Horizon 4 screen flickering

On the PC and Xbox consoles, Forza Horizon 4 has screen flickering and tearing issues. It appears that the affected players are already frustrated.

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It’s also worth noting that this problem is occurring on both the Windows and Xbox platforms. As a result, it becomes one of the most common issues among Forza Horizon 4 players. In most cases, the screen flickering or tearing issue is fixable, and we’ve shared a couple of possible workarounds for you that may come in handy. Screen shimmering or graphical glitches in-game can occur for a variety of reasons.

Forza Horizon 4 PC Screen Flickering or Tearing?

The screen flickering or tearing issue appears to be caused by a poor internet connection, graphics driver issues, in-game graphics settings, outdated system software, an outdated game version, game file issues, and so on. According to multiple reports, the specific screen-related issue appears mostly during in-game cutscenes or intro loading. To fix it, you’ll need to follow this troubleshooting guide.

Turn on V-Sync in the Nvidia Control Panel.

We recommend turning on the Vertical Sync (V-Sync) feature in the Nvidia Control Panel settings for PC gamers. If V-Sync is already turned on, make sure to turn it off and on again before double-checking it.

  1. From the Start menu, open the Nvidia Control Panel. If it isn’t already installed, go to the Microsoft Store and install it.
  2. Navigate to 3D Settings > Manage 3D settings in the Nvidia Control Panel interface.
  3. Choose Program Settings > Select Forza Horizon 4 from the list of programs on your PC and click Add.

If the game application isn’t listed, click Browse and navigate to the Forza Horizon 4 installation directory on the drive. Simply navigate to the Forza Horizon 4 folder on your PC and launch the ForzaHorizon4.exe application > Make sure to select and install the game from the list.

Now, scroll down to Vertical Sync > Click on it and choose On to enable it. This will force the Forza Horizon 4 game to always use V-Sync.

Restart your computer to apply the changes and play the game again to check for the problem.

Experiment with lowering the in-game graphics settings.

To begin, try lowering the in-game graphics settings on your PC or console to see if that helps to resolve the frame drops or stuttering issues. Turn off some of the Forza Horizon 4 game’s display settings, such as texture details, shadow effect, v-sync, anti-aliasing, and so on. This should improve FPS and gameplay performance/smoothness.

Install the latest GPU drivers.

Outdated graphics drivers on a Windows PC can sometimes cause problems with system performance. To accomplish this:

  1. To access the Quick Link Menu, press the Windows + X keys together.
  2. Now, from the list, select Device Manager > Double-click on Display Adapters.
  3. Right-click on the dedicated graphics card you’re using and select Properties.
  4. Next, choose Update driver > Search automatically for drivers.
  5. If there is an update available, the system will automatically download & install it.
  6. When finished, restart the computer to make the changes take effect immediately.

Close Unnecessary Background Tasks

You can also try closing unnecessary background tasks on your computer to fix performance-related issues. Sometimes background processes can eventually eat up a lot of system resources which can cause several issues or screen flickering. To accomplish this:

  1. Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on the Processes tab > Select the task that you want to close.
  3. Once selected, click on End Task. Make sure to do the steps for each task individually.

Finally, just restart your computer to change effects immediately, and check for the Forza Horizon 4 screen flickering or screen tearing issue.

Check Your Internet Connection

Ensure to check the internet connection at your end because issues with the network connectivity can trigger screen tearing or flickering issues. A slow or unstable internet connection can bring game launching or server connectivity issues. You should try switching the wired (ethernet) internet connection to wireless (Wi-Fi) or vice versa to cross-check the network connectivity problem.

If in case, your IP address has some DNS address-related issues, then make sure to use the Google DNS address (public DNS) on the PC’s internet configuration settings to avoid rubber-banding connection or server connectivity issues.

Update Forza Horizon 4

An outdated or corrupted game version can eventually cause issues with the game launching and graphical glitches on the PC. It’s better to check for the game update and install the latest version always before going to any conclusion. The latest patch updates can mostly bring new features and bug fixes with stability improvements. To update your game:

  1. Open the Steam client > Go to Library > Click on Forza Horizon 4 from the left pane.
  2. It’ll automatically search for the available update. If there is an update available, make sure to click on Update.
  3. It may take some time to install the update > Once done, make sure to close the Steam client.

Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes and launch the game again.

Verify Integrity of Game Files

A corrupted or missing game file can always trouble PC gamers to launch or run the game properly. Sometimes the game though launches without any specific error notice, it doesn’t run smoothly and crashes unexpectedly. Make sure to verify the integrity of game files on your PC before trying anything else. To do that:

  1. Launch Steam > Click on Library.
  2. Right-click on Forza Horizon 4 from the list of installed games.
  3. Now, click on Properties > Go to Local Files.
  4. Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
  5. You’ll have to wait for the process until it gets completed.
  6. Once done, just restart your computer.

Set High Performance in Power Options

The chances are high that your Windows computer is running on the Balanced mode in Power Options. If that’s true then make sure to set the High-Performance mode for enhanced system performance. However, this mode can consume more power or battery juice than expected. To do this:

  1. Click on the Start Menu > Type Control Panel and click on it from the search result.
  2. Now, go to Hardware and Sound > Select Power Options.
  3. Click on High Performance to select it.
  4. Make sure to close the window and fully shut down your computer. To do this, click on the Start Menu > Go to Power > Shut Down.
  5. Once your computer is fully turned off, you can power it on again.

 High Priority in Task Manager

You should always try setting the specific task or program as a high priority in Task Manager to ensure your Windows system is capable to run the particular task properly by allotting enough system resources. To do that:

  1. Right-click on the Start Menu > Select Task Manager.
  2. Click on the Processes tab > Right-click on the Forza Horizon 4 game task.
  3. Select Set Priority to High > Close Task Manager.

Finally, run the Forza Horizon 4 game to check if the screen flickering or screen tearing issue is still bothering you or not.

Update Windows

An outdated Windows version can trigger issues with the system’s performance or stability in most scenarios. If you haven’t updated your Windows build for a while, follow the steps below to do the same. It’ll not only include new features but also enhance performance and stability.

  1. Press the Windows + I keys to open up the Windows Settings menu.
  2. Next, click on Update & Security > Select Check for updates under the Windows Update section.
  3. If there is a feature update available, select Download and install.
  4. It may take a while to complete the update.
  5. Once done, restart your computer to install the update.

Fix: Forza Horizon 4 Screen Flickering or Tearing on Xbox Consoles

If in case, you’re using an Xbox Series console then you can perform the following methods below. To do so:

Check System Updates

We’ll highly recommend you check for system updates on the Xbox console before jumping into any other getting into any other workarounds because an outdated system version can trigger screen-related issues whatsoever. To do so:

  1. Press the Home button on the Xbox console to open the Dashboard menu.
  2. Now, select Settings from the bottom of the menu > Select All Settings.
  3. Choose to System > Select Updates.
  4. Select Update Console (if available) > Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the update process.

Once done, make sure to restart the console to apply changes.

Update Forza Horizon 4

You should also update the game version on your console to ensure there is no issue with the game files. An outdated or corrupted game can easily trigger multiple issues whatsoever. To do so:

  1. Go to the My Games and Apps section of your Dashboard menu.
  2. Select Manage > Go to Updates.
  3. If your Forza Horizon 4 game has any available updates, you can find them easily.
  4. Make sure to select the update process and press the A button on the controller to start it.

Note: It’s worth recommending to go to the Settings page > Choose to Systems > Select Updates to make your game update automatically whenever the console is connected to the internet.

Power Cycle your Xbox Console

It’s worth mentioning to perform a power cycle method on your Xbox console to ensure there is no issue with the device firmware or glitch. A normal reboot might not work in most cases and requires a power cycle process to clear out temporary glitches or cache data issues. To do this:

  1. Power Off the Xbox console > Unplug the power cable from the console and power source.
  2. Now, wait for around 30 seconds, and then plug back the power cable in.
  3. Make sure to turn on the Xbox console and check whether the screen flickering issue has been fixed or not.

Reinstall the Game

You should also try uninstalling and reinstalling the Forza Horizon 4 game on your Xbox console. Once done, make sure to reinstall it on the Xbox console to avoid game-related issues. To do this:

  1. Press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu.
  2. Select My Games and Apps > Hit See all > Choose to Games.
  3. Then select the Ready to install tab > Select Queue.
  4. Select the Forza Horizon 4 game that you’re trying to reinstall.
  5. Now, press the Menu button on your controller.
  6. Select Manage game & add-ons or Manage app.
  7. Choose Forza Horizon 4 > Select Uninstall all.
  8. Make sure to select Uninstall all to confirm the task.
  9. Wait for the uninstallation process to complete.
  10. Reboot the system to apply changes.
  11. Then press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu again.
  12. Hit My Games and Apps > Select See all > Go to Games.
  13. Select the Ready to install tab > Hit Install for Forza Horizon 4.
  14. Wait for the installation process and then restart the console.

Reset the Console

If the above methods didn’t work for you then make sure to follow the steps below to simply reset the console manually. By doing so, you can easily clear out system glitches or cache data issues from your console whatsoever. To do so:

  1. Press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu.
  2. Select Profile & system > Go to Settings > Select System.
  3. Go to Console info > Select Reset console.
  4. You’ll get a prompt like Reset your console.

Here you should select Reset and remove everything. [This will delete all user data including accounts, saved games, settings, all installed apps & games, etc]

Although you can choose to Reset and keep my games & apps, it may not gonna resolve the issue in most cases.

After you select the option, your Xbox console starts deleting and resetting the system to the factory default settings.

Wait for the process to get completed then reboot the console.

That wraps things up, guys. We sincerely hope you found this tutorial to be useful. If you have any further questions, please comment below.

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