Keep settings, controls and saves understandable.

Release 2.5.0 update

The 2.5.0 release notes, published 18 October 2026, add live engine frame-rate switching. In that version, use Live → Engine frame rate in the in-game menu, F9 on the keyboard, or R3 + L1 + R1 on a controller to cycle 60, 100, 120 and 240. You can drop to 60 at a progress blocker without restarting, then restore your preferred rate after passing it.

The update also expands keyboard/mouse bindings and adds in-game keyboard prompts. Check your installed launcher’s mapping after updating. The maintainer reports a scoped Windows 11 / RX 6700 XT package check; Linux gameplay remains untested. This site has not run those gameplay tests.

The base instructions below were reviewed against 2.4.1. This update note was checked separately against the published 2.5.0 release on 18 October 2026.

Frame limiter and engine frame rate

The project exposes a frame rate limit and an engine frame rate option. Treat them as separate controls. Choosing a larger engine rate does not establish the FPS your hardware will produce.

The release README documents 120 and 240 FPS engine patches. The release notes also list some paths and button-mashing prompts that can block progress at those rates. For an affected section, change Engine frame rate to 60, then restore it once past the problem.

For graphics experiments, note the current setting before changing it. A simple record of release, GPU, driver, resolution and engine frame rate makes both rollback and bug reporting easier.

Resolution and ultrawide

Release 2.4.0 introduced built-in 21:9, 32:9 and 16:10 render choices. They remain marked beta. Select the resolution under Home or Performance, or use the in-game menu.

The release notes describe a wider field of view during gameplay, while pre-rendered cutscenes stay 16:9 with borders. They also document HUD and prompt layout limitations, lighter menu sides, and brief black flashes during some transitions. Those limitations matter if you are expecting every interface element to fill an ultrawide screen.

The current source branch can offer settings that the reviewed package lacks. Check the notes for your installed release instead of assuming a screenshot from a newer commit matches it.

Open the in-game menu

The documented shortcut is Insert on the keyboard, or R3 + L2 on a controller. The menu has Game, Image, Performance and Overlay tabs.

The project can show its own performance overlay. Its resource figures describe the game’s use rather than the whole system. The 2.4.0 known-issues list reports overlay input lag, so compare with it off when diagnosing input delay.

Keyboard and controller basics

The release README lists these launcher defaults. Remapping changes what you should press.

DualSense, Xbox and other SDL3 controllers are supported by the project, with remappable input. The launcher includes an optional button-icon style setting. If a guide shows different icons, compare its release and mapping with your installed setup.

For a controller that is not recognized, record the controller model, connection type and mapping settings. Restore a known mapping before changing several input layers at once.

Saves and updates

On Windows, the default user directory beside the launcher holds saves, cache and last_run.log. The project uses gow3.ini for game settings and %APPDATA%\gow3-launcher\settings.json for launcher settings.

On Linux, runtime data is under ~/.local/share/gow3; launcher settings are under ~/.config/gow3-launcher. A custom saves location changes where you need to look.

Back up saves with the game closed. Preserve the Windows user folder during updates. The Windows launcher offers Advanced → Check for updates; Linux users download the newer AppImage.

Importing an existing save

The project README supports shadPS4 saves for the PS4 Remastered game, using the same title ID. RPCS3 saves belong to the PS3 version and are incompatible.

Back up both source and destination folders first. The documented default destination for CUSA01623 is user\savedata\1\CUSA01623\. Preserve each slot’s folder name and consult the maintainer’s full save-import instructions for metadata handling. Do not rename unrelated metadata formats to make a save appear compatible.

If a copied slot is missing, record the folder layout and title ID before moving more files. Keep the original save intact so you can undo the attempt.