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How to Change Iracing Resolution

Quickly learn how to change iracing resolution — a calm, beginner-friendly guide for iRacing beginners and those new to iRacing. Clear steps and iRacing tips.

If you’ve ever launched iRacing and squinted at blurry graphics or stretched screens, you’re not alone. Knowing how to change iracing resolution fixes clarity, performance, and proper display scaling — and it’s simpler than it looks. This guide walks new to iRacing players through the basics without tech overwhelm.

Quick Answer: how to change iracing resolution

Open iRacing, go to Options → Graphics, then pick the Resolution and Fullscreen/Windowed mode that match your monitor (or VR headset). Apply changes and restart if prompted. That’s the core flow — adjust resolution, set refresh rate, and tweak scaling for best balance of clarity and performance.

Why this matters for beginners

As an iRacing beginner, your first session should feel immersive, not frustrating. Wrong resolution can make HUD elements off-center, reduce framerate, or make text unreadable. Understanding how iRacing works with your monitor and GPU means sharper visuals, fewer distractions, and a better learning curve. These are small fixes that make big comfort gains.

Simple step-by-step guide

  1. Launch iRacing and sign in. From the main menu, click Options (gear icon) and choose Graphics.
  2. In Graphics settings, find Resolution. Use the dropdown to select the native resolution of your monitor (common examples: 1920x1080 for 1080p).
  3. Set Refresh Rate to the highest supported by your monitor (e.g., 60Hz, 144Hz). Higher helps smoothness if your GPU can handle it.
  4. Choose Fullscreen or Borderless Windowed. Fullscreen often gives better performance; borderless is convenient for multi-monitor setups.
  5. Click Apply, then Save. Restart iRacing if prompted to ensure the GPU driver and game fully use the new settings.

Common mistakes (and how to fix them)

  • Picking a non-native resolution: Visuals look blurry or stretched. Fix: select your monitor’s native resolution from system display settings (Windows: Display settings → Display resolution) then match it in iRacing.
  • Forgetting refresh rate: Screen feels stuttery while resolution looks fine. Fix: set refresh rate in both Windows and iRacing to the same high value.
  • Not restarting after big changes: Some drivers don’t apply immediately. Fix: save settings and restart iRacing or your PC if things look off.

Quick pro tips

  • If your fps drops after raising resolution, lower in-game graphic quality (shadows, reflections) rather than resolution first.
  • For multiple monitors, set the primary monitor as the one iRacing runs on before changing resolution.
  • If using VR, resolution is controlled by your headset/SteamVR—check headset settings instead of iRacing’s monitor resolution.
  • When stuck, friendly iRacing Discord communities and forums can walk you through specific monitor or GPU quirks.

FAQs

Q: Will changing resolution affect lap time or physics?
A: No — resolution only changes visuals. Physics and lap times are unchanged.

Q: My HUD is off-center after changing resolution. How do I fix it?
A: Reset HUD position in Graphics → UI Scale or choose the native resolution and toggle Fullscreen/Windowed to re-center elements.

Q: Can I set different resolutions for each monitor?
A: iRacing uses the primary display. For multi-monitor setups, either run iRacing across them or pick one monitor’s native resolution and position accordingly.

Q: My game crashes when I apply a resolution. What now?
A: Lower the resolution in Windows first, update your GPU drivers, and try again. Community channels like iRacing Discord can help identify specific driver issues.

Final takeaways

Changing resolution is one of the easiest, most impactful iRacing tweaks for new players. Try the steps above in your next session: pick native resolution, match refresh rate, and choose fullscreen for best performance. If anything feels odd, pause, revert, and ask the community — most problems have quick fixes.