This guide explains how to try DLSS 5 Neural Rendering in Forza Horizon 2 (Xbox One) running on Windows via Azimuth. It covers two different community solutions: NVIDIA RTX and AMD Radeon.
Read first: This is experimental modding, not a native DLSS setting in Forza Horizon 2 or an officially supported Azimuth feature. The NVIDIA route calls an NVIDIA DLSS neural-rendering runtime. The Radeon route uses OpenNR, a third-party AMD port of the neural network. They are not interchangeable, and simply installing ReShade does not enable either one. Screenshots and performance can differ significantly from an officially integrated DLSS 5 game.
Before you begin — both GPUs
•Make sure Azimuth and Forza Horizon 2 run properly without the neural-rendering mod. This guide is written for the Azimuth 0.9.10 era.
•Back up your Azimuth installation, particularly data (saves), `ReShade.ini`, and any existing shader presets.
•Install or verify the ReShade 6.8+ build with full add-on support from reshade.me.
•For a standard FH2 Azimuth ReShade setup, select `azimuth.exe`, then DirectX 10/11/12. ReShade loads as a Direct3D proxy; the game renders through Azimuth's Direct3D 12 translation layer.
•Launch the game and press Home. Confirm ReShade's Add-ons tab is accessible before installing a neural add-on.
See our ReShade full add-on setup tutorial if you have not installed ReShade yet.
Compatibility warning: Azimuth, ReShade, graphics proxies, DLSS neural add-ons, and Extra Options can compete over injected DLLs. Do not overwrite an existing `dxgi.dll`, `d3d12.dll`, or `winmm.dll` without identifying which program owns it. In particular, the new Extra Options useswinmm.dllbesideazimuth.exe. Make backups and test changes one at a time.
Which installation path should you use?
•NVIDIA GeForce RTX: use the DLSS5-Feeder workflow with exactly one supported NVIDIA neural consumer, such as the RenoDX DLSS 5 add-on. FH2 does not natively make DLSS calls, so the feeder is needed to generate them. The official NVIDIA DLSS 5 neural model is intended for RTX 50; other RTX generations need different, experimental community support.
•AMD Radeon RX 7000 / RX 9000: use OpenNR ReShade with its AMD runtime and weights. This is the closest equivalent to the NVIDIA neural effect on Radeon; it is not official NVIDIA DLSS.
•AMD Radeon RX 6000: newer OpenNR runtimes support RDNA2 too, but require the project's documented AMD HIP SDK 7.2 setup; check the exact requirements first.
•Other GPUs: neither path is guaranteed. Intel GPUs are not supported by the OpenNR Radeon add-on.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX — DLSS5-Feeder and RenoDX
Step 1 — Get the official tools
Use these original project pages:
•DLSS5-Feeder — official GitHub releases
•DLSS5-Feeder — full setup documentation
•RHI ReShade installer — official releases
•RenoDX community and add-on releases
Recommended approach: Use the trusted RHI interface to manage the ReShade/DLSS5-Feeder components. RHI can download the feeder, its NVIDIA neural add-on, the required NVIDIA runtimes, and shaders; this is easier to inspect and undo than mixing unrelated files manually.
Do not download a suspicious "DLSS 5 one-click installer" from a lookalike website. DLSS5-Feeder does not publish a standalone executable installer; the original repository documents its release ZIP and a separate PowerShell helper. You do not need to run unknown scripts or disable Windows security.
Step 2 — Target your Azimuth setup
•Close FH2 and make a backup of the current ReShade and proxy files.
•In RHI, add or locate the Azimuth installation. Make sure the target is the executable that actually hosts your ReShade setup, normally `azimuth.exe`.
•Select the DLSS5-Feeder neural-rendering method and Direct3D 10/11/12 where an API choice is offered. In FH2, the Azimuth graphics backend is D3D12.
•Choose one supported neural add-on. The RenoDX DLSS 5 consumer is a documented feeder option. Do not install RenoDX DLSS5, Deep Fried Chicken, and an OptiScaler neural consumer together.
•Review any proposed file replacements before confirming. If RHI wants to overwrite an existing custom Direct3D proxy, stop and inspect the conflict instead of forcing the installation.
•Finish installing the ReShade add-on, NVIDIA runtime files, and a motion-vector provider if RHI offers them.
If RHI cannot identify the Azimuth graphics process correctly, do not assume the installation succeeded. Refer to the manual file requirements below and the feeder's official compatibility instructions.
Manual file checklist (advanced)
On a 64-bit setup with ReShade already working, the published DLSS5-Feeder documentation describes a set similar to:
text
Azimuth/
├── azimuth.exe
├── dlss5-feed.addon64
├── renodx-dlss5.addon64 (choose ONE neural consumer)
├── nvngx_dlssnr.dll
├── nvngx_dlss.dll
├── ReShade.ini
├── reshade-shaders/
│ ├── Shaders/
│ │ ├── DLSS5_Feed.fx
│ │ └── [motion-vector provider shaders]
│ └── Textures/
└── [your existing ReShade loader and Azimuth files]This is a conceptual layout, not a complete downloadable package. The exact asset list, ReShade framework headers, and shader versions must match the current feeder README. ReShade must actually load in the same process as the add-ons. Obtain NVIDIA libraries from their original publisher or the official mod project's documented source, not random DLL mirrors.
Step 3 — Enable the NVIDIA effect
•Launch FH2 through Azimuth.
•Open ReShade with Home.
•Under Home, find the selected motion-vector shader (for example a compatible LumeniteFX Kernel technique) and DLSS5_Feed.fx. Enable the provider before the feeder shader.
•Follow the feeder documentation for the matching motion-vector setting. The documented LumeniteFX Kernel provider uses DLSS5_MV_PROVIDER=3; it must match the actual installed shader.
•Under Add-ons, enable your selected DLSS 5 neural consumer in its own panel.
•Open `dlss5-feed.log` in the Azimuth/ReShade folder to check whether frames are being delivered. A loaded add-on alone is not proof that neural rendering runs.
RTX generation matters: With the default signed NVIDIA model, the feeder's official notes report that the DLSS 5 neural feature runs on RTX 50. On RTX 20/30/40, it may produce only DLAA with no neural pass. Community alternatives exist but are unsupported and may have different compatibility; do not describe the effect as working until logs and an in-game comparison confirm it.
AMD Radeon — OpenNR with ReShade
The AMD solution is called OpenNR, previously AMD-NR / DLSS5 Neural AMD. It uses the neural network through an AMD-specific runtime, rather than NVIDIA's nvngx_dlssnr.dll running directly on a Radeon.
Step 1 — Download OpenNR Installer
•Open OpenNR Installer — official GitHub releases.
•Choose the current OpenNR Installer, not an unofficial reupload. The October 2026 release line includes v0.8.4.
•The original project is OpenNR ReShade.
•Keep your GPU drivers reasonably current. Radeon RX 7000 and RX 9000 support the HIP 7 runtime used by the add-on; RDNA2 has additional requirements.
The installer can fetch ReShade with full add-on support, the OpenNR add-on, the neural-runtime file and model weights. It also verifies hashes and records which files it changes.
Step 2 — Add FH2 / Azimuth and select the right route
•Close FH2 and Azimuth. Back up your existing ReShade configuration and graphics proxies.
•Start OpenNR Installer and add your Azimuth installation folder if the app does not find it automatically.
•Identify `azimuth.exe` and check the proposed renderer. For a normal Windows Azimuth setup, it is Direct3D 12, not D3D11.
•To follow this ReShade guide, select the ReShade add-on route if the installer offers it, then review the file changes. If the installer defaults to an OptiScaler route for D3D12, understand that it is a different method, not the same as OpenNR inside ReShade.
•Let OpenNR install only when it can preserve your existing loader/proxy arrangement; do not allow it to overwrite another mod's dxgi.dll, d3d12.dll, or winmm.dll without reviewing the conflict.
Important D3D12 limitation: The OpenNR developers explicitly say the ReShade route works best with D3D11 and that D3D12 is not their recommended ReShade path. Azimuth uses D3D12. This makes the FH2/ReShade combination an experimental attempt, not a proven universal setup. For D3D12 games that already expose a DLSS, FSR or XeSS upscaler, OpenNR can use an OptiScaler route with better temporal inputs. FH2 does not offer a native DLSS/FSR/XeSS upscaler, so do not assume that alternative will work automatically either.
Step 3 — Enable OpenNR
•Launch FH2 and press Home for the ReShade overlay.
•Go to Add-ons and look for the OpenNR panel. Older files or documentation may still call it AMD Neural Rendering.
•The add-on starts disabled by default. Tick Enabled or use its documented Ctrl+End toggle.
•Begin with one pass and the default settings. Look at the add-on's Status information and GPU time.
•OpenNR stores its settings in `amd-nr.ini`. You can disable the effect there or through the overlay if it causes lag, flicker or driver instability.
What the AMD files look like
If you need to troubleshoot a manual setup, the OpenNR ReShade route uses files with names similar to:
text
Azimuth/
├── azimuth.exe
├── amd-nr.addon64
├── dlssnr_amd_pass1.dll
├── dlssnr_on_amd_weights.bin
├── amd-nr.ini (created after configuration)
├── ReShade.ini
└── reshade-shaders/
└── Shaders/
└── AMD_Neural_Feed.fxThe `AMD_Neural_Feed.fx` shader is an optional way to supply motion vectors from another ReShade effect; the add-on can work with its own estimator when no suitable game motion vectors are exposed. The network runtime and weights must match the supported release; use the installer's verified downloads instead of mixing versions.
NVIDIA vs AMD: common mistakes
•Wrong add-on: amd-nr.addon64 is for Radeon, whereas DLSS5-Feeder + RenoDX is the NVIDIA workflow. Installing both is not a cross-vendor compatibility fix.
•Wrong ReShade edition: the regular ReShade setup does not provide full add-on support. Use the official full add-on support edition.
•Wrong API: Azimuth normally renders through D3D12. Choosing D3D11 because other games work better that way does not convert FH2 to D3D11.
•Two DLL proxies with the same filename: a ReShade loader, Radeon D3D12 proxy, or OptiScaler setup may already occupy dxgi.dll, d3d12.dll, or winmm.dll. Overwriting one can break your game or other mods.
•Loaded does not mean active: on NVIDIA, inspect `dlss5-feed.log` for actual frame delivery; on Radeon, inspect OpenNR Status and its runtime report.
•Flicker, incorrect detail, or FPS loss: estimated motion vectors are imperfect. Disable experimental effects and compare the same stationary scene with the neural pass both on and off.
•False "FPS boost" expectations: DLSS 5 Neural Rendering is a visual neural rendering effect, not the same thing as DLSS Super Resolution, FSR 4 upscaling or Frame Generation. Extra processing can lower FPS.
Troubleshooting and rollback
The overlay appears, but the neural effect does not
•Make sure you are on the correct GPU path above.
•Check the Add-ons tab, the enabled state, and the relevant runtime/log report.
•For NVIDIA, FH2 requires a feeder because the base game has no native DLSS call. Check that exactly one consumer is active.
•For Radeon, confirm the runtime and network weights are actually installed and recognized, and remember the D3D12 caveat.
•Start with a clean ReShade configuration before stacking extra filters.
The game crashes or the renderer stops loading
•Exit the game.
•Use the official installer/manager's uninstall or restore function for the files it installed.
•Restore the backups of ReShade.ini and any graphics proxies that were present before the change.
•Test Azimuth without DLSS/OpenNR first; then reinstall only one compatible effect at a time.
•Do not disable Windows Security or add blanket antivirus exclusions. Fake DLSS/Feeder releases have been reported by project maintainers.
Official sources and related tutorials
•ReShade — official full add-on support version
•DLSS5-Feeder — NVIDIA route and limitations
•DLSS5-Feeder — official releases
•RHI — ReShade installation manager
•OpenNR ReShade — project README
•FH2Mods — install ReShade with add-on support
•FH2Mods — install Extra Options winmm.dll
Summary: NVIDIA RTX uses a DLSS5-Feeder + one NVIDIA neural consumer; Radeon uses OpenNR ReShade. On Forza Horizon 2 through Azimuth, both are experimental community methods, especially because the game has no native DLSS/FSR integration and runs through D3D12. Verify the neural pass is actually running instead of trusting the presence of an overlay.