How to Switch to Manual Transmission in the Crew Motorfest

Most racers feel better with manual shifting than on automatic, and it is an essential setting to tweak for those looking to go pro. Sure, it is not the only thing that matters in the end, particularly for arcade titles like The Crew Motorfest, but you get much better control over speed and can exit corners faster — downshift correctly to slow down through engine braking, and upshift at the right time to be on the loose quickly.

It also adds a layer of realism and is a no-brainer for those who use wheels and have all the fancy things like H-shifters. By default, the gearing is set to automatic. Here’s how you can change it in The Crew Motorfest.

How To Switch To Manual Shifting In The Crew Motorfest

To change your transmission in The Crew Motorfest, follow these simple steps:

1. Head “Option” from the pause menu.
2. Click the “Controls” setting located at the bottom.
3. In the “General” section you’ll see the option for “Gearbox.”
4. Switch the Gearbox setting to “Sequential,” and you’re all set.

Just toggle it back to “Automatic” if you’re no longer enjoying the manual and don’t want to fuss over shifting. There are also two other settings for players who have a full racing setup with pedals, shifters, and all that stuff.

Automatic Vs. Manual Transmission In The Crew Motorfest

Whether you want automatic or manual is entirely up to your preference and what sort of experience you want from the game. It’s not that you can’t be competitive with one or the other — you can certainly top leaderboards and win races with automatic. Things like throttle control, track knowledge, guttering, steering, and a list of other things all play a part in how good you’ll fare. But the manual gearbox will always have a higher ceiling, however incremental.

While you won’t always beat skilled automatic players, once you’re comfortable with both, the manual shifting will always deliver better performance at a personal level. Not only does it give better control at speed, but manual allows you to “feel” cars better. Once you’ve got a decent grip, you’ll start shifting gears through the sound your engine makes, getting you more involved in all the racing drama. World Records in the game are also often done by players who use manual transmission.

The game decides the shifting for you when set to automatic. While it does a decent job, it won’t make the right choice all the time. Automatic is designed for comfort, streamlining your racing experience so you can focus more on the “fun” rather than the stress of nailing time-perfect laps.

That’s about everything you’d need to know about manual and automatic transmission in The Crew Motorfest. For more, check out all the improvements the racer received with Season 6.