F1 2012

F1 2012

Developers
	Codemasters Birmingham
macOS (OS X)	Feral Interactive
Publishers
	Codemasters
OS X	Feral Interactive
Engines
	EGO 2.0
Release dates
Windows	September 18, 2012
macOS (OS X)	December 20, 2012
Reception
Metacritic	80
IGDB	77
Taxonomy
Monetization	One-time game purchase
Modes	Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Perspectives	First-person, Third-person
Controls	Direct control
Genres	Racing
Vehicles	Track racing
Art styles	Realistic
Series	Formula 1

⤏ Go to series page
F1 2010	2010
F1 2011	2011
F1 2012	2012
F1 Race Stars	2012
F1 2013	2013
F1 2014	2014
F1 2015	2015
F1 2016	2016
F1 2017	2017
F1 2018	2018
F1 2019	2019
F1 2020	2020
F1 2021	2021
F1 22	2022
F1 23	2023
F1 24	2024

Warnings

The macOS (OS X) version of this game does not work on macOS Catalina (version 10.15) or later due to the removal of support for 32-bit-only apps.

F1 2012 is a singleplayer and multiplayer racing game developed by Codemasters Birmingham and published by Codemasters. It is a licensed Formula 1 game and features cars and tracks from the 2012 F1 season.

The game was released in North America on September 18, 2012, followed by the releases in Australasia and Europe on September 20 and September 21 respectively. The MacOS version was ported and released by Feral Interactive on December 20, 2012.

It has a bug where save file can be corrupted, and it is recommended to disabled Steam Cloud before playing the game.

It was delisted from all digital storefronts on March 11, 2022.

General information

Codemasters Forums for the series

Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail
GamersGate (unavailable)
(unavailable)
Green Man Gaming (unavailable)
Humble Store (unavailable)
Origin (unavailable)
Steam (unavailable)

All versions require Steam DRM.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/208500/pfx/

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/208500/pfx/

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
Steam Cloud

Video

Graphics feature	State	WSGF	Notes
Widescreen resolution
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)		Can be adjusted, see here.
Windowed
Borderless fullscreen windowed		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
High-fidelity upscaling		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS and 120+ FPS
High dynamic range display (HDR)		See the glossary page for potential alternatives.

Input

The game can send telemetry data to supported software like SimHub and devices like motion platforms, bass shakers and telemetry displays through the UDP protocol. Also support D-Box haptic/motion platforms through a proprietary protocol. Requires editing the hardware_settings_config.xml file to enable them. (See Enable telemetry)

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Full controller support
Controller remapping
Controller sensitivity
Controller Y-axis inversion

Controller types

XInput-compatible controllers
Xbox button prompts
Impulse Trigger vibration

PlayStation controllers

Generic/other controllers		See Controller support for sim-racing device support.
Button prompts

Additional information
Controller hotplugging		Player can only switch from controller to keyboard once by pressing the ↵ Enter key. If the controller is reconnected, they need to be reselected in the control settings.
Haptic feedback
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M		Only for multiplayer.

Controller support

The developer has provided a list of supported steering wheels. Devices not listed may work, but the user will have to manually map each action.

Compatible steering wheels	Notes
Atomic Accessories Super Sport Evo
Atomic Accessories TVR Sagaris
ECCI Trackstar 6000
Fanatec Porsche 911 Turbo/Turbo S/Carrera/GT2/GT3 RS
Fanatec Forza Motorsport CSR	Compatible with ClubSport Pedals.
Fanatec Forza Motorsport CSR Elite	Compatible with ClubSport Pedals.
Fanatec ClubSport V1	Compatible with ClubSport Pedals.
Logic3 Tri Format Topdrive GT
Logic3 Tri Format Topdrive RF
Logitech WingMan Formula Force GP
Logitech Driving Force Pro
Logitech MOMO Racing
Logitech Driving Force GT
Logitech G25
Logitech G27
Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback Wheel
Thrustmaster Rally GT Force Feedback Pro
Thrustmaster Ferrari F430 Force Feedback
Thrustmaster Ferrari GT Experience Racing Wheel
Thrustmaster Ferrari F430 Wireless Cockpit
Thrustmaster Universal Challenge 5-in-1 Racing Wheel
Thrustmaster Ferrari Vibration GT Cockpit 458 Italia Edition
Thrustmaster Ferrari 458 Italia
Thrustmaster T500	GT rim and F1 rim only.
Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel

Enable telemetry

Applies to both UDP telemetry and D-Box support.

Enable telemetry

Open the hardware_settings_config.xml file located in <user>\Documents\My Games\F1 2012\hardwaresettings\ with a text editior. Search for the field with the word <motion>. Set the "udp enabled" parameter to "true" and change the "ip" and "port" fields to match that of what was set on the supported telemetry software. For example, <udp enabled="true" ip="127.0.0.1" port="20777" /> If user have the D-Box haptic/motion platforms, set the "dbox enabled" parameter to "true". Save the file.

Audio

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls
Surround sound
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Polish
Brazilian Portuguese
Russian
Spanish

Network

RaceNet online features require a Codemasters Account.

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Players	Notes
Local play		2	Versus Split-screen.
LAN play
Online play		16	The official multiplayer service shut down on March 21, 2024.

VR support

3D modes	State	Notes
vorpX		2D Officially supported game, see official vorpx game list. Note:The game is listed on the official list but has not been confirmed to be 3D yet.

Devices
TrackIR

Issues unresolved

'Cannot initialise graphics' Error

An error whereby the message 'Cannot initialise graphics. DirectX 10 or 11 Support required' is displayed upon startup.

This may be due to the graphics card not supporting DirectX 10/11.

Windows Vista users experiencing the problem using DirectX 10+ compatible graphics cards may need to install the latest Windows Updates.

In addition it is important all Service Packs are installed, especially SP2.

This fix doesn't resolve the issue for everyone.

Corrupt Save Game

Although officially resolved with the release of developer patch 12, a number of users are still reporting issues with save game corruption.

Some have reported that disabling Steam Cloud can help.

Disabling Steam Cloud[citation needed]
Enter the Steam Library, and right click on F1 2012. Go to the Updates tab. Uncheck 'Enable Steam Cloud synchronisation for F1 2012' and Close. The computer will no longer attempt to sync the save files with the Steam Cloud.

DirectX Version Error

Many users still report issues with the DirectX version installed by Steam upon download.

Unfortunately, there is no known fix to this issue.

This can make the game unplayable for some, especially those running the game on a laptop. It is therefore recommended that the demo version is first installed to ensure that the game functions correctly on the user's laptop.

Issues fixed

Crash to Desktop ('nvlddmkm' stops responding)

A number of users have reported an issue whereby the game crashes a few minutes in, along with the display driver. The message 'nvlddmkm has stopped responding' is displayed.

This can be resolved by simply enabling Vsync in the game's options menu.

Steam 'Error 41'

The game crashes to desktop mid-race and Steam displays an 'error 41' window.

Despite numerous patches, the error still persists for many.

For laptop users, the error often results from an incompatibility with multi-GPU setups such as those using Nvidia Optimus or ATI Hybrid Graphics.

For desktop users, the error is usually related to the Steam Cloud or multisampling.

Although there is no fix that works for everyone, there are a number of suggested fixes that users can try.

Important: Before trying any of the following fixes, the first port of call should be visiting the GPU manufacturer's website (NVIDIA/AMD) and downloading the latest drivers for the graphics card from them. This can sometimes resolve the issue. Drivers downloaded through Windows Update are often outdated and are not posted as frequently.

Laptop users

Disabling Switchable Graphics in the BIOS[citation needed]

This fix is only relevant if they have a computer with multiple switchable graphics cards (e.g. Nvidia Optimus or AMD Hybrid Graphics). At PC boot, enter the system BIOS The key combination required varies by computer, but it is usually one of the following: F8/F10/Esc/Insert. Go to the System Configuration tab. Select Switchable Graphics, press F6 and select FIXED. Notes The computer will now run using the dedicated Nvidia or AMD graphics card only, as the integrated card has been disabled.

Desktop users

The following fixes should be applied together.

Disabling Steam Cloud[citation needed]
Enter the Steam Library, and right click on F1 2012. Go to the Updates tab. Uncheck 'Enable Steam Cloud synchronisation for F1 2012' and Close. The computer will no longer attempt to sync the save files with the Steam Cloud. This can sometimes resolve the issue.

Disabling Multisampling[citation needed]
This fix is often most relevant for older graphics cards. Go to %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\FormulaOne2012\hardwaresettings\ Edit hardware_settings_config.xml using Notepad. Locate the multisampling="XXX" line, and replace it with multisampling="off" Save the file and run the game.

Both users

As a last resort, the following fix can be applied.

Unfortunately, the fix often results in vehicles having green reflections, but it resolves the issue for many.

Removing SH_Lighting[citation needed]
Go to <path-to-game>\System\ Open the workermap_CORE2, workermap_CORE4, workermap_CORE6 and workermap_CORE8 files in Notepad. Locate SH_Lighting in each file, and remove it. Save each file and run.

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	9, 11

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows
macOS (OS X)			This 32-bit-only macOS game does not work on macOS Catalina (10.15) or later.

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Audio	Wwise
Multiplayer	Codemasters RaceNet	Basic implementation Shut down on March 21st, 2024.

System requirements

Windows

macOS (OS X)

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	Vista	7 64-bit
Processor (CPU)	Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz AMD Athlon X2 5400+	Intel Core i7 AMD Bulldozer
System memory (RAM)	2 GB	4 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	15 GB	15 GB
Video card (GPU)	ATI Radeon HD 2600 Nvidia GeForce 8600 DirectX 11 compatible	AMD Radeon HD 6000 Nvidia GeForce GTX 500 1 GB of VRAM
Sound (audio device)	DirectX compatible

macOS (OS X)
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	10.7.5	10.8.2
Processor (CPU)	Intel 2.0 GHz	Intel 2.4 GHz
System memory (RAM)	4 GB	8 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	12 GB
Video card (GPU)	512 MB of VRAM	1 GB of VRAM