Steam Deck Forza Horizon 4/5 Crashing, Stuttering, FPS Drop: How to Fix

Steam Deck Forza Horizon 4/5 Crashing, Stuttering, FPS Drop: Playground Games is recognized for its acclaimed Forza Motorsport series, which features highly praised entries like Forza Horizon 4 and Forza Horizon 5.

While both games excel in visuals and performance, some players may encounter various in-game challenges. In this article, we provide solutions for addressing issues such as crashing, stuttering, and FPS drops in Forza Horizon 4 and 5 when played on the Steam Deck.

The Steam Deck has emerged as a top-tier all-in-one portable gaming device capable of running PC games effortlessly. Valve Corporation has made impressive strides with the Steam Deck, consistently releasing system updates to enhance user experience.

However, some players of Forza Horizon 4 and 5 have reported difficulties with game launches and performance during their gaming sessions. Here, we will explore potential fixes for these issues.

Fix: Steam Deck Forza Horizon 4/5 Crashing, Stuttering, FPS Drop

If you’ve encountered problems with your Steam Deck, this comprehensive troubleshooting guide is designed to assist you. Let’s dive right in and explore the solutions without delay.

1. Reboot Steam Deck

For optimal performance, it’s advisable to restart your Steam Deck using the Software Updates feature. This helps eliminate any potential temporary system glitches or cache data problems that may be causing issues. Here’s how to do it:

1. Press the Steam button located on the left side of your Steam Deck.
2. Navigate to Power and select Restart.
3. After the device has rebooted, verify if the problem persists.

2. Force Reboot Steam Deck

If you’re experiencing persistent issues with your Steam Deck, a manual force restart may be necessary. This approach is particularly useful if the device is powered on but is unresponsive or experiencing significant lag. To perform a force restart, follow these instructions:

Begin by pressing and holding the Power button for a minimum of three seconds. If the device does not respond, continue to hold the Power button for approximately ten seconds to trigger a forceful reboot of the system.

3. Check for SteamOS Updates

Using an older version of SteamOS can lead to various problems such as bugs, instability, and security vulnerabilities. To ensure optimal performance on your Steam Deck, it’s advisable to manually check for updates. Here’s how you can do that:

1. Press the Steam button located on the left side of your Steam Deck.
2. Navigate to Settings and select the System tab.
3. Click on the option labeled Check for Updates on the right.
4. If an update is available, choose Apply to initiate the process.
5. Allow some time for the software update to finish.
6. Finally, select Restart to implement the changes.

Keeping your SteamOS up to date will help enhance your gaming experience and maintain device security.

4. Check for Forza Horizon 4/5 Updates

An outdated version of the game may be causing compatibility issues with your system, potentially leading to performance problems. To ensure you have the latest updates for Forza Horizon 4/5, follow these steps:

1. Launch your Steam Library.
2. Navigate to the Forza Horizon 4/5 page and click on “Manage.”
3. Go to “Properties” and then select the “Updates” tab.
4. Ensure that “Automatic updates” is enabled.
5. Restart your Steam Deck.

With these settings in place, any new updates for Forza Horizon 4/5 will be installed automatically.

5. Check Internal Storage Space

It’s important to monitor the available storage on your Steam Deck, as insufficient disk space can lead to various problems when launching and running Forza Horizon 4 or 5.

To check your storage, simply press the Steam button, navigate to Settings, and select Storage. If you find that your storage is running low, consider removing or uninstalling any apps or games that you no longer need to create more space.

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6. Reinsert the MicroSD Card

Using a corrupted MicroSD card with your Steam Deck can lead to various issues, particularly when launching games like Forza Horizon 4 or 5. To ensure optimal performance, it’s advisable to format the MicroSD card before using it with your device. Here’s how to format your microSD card:

1. Insert the MicroSD card securely into the memory slot located on the bottom of the Steam Deck.
2. Press the Steam button to open the menu and navigate to Settings.
3. Select the System option and then choose Format SD Card.
4. The formatting process may take a few minutes to finish.

Important: Make sure your microSD card is UHS-I (Class 3 or better), as the Steam Deck does not support UHS-II cards. If your MicroSD card is outdated or frequently encounters corruption issues, it may be time to consider purchasing a new one.

7. Enable Steam Cloud Synchronization

To ensure that your game syncs correctly with the cloud servers on your Steam Deck, you’ll need to enable the Steam Cloud Synchronization feature if it’s currently turned off. Here’s how to do it:

1. Press the Steam button to access the menu.
2. Click on the Steam option located in the top-left corner.
3. Choose Settings from the dropdown list and then navigate to the Cloud section.
4. Make sure to check the box that says “Enable Steam Cloud Synchronization.”
5. Click OK to confirm and save your adjustments.

After completing these steps, restart your Steam Deck for the changes to take effect.

8. Force Change Proton Version on Steam Deck

To enhance game performance and launch reliability, it is advisable to manually adjust the Proton version on your Steam Deck. Follow these steps to make the necessary changes:

1. Locate Forza Horizon 4 or 5 in your Library.
2. Access the game’s Settings, then navigate to Properties.
3. In the left sidebar, click on the Compatibility option.
4. Enable the checkbox and choose Proton Experimental from the dropdown menu.
5. Finally, select your desired Proton version to apply the changes.

This adjustment could significantly improve your gaming experience.

9. Ensure Forza Horizon 4/5 is Verified on Steam Deck

Verify your Deck’s compatibility with Forza Horizon 4/5 to ensure optimal gameplay without any adjustments. The Steam ‘Deck Verified‘ system categorizes games into four distinct classifications, providing insight into their performance on the device.

For titles marked as Playable or Unsupported, you can review which specific criteria for Verification are not fulfilled by visiting the Steam Deck Compatibility section on the game’s Steam Store page.

– Verified: The game operates smoothly on the Steam Deck without any need for modifications.
– Playable: The game is functional but may require some user adjustments, such as altering controller settings or utilizing a mouse or touchscreen for launcher navigation.
– Unsupported: The game is deemed unplayable on the Steam Deck at this time.
– Unknown: This game has not yet been assessed for compatibility. You are welcome to test it, but we lack information on its performance.

10. Reinstall Forza Horizon 4/5

If the previous solutions haven’t resolved your issues, a fresh installation of Forza Horizon 4/5 on your Steam Deck may be the most effective next step.

Reinstalling the game can often address various conflicts and performance problems, including difficulties in launching or stuttering during gameplay.

To proceed with the uninstallation and reinstallation, follow these instructions:

1. Begin by pressing the Steam button on your Steam Deck to access the Settings menu.
2. In the sidebar, scroll down and select the Storage option.
3. Locate the Forza Horizon 4/5 title you wish to remove from your device.
4. Press the X button to initiate the uninstallation process.
5. Allow some time for the game to be completely removed from your system.
6. After the uninstallation is finished, head back to the Steam Store to reinstall Forza Horizon 4/5.

Following these steps should help restore the game’s performance on your device.

11. Factory Reset Steam Deck

To restore your Steam Deck to its original factory settings, which will erase all stored data and revert the device to its default configuration, follow these steps. This process can also help resolve any game crashing problems you may be experiencing.

1. Start by pressing the Steam button on your Steam Deck to access the Settings menu.
2. Navigate to the System section and scroll down until you find the Factory Reset option.
3. If a confirmation prompt appears, be sure to affirm your choice and continue with the reset.
4. Please note that the reset process may take a little time to finish.
5. After the reset is complete, you will need to go through the initial setup process as if you were using the device for the first time.

12. Contact Steam Deck

Should none of the suggested solutions prove effective, we recommend reaching out to Steam Support to submit a support ticket regarding your issue. There is a good likelihood that they will provide you with the assistance you need.

Thank you for reading! We trust that this guide has been beneficial. If you have any additional questions, feel free to leave a comment below.