Steering control apparatus

A steering control apparatus to control a steering system, the steering system includes a steering shaft, a turned wheel of a vehicle, the turned wheel being turned along with rotation of the steering shaft, and a motor that rotates the steering shaft;

• and
• the steering control apparatus comprising a processing unit configured to execute;
• a target steering angle variable acquiring processing of acquiring a value of a target steering angle variable, the target steering angle variable being a variable indicating a target value of a turning angle of the turned wheel;
• a target steering angle correcting processing of correcting the value of the target steering angle variable by a play compensation amount according to a steering direction, the steering direction being a direction in which the value of the target steering angle variable changes;
• a gradually changing processing of gradually changing a magnitude of the play compensation amount, the play compensation amount being set for correcting the value of the target steering angle variable along with a change of the steering direction;
• and
• a steering angle control processing of operating the motor through control with a steering angle according to a rotation angle of the steering shaft being as a control amount and with the value of the target steering angle variable being as a target value of the control amount.