How to get butter smooth cities in VR

[Dash,Polder]

Follow this guide and your city bog down troubles are probably gone, you won't even notice a frame drop flying over the roof tops.  This guy is clever and figure out what windows is doing, it's retarded and scanning every single texture file for security basically.

https://no6969el.github.io/iracing-x3d-tuning/

I ran the batch file, never even using Lasso, I've got process governor instead, and holy mackerel the cities are like they aren't even there anymore flying at roof tops.  Yeah, it almost sound to good to be true, but it works on my system.  9950X3D with 4090.  It won't work for every chip.  

Oh, this was posted in the Pimax beta forums, where I got the link.

 

[Husar]

So if one have  Single-CCD X3D the Defender exclusions and GPU interrupts off the sim's core would be the fix for cities ?

You of course have to change Defender exclusion script because it's for iRacing folders.

Edited Thursday at 07:32 AM by Husar

[Qcumber]

Sounds interesting. I will give it a try. 

[Husar]

We know that sim racing enthusiasts are obsessed with low latency. The changes they made may have reduced overall system and CPU load, leading to a better single-player experience, especially in scenarios where AI units heavily tax the simulation and create CPU bottlenecks, resulting in stuttering and lag.

https://rcsracing93.github.io/iracing-stutter-fix/

 

 

[Panzerlang]

Holy crap! 😮

FPS still went down but next to zero stuttering at rooftop level.

However, the game froze after I'd landed and turned off the engine, only a PC reboot could get me out. There was also a lot of graphical artifacting (flashing rectangular panels) in my headset. I've been having that previously, randomly, so I don't know if that's connected.

Off for another test!

[Panzerlang]

3 hours ago, Husar said:

So if one have  Single-CCD X3D the Defender exclusions and GPU interrupts off the sim's core would be the fix for cities ?

You of course have to change Defender exclusion script because it's for iRacing folders.

How does one modify the defender exclusion script please? I ran the tuneup bat and it says IRacing path cannot be found, seems to apply a bunch of other stuff, then auto closes.

[Husar]

43 minutes ago, Panzerlang said:

How does one modify the defender exclusion script please? I ran the tuneup bat and it says IRacing path cannot be found, seems to apply a bunch of other stuff, then auto closes.

Some tweaks are specific to Iracing, need to be changed manually.

 

Run in admin PowerShell

Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "path to il-2 Korea folder"

 

Edited Thursday at 11:15 AM by Husar

[Panzerlang]

Add-MpPreference-ExclusionPath : The term 'Add-MpPreference-ExclusionPath' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet,
function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the
path is correct and try again.
At line:1 char:1
+ Add-MpPreference-ExclusionPath D:\Program Files\IL2Series
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (Add-MpPreference-ExclusionPath:String) [], CommandNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CommandNotFoundException

Doesn't like it. 😞

[Panzerlang]

I added the exclusion via windows security.

[Panzerlang]

Test two. Had two instances of temporary game freeze and blacked-out headset early on but thereafter all perfect. I flew across the map, coast to coast, west>east, sun coming up, landscape and towns, villages and airfield buttery smooth. That was without the WD exclusion added.

HMOG though, does this 5090 get hot?! Literally hot enough to burn flesh (can't keep my fingertips on it longer than a second).

[Panzerlang]

Chat-GPT:

"

I'd really like to inspect the ZIP version because I'm curious which of those scripts is doing the heavy lifting on a 9800X3D + RTX 5090 + Crystal Super system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

scripts.zip

Zip Archive

 

 

Stopped thinking

I think we've found the smoking gun.

The Defender exclusion was probably not the main reason your VR became smooth.

1. Global Timer Resolution ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (this is the big one)

This script enables:

 

GlobalTimerResolutionRequests = 1

 

The author even explains why:

"Windows 11 only honors a game's high-resolution timer request while that game owns foreground focus. In VR, the compositor constantly steals focus from the sim window..."

That is specifically a VR problem.

With OpenXR/Pimax, the runtime and compositor are constantly involved. If Windows keeps dropping the timer back to 15.625 ms because the game briefly loses foreground ownership, you can get periodic frame-pacing hiccups even when FPS is unchanged.

This tweak restores the older behavior where a high-resolution timer request is honored globally.

For a VR user, this is by far the most interesting tweak in the package.

---

2. Pre-Race Quiet ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This one is much more aggressive than I expected.

It temporarily:

• Disables Windows Update services.
• Disables Update Orchestrator tasks.
• Disables Windows Search.
• Disables BITS.
• Disables Delivery Optimization.
• Disables Edge Update.
• Optionally disables Defender real-time protection.

The goal isn't more FPS—it's preventing Windows from deciding, "Now seems like a good time to scan for updates."

That absolutely can eliminate the random 5–10 minute hitches people sometimes see.

---

3. USB Selective Suspend

It also turns USB Selective Suspend OFF.

For someone running a Pimax Crystal Super, HOTAS, pedals, shakers, etc., that's actually sensible. You don't want Windows deciding to power-manage a USB device in the middle of a sortie.

---

One thing I don't like

This script also turns off Game Mode/Game Bar/Game DVR.

On older Windows 11 builds that sometimes helped.

On current Windows 11, especially with a 9800X3D, I'd be much less convinced. Microsoft has improved Game Mode considerably, and on X3D systems it can actually be beneficial. That part of the package feels more like an old tweak that's been carried forward.

---

My guess

From what you've told me:

"The smoothness was evident BEFORE I did the Defender exclusion."

I would bet the improvement came primarily from:

1. GlobalTimerResolutionRequests
2. Pre-Race Quiet
3. Defender being a smaller contributor

The fact that your FPS is still 38–65, yet the game feels dramatically smoother, is exactly what I'd expect from improving frame pacing, not increasing rendering performance.

And I have to say, the author seems to understand VR. That comment about the compositor stealing foreground focus isn't the sort of thing you see in generic "gaming optimization" scripts—it describes a real interaction between Windows timer behavior and VR runtimes. That's the part of the package I'd be least inclined to dismiss as placebo.

[Husar]

@Panzerlang good that you tested those yourself (I assumed you did not just post chatgpt answers )  I didn't have time yet. Just read what  author posted and what he thinks helped but looks like  benefit come from something else rather than WD scanning files in real time.

Edited Thursday at 01:11 PM by Husar

[Dash,Polder]

That makes sense, I did this fix a few days ago, probably why it worked out of the bag for me.

CFG Stutter fix.

Looks almost like the same racing group.  This one is easy and one can do it themselves, just a simple windows settings operation.  I excluded all three flight sims I use, my pimax, and vectorXR in these settings.  

[Dash,Polder]

Mine works stunning, no more buildings or city blocks popping in and out, just butter smooth with the same FPS and flat frame time from 20,000 feet over the water to the city roof tops down town.  I used to get a crunch going any where near an airbase also, but that all gone.  It runs like a perfectly optimized game, well done Han and gang.  I can look out the sides at the buildings wizzing by and no judder cruising 300 mph in a mustang with the prop.  Fluid and smooth, although I'm still about 5 frames short of 90 with my current graphical settings.   My gunnery went insane, the flight modeling feels way better, easier to do aerobatics and fly the knifes edge.  The AI don't have a prayer now.  LOL

 

[AndreiTomescu]

50 minutes ago, Dash,Polder said:

just butter smooth with the same FPS and flat frame time from 20,000 feet over the water to the city roof tops down town.  I used to get a crunch going any where near an airbase also, but that all gone.  It runs like a perfectly optimized game, well done Han and gang.

so you used this:

 https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/1qrqzyr/if_youre_experiencing_stutters_in_games_windowss/?embed_host_url=https%3A%2F%2Fforum.dcs.world%2Findex.php

indications?

the CFG Stutter fix ?

Would be really helpful for everybody!

Thx in advance!

[YoYo]

2 hours ago, Dash,Polder said:

Mine works stunning, no more buildings or city blocks popping in and out, just butter smooth with the same FPS ....

Did you just do that, or did you do something else?

I don't use Defender (its off) because it's a weak antivirus, but I do have a different, paid version. I'll add IL-2 Korea to the exclusions list, and maybe that will help as well. Generally, other simulators are on my exclusion list. I forgot about Korea. Btw. I have Intel i9 ...

Edited Thursday at 04:33 PM by YoYo

[Dash,Polder]

It's actually a page in the windows settings I've never even seen before, he doesn't explain it very well.  Open up settings for win 11, put that "Exploit Protection" in the search, and it's own page will open for you, the rest will than make easy sense to follow.

[Dash,Polder]

One of the settings still causes cities to pop, haven't isolated it yet but the strongest culprit I'm leaning for is highest terrain roughness.  Grass is the single worst offender in my bench marking, followed by shadows, no benefit at all having those on in VR any way.  The extreme clouds will kick in and kick you in the lenses when you actually turn clouds and rain on, it's don't like extreme, high is OK.   No direct lighting, my system literally freezes with chop in the teens for FPS, can barely unset it.  Other than that the world should be yours with cranking it up once you find your resolution sweet spot and base setting.  I'm using the VR option, something about that setting that stabilizes the frame timings.  It's the easiest to tune.

Pimax 57 ppd, running at 75% res, at 72 hz. 

This is a win for now, highly playable.  Seoul still chugs but I could still compete over it without total loss of control like before or running everything at minimum and looking like a 1980's sim.

[YoYo]

Okay, it's in my native language (W11), but I'm posting it here in case it helps someone. I'll check in a moment if it helped me.

Next:

I've also added IL2Series to my antivirus exclusions (real-time scanning).

P.S. I see you have some settings I can't accept, such as VR optimization—it causes texture blurring for me. I also dislike DLSS in simulators, but that's probably why you get better performance as well.

Edited Thursday at 07:28 PM by YoYo

[GiftGruen]

I wonder a little that quite a lot of settings I see are without pilot body. I love it because it adds a lot of immersion for me, But obviously a lot of you dont care for this.

@Dash,Polder - grass shouldn‘t be a problem high up - should it?

What GPU do you use to drive this settings with Pimax @0.75 ?

This Defender/Antivirus topic is also interesting to followup. This ProcessLasso thing seems to target rather AMD owners, not sure if my i5 would also benefit here…

puh. Gaming somewhat seems to be rather serious computing science and … in the evening I‘d rather prefer to just relax 😉 

Edited Thursday at 08:55 PM by GiftGruen

[YoYo]

I tested this feature (Defender/Antivirus). I'm guessing it's Placebo . I honestly don't know the difference. Of course, it's always worth having games set as exceptions before additional scanning, especially in real-time, but in my case, at least, it didn't change anything at all. Cities have performance issues, and that's it. Here, the developers need to fix it. Out of curiosity, I just flew over Leningrad in an IL-2GB. Everything there works great, a constant 72 frames, but over the much smaller Seoul, I get a range of 37-50 and noticeable hiccups.

Edited Thursday at 09:27 PM by YoYo

[Husar]

After testing, all of these fixes may help improve overall system performance, but they can't solve the game's fundamental issues, such as severe FPS drops when flying near cities or the laggy gameplay that occurs whenever the game load exceeds 60%, despite the FPS remaining high. 

Edited Thursday at 10:32 PM by Husar

[Panzerlang]

Third test, with the WD exclusion; no visible difference.

As GPT says, frametime is clearly more important than FPS (up to an obvious point of course). I just flew an 8 vs 8 and everything was pretty smooth. The TINIEST amount of occasional micro-stutter from other planes. But I'm talking from the very privileged pov of running a 9800X3D and 5090. A 4090 would be really pushing it, and anything lower than that is going to have to seriously compromise on settings. I already have grass, reflections and shadows turned off with Balanced preset. And the Super at .80 render. AA is FSRAA, there's simply no way to sacrifice that unless horribly shimmering stuff everywhere is acceptable (it's not for me).

Edited Thursday at 11:43 PM by Panzerlang

[Dash,Polder]

17 hours ago, Husar said:

After testing, all of these fixes may help improve overall system performance, but they can't solve the game's fundamental issues, such as severe FPS drops when flying near cities or the laggy gameplay that occurs whenever the game load exceeds 60%, despite the FPS remaining high. 

No they don't, but what they will allow is an honest entry point to benchmark your HMD's peak maximum performance for precisely tuning it.  You can't do that when you have windows induced turbulence in the mix.   

[Husar]

1 hour ago, Dash,Polder said:

No they don't, but what they will allow is an honest entry point to benchmark your HMD's peak maximum performance for precisely tuning it.  You can't do that when you have windows induced turbulence in the mix.   

Reducing DPC latency and hard page faults can improve overall system performance. Moving GPU interrupts to a different CPU core also reduces contention on the system's busiest CPU core should benefit all users.

 

Edited Friday at 05:33 PM by Husar