With Forza Horizon 5, Playground Games set a new benchmark for racing games – and now the baton has been passed on to Turn10 with its latest Forza Motorsport. This soft reboot of the simulation racing franchise is the developer’s debut title on the new generation of Xbox consoles, and it does a great job of leveraging the machine’s features to create a game that’s arguably the best racer on the market.

In this technical analysis, we will be taking a look at the game and breaking down individual aspects like lighting, and car models – and breaking down the rendering techniques used to bring this game to life.

Forza Motorsport – Game Engine And Overview

Much like its predecessors, Forza Motorsport 2023 is developed using the proprietary Forza engine – but a ton of improvements have been made to the underlying engine tech which not only enables higher fidelity levels but also better functionality for its vision of a live-service game.

As mentioned in an interview with Digital Foundry, the entire backend has been rewritten to allow rapid development in accordance with player feedback. As such, updates and hotfixes can be issued instantly – which should make for a seamless player experience. Of course, we’ll have to wait and see how this pans out but it’s a big change nevertheless.

As for the visuals, the biggest change that Forza Motorsport is bringing to the franchise is ray-tracing. The game uses ray tracing for reflections and ambient occlusion, which makes the presentation a lot more realistic. In addition to this, we have a dynamic daytime system and plenty of other changes to the rendering that we will be discussing in detail in further sections.

Car Models

Cars are obviously the star of the show when it comes to a racing game, and that stands true in the case of Forza Motorsport as well. Turn10 has meticulously re-created each and every car with painstaking attention to detail. The game features well over 500 cars from different manufacturers across the globe, and each of these cars is an exact replica of their real-life variants.

Materials are of the physically based kind, which ensures that material like carbon fiber behaves differently than leather which behaves differently than glass. The quality of these materials is really high, and these vehicles exude a sense of grandeur thanks to thick coats of shiny paints and chrome platings.

Of course, it also helps that these cars are geometrically complex models with tons of details that gearheads can obsess over for hours on end. Much like its predecessors, Forza Motorsport also features a detailed car damage model that scuffs and scratches the car with each collision from your opponents and environments.

The car damage model itself is a lot better this time around, and each car crash is accompanied by demodeled car geometry, cracked window panes, and scratches on the sides. Of course, there are a bunch of simulations for the physics behind it all – but the visible results look a lot more believable this time around.

Tracks and Environments

Moving over to the tracks, Turn10 utilizes photogrammetry-based textures to great effect. Track surfaces look pretty realistic with tons of detail. The screeching of car tires leaves thick trails on the track, which is accompanied by some gorgeous volumetric smoke. But the biggest change that we have seen this time around is in the surrounding environments, which have seen a noticeable uptick in quality.

Asset quality is high across the board and everything from the crowd to the vegetation and surrounding geometry looks decent. Of course, you will be able to notice some inconsistencies and relatively low fidelity levels if you stop and stare at these objects – but they do look generally okay when you’re blazing past them at high speeds.

Weather Effects

As mentioned previously, Forza Motorsport introduces a dynamic time-of-day system, which allows for significant changes to the track and environments during a race. You may start a race in the afternoon, and see the Sun set during the final laps. These changes not only affect the visual aesthetics of the track, but the changes in ambient temperature will also affect driving variables like grip – which can also add an element of challenge to the gameplay proceedings.

The sky rendering also seems to be using some sort of photogrammetry combined with volumetric structures for clouds, and these clouds also shift during daytime changes in an effort to mimic their behavior in real life. The volumetric meshes are definitely quality stuff, and the skybox looks really good in action.

Lighting, Reflections, And Shadows

Switching gears to the lighting, Forza Motorsport uses the same global illumination solution as Forza Horizon 5. The team internally calls this implementation Surfel GI, and it works to great effect for a dynamically lit game like this one. There’s no use of baked-in lighting data, and the direct lighting leverages hardware-accelerated ray tracing to create realistic scenes. Of course, there’s a lot more than that too – but delving too deep into those details might be beside the point of this discussion.

While the game is launching with this Surfel GI, Turn10 plans to eventually add in an option of RTGI to make full use of ray-tracing for global illumination as well. Reflections in Forza Motorsport look superb, and a lot of that can yet again be attributed to the smart usage of real-time ray tracing. The game makes good use of ray-traced reflections, and as a result – car bodies accurately reflect the surroundings and parts of themselves on their coats of shiny paint. Reflections also update at a steady pace, which helps in selling the element of speed when you’re racing at a hundred miles an hour.

Another aspect where Forza Motorsport uses ray-tracing is the ambient occlusion, which creates realistic soft shadows across the entire body of vehicles and the ground. As such, cars don’t look like they have been plastered on the track in an artificial way – but feel like they are a living, breathing part of the game world.

And now let’s talk about shadow maps. Shadows are appropriately high quality, and are casted for objects up to far distances. This helps in achieving a uniform look for the game world, which in turns makes it feel like a real breathing place. You can obviously peep into the details to find some artifacts along the edges of shadows – but it isn’t all that noticeable when you are zooming past these picturesque landscapes at high speeds.

Post-Processing

As mentioned in a pre-release interview with Digital Foundry, Forza Motorsport marks a big change in how it handles anti-aliasing. Prior entries made good use of MSAA to clean up the artifacts, but now the developer has switched to a TAA solution. That wouldn’t initially seem like a smart move since TAA implementations can soften the image which doesn’t look good in the case of racers, but Forza’s implementation avoids those issues and cleans up the image while retaining a crisp look.

Forza Motorsport also makes generous use of volumetric meshes in not only the clouds but also the smoke that emits out of your car’s exhaust and the fog that sits on the race track in select weather conditions. Volumetric meshes can also react with light and diffuse them accordingly, and that looks really good in action. Particle effects are few and far between, but you will notice some high-quality alpha particles during car collisions or when a car uses its boost. These particles also appropriately cast reflections on car bodies, and it looks absolutely gorgeous.

Xbox Series X Graphics Modes And Their Difference With PC Version

On Xbox Series X, Forza Motorsport features a total of 3 distinct graphics options. The first one is the Visuals mode. This mode features ray-traced reflections and RTAO at a resolution of dynamic 4K with a frame-rate cap of 30fps. The second mode is Performance RT, which also keeps ray tracing intact but bumps the frame rate to 60fps at the same dynamic 4K resolution. As you can imagine, dynamic resolution scaling is a lot more aggressive in this mode – though the anti-aliasing solutions do a good enough job of cleaning up the jagged edges and it’s a fine trade-off for the added fluidity.

Finally, we have Performance mode which turns off ray-tracing with a resolution of dynamic 4K and keeps the frame rate locked to 60fps. If you feel like you are having a competitive disadvantage due to the aggressive DRS on Performance RT option, Performance mode just might be the mode. All in all, Forza Motorsport has done a great job when it comes to graphics options – and it just goes on to show the impressive scalability of the underlying tech.

Taking a brief look at both versions of the game, the Quality version largely matches with the ultra settings that we use on our PC test rig. The resolution is a bit sharper on the PC version, which is most likely a byproduct of the aggressive DRS on the Xbox version. You can also make out minor differences in shadows and reflection quality, but the visual makeup is the same across both versions. They look great, and we didn’t make out any major differences between the two.

Xbox Series X and PC Performance

Forza Motorsport 2023 isn’t a really demanding game if you just look at the minimum specs; it only requires that you have an i5 8400, GTX 1060, and 8 GB of RAM to play at the lowest settings. However, if you wish to have a comfortable experience without compromising on the visuals – you need to have an i5 11600k, RTX 2080Ti, and 16 GB of RAM. The game also makes use of the Windows DirectStorage API, so you need to have the game installed on an SSD instead of an HDD.

Our test bench comprises an AMD Ryzen 5950X, RTX 3080Ti, and 32 GB of RAM which is well over what the game recommends. We also installed the game on a PCI e 4.0 SSD to make full use of Windows DirectStorage API.

Taking a look at the settings menu for the PC version of the game, it has a suite of options and a basic description of what each setting does. There are no comparison screenshots like Sony’s first-party ports or performance indicators for changing these settings, so it does leave something to be desired.

The game also has DLSS and FSR 2.0 support as well. For our testing, we went with a mostly ultra settings preset with DLSS turned on to optimize performance, and according to the in game metrics – the game was only using a maximum of 6 GBs of VRAM.

Now let’s talk about performance. Starting with Xbox Series X, the game does a good enough job of holding its own during the most intensive scenes. We didn’t notice any major frame-rate drops, and regardless of whether we played at 30fps or 60fps – the experience was smooth. As such, our recommendation would be to use the RT Performance mode to get the fluidity of 60fps without compromising on fidelity – but you are obviously free to pick your own poison.

For our PC testing, we were able to achieve a solid 60fps with the aforementioned ultra settings with DLSS Quality mode turned on. We noticed a few minor dips during intensive sequences such as heavy rain, but that didn’t really detract from the otherwise great experience with the game. There are some improvements inbound with the Day 1 patch, so that should help smooth these issues out. But overall, it performs solid and is a technically stable product with little in the name of hard crashes or game-breaking bugs.

Conclusion

Forza Motorsport is a strong debut for Turn10 and stands tall as an impressive graphics showcase for the power of the Xbox Series X. Almost every aspect of the visual presentation has seen minor to major changes, and that results in what is arguably the most realistic looking racer on the market. It doesn’t rewrite the playbook in any major way, but it’s a solid racer that doubles as a visual feast for the eyes.

Along with helping players get better at cornering, the corner mastery system will also be a social experience with leaderboards, allowing for some friendly rivalries to develop while practising tricky turns.

Aside from the new feature reveal, Turn 10 has been quite silent about Forza Motorsport since its showcase back in June. During that showcase, the studio revealed that the game will be targetting 4K/60fps on Xbox Series X, and 1080p/60fps on Xbox Series S.

The game’s director has also insisted that its ray-tracing features will be enabled even during gameplay.

Forza Motorsport is set to launch in Spring 2023, and will be available on PC and Xbox Series X/S. For more information on Forza Motorsport, here are 8 things we learned about the upcoming game.

In the new #ForzaMotorsport, we want to help you unlock your fastest self. The corner mastery system focuses your practice sessions on the trickiest areas of the track, and we’re making it more social and connected where players compete and compare corner scores in real time. pic.twitter.com/z1RrSFYuti

— Forza Motorsport (@ForzaMotorsport) July 27, 2022

Unfortunately, that may not be the case. Insider Tom Henderson tweeted that he’s “pretty sure” of an announcement for the first Forza Horizon 5 expansion (which is Hot Wheels-focused, as per a recent Steam leak). The showcase will also provide the first look at the next Forza Motorsport but Henderson says it’s “Slated for Spring 2023 last I heard.”

Perhaps the idea then is to fill the Fall void with Forza Horizon 5’s expansion while Turn 10 further polishes its title. As such, Microsoft could have some other projects up its sleeves, like the rumored Gears of War Collection and Project Indus. Maybe Stoic Studio’s Project Belfry could be ready this year. We’ll have to wait for more details so stay tuned.

I'm pretty sure we're getting Horizon 5 hot wheels DLC announcement and our first look at the next Forza Motorsport – Slated for Spring 2023 last I heard. https://t.co/tmDsDiVDSE

— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) June 10, 2022

Resident Evil Village

Only six months ago, it seemed somewhat unreasonable that a game could push for 4K visuals with ray tracing at anything higher than 30 FPS on Xbox Series X and PS5. Not only does Capcom’s Resident Evil Village achieve this but it looks mighty good as well. A quick stroll through Castle Dimitrescu’s main hall showcases the splendor of its shiny floors and the various reflections they create. But even when navigating through the titular village, puddles create realistic reflections. Ray tracing also produces softer shadows and more realistic ambient lighting from sources like fire. And it does all of this while maintaining a consistent frame rate and resolution (both on consoles and the recommended PC hardware).

The Forza series continues to be one of Microsoft’s most popular series, as seen from the continued success of Forza Horizon 4. But one can’t forget its sister series, Motorsport. The eighth entry in the series was announced last year in a Xbox Games Showcase. While there’s still no word on when we can expect the game, it does seem some lucky players will get a chance to try out an early version of it.

In a video published on the official Forza Motorsport Twitter, Creative Director Chris Esaki revealed that a new feedback-based playtest could be applied for now. It’s part of a new initiative by developer Turn 10 to get as much feedback from the community as possible. Though who apply can potentially get into an early version of the game and offer various degrees of feedback. You can apply through the link here.

As of now, Forza Motorsport 8 has been announced for the Xbox Series X/S and PC. It’s unclear if the game is also in development for Xbox One. All of the information we know about the game can be read through here.

.@LoungeToy dropped by Forza Monthly to deliver an update on Forza Motorsport. Participants in the Forza Feedback Panel are starting to get their hands on part of the game for playtesting! pic.twitter.com/bXzhuI7PKa

— Forza Motorsport (@ForzaMotorsport) April 6, 2021

PROJECT CARS 3

We’ve known for nearly a couple of years that Slightly Mad Studios are are working on Project CARS 3, and while we haven’t actually seen anything of the game, we’re quite optimistic that it’ll turn out great. Both previous games in the series were solid racing sims, while it’d also be foolish to doubt the chops of Slightly Mad Studios. There are never any guarantees with any game, of course, but Project CARS 3 is a game all racing enthusiasts are probably gonna want to keep an eye on.

Grounded

After The Outer Worlds, Obsidian Entertainment’s first exclusive title for Xbox One since being acquired is…something different. It’s “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” meets survival sandbox gameplay with co-op support. You’ll collect resources, craft different equipment and ultimately battle giant bugs. It’s intriguing, if unexpected, and will release in Spring 2020.

Turn 10 Studios didn’t churn out a new Forza Motorsport title this year, which is fine given the support for Forza Horizon 4. However, the developer is hard at work on the next iteration. In the recent Forza Monthly stream, creative director Chris Esaki talked about holding the first “studio-wide playtest” for this “new experience.”

He then talked about a bunch of different features like a new tire model, suspension model and pressure system but noted that, “In reality, [these features] don’t really matter in the larger scheme of things. The overall product, and where we’re going with it, is so vastly different and an amazing experience”.

It was revealed that, “We have a new way that heat interacts with the tire pressure and we actually have dynamic track temperatures affecting this all. We have dynamic rubbering in on the track. We have a new atmospheric pressure system that accurately has pressure affecting things like air density, affecting aerodynamics and power, as well as the tire pressure. We have an entire new suspension system with new suspension modelling.” He then noted that this was only the “moment-to-moment, rubber meets the road, experience” and that he was probably missing out on “about 15 other things.”

However, Esaki did noted that the studio would have more information next year. Whether the title is called Forza Motorsport 8 or something else wasn’t mentioned. Will it arrive for Xbox One and Project Scarlett or remain exclusive to the latter which is out in Holiday 2020? Honestly, we’re hoping to hear more sooner than latter.

In the meantime, there’s still plenty going on with Forza Horizon 4. It will receive the series’ first battle royale mode “Eliminator” today for free. Essentially 72 players compete in races in the map, earning upgrades for their vehicles until eventually the final 10 battle for glory.

Microsoft brought quite a few first party titles to E3 this year, but in spite of that, there were quite a few big franchises and studios that were missing- and the biggest one that wasn’t missing – Halo Infinite – is still a ways off from release yet. And according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, that’s because with all their new studios, they’re in a position to be able to afford their developers more time to make their games, rather than rushing them to put out new products every year.

Speaking in an interview with Kotaku, Spencer specifically mentioned Turn 10 Studios and 343 Industries, both of whom, according to him, have been given more time by Microsoft to make the game they want to make, while also hinting that there’s more waiting in the wings as far as announcements from Microsoft’s first party studios are concerned, which is something Microsoft execs have mentioned more than once now.

“We were really able to focus on what’s coming now, which I think is awesome,” said Spencer of Microsoft’s E3 showing. “And then I think about the studios: where was Initiative? Where was [Forza Motorsport studio] Turn 10? Where was Playground’s second team?

“It was nice, and this hasn’t always been the case with our first-party line-up, where we’ve had the ability to not show everything all the time. In the case of Forza, I want the team, just like we did 343 [Industries].

“We gave them time—we did, what, four Halos in four years?—giving them an opportunity to really think and have a creative impact when they launch. Turn 10 is similar. I want to give them time to think through their plans.

“I love what they do with Motorsport, but you’ve got to be able to listen to your studios when they need time and they want to focus on more things. And as you have more content, you’re able to do that.”

Halo Infinite is primed to have a big E3 next year, which is something that Microsoft have already confirmed, while Turn 10 confirmed earlier this year that Forza Motorsport 8 had entered early development, which means we should be hearing more from them next year as well. With Xbox Scarlett launching in Holiday 2020, one would imagine Microsoft is gearing up for a strong first party launch lineup.

It wasn’t too long ago that Turn 10 Studios made it clear that, surprisingly enough, they were not working on Forza Motorsport 8, and that everyone at the studio was instead 100% focused on supporting and updating Forza Motorsport 7. However, the developer has now confirmed that their focus has now shifted, and that they’re now working on a full-fledged sequel.

Speaking in their latest Forza Monthly update, Creative Director Dan Greenawalt confirmed that Forza Motorsport 8 is in early development, in the concept phases- which probably means that we won’t be seeing a new Forza release this year, and that Forza 8 is most likely going to be a next gen title.

“The weight of the team is shifting over to our next project,” said Greenwalt. “So we’re getting into that concept phase.”

What’s interesting, however, is that Turn 10 Studios are looking to change up their development methodology, and want to involve their fans and community with the game’s development a lot more right from the beginning- even in its current concept phase.

“In the past, that concept phase would be kind of subterranean,” Greenwalt said. “We’d kind of do it with ourselves, we’d work with our dev partners, and we’d bounce our concepts off ourselves. But we’re going to be doing it differently this time. We want to do it in public. We want to do it with our fans. Does that mean early rollouts? I don’t know. And that’s really what it comes down to: I don’t know.

“But the big news is the team is transitioning its weight. We’re moving our weight over to this new project we’re working on and we’re doing it in a new way. We can listen to the team, open conduit, we want our players to go to Discord, get involved with us, to really be part of this process with us, to make their voice heard. And we, together, will shape the future of automotive entertainment.”

It’s an interesting approach to development for sure, and Turn 10 have been shifting their focus to such an approach for some time now, most notably with Forza Motorsport 7’s post-launch support, during which time they would go on to significantly retool several aspects of the game. It should be interesting to see how they implement it with Forza Motorsport 8 even during its early development.

In related news, Turn 10 might also have inadvertently revealed Forza Street, a mobile-only game in the racing sim franchise being developed in conjunction with UK-based studio Electric Square. Read more on that through here.