With Gran Turismo 8 now in the rear-view mirror, it’s the turn of Forza Motorsport to show the graphical capabilities of its parent hardware. TechStomper’s review of the game was impressed by the depth of roster, handling model and selection of tracks. There’s also no doubt that Turn 10 Studios‘ Forza Motorsport looks amazing on Xbox Series X no matter the mode. Here we’ll compare Forza Motorsport‘s 30 frames-per-second Visual and 60fps Performance modes.
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On Xbox Series X, the output resolution offered across all of its three modes is 4K, though an intermediate Performance RT mode will sacrifice rendering resolution to keep the frame rate up while applying some ray-traced effects.
Xbox Series S targets an output resolution 1440p with a 1080p 60 frames per second mode also available.
All images were captured at 4K on Xbox Series X and downscaled to 1920×1080 using the same process.
Visual Mode images are on the left (or above on PC) throughout the piece. Performance images are on the right (or below on PC). The image comparison slider is only available on mobile devices so please use a smartphone or tablet for the best experience.
30 Frames Per Second on 9th Gen. Hardware
Forza Motorsport has three graphics modes out the gate. One is a 30 frames per second ‘Visual Mode’ which has car and track ray-tracing effects applied. The 30fps Visual Mode is not quite 100% stable at present with some frame drops and dips as the Xbox Series X struggles.
Visible on the Honda Civic and Porshce 911 below are the more complex reflections and lighting of the ray-traced scene.
Many will be wondering why a game in a genre where 60 frames per second is to be expected. Others will be wondering if the added visual finery is worth half the frames. And while the image quality and graphical finery look amazing in screenshots, we be there aren’t many gamers who’d be willing to make that sacrifice.
Forza Motorsport at 60 Frames Per Second
The other two modes, Performance and Performance RT, run at 60 frames per second. Performance RT features a scaling resolution to support some on-track ray tracing.
Performance mode is a solid 60 frames per second at 4K but features none of the ray traced elements of the other two modes.
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The three Forza Motorsport (2023) graphics modes for Xbox Series X are explained by the company themselves:
- Visuals: Maximize 4K visual quality on-track with ray tracing at 30 frames per second
- Performance: Prioritize 60 frames per second on-track performance at 4K resolution
- Performance RT: Enable on-track ray tracing features at 60 frames per second with variable resolution
Unspoken but Visible Changes
There are several minor bumps to environmental detail and fidelity to been seen in the side-by-side comparisons. Trackside trees and shrubbery are ever so slightly fuller in Visual Mode. Extra trees and extra meshes are visible in the side-on shot of the Porsche 911, which also results in a taller treeline.
There is also a higher level of detail on the trackside grass on Visual Mode. However, this adds a visible line around the car where the swap to a lower LoD grass occurs. In Performance mode, the trackside grass still looks amazing and doesn’t have a noticeable seam.
In some instances, the track surface looks more detailed in Visual Mode. There’s a extra texture or bump map layer, possibly both, which results in a more complex and deeper look. The Performance Mode tracks look very smooth next to the Visual Mode’s renderings of the same surfaces.
A Fleeting Depth at Huge Cost
While the visual upgrades can be noticeable in some scenes and bring a fleeting depth and realism at times, there are a few, if any, gamers who will go back to 30fps for a racing game. The genre took to 60fps shortly after its birth into 2D arcade machines.
The genre had a rebellious phase of 10-30fps as it went through its adolescent shift to 3D, but since then the expectation has been for 60 frames per second.
It’s also worth noting that the Xbox Series X is not particularly comfortable with Visual Mode. There are times when the frame rates burps briefly. The audio intermittently cuts for a fraction of a second when when the game struggling to load in as quickly as it can.
