We may earn a commission when you buy through links in our articles. Learn more.

Framerate smoothing and dynamic optimization: Forza Horizon 3’s graphics settings revealed

Forza Horizon 3

You can never quite judge how a game will look on your PC until it’s actually installed and running – not just because of your own machine’s limitations, but also because promo shots tend to show play from the most flattering angle’s. It’s fair to say, Forza Horizon 3’s angles have been particularly flattering so far.

Have a look at the best racing games on PC.

That’s why we’re especially keen to find out just how Playground Games’ latest performs on our PCs. Given mine is held together by Blu Tack and is powered by a couple of hamsters charging around on their running wheels, I’m personally not too hopeful, but for those who have machines packing a bit more grunt, things are looking good.

Indeed, NeoGAF posters have begun posting screenshots showcasing the graphics options available, with the ability to show the frame rate on screen drawing much early praise. While Forza Horizon 3 will be locked to 30fps on Xbox One, it will be able to run up to 60fps on PC – something users will now be able to keep track on.

Slightly more mysterious are the ‘framerate smoothing’ and ‘dynamic optimization’ options, with the latter reportedly enabling the game to maintain a steady framerate by cutting out any superfluous graphics along the way.

In regards to framerate smoothing, user speculation suggests it may (in the words of forum poster dr_rus) “buffer frames to smooth out the hitches”, but no-one seems entirely sure. Either way, the sheer number of options available seems to be impressing folk in the know, with the mere sight of the menu screens seemingly enough to convince a few posters now’s the time to upgrade to Windows 10. Crikey, Microsoft will be pleased.

Forza Horizon 3 is due out on PC and Xbox One on September 27. The game’s an Xbox Anywhere title, meaning picking it up on Xbox One will hand you the Windows 10 version for free. Bargain.

Can you run it? Check the Forza Horizon 3 system requirements on PCGameBenchmark.