Minimum:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 version 15063.0 or higher
- Processor: Intel i5-4460 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVidia GTX 970 OR AMD RX 470
- DirectX: Version 12
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 110 GB of available space
Recommended:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 version 15063.0 or higher
- Processor: Intel i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVidia GTX 1070 OR AMD RX 590
- DirectX: Version 12
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 110 GB of available space
It seems that you’ll require at least Nvidia GTX 970 GPU (minimum) to be able to run the Forza Horizon 5 game on the PC properly. While the developers are currently suggesting using a GTX 1070 graphics card as a recommended one. It’s needless to say that the higher the graphics card model and the higher the memory size you’ll use, the higher performance & FPS count will be achieved easily.
Please Note: Even if your GPU card model isn’t listed here, you don’t need to worry about it. There are plenty of graphics card models compatible with the Forza Horizon 5 game which can give you optimal 60 FPS with 1080P resolution. But it’s recommended to follow the in-game graphics settings for sure.
2. Get a Minimum of 60 FPS with Optimal Graphics Settings
By reducing the display resolution quality and tweaking some in-game graphics settings, you can get optimal gaming with your entry-level graphics card. Whereas the mid-range and high-end graphics cards will be able to increase more FPS with 2K or 4K resolution which is a big deal as a gamer. In the lower graphics quality, you may feel some reduction in far-field object or shadow or grass-level quality but that might not affect your gaming.
But turning off or lowering down some settings might increase up to 10 FPS count which will add a lag-free gaming experience. Just launch the game and head over to the graphics settings menu to perform adjustments.
- Anisotropic Filtering: High or Medium
- Shadow Quality: High
- Night Shadows: On (Set it Off for GTX lineup GPUs)
- Motion Blur Quality: High or Ultra
- Environment Texture Quality: Ultra (Set it Medium for GTX Lineup GPUs)
- Environment Geometry Quality: Ultra (Set it High for GTX Lineup GPUs)
- Anti-Aliasing MSAA: 2X
- FXAA: On (Set it Off for GTX Lineup GPUs)
- SSAO Quality: Ultra or High (Depends on choice)
- Reflection Quality: Ultra or Medium (Depends on choice)
- World Car Level of Detail: High
- Deformable Terrain Quality: Ultra
- SSR (Screen Space Reflection) Quality: High or Medium
- Lens Effects: Ultra
- Shader Quality: High or Medium
- Particle Effects Quality: High or Medium
- Ray Tracing Quality: Optional (Set it Off for GTX lineup GPUs)
Note: We’ll suggest you set Shadow Quality and Night Shadows according to your graphics card’s performance because these two options can hugely affect the resolution and FPS rate. If you’re using RTX 20 or 30 series GPU then you can use the Extreme preset with Higher Shader Quality and Night Shadows to get excellent graphics visuals. But that will also cost some performance drops. So, it all depends on your preference and hardware.
3. Adjustments for Nvidia Control Panel
You can head over to the Nvidia Control Panel application and try performing the following adjustments to ensure your game will run slightly better without screen tearing.
- V-Sync (Vertical Sync) – OFF
- Tripple buffering – ON
- Maximum pre-rendered frames – 1
4. Update Graphics Drivers
You should try checking for the graphics driver update on your Windows PC and installing the latest version to ensure no update is pending at your end. An outdated or missing graphics driver can trigger issues with properly functioning graphics-intensive programs. To do that:
- Right-click on the Start Menu to open up the Quick Access Menu.
- Click on Device Manager from the list to open the interface.
- Now, you’ll need to double-click on Display adapters to expand it.

- Then right-click on the dedicated graphics card name you’re using to bring the context menu.
- Next, click on Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
- The system will automatically check for the available update.
- If an update is available, it’ll automatically download and install the latest version.
- Once done, make sure to restart your PC to apply the changes.
If you can’t find any pending updates then just head over to the official website of the Nvidia website below and search manually for the latest update. If a new version is available for the graphics card, just download the driver and install it on your PC. You can jump to the link below to do so:
5. Switch to Dedicated GPU
Sometimes the game may run with the integrated HD graphics on the PC that comes with the processors to handle minimal graphics tasks. But if you’re using an external Nvidia graphics card then make sure to switch the Forza Horizon 5 game to the dedicated GPU by following the steps below.
- Right-click on the desktop screen to open the context menu.
- Now, click on Nvidia Control Panel to open it.
- Head over to 3D Settings > Select Manage 3D Settings.
- Open the Program Settings tab > Choose Forza Horizon 5 from the drop-down menu.
- Next, select the preferred graphics processor for this program from another drop-down menu.
- Finally, your Nvidia GPU should show as High-Performance Nvidia Processor.
- Save the changes and reboot the PC.
6. Verify and Repair Game Files
The chances are high that somehow your game files are missing or corrupted on the PC which eventually conflicts with the game running properly. You may not receive errors or warning messages that’s why you won’t understand what’s going on. It’s better to perform repairing game files on the PC. To do so:
- Launch the Steam client > Click on Library.
- Right-click on Forza Horizon 5 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.
7. Try Disabling Overlay Apps
Sometimes a couple of applications may come with an additional overlay app that basically helps the streamers or gamers a lot. However, these overlay apps can eventually conflict with the game files to run smoothly and may cause several issues like FPS drops, black screen issues, lags, glitches, etc. You should try disabling the overlay apps manually before launching the game again to cross-check if the game is running with higher FPS or not. To do so:
Disable Discord Overlay:
- Launch the Discord app > Click on the gear icon at the bottom.
- Select Overlay under App Settings > Turn on the Enable in-game overlay.
- Click on the Games tab > Select Forza Horizon 5.
- Finally, Turn Off the Enable in-game overlay toggle.
- Make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.
Disable Xbox Game Bar:
- Press the Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings.
- Click on Gaming > Go to Game Bar > Turn off Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using the Game bar option.
Disable Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay:
- Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience app > Head over to Settings.
- Click on the General tab > Disable the In-Game Overlay option.
- Finally, restart the PC to apply changes, and launch the game again.
Disable Steam Overlay:
- Open the Steam client on the PC > Click on Library.
- Right-click on Forza Horizon 5 from the left pane > Select Properties.
- Now, click on General > Turn OFF the ‘Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game’ option.
There are some other overlay apps that can cause trouble for you something as MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB software, etc. You should turn them off as well.
8. Update Forza Horizon 5
Mostly an outdated game patch version may trigger multiple potential issues with the game running as well as smoother gameplay. You should install the latest update to make the game compatible with fewer bugs whatsoever. To do that:
- Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
- Click on Forza Horizon 5 from the list of installed games on the left pane.
- Now, the client will automatically search for the available update.
- If there is an update available, you’ll see the Update option.
- Just click on it and wait for a couple of minutes until the game update completes. [Depends on the storage space and internet connectivity]
- Once done, make sure to close the Steam client.
- Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes
Bonus: If you don’t want to mess with the in-game graphics settings, you can open the Nvidia GeForce Experience app, and click on Optimize to get the optimized Forza Horizon 5 Settings immediately without manually adjusting graphics options.
That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.