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Iracing Input Lag on Vr

Struggling with iracing input lag on vr? This guide for iRacing drivers explains why it happens and shows quick, proven settings to cut latency and fix it fast.

If your steering or braking feels delayed in VR, you’re in the right place. If you’re dealing with iracing input lag on vr, the quick answer is: hold a stable headset refresh rate (90/120 Hz) with VSync off, keep reprojection/motion smoothing off while testing, and lower VR resolution until frametimes are stable. Here’s exactly how to fix it.

iracing input lag on vr

Most input lag in iRacing VR comes from two things: low or inconsistent frame rate, and motion smoothing (ASW/reprojection) adding delay. Kill VSync, hit your headset’s native refresh, and minimize the frame queue in your GPU driver. If you can’t reach native refresh, lock to a stable half-rate with smoothing and tune from there.

What’s Really Going On

“Input lag” here is the delay from your hands/feet to what your eyes see in the headset. In VR, this delay grows when:

  • Your GPU can’t render fast enough (below the headset’s refresh).
  • Reprojection/motion smoothing kicks in to fake frames—it looks smoother but adds a small delay.
  • VSync and big frame queues buffer frames, increasing latency.

Your goal: keep frame times under the headset’s limit and avoid extra buffering.

Step-by-Step Fix

  1. Turn off VSync in iRacing
    Options > Graphics: uncheck VSync. Set Max Frame Rate high enough (or Unlimited) so you’re not capped by the mirror window.

  2. Hit your headset’s refresh rate
    In SteamVR/Oculus/WMR, set the HMD to 90 Hz (or 120 if you can sustain it). Lower per-app resolution/supersampling to 80–100% to hold that rate.

  3. Disable motion smoothing while testing
    Turn off SteamVR Motion Smoothing / Oculus ASW / WMR reprojection. Test feel. Only re-enable later if you can’t maintain native refresh.

  4. Drop the heavy iRacing settings first
    Lower: Shadows (to Low/Off), Reflections (Low/Off), Number of Cars, Mirror Quality/Distance, Crowds, Pit Objects, and Anti-Aliasing. Keep Post-Processing simple.

  5. Set low-latency in your GPU driver
    NVIDIA: Low Latency Mode = Ultra, Vertical Sync = Off, Virtual Reality pre-rendered frames = 1, Power Management = Prefer maximum performance.
    AMD: Anti-Lag = On, Wait for Vertical Refresh = Off unless application specifies, Power tuning to High.

  6. Fix USB/controller latency
    Plug wheel/pedals direct to motherboard USB (not a hub). Disable USB power saving (Device Manager > USB Root Hub > Power Management). Use the wheel’s highest update rate if available.

Extra Tips / Checklist

  • Use the native OpenXR runtime for your headset when possible; avoid extra layers (e.g., SteamVR + WMR) unless needed.
  • Close overlays and background apps (Discord overlays, browser videos, RGB software).
  • Windows: Game Mode On; Power Plan = High Performance; consider HAGS On (test both).
  • If you can’t hold 90/120 Hz, lock reprojection to a stable half-rate (45/60) instead of letting it bounce.
  • Test on an empty practice first; race fields add GPU load—tune with “Number of Cars” and “Pit Objects.”

FAQs

Q: How do I know if it’s input lag or netcode/latency?
A: If the car feels delayed to your inputs, that’s input lag. If other cars jump or warp, that’s network latency.

Q: Is motion smoothing (ASW/reprojection) bad?
A: It’s helpful when you can’t hit native refresh, but it adds a bit of delay. Use it only if needed and keep it stable.

Q: Should I cap FPS in iRacing?
A: For VR, avoid caps that drop you below headset refresh. If you cap, set it at or slightly above HMD refresh so you’re not VSync-limited.

Q: Which iRacing setting gives the biggest win?
A: Lower shadows, reflections, mirror quality/distance, and car count. These usually free the most frametime with minimal visual impact.

Short Wrap-Up

Cutting iracing input lag on vr is mostly about stable frame rate and minimal buffering. Turn off VSync, reduce GPU load, and use low-latency driver settings. Start with smoothing off, then add it back only if you can’t hold your headset’s refresh.