I Have done everything as exactly as on PC. I using the PS4 version cause I have a really bad pain in my hands so using the game pad is perfect and I love kerbal more than any game I have. Matter of fact its all I play. But yeah, I cannot figure it out so I cannot move froward in the game. I wish there was a way to add a cheat to make the chutes indestructible. I am going to try some other engines to see if this has an effect, right now I am using a booster and on ascent I am tilting 50ms to 80, then after 250ms I then move it to 70 - 60 degrees, and the booster it at 50 percent thrust. So this should be good enough to get really shallow. and it looks it would work, but man, 3000 i am around 400ms by the time I hit the water I am 275ms. its awful. But I understand its to be expect with anything be moved to a console from PC. I will not jump ship on this game, it is one of the loves of my life. If I could marry it I would, but I am too afraid what our kids would look like. (thats a joke guys)
so this is what I am using
Booster, 50 percent thrust
Pod,
first chute
heatsheild
fins
thats it