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Graphics Settings for Iracing

Got choppy frames or blurry visuals? This guide to graphics settings for iRacing gives drivers fast fixes, clear baselines, and steps to stable FPS and sharp image.

If you’re stuck on graphics settings for iracing, the quick fix is to lock FPS to your display, turn down shadows/reflections, and limit mirror detail. You’re in the right place—below is the why and the exact steps to get smooth, sharp racing fast.

Quick Answer: graphics settings for iracing

For most drivers: cap FPS to your monitor’s refresh (60/120/144), use V-Sync with G-Sync/FreeSync if supported, set shadows and reflections to Low, mirrors to a low car count, texture quality to Medium/High, and MSAA 2x–4x. This combo delivers stable FPS without mushy visuals.

What’s Really Going On

iRacing’s heaviest hitters are shadows, reflections, mirrors, and lots of visible cars. These features recalc many times per second and spike your GPU, causing stutters or blurry frames. If you match your frame rate to your screen and dial back the expensive effects, you’ll get consistent timing, clearer image stability, and fewer micro-stutters—especially in traffic, at night, and in rain.

Step-by-Step Fix

  1. Set your FPS target and sync
  • In Options > Graphics, set Max Frame Rate to your monitor refresh (or half if needed). If you have G-Sync/FreeSync, enable it and keep in-game V-Sync on to avoid tearing.
  1. Drop the biggest frame hogs first
  • Shadows: Low. Turn off shadow volumes/screen-space shadows if listed.
  • Reflections: Dynamic Low or Off; Static Low.
  • Mirrors: Limit “Cars in mirrors” to 6–10; Mirror quality Low/Medium.
  1. Keep clarity without big FPS cost
  • Anti-aliasing: MSAA 2x–4x. Avoid SSAA; it’s expensive.
  • Texture quality: Cars High, Track Medium (raise if VRAM allows).
  • Texture filtering: 8x anisotropic.
  1. Reduce extras you don’t need while racing
  • Crowd/Grandstands/Particles/Drivers: Low or Off.
  • Pit objects and objects LOD: Medium to start.
  1. Stabilize heavy sessions
  • Car detail: Medium; raise if solo/hotlap.
  • Max cars: Start around 20–30 on-screen; increase only if FPS holds.
  1. Test, then refine
  • Load a busy practice (night/rain/traffic). Press Ctrl+F to view FPS and frame time. Nudge one setting at a time until FPS stays locked in all conditions.

Extra Tips / Checklist

  • VR: Use OpenXR/SteamVR resolution near 80–100%. Keep shadows/reflections Low and mirrors very limited for smooth head tracking.
  • Triples: Match refresh across all screens; use SMP/Multiview if available, but lower reflections/shadows to compensate.
  • Drivers: Update GPU drivers. In NVIDIA/AMD control panel, prefer maximum performance for iRacing and set a global FPS cap a few frames above your in-game cap if you use G-Sync/FreeSync.
  • Night and rain cost more: Expect to cut shadows/reflections one notch lower than daytime/dry.
  • Replays: Use a higher preset for replays only; race with the leaner preset.

FAQs

Q: What FPS should I target in iRacing? A: Match your monitor. 60 Hz → 60 FPS, 120/144 Hz → 120/144 FPS. If you can’t hold it, cap to half refresh (e.g., 72 on 144 Hz) for stable pacing.

Q: Should I use V-Sync with G-Sync/FreeSync? A: Yes. Enable G-Sync/FreeSync and keep in-game V-Sync on. This combo prevents tearing and smooths frametime spikes.

Q: Why does FPS tank in traffic or at night/rain? A: More cars and lights mean more shadows/reflections. Lower shadows, reflections, and mirror cars to keep FPS stable in heavy conditions.

Q: Is MSAA or SSAA better here? A: MSAA 2x–4x is the best balance. SSAA looks nice but costs too much FPS for racing.

Short Wrap-Up

Lock FPS to your display, cut shadows/reflections first, and limit mirror cars. From there, raise textures and AA to taste. Test in a busy session, then save this as your race preset so you stay smooth when it matters.