the hitchhiker's guide to art of rally

a troubleshooting and optimization guide

ABOUT

This guide is written for art of rally (aor for short), but it contains many general tips that could help you resolve issues with other games as well. The guide is updated for art of rally v1.5.0.

Important: Be sure to check the Appendix sections at the end for additional useful information!

DISCLAIMER: It's impossible to include step-by-step instructions for all setups, so if you don't understand something look it up online or ask in the comments below and in Discussions.
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TROUBLESHOOTING STUTTER

STUTTER APPEARS AFTER PLAYING FOR A WHILE

This issue is observed only in Windows on machines with Nvidia GPUs when using "vegetation renderer > indirect". It's temporarily fixed by restarting the game. It's permanently fixed by setting "vegetation renderer > instanced" in "options > graphics > advanced settings".

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STUTTER AT ALL TIMES

aor has become quite stable over the years, so the most likely culprit behind stutter / hitching / tearing is incorrect frame rate - refresh rate sync settings.

There are 2 ways to deal with this:

1. use vsync
   
2. use adaptive sync - also known as variable refresh, gsync (Nvidia), freesync (AMD). Going forward in this Section I'll only use "adaptive sync" when I refer to any of these.

TL;DR: Use either vsync or adaptive sync and never both at the same time. Make sure that your frame rate in-game covers the required frame rate for vsync or adaptive sync respectively.

***

Measuring Frame Rate

Before you start troubleshooting stutter, you must be able to monitor your frame rate. I suggest using Steam's built-in FPS counter as it's the most non-intrusive and you're probably already using the Steam Overlay, which is required for the counter to work. This is assuming the Steam Overlay is not causing any performance issues for you.

To enable the counter follow these steps:

1. From "Steam > Settings > In Game tab" toggle on "Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game".
   
2. In the same "In Game tab" enable "In-game FPS counter" by selecting in which corner of the screen you want to see it. Optionally, you can toggle "In-game FPS counter high contrast color"
   
3. In your Steam Library right-click on art of rally and select Properties. In the "General tab" toggle on "Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game".

The FPS counter should show up in-game the next time you launch aor.

***

About vsync

For vsync to work, the lowest frame rate (fps) must be at least as high as the display's refresh rate (Hz) - 60Hz require at least 60 fps, 120Hz require at least 120 fps, etc. The maximum frame rate is always limited to the refresh rate value. For example, on a 120Hz monitor, when the frame rate drops under 120 fps you'll start seeing stutter, and when it goes above 120 fps it will be capped at 120. When vsync is enabled, the framerate cap option in-game is ignored.

***

About adaptive sync

If both the monitor and the GPU support it, adaptive sync will allow for smooth image even at low frame rates. Any frame rate above 50 fps should be fine. For example, on a 120Hz display gameplay will be smooth even with only 60-70 fps in-game. However, the maximum frame rate is not capped with adaptive sync. In order to avoid high temepratures on powerful hardware consider setting a "framerate cap" from "options > graphics" in-game.

***

Using adaptive sync

Disabling vsync in-game may be enough. If it's not, try to follow the steps in order:

1. Mixing standards (e.g. freesync monitor and g-sync GPU) is fine, but if this is your first time setting up adaptive sync, be sure to confirm online if your monitor and GPU are compatible.
   
2. Disable vsync in-game from "options > graphics"
   
3. Disable vsync in GPU control panel
   
4. Disable vsync forced by other software (if applicable)
   
5. Enable adaptive sync in GPU control panel
   
6. Enable adaptive sync in monitor settings (if applicable)
   
7. Go to "Windows Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Change default graphics settings > Toggle ON Variable refresh rate" (possibly Windows 11 only)

***

Using vsync

1. Enable vsync in-game from "options > graphics"
   
2. Disable framerate cap in-game from "options > graphics" (set it to ∞).
   
   Optionally, to force vsync, in the GPU Control Panel you could also:
   
3. Go to "Windows Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Change default graphics settings > Toggle OFF Variable refresh rate" (possibly Windows 11 only)
   
4. Disable adaptive sync in your GPU control panel
   
5. Set vsync to "off, unless application specifies" or "always enabled" in your GPU control panel
   
6. Disable adaptive sync from monitor settings and enable vsync (if applicable)
   
   If the frame rate is solid, but appears capped at a lower value than the refresh rate, also:
   
7. Disable framerate cap in other software (if applicable)
   
8. Disable framerate cap in GPU control panel (if applicable)
   
9. Check in Windows Display Settings and the GPU control panel if you're using a custom resolution and a custom refresh rate

***

Important notes:
GPU control panels usually have global options, but also allow creating custom profiles for each application. When changing settings in the GPU control panel make sure you're changing the correct settings. The same applies when using third party software that can control the GPU.
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OPTIMIZING GRAPHICS

Despite its minimalist looks aor relies a lot on effects, which require powerful hardware once you start pushing for higher frame rates and resolutions. For best results consider using custom graphics settings instead of the default "auto".

To make sure performance will be consistent, before you begin, pick a resource heavy in-game area. I recommend the first 15 sec of Grunnfor -reverse (Norway) and "weather > sunset".

You can change the graphics settings from "options > graphics". Take your time to select the ones that give you best performance. Don’t be afraid to try different combinations!
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USEFUL NOTES ABOUT THE GRAPHICS SETTINGS

quality	lowering quality lowers the LOD, which leads to trees popping in closer to the car. If you use "distance blur" you can set "quality" to "medium", but if not, I recommend "high"
anti-aliasing	best pick depends on your system; TAA is the smoothest AA, and especially good for low resolutions; TAA's drawback is that in some spots it causes flickering in the water outline.
ambient occlusion	adds a bit more depth to objects; uses less resources than shadows
film grain	along with TAA makes image a bit smoother for lower resolutions
shadow resolution	moving up from medium to high has the biggest hit on performance
shadow distance	set shadow distance to highest - depending on your hardware lower settings may use more resources; setting shadow distance to "none" turns off shadows completely;
vegetation distance	lower uses more cpu, higher uses more gpu.
crowd density	virtually no performance impact; may need to adjust for old or integrated GPUs
particle quality	virtually no performance impact; may need to adjust for old or integrated GPUs
vegetation renderer	indirect or instanced - use whichever works better for you; indirect is the default and has higher LOD (less tree pop in), but can cause stutter on some Nvidia systems;

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STEAM DECK

Here's a settings suggestion for the Steam Deck to balance visual experience and performance. These settings should also work well on other machines with equivalent hardware.

1. Use launch parameter -force-vulkan

2. In "options > graphics"

• fullscreen > windowed fullscreen
  
• vsync > on
  
• framerate cap > ∞
  
• resolution > 1280 x 800 (lower resolutions are probably also fine)
  
• quality > high
  
• run in background, vegetation cutout - personal preference

3. In "options > graphics > advanced settings"

• anti-aliasing > taa
  
• ambient occlusion > low
  
• volumetric light > low
  
• shadow resolution > medium
  
• shadow distance > highest
  
• vegetation distance > medium
  
• vegetation renderer > instanced (only option with Vulkan)
  
• bloom, distance blur, film grain, motion blur, crowd density, particle density - personal preference, but only if you have performance (fps) to spare

4. The above should give you decent graphics and 60 fps. If you want to bump up the visuals or save some battery and don't mind lowering the frame rate, you could do that as well. The Steam Deck Settings allow you to set the display refresh rate. Since vsync adjusts the frame rate to the refresh rate with "vsync > on" you'll still get smooth gameplay even at lower frame rates. That said, I recommend staying above 45 Hz / 45 fps.
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MISC PERFORMANCE TIPS

POSSIBLE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS

Each setup is unique, so the optimal settings for one machine are different for another. Below are some possible fixes in no particular order. Before trying them, please restart your computer!

General Advice

• Make sure there's no CPU/GPU throttling going on (due to software, temperatures, etc.)
  
• Make sure no software is running in the background using up resorces or causing trouble
  
• Make sure hardware usage (e.g. CPU, GPU, etc. in Task Manager) is not at 100% and that there is no high HDD/SSD read/write latency.
  
• If the stutter appeared recently, but aor hasn't been updated in a while, check online for reports about the latest OS and driver updates causing issues.
  
• In-game in "options > graphics" try different "fullscreen" settings. Popular choices that fix stutter are "exclusive fullscreen" and "windowed fullscreen".
  
• Disable any overlay: Steam overlay, GOG Galaxy overlay, RTSS, Afterburner etc. - try to disable them for at least one gaming session, restart the game and see if it runs better.
  
• Steam only. Enable "Shader Pre-Caching" from "Steam > Settings > Downloads". Vulkan users may benefit from also enabling "background processing of Vulkan shaders".
  
• If you have a dual-GPU laptop or desktop PC, make sure the game is using the more powerful GPU - the dedicated one, not the integrated.

Windows Specific Advice

• Use launch parameter -window-mode exclusive. If this doesn't help make sure to remove it!
  
• In the Nvidia Control Panel set "low latency mode > ultra". The equivalent setting in old versions is "max pre-rendered frames > use application settings".
  
• Windows 11 only. Go to "Windows Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors" and uncheck the option "Show seconds in system tray clock (uses more power)".
  
• Disable Windows Game Mode
  
• Disable Xbox Game Bar and stop it from running in the background
  
• Disconnect all wireless controllers and connect only 1 via cable. It's a known bug that some Xbox controllers can cause stutter in games when connected wirelessly. This should be fixed in the latest Windows Updates, but it's worth keeping in mind when troubleshooting.
  
• Make sure "Compatibility Mode" is disabled on the .exe file for art of rally.
  
• Go to "Windows Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Change default graphics settings" (possibly Windows 11 only). There are 2 options there that may help: "Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling" and "Optimization for windowed games".

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CRASHES

CRASHES AT LAUNCH

If art of rally crashes at launch, try the following:

1. Restart your computer.
   
2. Verify the game's installation from the platform launcher (e.g. Steam, GOG Galaxy, Epic)
   
3. Make sure resource usage of your hardware is not at 100% (e.g. in Task Manager)
   
4. Make sure your swap / page file is working and you have enough free disk space.
   
5. Clear Windows Temp and Temporary Files. You can run Disc Cleanup as Administrator or in Windows 11 from "Windows Settings > Storage > Cleanup recommendations".
   
6. Clear Steam Cache. Go to Steam > Settings > Downoads tab > toggle off Enable Shader pre-caching (and "Allow background processing of Vulkan shaders" if enabled) and then toggle it back on. In the Downloads tab also click on "Clear Download Cache".
   
7. Backup your save data folder, uninstall aor, and then reinstall it.
   
8. Make sure other software is not causing crashes (e.g. try disabling Discord's hardware acceleration, Steam overlay, Gefore Experience Instant Replay etc.)

If none of the above helps, please collect the crash dump and error logs, and contact the team.
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CRASHES DURING GAMEPLAY

Please collect the crash dump and error logs, and contact the team.
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STUCK ON EXIT

This issue has been fixed in v1.4.4. If aor still hangs for you when you quit from main menu or close it with ALT+F4, the next time this happens, please collect the Player.log files and contact the team.

BLANK SCREEN

BLANK SCREEN AT LAUNCH

If you're greeted by an empty screen - light or dark - when you launch aor, you may need to update your Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package. Latest version (the Visual Studio 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022 package) can be found here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/2977003/the-latest-supported-visual-c-downloads Install both x86 and x64.
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BLACK SCREEN IN-GAME

If you've created a bunch of custom resolutions in the GPU control panel, and select in-game a resolution unsupported by your display and "fullscreen > exclusive" you could see a black screen. To fix this either press left/right to go back to the last working resolution or press ALT+ENTER to switch to window mode and restore visibility of the game.

If you want to use unsupported resolutions no matter what, check if there's a "resolution scaling" setting in your GPU control panel, and try changing it from "monitor" to "GPU". YMMV, though.
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WIPED SAVE

If it appears that you've lost game progress, do not panic!

1. Immediately backup the aor save folder including Player.log and Player-prev.log. Be sure to do this before attempting to restore the save data and before launching the game again!
   
2. Next, look in the aor save folder. There should be files with "previous" in their names - these are backups the game regularly creates of the "career" and "SaveGame.json" files.
   
3. To fix your save data you only need to swap the "career" or "SaveGame.json" file with the corresponding "previous" file. In Linux and macOS use the correct letter capitalization.

If you're still having trouble, feel free to contact the team, but make sure you have the logs and the backup of your save folder mentioned above.
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MULTIPLE MONITORS

If you have a dual- or a multi-monitor setup and aor keeps minimizing or crashing when using the adjacent monitor while the game is running, here's the fix:

1. Add -popupwindow launch parameter.
   
2. In-game in graphics settings set "fullscreen > window" and for "resolution" set your native resolution, so you can play in full screen.

This fix also applies to using multiple desktops (Windows / Linux) on one monitor.
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SOUND AND AUDIO

NO SOUND IN-GAME

It's been reported that on Mac Minis (M1, M2) there is no sound in some games when MS Teams is installed. Removing the Teams extra audio driver from "/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL/MSTeamsAudioDevice.driver" resolves the issue (you can just move the file to another folder). Do this at your own risk!
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NO SOUND AT ALL

If you don't have sound at all on your machine after launching aor it's an issue on your end. Try:

1. Restart your computer.
   
2. Make sure the correct default audio device is selected in your OS System Settings.
   
3. Some controllers (e.g. Xbox, PS) support audio output and they could take over the default audio device when you launch the game and the controller is activated. To test if this is the cause, disconnect all your controllers and restart your computer, then launch aor.

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CONTROLLERS AND WHEELS

INPUT LAG

Input lag has been reported only by console players, but the same tips apply to all platforms.

1. If your controller is connected wirelessly, try connecting it via cable.
   
2. Try a different controller. Reportedly, on Xbox Series X an OS bug is causing input lag with some Series controllers and using a different (e.g. XBONE) controller resolves the issues.
   
3. Try changing the display settings. Especially, if you're using a TV. Try enabling or disabling "Game / FPS mode" or "variable refresh rate" from the display / monitor OSD settings.

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VIBRATION NEVER STOPS

This is a known issue, and currently not possible to fix. The workaround is to set vibration in-game to 50% or more.
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CONTROLLER NOT DETECTED OR ONLY PARTIALLY WORKING

Before you look into any controller issues, make sure to disconnect any additional input devices like a second controller, a joystick, a wheel, etc. and then restart Steam and the game.

Controller support in-game depends a lot on how well the controllers are supported by the Operating System and some functionality may not work without extra drivers or at all (e.g. Xbox Series controllers have no vibration in MacOS). Even though there are very few reports of controllers not working in Windows, in Linux and MacOS your mileage may vary.

A way to work around compatibility issues is to use the extra controller support that Steam provides. If you have aor on GOG or Epic, you can add it to your Steam library as a non-Steam game and make use of Steam's advanced controller support.

Settings you can change:
1. In Steam Library right click on aor and select properties > go to Controller tab > use "Change override for art of rally" to enable or disable Steam Input.
2. In the Controller tab click on "Controller General Settings". From there you can enable / disable Steam Input individually which will affect how your controller is recognized by the game. You can also install additional drivers like the "Xbox Extended Feature Support Driver". However, be careful to not enable support for too many brands, as it may result in worse compatibility. To add ot this, these settings are not always intuitive. For example, players reported that disabling Steam Input for Swich Pro and enabling it for Xbox or PS resulted in a Switch Pro type of controllers working better.
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WHEELS

On PC steering wheels generally work, but there aren't mappings for all of them, so buttons sometimes don't work. There is no force feedback even on supported wheels.

Same as for controllers, before you use a wheel, disconnect all other controllers, joystics etc. and restart Steam and aor.

If your wheel is not recognized, you could try passing the wheel through a controller emulator like x360ce. Your mileage may vary, though.

On consoles wheels are not supported.
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WINDOWS

DIRECTX12

aor no longer supports DX12 officially. You can still try it with launch parameter "-force-d3d12".
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WINDOWS UPDATE

Windows 10/11 updates are no longer causing extreme performance loss (at least for most people), so keeping your system up to date is advisable. Still, stay vigilant.
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DSR and VSR

Dynamic Super Resolution (Nvidia) or Virtual Super Resolution (AMD) can be enabled from the GPU control panel and allow using resolutions higher than native, e.g. 4K on a 1080p monitor.

To use DSR / VSR in aor without changing your desktop resolution (e.g. 4K in-game on a 1080p desktop) go to "options > graphics" and set the “fullscreen” option to “exclusive fullscreen”.
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WINDOWS STORE VERSION (XBOX for PC)

* Depending on your Windows 10/11 update the Xbox app will have some dependencies like Gaming Services, Xbox Console Companion, etc. Make sure all those are up to date and healthy.
* After a Windows update, If you're having trouble using the Xbox online functionality on PC (e.g. achievements), try to log out of all the Xbox related apps and then log back in.
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LINUX

VULKAN

Vulkan may improve performance and smoothness. Run the game with launch parameter "-force-vulkan". With Vulkan the only available "vegetation renderer" option is "instanced".
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PROTON

Proton will run the Windows version of the game through a compatibility layer. There's usually a small loss of performance, but depending on your setup some games might run smoother.

To enable Proton "Enable Steam Play for supported titles" from Steam > Settings > Compatibility. Then right click on aor in your Library > select Properties > in the Compatibility tab click the check box and select a Proton version. I've had good experience with 7 and 8.
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macOS

NO CROWDS

Crowds don't work in macOS. It's an OS limitation and up to Apple to improve support.
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APPLE SILICON

art of rally doesn't officially support Apple Silicon (M1, M2, etc.), but as of the v1.3.4 update the game should work well and without issues. However, setting resolutions above 900p on the M1 8GB models doesn't work as smoothly, as the GPU is reportedly bottlenecked by Rosetta.
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CROSSOVER

Reportedly, the Windows version of art of rally runs well in CrossOver 22 (including crowds).
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Appendix A - contacts

If you'd like to share a fix or have any questions about this guide, feel free to comment below.

The best way to submit a report is to email the team at: support (at) funselektor (dot) com

For a more immediate dialogue consider joining the official Funselektor Discord[discord.gg].

The team also keep an eye on Steam's General Discussions and that's a great place to ask the community for help. However, if you find a cheat / exploit, please do NOT share it on the forum here! Instead either notifiy a mod on Discord or directly email the team.

And don't forget to take a look at the How to Report a Bug instructions!
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Appendix B - logs and save data locations

SAVE DATA AND LOGS

The error log files are Player.log and Player-prev.log. If you encounter an issue in-game it's best to immediately make a copy of the error logs before they are overwritten.

The name of the save folder is different for each platform. It's cloud for Steam, GOG_cloud for GOG, EOS_cloud for Epic, and Save for GOG Linux. The save data consists of: SaveGame.json, career, Leaderboards.txt, Ghosts.txt, and some backup files for career and SaveGame.json.

Windows save data and logs:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Funselektor Labs\art of rally

Linux save data and logs:

~/.config/unity3d/Funselektor Labs/art of rally/

Linux Proton save data and logs (default path Ubuntu 22.04):

~/.steam/debian-installation/steamapps/compatdata/550320/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/LocalLow/Funselektor Labs/Art of Rally/

Mac logs:

~/Library/Logs/Funselektor Labs/art of rally

Mac save files (one of these folders):

~/Library/Application Support/unity.Funselektor Labs.ArtofRally/
~/Library/Application Support/Funselektor Labs/Art of Rally/

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LIVERIES

The custom liveries can be found in "artofrally_Data/StreamingAssets/Liveries/" in your art of rally installation folder. Alternatively, you can open the folder from the main menu in-game from "mods > view installed mods".
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SCREENSHOTS

Screenshots taken in photo mode in aor are saved in the same location as the save data. You can also open the folder from main menu in-game by going to "extras > screenshots".

Screenshots taken by the platform (e.g. Steam, GOG Galaxy) are saved in a different location managed by the platform. Look up online where those are and how to change the location.
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Appendix C - crash dump

If art of rally is crashing and you want to help the team fix the issue, you could provide the crash dumps (logs).

In Windows crash dumps can be found in this location:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp\Funselektor Labs\art of rally\Crashes

There you’ll find folders with all recent crash dumps. Each folder is named after the date and time the crash occurred and includes the corresponding Player.log as well. Please archive (e.g. .zip file) the whole folder and send it to the dev team.

You can contact the team here, on Discord or by email at support at funselektor dot com.
Discord link: https://discord.com/invite/TcRCrnh

Appendix D - launch parameters

• Steam: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=1040-JWMT-2947
  
• GOG Galaxy: https://support.gog.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013424697-How-to-set-Launch-parameters-for-game?product=gog

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Appendix E - changelog

Last major guide update 2023.09.30 (currently in progress)

• bringing guide up to date with aor v1.4.4 and recent Steam changes
  
• cleaning up all sections, and removing notes that are out of date or no longer applicable
  
• adding more tips and fixes across the board

Note: I decided to retire the changelog, as it's no longer necessary for the following reasons:

1. aor has become quite stable at this point and most issues are NOT caused by the game.
   
2. Hence there's not much new to add and there are no frequent updates to keep track of.
   
3. Due to 1. and 2. this is the last major update. I'll wrap it up when next aor location is out.

Appendix F - acknowledgements

Many thanks for the help from:

Discord users: fidelio, goodnews, thematic, Colorcat, TeamPuzel, R3d Baron

[Patatas]

Thanks a lot, now I can finally play that game without stutters!

[Ofuscor]

I was having crashes on startup time and time again. Disabling Instant Replay from GeForce Experience solved it.

[miketsukami bo.]

Thank you! I hope it's useful!

[Mikauo_Xblade]

Wow this is the biggest guide i have ever seen, respect for making it.