Pre-Purchase questions
Is there a free demo of rFactor2?
No, not at this time. We are planning to release one at a later date. For now, if you want to try rFactor2, you will have to purchase it. We do offer 30 days as a refund window if you decide it isn’t for you…
What are the minimum system requirements for rFactor2?
MINIMUM (will not run or look as best):
PU: 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 or 2.4 GHz AMD Athlon x2
Memory: 2 GB
Video Card: nVidia 8600 GT or ATI/AMD 3850
Video Memory: 256MB
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7
DirectX: 9.0c
Storage: 4 GB
Internet connection required.
RECOMMENDED MINIMUMS (will run well, may look better with better hardware):
CPU: 3.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or 3.0 GHz AMD Athlon II x2 or better
Memory: 4 GB+
Video Card: nVidia 250 GTS or ATI/AMD 4870 or better
Video Memory: 512MB+
Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista 64bit, Windows 7 64bit
Storage: 4 GB+Notes:
1 – 2008 C++ Runtimes SP1 required (included with installer).
2 – rFactor 2 executable is 32bit. 64bit OS recommended above to allow more than 4GB RAM.
What is the difference between the “Standard” and “Lifetime” options when purchasing?
When purchasing, you are given two options. Both are the same product, they simply have different pricing structures and limitations on online services.
| Standard | Lifetime | |
| Price | $43.99 | $84.99 |
| Online Services Included | 1 Year Free | Lifetime Free |
| Online Services Renewal | $12 per year | Free |
Table shows USD only. Note that in other countries and regions, these prices may be different. Also note that “Lifetime” refers to the retail lifetime of the product.
What are the “online services” I have to renew for if I purchase the Standard version of rFactor2?
Included in online services are all multiplayer (including LAN) services, automatic updating of the software, and other online features we have planned for future development.
If you do not renew the Standard versions online services, your simulation will become an offline-only simulator, where you cannot race against other people and instead must race against the computer A.I. You will also have to manually locate, download and install updates to the software.
What is the refund policy for rFactor2?
rFactor2 is an evolving product, and as such, we expect to be adding cars, tracks and features for many years to come. We encourage people to purchase rFactor2 based on its current features and content at the time of purchase. We offer a 30-day refund if you are unhappy with the current product for any reason, and you should decide on whether rFactor2 is right for you during this period.
To process a refund, please run the rF2 launcher, click the purchase tab, click manage account, login (if not already), click Request refund and follow the instructions on-screen.
Note that in some cases, we may have to wait to receive your money before we can send it back to you. We also cannot refund any money to you if you were given rF2 for free by another organization, you should be refunded for their product/service by them. Allow at least two working days for your refund to be processed.
Can I install rFactor2 on another machine?
Yes. Install the software on the other machine, run the launcher and go to the purchase tab. You can reactivate the product on that machine there. Note that we have a soft limit of five re-activations per purchase.
Can I share my ‘account’?
The license is for you. We understand that allowing someone to try it, or for your family/friends to ‘demo’ the product OFFLINE is possible, and we accept that. Just remember every action online reflects back to you, and we do not allow two people to actively share a purchase.
Is modding allowed?
You can make mods (cars, tracks, plugins) for rFactor2. We provide as many tools and guides as we have time to produce. Tools are provided “as is” and are not supported.
Problems launching rFactor2
All options in the launcher are greyed out and I cannot click them.
The first issue may be that you have not purchased the product. To do this, go to the purchase tab in the launcher, and purchase it.
If you have already purchased, and the options are still greyed out, you need to reactivate the product. To do this, go to the purchase tab, login there (if you are not already) and ‘reactivate’. The buttons on the main page of the launcher should now be in color. If this does not work, try to delete the .rFactor folder from appdata/roaming, then reactivate.
Just the multiplayer option is greyed out on the launcher.
If the multiplayer option is greyed out, then you are not logged in for multiplayer, try doing that.
The second reason may be that your yearly payment for online access has expired, and you may need to renew on the Purchase tab.
The simulation does not start at all.
If you do not have the DirectX runtimes installed, rF2 will not start. To test this is the problem you can run the rfactor2.exe in the core directory, and an error will popup.
Problems running rFactor2
My simulation seems to be running in slow motion.
Some device drivers can’t handle a quick FFB update rate, so use the ‘skip updates’ hack in controller.ini (open with notepad):
Skip updates=”0″ // (0=full update rate, 1=half, 2=one-third, 3=one-quarter, etc.)
Another reason for slow-motion running is CPU throttling. This is when the system tries to ‘save power’ by reducing CPU speed, even though you need it at full speed. You can disable CPU throttling in your system BIOS.
My controller (most likely Logitech G25 or G27) is rattling and very noisy when I am driving.
This is because most racing games and simulations filter Force Feedback, and with some cog-driven wheel systems, this makes some noise. By default, we also have filtering. Check your controller options and reverse any filtering you may have removed.
Activation questions
All options in the launcher are greyed out and I cannot click them.
The first issue may be that you have not purchased the product. To do this, go to the purchase tab in the launcher, and purchase it.
If you have already purchased, and the options are still greyed out, you need to reactivate the product. To do this, go to the purchase tab, login there (if you are not already) and ‘reactivate’. The buttons on the main page of the launcher should now be in color.
How do I reactivate? (on a new system, second machine, etc)
Run the launcher and go to the purchase tab. You can reactivate the product there.
Can I use rFactor2 on a second machine?
Yes, the purchase you make is tied to you, not your machine. We do, however, have a soft limit of 5 activations per purchase. After you run out, the software will tell you, and you should email us.
How can I ‘save’ my activation data so I do not have to reactivate?
Look for a folder named .rFactor in the Windows Application Data “appdata” folder. Simply save that folder and replace it in the same location after you have reformatted, or done whatever else you were doing.
Note that if you make a major system change, you will still have to reactivate.
Usage information
How do I install the simulation?
rFactor2 comes packaged as an install executable (exe file). Please note, however, that content (cars, tracks, sounds, etc), are separate downloads.
To install rFactor2: Run the file by double clicking on it and click Yes on any User Account Control warning.
On the rFactor Setup Wizard window, click next. Read the License Agreement and click I Agree.
Select what you wish to install (we recommend that you leave all options selected), and click next.
Select the location you wish to install the CORE files to (default location in “Program Files” is recommended) and click next.
Select the location you wish to have DATA store in (this must be system-writable, and will contain things like setups, replays and – most importantly – the cars and tracks you have installed). We highly recommend also using the default “Documents folder” setting for this, as you may have problems later otherwise. Click next when done.
Select the Start Menu folder name you wish to link from (default location is recommended) and click Install. The Setup Wizard will then extract files, showing you a progress bar while it does this.
The Setup Wizard will attempt to update Microsoft DirectX, which is required by rFactor2. Please accept Microsoft’s agreement and complete their installation wizard, if it opens.
Now simply click finish to close the setup wizard.
How do I update the simulation?
Updating the core could not be simpler. Run the rFactor2 launcher and go to the Update tab.
On the Update tab, make sure you’re logged in, then Query for an update. If one exists, Download and Install it. Or – You can simply click the large image at the top left to have the launcher do all that for you.
How do I install content?
To add content (cars, tracks, sounds, etc) to rFactor2, simply download the package files (also known as “mods”) and place them into the “Packages” folder. Then, run the rFactor2 launcher and click Manage Mods at the lower right.
You should see a list of mod names matching what you have in your packages directory. To install one, simply click with the right mouse button on one and select Install.
By default, the Packages folder is located in:
\My Documents\rFactor2\Packages – But if you chose a different data store path during installation, it will be wherever you put it.
Note that some mods may require another mod to be installed first. Until the required mod is installed, the Mod Manager will tell you it is unable to install them.
If you do not see a mod in the list, try using the menu options and uncheck Show Mods Only. Your mod may then be visible.
How do I update content?
To update content (cars, tracks, sounds, etc), follow the exact same routine you did when first installing it. Simply download the update package or new version and place it in the “packages” directory.
Open the Mod Manager, right click on the one you wish to update, and select update.
The Mod Manager will show you when a mod has an available update in the packages folder, by showing an asterisk on the left side.
Options information
What does the ‘sync’ option do in the graphics settings?
This determines the method you use for syncing framerates. Some work better/worse depending on your system.
Software sync is a software VSync.
GPU sync is a “Flush Previous Frame” setting. This setting is not recommended for SLI.
Video sync is our VSync option.
None will behave like our older software, without VSync enabled.
How can I contact ISI for support?
See the contact page.
I have not received any email from you after purchase!
There are some providers which block our emails. Read this for more information.
Rights and permissions
Is modding allowed?
You can make mods (cars, tracks, plugins) for rFactor2. We provide as many tools and guides as we have time to produce. Tools are provided “as is” and are not supported.
Can I use footage of your simulations?
Read our policy here.
Can I use ISI content in a project?
Read our policy here.
Can I use rFactor2 on a second machine?
Yes, the purchase you make is tied to you, not your machine. We do, however, have a soft limit of 5 activations per purchase. After you run out, the software will tell you, and you should email us.