Dirt Rally 2.0 Optimal Settings

AndrewUK1990 · September 25, 2019, 6:02pm

Hello everyone, this is my belated post for my reccomended settings to enjoy Dirt Rally 2.0 using either the Pimax 5k+ or 8k in VR. My reccomended settings post for the OG Dirt Rally can be found here: https://community.openmr.ai/t/dirt-rally-settings-5k-update-thread/20967

First of all, current Nvidia and Pimax drivers at the time of writing are:

Nvidia Drivers 436.02
Pitool Version 1.0.1.180 Beta

My system specs:
Intel i7 5820k @ 4.4ghz
16gb 2800mhz ram
GTX 1080Ti with no power limit bios at 2000mhz core

Nvidia CP Settings:

Pitool Settings

Note for colour channels, I use +1 contrast on red and green, but 0 on blue. Brightness is left at 0 on all channels. If you increase contrast or brightness too much, you will experience wash out due to the overuse of HDR in dirt rally 2.0, especially on swedish stages.

For dirt rally 2.0 in game settings, please download my hardware settings file and either copy in all of the settings into your file (id reccomend backing up yours first) or just replace you existing one. The file will be located in “\Documents\My Games\DiRT Rally 2.0\hardwaresettings”. HARDWARE SETTINGS FILE

Something to note as well, find the exe file and make sure to set it to “run this program as an administrator”. This should stop the bug in game which causes multiple USB inputs to ping every 3 seconds causing a huge periodic CPU spike. You will know if this problem effects you as it causes the smart smoothing to artifact every 3 seconds due to the peaking CPU load. It may need to be rechecked if steam updates the exe file so keep this in mind if it starts pinging the USB’s again in future.

A final note: My settings are based on my hardware, I only use smart smoothing because it helps me achieve good graphics and there is very minimal artifacting with this game so long as the CPU and GPU can keep up, sometimes “sunset” stages can overload the GPU a little at times but otherwise its fine. If you have a 2080ti then I would reccomend using FFR and trying to disable smart smoothing and perhaps run a lower refresh rate such as 72Hz. If you can maintain this framerate this would be excellent, for those with a 1080Ti or lower (and therefore no FFR option at the time of writing, then smart smoothing is a useful tool).

For an explanation of why certain specific settings are critical to turn off or low, see my OG dirt rally thread linked at the start of this post - many of the settings carry over and still have a very similar impact to framerate.

Hope this helps everyone, sorry for the late post! Any questions let me know.

cazman321 · September 25, 2019, 8:06pm

Running as Admin fixes the CPU spikes?! The hardcore DiRT players haven’t even figured that out yet… i’l have to try this when i get home

Martyn · September 27, 2019, 3:02pm

Manay thanks for detailed guide, but unfortunately those settings do not work out for me, “flickering” is even worse and stages with lot of vegetation are almost unplayable…
What helped me a lot was MSAA to as much as possible (altrough it is very gpu hungry so necessary to lower some details) but it is playable at leaset…
I think i have something set badly because i can´t imagine anybody playing with CMAA only (at my headset)…
Still think Dirt Rally 1 looks better atm…
What´s your steam SS btw?
Thanks, Martin.

AndrewUK1990 · September 27, 2019, 6:38pm

Yes it works for me. As I mentioned I sometimes need to reapply it if the game updates but it does stop the 3s usb pinging.

AndrewUK1990 · September 27, 2019, 6:40pm

That’s a shame, I’m not sure why it would look so bad? Not sure if anyone else has any ideas? Mine still has aliasing and shimmering on vegetation but it’s not bad enough to be distracting while driving. I only notice it a little while stationary at the start.

I run 100% SS on Steam.

Martyn · September 27, 2019, 6:49pm

Yup exactly on start it is worst, but at some forest stages (germany, new zealand) it is very bothering even while driving.
Well i will try to adjust steam ss because i have much lower (thus i need to apply msaa to look it okish i guess).
Thanks:)

cazman321 · September 27, 2019, 6:51pm

Seemed like it worked on my Pimax but not my Index. Have to keep messing around I guess.

AndrewUK1990 · September 29, 2019, 3:16pm

Try this fix:

github.com

simonowen/dirtfix/blob/master/ReadMe.md

# DirtFix (DiRT Input Glitch Fixer) v1.6

## Introduction

Recent Codemasters "DiRT" series games check for game controller changes every
2 seconds, which can cause a spike in frame times, leading to gameplay glitches.
DirtFix suspends this background polling to eliminate the glitches it causes.

### Affected games
- DiRT Rally
- DiRT 4
- GRID Autosport

### Fixed games
- DiRT Rally 2.0 (resolved in v1.10.1)

So far Codemasters seem unwilling to apply the known fix to older titles. If
you're unhappy with that, be sure to let them know your opinion:

- Web: [Codemasters Community - General Discussion](https://forums.codemasters.com/forum/16-general-discussion/)

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Mekis · September 30, 2019, 7:42am

OMG! On normal view I get stable 90, on large 80-90 fps. You made a great job. Thank you.

dogbite · October 1, 2019, 4:39pm

Tried DirtFix as DR1 was losing my Logitech Momo settings when playing DR2 and then going to DR1, It fixed that behavior.
Downside was DR2’s FFB became much weaker. I was able to select another wheel option (I think I went from “device driver” to "default or something) got my FFB strength back it 2, but that then it knocked out my DR1 wheel.

Going to Logitech’s control panel, I saw my tick boxes were all disabled. Re-enabled and FFB was back, but when I exited the LCP all they settings didn’t save and no wheel.
Uninstalled DirtFix and DR2, but had to go to an earlier Windows registry restore point to stop the behavior.

Mlkconcept · October 1, 2019, 5:46pm

You can fix this bug with USBDeview, disabling both Vive controllers once DR2 starts, and maybe another USB-HID
Dirtfix works fine for me, some minor problems with TSS that finally I could fix

DrWilken · November 1, 2019, 8:12pm

FYI - This was just released:

Hardware:

Resolved issues where game would periodically stutter when USB input devices are connected, in some specific scenarios.

Ludiks · December 28, 2019, 2:53am

Hi,
Just got the game with the Steam sales as a fair price.
Did not try it yet with my wheel, just tried it quickly with gamepad so see how it runs.
And…not sure what to think about it…text is barely readable but I have kind of no depth in game, which make the experience…wierd.
Will try it tomorrow with wheel and might try other settings but…for now I am somehow disapointed

dogbite · December 28, 2019, 3:44am

I’ve actually had a change of heart with DR2. Since they optimized the game my ffb is now correct on my wheel and the sim runs quite well.
PT 149R255 PT1 Normal fov 72Hz No Smooth. Can’t turn up all the graphics but managed to get a decent visual and stay smooth. That I couldn’t do in heavy rain with PT 180.

neal_white_iii · December 28, 2019, 4:23am

What is your monitor res? Some games size their text according to the monitor, not the VR res, so if your monitor res is high, try running the game in non-VR, reduce the in-game monitor res to 1080p or even 720p, and then try VR again.

MReis · December 28, 2019, 11:20am

Also the steam config hack made it better for me if I remember correctly, it’s my favorite Driving game, and I have spend a lot of racing time in it - PC2 is slower FPS wise for me and last time I tried asseto Competizione it seemed quite undone for VR.

Ludiks · December 28, 2019, 1:34pm

Thank you guys, will try this

Culver9 · December 28, 2019, 2:55pm

I have rtx 2080. FFR not working even with series 2000 gpu.

Also set your pitool image quality to 2 and in steam vr set resolutiom to ~3800 width.

It has been proven that pitool set to 2 and lower steam vr res will give you sharper image.

To reduce shimmering on trees and plants set MSAA to 4.
Always use 90hz and smart smoothing on racing games. Set your details high enough to keep minimum 45fps.
72hz will make image blurry but 90hz with ss on is perfect.

Ludiks · December 28, 2019, 4:54pm

Ok…well I will not ask for a refund because it was not that expansive and maybe one day (once I calmed down) I will give it a change but OMFG it turned me crazy.
I have some very back luck recently with car sim, I wanted to run a live stream with ExpanSim, cant get the game to work on Pimax. So I gave up.
Then I wanted to make a livestream with DirtRally but I forgot (once everything was in place) that I couldnt record with pilot view since it was looking at the car ceilling and SteamVR window run at 2fps. So I gave up.
And with Steam sale I was like, ok I will give DirtRally 2 a chance, but it took me an hour to set up my wheel to work “correctly” and now the game just doesnt give me any sensations, no speed, camera seems just static on bumps (even with the camera shaking option thing)…wierd…I dont know what is wrong with me but I launched Dirt Rally just to check and it was MUCH better, real speed sensation etc etc…
Kind of tired to spend one hour setting it up when my window to play is not even that.

dogbite · December 28, 2019, 4:57pm

Not blurry at all on 72Hz here (can’t see a diff at 90). Also I find besides the artifacts, Smart Smoothing causes blurring and less sharpness in many titles. It can also introduce stutter. I can maintain 67-72 fps (my Momo wheel can chew up 4-5 fps when ffb is on)

I preferred DR1 over DR2 when performance was worse. An improvement patch by Codenasters and 10% fps increase by Pitool has reversed this. The physics in Dirt 2 is now much closer to my RL experience, I would say perfection lies somewhere in between (depending on track conditions), but DR2 is closer more often because of added fidelity in the physics.
Point here is the driving experience is best at optimum framerate and the graphics game settings “chips will fall where they may”.