Forza Motorsport PC optimization guide: Best settings for optimal performance

Forza Motorsport is easily the most visually stunning racing simulation game to date, surpassing the likes of Gran Turismo and even Turn 10's own previous titles. Built on the latest iteration of Turn 10 Studios' in-house ForzaTech engine, Forza Motorsport is the best showcase title for players on Xbox Series X|S as well as Windows PCs.

However, the spectacular visuals and the breathtaking graphical presentation of the game come at the price of significantly higher system requirements for PC. The latest Forza title uses the same ForzaTech engine that powered the previous titles in the series, i.e., Forza Horizon 3, 4, and 5, as well as Motorsport 7.

However, for Forza Motorsport, there are some significant changes made to the engine that require a much beefier GPU and CPU combo this time around. Fortunately, the PC port of Motorsport offers plenty of graphics options that you can tweak to get the best balance between visuals and performance on your PC configuration.

Here's a comprehensive optimization guide for Forza Motorsport to help you get the best performance on PC. This covers both the Steam as well as Windows Store version of the game.

---

PC optimization guide for Forza Motorsport

Forza Motorsport's PC port comes with some really hefty graphics requirements, in part due to the massive improvements Turn 10 made to their ForzaTech engine and also due to the fact that the game is built with current-gen hardware in mind. While the game does not require too much in terms of VRAM, it does ask for a rather powerful CPU.

And the system requirements are only higher if you plan to play the game on 1440p or 4K, with the settings cranked up to Ultra. Here are the minimum and recommended system requirements:

Minimum

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Windows 10 version 19041 or higher
• Processor: Intel i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1060 or AMD RX 5500 XT
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 130 GB available space
• Additional Notes: SSD Required

Recommended

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Windows 10 version 19041 or higher
• Processor: Intel i5-11600k or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti or AMD RX 6800 XT
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 130 GB available space
• Additional Notes: SSD Required

Although the RTX 2080 Ti is a fairly older card, it still is a higher-end GPU, one that is capable of easily handling most modern games at 4K 60fps. And if you do plan to play the game at its best possible graphical fidelity, you will need a GPU that is at least equivalent, if not more powerful than the RTX 2080 Ti.

However, if you have a lower-end GPU, you aren't out of luck, as much like Forza Horizon 4 and 5, the latest Motorsport title is well-optimized on PC, with every graphical setting properly scaling the game's visuals with respect to hardware. Also, the game comes with support for both DLSS and FSR2 out of the box.

Here are the best settings that you can use on PCs with GPUs ranging from a GTX 1660 Super (6GB VRAM) to RTX 3060 Ti (8GB VRAM), for the best balance between performance and visuals in Forza Motorsport:

• Dynamic render quality: Auto
• Performance target: Unlocked
• Resolution scale: 100%
• Image modifiers: 16x Anisotropic
• Raytracing quality: Off
• RTAO quality: Auto
• Shadow quality: Low (Low and Medium, both feature SSAO)
• Car model quality: High
• Car livery quality: High
• Windshield reflection quality: Auto
• Mirror quality: Auto
• Track texture quality: Auto (for 6GB VRAM)/ High (for 8GB+ VRAM)
• Particle effects quality: Auto
• Motion blur quality: High
• Lens flare quality: High (Upto preference)

It should be mentioned that although the game is playable from a traditional 7200RPM HDD, the experience isn't particularly pleasant, especially when coupled with lower-end CPUs. As such, it's best to install Forza Motorsport on at least a SATA3 SSD, if not a gen3/ gen4 m.2 SSD, to eliminate any possible stuttering or texture streaming issues.