The excitement for the upcoming Forza Motorsport game has hit a speed bump after Turn 10 Studios revealed that multiplayer frame rates will be locked to 60 FPS on PC. This controversial move has fans questioning the studio’s commitment to delivering a truly immersive racing experience.
After a six-year hiatus since the last Motorsport release, Turn 10 has been teasing fans with details about new cars, tracks, and a totally rebuilt tire physics model coming to the live-service Forza Motorsport game set to be released on October 10.
However, news that PC frame rates will be locked to 60 FPS in multiplayer mode has sparked outrage among fans, leading some to even cancel their pre-orders.
Turn 10 Studios justified the decision by stating that the frame rate lock aims to “ensure a consistent and competitive online racing experience for all players across a variety of PC hardware configurations and the Xbox Series X|S consoles.” But for some Forza players — especially those who have heavily invested in racing setups — this feels like a slap in the face.
Comments like “Wow! That’s a terrible idea lol. Going to lose a lot of PC players” and “Absolute nonsense. How are decisions like this being made in 2023?” have flooded social media and various forums. Some fans have gone as far as to cancel their pre-orders.
Forza Motorsport will run at 4k/60 FPS on Xbox Series X and 1080p/60 FPS on Xbox Series S. It was expected that PC players would be able to optimize their visuals and performance using the in-game settings — just like the vast majority of other PC games.
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However, that’s not the case anymore, as the frame rate lock will limit PC players to 60 FPS to ensure consistent frames in cross-play lobbies between PC and Xbox and between PC players, as well.
Some players speculate that the frame rate lock might be an excuse to cover up inconsistencies in the game’s physics engine, citing a video analyzing Forza Horizon 5 that revealed frame rates have a significant impact on gameplay and physics.
The analysis found that the game’s physics are noticeably affected by frame rates. A loop test showed that at 60 FPS, the car clipped the loop 8 out of 100 times, while at 30 FPS, it clipped 44 times. Telemetry data also revealed that the car’s suspension behavior differs between 30 and 60 FPS, affecting how the car interacts with the environment.
Turn 10 Studios has been marketing the upcoming Forza Motorsport as a return to a more simulation-focused experience, a move that seemed to align with the current momentum in the sim racing community.
But now, the frame rate lock announcement has left many wondering if the studio is truly in touch with its most invested players.