Fix: Forza Horizon 4 Screen Flickering or Tearing on PC and Xbox Consoles

2018’s Forza Horizon 4 is one of the popular open-world driving multiplayer racing video games by Playground Games and Xbox Games Studios. This ever-changing dynamic season with stunning motorsport gameplay scenarios that has been applauded by players and critics quite positively. However, just like other games Forza Horizon 4 has also Screen Flickering or Tearing issues on the PC and Xbox Consoles. It seems frustrating enough for the affected players.

It’s also worth mentioning that this specific issue is appearing on both the Windows and Xbox platforms. So, it becomes one of the widespread issues among the Forza Horizon 4 players. The screen flickering or screen tearing issue can be fixed in most cases and here we’ve shared a couple of possible workarounds for you that might gonna come in handy. Well, the screen shimmering or graphical glitches in-game may occur due to multiple reasons.

Fix: Forza Horizon 4 Screen Flickering or Tearing on PC

It seems that the screen flickering or tearing issue can appear due to a poor internet connection, graphics driver issues, in-game graphics settings, outdated system software, an outdated game version, issues with the game files, etc. According to multiple reports, the particular screen-related issue mostly appears during the in-game cutscenes or intro loading. So, you’ll need to follow this troubleshooting guide to fix it.

1. Enable V-Sync in Nvidia Control Panel

For the PC gamers, we’ll recommend turning on the Vertical Sync (V-Sync) feature on the Nvidia Control Panel settings. However, if V-Sync is already turned on then make sure to turn it off and turn it on again before cross-checking it.

• Launch the Nvidia Control Panel from the Start menu. If it’s not installed, then go to Microsoft Store and install it.
• In the Nvidia Control Panel interface, go to 3D Settings > Select Manage 3D settings.
• Select Program Settings > Click on Add and select Forza Horizon 4 from the list of programs on your PC.
  • If the game application isn’t listed then click on Browse and head over to the installed Forza Horizon 4 directory on the drive. Simply locate the installed Forza Horizon 4 folder on the PC and add the ForzaHorizon4.exe application > Then make sure to select the game in the list and add it.
• Now, make sure to scroll down to Vertical Sync > Click on it and select On to enable it. This will force the Forza Horizon 4 game to use V-Sync every time.
• Restart your computer to apply changes and play the game to check for the issue again.

2. Try Lowering In-Game Graphics Settings

First of all, you should try lowering the in-game graphics settings on your PC or console to check if that helps you to fix the frame drops or stuttering issues. Try turning off some of the display settings for the Forza Horizon 4 game such as texture details, shadow effect, v-sync, anti-aliasing, etc. This should improve the FPS count and performance/smoothness in gameplay.

3. Update GPU Drivers

Sometimes outdated graphics drivers on the Windows PC can also trigger some issues with the system performance. To do that:

• Press the Windows + X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
• Now, click on Device Manager from the list > Double-click on Display adapters.
• Right-click on the dedicated graphics card that you’re using.

• Next, select Update driver > Choose to Search automatically for drivers.
• If there is an update available, the system will automatically download & install it.
• Once done, restart the computer to apply changes immediately.

4. Close Unnecessary Background Tasks

You can also try closing unnecessary background tasks on your computer to fix performance-related issues. Sometimes background processes can eventually eat up a lot of system resources which can cause several issues or screen flickering. To do so:

• Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open Task Manager.
• Click on the Processes tab > Select the task that you want to close.
• Once selected, click on End Task. Make sure to do the steps for each task individually.
• Finally, just restart your computer to change effects immediately, and check for the Forza Horizon 4 screen flickering or screen tearing issue.

5. Check Your Internet Connection

Ensure to check the internet connection at your end because issues with the network connectivity can trigger screen tearing or flickering issues. A slow or unstable internet connection can bring game launching or server connectivity issues. You should try switching the wired (ethernet) internet connection to wireless (Wi-Fi) or vice versa to cross-check the network connectivity problem.

If in case, your IP address has some DNS address-related issues, then make sure to use the Google DNS address (public DNS) on the PC’s internet configuration settings to avoid rubber-banding connection or server connectivity issues.

6. Update Forza Horizon 4

An outdated or corrupted game version can eventually cause issues with the game launching and graphical glitches on the PC. It’s better to check for the game update and install the latest version always before going to any conclusion. The latest patch updates can mostly bring new features and bug fixes with stability improvements. To update your game:

• Open the Steam client > Go to Library > Click on Forza Horizon 4 from the left pane.
• It’ll automatically search for the available update. If there is an update available, make sure to click on Update.
• It may take some time to install the update > Once done, make sure to close the Steam client.
• Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes and launch the game again.

7. Verify Integrity of Game Files

A corrupted or missing game file can always trouble PC gamers to launch or run the game properly. Sometimes the game though launches without any specific error notice, it doesn’t run smoothly and crashes unexpectedly. Make sure to verify the integrity of game files on your PC before trying anything else. To do that:

• Launch Steam > Click on Library.
• Right-click on Forza Horizon 4 from the list of installed games.
• Now, click on Properties > Go to Local Files.

• Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
• You’ll have to wait for the process until it gets completed.
• Once done, just restart your computer.

8. Set High Performance in Power Options

The chances are high that your Windows computer is running on the Balanced mode in Power Options. If that’s true then make sure to set the High-Performance mode for enhanced system performance. However, this mode can consume more power or battery juice than expected. To do this:

• Click on the Start Menu > Type Control Panel and click on it from the search result.
• Now, go to Hardware and Sound > Select Power Options.
• Click on High Performance to select it.
• Make sure to close the window and fully shut down your computer. To do this, click on the Start Menu > Go to Power > Shut Down.
• Once your computer is fully turned off, you can power it on again.

9. Set High Priority in Task Manager

You should always try setting the specific task or program as a high priority in Task Manager to ensure your Windows system is capable to run the particular task properly by allotting enough system resources. To do that:

• Right-click on the Start Menu > Select Task Manager.
• Click on the Processes tab > Right-click on the Forza Horizon 4 game task.
• Select Set Priority to High > Close Task Manager.
• Finally, run the Forza Horizon 4 game to check if the screen flickering or screen tearing issue is still bothering you or not.

10. Update Windows

An outdated Windows version can trigger issues with the system’s performance or stability in most scenarios. If you haven’t updated your Windows build for a while, follow the steps below to do the same. It’ll not only include new features but also enhance performance and stability.

• Press the Windows + I keys to open up the Windows Settings menu.
• Next, click on Update & Security > Select Check for updates under the Windows Update section.
• If there is a feature update available, select Download and install.
• It may take a while to complete the update.
• Once done, restart your computer to install the update.

Fix: Forza Horizon 4 Screen Flickering or Tearing on Xbox Consoles

If in case, you’re using an Xbox Series console then you can perform the following methods below. To do so:

1. Check System Updates

We’ll highly recommend you check for system updates on the Xbox console before jumping into any other getting into any other workarounds because an outdated system version can trigger screen-related issues whatsoever. To do so:

• Press the Home button on the Xbox console to open the Dashboard menu.
• Now, select Settings from the bottom of the menu > Select All Settings.
• Choose to System > Select Updates.
• Select Update Console (if available) > Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the update process.
• Once done, make sure to restart the console to apply changes.

2. Update Forza Horizon 4

You should also update the game version on your console to ensure there is no issue with the game files. An outdated or corrupted game can easily trigger multiple issues whatsoever. To do so:

• Go to the My Games and Apps section of your Dashboard menu.
• Select Manage > Go to Updates.
• If your Forza Horizon 4 game has any available updates, you can find them easily.
• Make sure to select the update process and press the A button on the controller to start it.

Note: It’s worth recommending to go to the Settings page > Choose to Systems > Select Updates to make your game update automatically whenever the console is connected to the internet.

3. Power Cycle your Xbox Console

It’s worth mentioning to perform a power cycle method on your Xbox console to ensure there is no issue with the device firmware or glitch. A normal reboot might not work in most cases and requires a power cycle process to clear out temporary glitches or cache data issues. To do this:

• Power Off the Xbox console > Unplug the power cable from the console and power source.
• Now, wait for around 30 seconds, and then plug back the power cable in.
• Make sure to turn on the Xbox console and check whether the screen flickering issue has been fixed or not.

4. Reinstall the Game

You should also try uninstalling and reinstalling the Forza Horizon 4 game on your Xbox console. Once done, make sure to reinstall it on the Xbox console to avoid game-related issues. To do this:

• Press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu.
• Select My Games and Apps > Hit See all > Choose to Games.
• Then select the Ready to install tab > Select Queue.
• Select the Forza Horizon 4 game that you’re trying to reinstall.
• Now, press the Menu button on your controller.
• Select Manage game & add-ons or Manage app.
• Choose Forza Horizon 4 > Select Uninstall all.
• Make sure to select Uninstall all to confirm the task.
• Wait for the uninstallation process to complete.
• Reboot the system to apply changes.
• Then press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu again.
• Hit My Games and Apps > Select See all > Go to Games.
• Select the Ready to install tab > Hit Install for Forza Horizon 4.
• Wait for the installation process and then restart the console.

5. Reset the Console

If the above methods didn’t work for you then make sure to follow the steps below to simply reset the console manually. By doing so, you can easily clear out system glitches or cache data issues from your console whatsoever. To do so:

• Press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu.
• Select Profile & system > Go to Settings > Select System.
• Go to Console info > Select Reset console.
• You’ll get a prompt like Reset your console?
• Here you should select Reset and remove everything. [This will delete all user data including accounts, saved games, settings, all installed apps & games, etc]
  • Although you can choose to Reset and keep my games & apps, it may not gonna resolve the issue in most cases.
• After you select the option, your Xbox console starts deleting and resetting the system to the factory default settings.
• Wait for the process to get completed then reboot the console.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.