Optimal Project CARS 2 Settings: Fine-Tune Your Sim for Real Driving Feel

Introduction: Don’t Let Default Settings Hold You Back

Project CARS 2 sits at the intersection of realism and accessibility. With support for a wide range of input devices, triple screens, VR, and dynamic weather, it has all the ingredients for immersive sim racing. But to experience it like a professional simulator—not an arcade game—you’ll need to reconfigure it from the ground up.

This guide will walk you through the optimal settings across all major areas:

• Field of View (FOV)
• Cockpit camera configuration
• Graphics and performance
• Force Feedback (FFB)
• VR calibration
• Controller and pedal setup
• UI and audio cleanup

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1. Field of View (FOV): Set It First, or Everything Else Falls Apart

Project CARS 2 uses horizontal FOV (HFOV), and supports triple monitors and VR natively. Your default FOV will almost certainly be too wide or narrow.

How to Set FOV:

• Navigate to:
  Options > Camera > Field of View
• Enter the FOV value from our FOV Calculator

Approximate Ranges:

Setup	FOV
Single 27” Monitor @ 70cm	58–62°
Ultrawide 34” Monitor @ 80cm	75–85°
Triple 27” Monitors @ 60cm	90–105°
VR Headset	Automatically handled by headset projection

🔍 Note: Too wide FOV = distorted depth, late braking
Too narrow = tunnel vision, poor situational awareness

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2. Cockpit Camera View – Lock in Your Driver’s Perspective

Go to:
Options > Camera > Cockpit Settings

Optimal Camera Settings:

• World Movement: 0% (prevents floating perspective)
• G-Force Effects: 0–5% for slight head motion realism
• Look to Apex: 0% (do not simulate head movement)
• Camera Shake: Off
• Helmet Camera: Off (unless used with VR for realism)

Seat Position:

Adjust until:

• Steering wheel on screen matches real wheel
• Dash and mirrors are clearly visible
• Horizon is level with eye-line

This setup helps your brain anchor speed and distance without subconscious disorientation.

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3. Graphics Settings – Consistent > Beautiful

Project CARS 2 is visually rich, but visual stability matters more than visual drama.

Best Settings:

Setting	Recommendation
Resolution	Native monitor (e.g., 2560×1440)
Refresh Rate	Match monitor (e.g., 144Hz)
V-Sync	Off (unless screen tearing)
Texture Resolution	High
Shadow Detail	Medium–High
Reflections	Off or Low (huge performance hit)
Post-Processing	Low–Medium
Anti-Aliasing	SMAA Medium or MSAA 2x–4x

⚠️ Dynamic Weather and Rain Effects are resource intensive. Enable only on powerful GPUs.

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4. Force Feedback (FFB) – From Floaty to Responsive

Project CARS 2 includes custom FFB tuning per car and input type.

Go to:
Options > Controls > Force Feedback

Suggested Base Settings:

Parameter	Value
Gain	85–100% (start at 90%)
Volume	50–60%
Tone	50–70% (higher = more detail)
FX	0–20% (adds kerb/road effects)

Tips:

• Avoid setting Gain too high—it causes clipping and removes detail
• Use FFB Meter (enabled via dev tools) to monitor for clipping
• Customize per car using Setup > Force Feedback settings

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5. VR Configuration – Fast, Focused, Fluid

Project CARS 2 supports native VR via SteamVR and Oculus.

VR Optimization Tips:

• Keep Pixel Density at 1.0 or adjust via OpenXR Toolkit
• Turn Post Processing Effects OFF for sharp visuals
• Use VR Low/Med Preset then manually increase:
  • Textures: High
  • Shadows: Off or Low
  • Reflections: Off
• Disable Depth of Field, Motion Blur, and Bloom
• Reduce Mirrors to static or off

🧠 Pro Tip: Disable UI elements in VR—use spotter and audio cues for awareness.

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6. Controls, Steering, and Pedal Input

Navigate to:
Options > Controls > Calibration

Steering Setup:

• Match your wheel’s rotation (e.g., 900°)
• Enable Soft Lock if your wheel supports it
• Set Deadzones to 0% (unless you notice signal noise)
• Turn off Speed Sensitivity for linear steering feel

Pedals:

• Calibrate throttle, brake, and clutch manually
• Use linear input curve (Gamma = 1.0)
• Disable ABS or Traction Assist unless you’re driving road cars

⚙️ Advanced Users: Use DIView or vJoy to remap or fine-tune input ranges if needed.

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7. Audio and HUD Cleanup

Audio Settings:

• Engine Volume: 90–100%
• Tyre Skid: 100%
• Opponent Volume: 60–80%
• Spotter: On for practice, Off for race (can delay decisions)

HUD:

• Toggle unnecessary widgets off (e.g., map, race info)
• Keep delta, lap time, gear, and relative boxes visible
• Customize HUD scale for ultrawide or VR

Use TAB or bind a hotkey to toggle HUD modes during live sessions.

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8. Advanced Settings and INI Tweaks

Edit graphicsconfigopen.xml or ffb_custom_settings.txt to:

• Disable unnecessary graphical threads
• Fine-tune FFB feel on specific hardware
• Apply triple-screen angle correction manually
• Set VR pre-rendering pipeline options

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Final Thoughts: Make It Yours—But Make It Real

Project CARS 2 can behave like a true sim or a casual racer—the difference lies in your settings. When you configure it correctly, it delivers:

• Natural depth perception
• Accurate force feedback
• Realistic car behavior
• Smooth and immersive visuals

Start by using our FOV Calculator to establish a real-world scale. Then tune your camera, inputs, and UI to eliminate distractions and enhance feel.

What you’ll unlock:

• Faster lap times
• Better consistency
• Less fatigue
• More immersion