing mistakes. Because Auto Accelerate changes the input you must provide rather than promising a faster vehicle, judge it by comfort, consistency and whether you can react to hazards—not by an assumed lap-time advantage.
Auto Trick
Auto Trick is intended to make aerial trick inputs easier. SEGA lists it with Steering Assist and Auto Accelerate as an option that simplifies control. The French online manual adds an important qualification: assisted tricks occur automatically, while manual tricks remain possible; it also says manual execution may yield more tricks.
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That makes Auto Trick a useful accessibility and learning option, but not necessarily the final choice for a player who is optimising every jump. Start with it on if you are missing trick inputs or cannot spare another button press during a jump. Later, compare manual execution on a familiar course. Treat the manual’s “may yield more tricks” wording as a gameplay distinction, not as a guarantee of a measurable race advantage in every situation.
Standard Controls versus Team Sonic Racing Controls
The official manual documents two layouts: Standard Controls and Team Sonic Racing Controls. Both use the left stick for steering or directional input. The Team Sonic Racing diagram shown in the PlayStation-style manual places acceleration on R1 or R2 and land drifting on L1 or L2; in water, the shoulder input is used for Charge Jump. Button glyphs and the availability of a preset can differ by platform, so treat that diagram as a layout reference and verify the labels in your own control screen.
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When Standard Controls are the better choice
- You do not already have muscle memory from another Sonic racing game.
- Your platform presents a different button arrangement than the manual’s PlayStation-style diagram.
- You want to learn one control scheme from the game’s current on-screen prompts without translating between presets.
When to test Team Sonic Racing Controls
- You already played Team Sonic Racing and remember its shoulder-button arrangement.
- You prefer acceleration and drift on shoulder buttons rather than face buttons or another assignment.
- You want to reduce relearning when moving between the two games.
The manual documents the layout but does not claim that it improves results. Compare both in a low-stakes race, paying attention to accidental drifts, missed acceleration and your ability to react during flight or water sections. Keep the preset that produces fewer input errors for you.
How to change the controller layout and assists
SEGA Support gives this route for changing a controller layout: Help & Options → Settings → Controls. Use the exact labels displayed by your edition, because menu wording and available options can vary by platform.
- From the main menu, open Help & Options.
- Choose Settings.
- Open Controls.
- Review the currently selected preset and the available assist switches.
- Change one setting, save or confirm if the game asks you to, and test it in a practice-friendly event.
The same SEGA Support article describes changing button size and opacity and dragging buttons, but those instructions appear to concern a touch-based layout. Do not assume that those touch controls or editing gestures exist on a controller, PC, Xbox or Nintendo version.
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Platform-specific controller considerations
PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4
The official PlayStation listing says the PS5 version supports DualSense vibration. It also lists alternate presets or some remapping, basic stick-sensitivity and inversion options, and individual assists. Those are PlayStation-page claims; they are not a complete feature matrix for every edition.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11If you use a PS5 controller, begin with the game’s own control screen rather than a generic platform tutorial. Confirm whether your edition exposes stick sensitivity, inversion, remapping and the preset you want. Vibration support is optional feedback, not a requirement for using Steering Assist, Auto Accelerate or Auto Trick.
PC, Xbox and Nintendo systems
The evidence available here does not establish that the PlayStation menu options or button assignments are identical on PC, Xbox and Nintendo systems. The official manual separates land, flight and water controls and includes platform-dependent image glyphs; an accessible version also identifies specifications from a closed-network test period. Consequently, the current in-game control screen is the final authority for your buttons.
- Read the glyphs shown for your connected controller, not a screenshot from another platform.
- Check whether a named preset is present before planning around it.
- Test inversion and sensitivity changes in a safe event before using them online.
- If a setting described in a platform listing is missing, do not infer that the game is malfunctioning; it may simply be edition-specific.
A practical process for finding your own settings
1. Identify the single biggest source of mistakes
Play a short race or practice session and classify the problem. Are you losing control in corners, tiring from holding acceleration, or missing aerial tricks? Select the assist that corresponds to that problem instead of enabling every option automatically. This preserves a clear comparison and leaves you with more direct control where you do not need help.
2. Keep the rest of the setup unchanged
Do not change the layout, sensitivity, inversion and all three assists at once. If you alter several variables, you cannot tell which change helped. Write down or remember the one setting you changed and use a similar course or situation for the next comparison.
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3. Test in a low-pressure event
Use a familiar course or another low-stakes race to check whether the new setting reduces errors. Evaluate whether you stay on the intended line, can make corrections promptly and feel less fatigued. A setting that feels slower in the first minute may still be preferable if it prevents repeated crashes; conversely, a setting that feels more automatic may not suit a player who wants precise manual timing.
4. Remove help one option at a time
When you can finish consistently, disable one assist and repeat the comparison. Start with the option that affects a skill you most want to practise. This gradual approach shows whether the assist is still solving a real problem or merely masking a technique you now understand.
5. Keep a comfort-based decision, not a mythical universal preset
The official sources do not publish controller-performance percentages, frame-time measurements or a fastest assist combination. Your final setup should therefore be the one that lets you steer, accelerate and perform tricks reliably on your platform and controller.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use Time Trial to practise lines and difficulty
SEGA’s official tips recommend Time Trial ghost lines, choosing a class that suits you and adjusting rival strength. These are practice tools, not evidence that a particular assist configuration is fastest.
Follow ghost lines deliberately
In Time Trial, watch where a ghost enters and exits corners instead of trying to copy its entire lap immediately. First learn the broad path through a turn; then work on braking, drifting or trick timing. Ghosts provide a visual reference for route choice while your assists remain a separate decision.
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Choose a suitable class
If a class feels too difficult to control, select one that matches your current comfort. The official recommendation is to choose a suitable class, not to use one named class as a universal answer. A manageable class gives you room to evaluate steering and assist changes without every mistake being caused by an unfamiliar vehicle response.
Adjust rival strength
Change rival strength so races are challenging without turning every session into recovery from mistakes. Lower it while learning a layout or testing controls; raise it after you can complete the course consistently. This separates practice of your settings from pressure caused by opponents.
Common problems and fixes
“I still run wide with Steering Assist enabled.”
Steering Assist is described as making control easier, not as guaranteeing that every corner will be corrected for you. Check the current in-game description, confirm that the switch is actually enabled, and test your inputs on a familiar course. If the problem is fatigue from holding acceleration, add Auto Accelerate rather than expecting steering help to solve both issues.
“Auto Accelerate feels strange.”
Give yourself a short adaptation session and focus on steering and the other actions you still control. If you need deliberate acceleration changes for your driving style, turn Auto Accelerate off and keep only the assist that addresses your original problem. The option exists to remove repeated acceleration input; it is not required for a competent setup.
“Auto Trick is on, but I want more manual control.”
Disable Auto Trick while leaving unrelated assists unchanged. The French manual says manual tricks remain possible and may produce more tricks, so compare the two approaches on a familiar jump rather than judging from one missed input. Re-enable the assist if manual timing creates more errors than it is worth for your current goal.
“The buttons in a guide do not match my controller.”
Use the in-game control screen for your platform. The manual’s diagrams include platform-dependent glyphs, and its PlayStation-style Team Sonic Racing example is not a promise that the same labels appear on every system. Check the selected preset and verify land, flight and water actions before racing.
“I cannot find touch-style button editing.”
SEGA Support’s instructions for changing button size, opacity and position appear to concern a touch-based layout. Those controls may not be present when you are using a physical controller. Look for ordinary preset, remapping, sensitivity and inversion options in your platform’s Controls menu instead.
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A concise decision checklist
- Start with Steering Assist if staying on the track is the main difficulty.
- Add Auto Accelerate when continuous acceleration input is tiring or inconvenient.
- Add Auto Trick when aerial inputs are the barrier to consistency.
- Use Standard Controls unless a different preset matches your existing muscle memory.
- Test Team Sonic Racing Controls only if the preset is available and its shoulder-button arrangement feels natural.
- Verify every button in the current platform’s control screen.
- Practise with Time Trial ghost lines, a suitable class and adjustable rival strength.
- Disable assists individually when you want more direct control.
- Do not treat assist-off, a specific preset or a controller feature as proven fastest; the official material does not establish that result.
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