The objective is to overwrite the standard Ultra preset XMLs with Visual Target variants to force a higher reflection “Roughness Cut-off” and enable full-scene RTGI during the benchmark.
1. Locating the Configuration XMLs
Unlike other titles where a single file manages everything, Forza Motorsport uses a “Scenario-based” XML system located in the game’s installation directory.
File Path (Steam):
C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\Forza Motorsport\Content\Media\PCFamily\RenderScenarios\
File Path (MS Store/Xbox App):
C:\XboxGames\Forza Motorsport\Content\Media\PCFamily\RenderScenarios\
2. The “Visual Target” Overwrite
Inside the RenderScenarios folder, you will see subfolders like Low, Medium, High, Ultra, and VisualTarget.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Navigate to the
VisualTargetfolder. - Select all
.xmlfiles (e.g.,race.xml,pit.xml,cinematic.xml). - Copy them into the
Ultrafolder, overwriting the existing files. - In the game’s Graphics menu, select the Ultra preset. It will now point to these high-precision “Visual Target” configurations.
3. Recommended Benchmark Precision Settings
To ensure your benchmark results are accurate and repeatable ($R_{repeat} > 98\%$), use the following manual overrides:
| Setting | Value | Technical Purpose |
| Ray Tracing Quality | Full Reflections + RTGI | Enables the 2026 RTGI path for realistic bounce lighting. |
| RTGI Quality | High / Ultra | Required to prevent “flickering” shadows in high-contrast areas. |
| Reflection Quality | Ultra | Complemented by the XML mod to increase reflection resolution. |
| Resolution Scale | 100% (Native) | Critical: Setting to “Auto” skews benchmark data via dynamic scaling. |
| Anisotropic Filtering | 16x | Ensures track textures remain sharp under heavy RT blurring. |
4. Technical Analysis: The “Roughness Cut-off”
The primary advantage of the XML mod is the increase in the Ray Tracing Roughness Cut-off.
- Standard Ultra: Only highly reflective surfaces (mirrors, car paint) get RT reflections.
- Visual Target XML: Extends RT reflections to “rougher” materials like leather dashboards, tire sidewalls, and wet asphalt.
- Performance Impact: This increases the BVH (Bounding Volume Hierarchy) traversal load on the GPU by approximately $25\%$, providing a true “torture test” for your hardware’s ray tracing cores.