Assetto Corsa: How To Install Custom Shaders Patch (CSP) in 2024

Combining Assetto Corsa and the Content Manager app leads to endless possibilities for modding the game. The developers Kunos Simulazioni created Assetto Corsa with mods in mind, leading to the ten year old game still being one of the most popular sim racing games in 2024.

Content Manager is a third-party app that converts the whole Assetto Corsa interface on PC, allowing you to install most mods easily. One of the first mods I would recommend installing is Custom Shaders Patch, often referred to as CSP.

CSP is a mod that adds many additional visual effects to Assetto Corsa, including dynamic lighting, particle effects, weather effects, and a host of new gameplay functionality, such as car turning signals and even physics extensions.

In this guide, I will run through why you should install CSP, where to download the latest version, and how to install CSP to Assetto Corsa.

Should you install CSP?

Custom Shaders Patch adds so many options to Assetto Corsa and is available to download and install for free. This makes it a must-have mod for those who want to increase the realism of Assetto Corsa. I highly recommend CSP to everyone, and it is one of my most recommended Assetto Corsa mods.

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Where can you download the latest version of CSP?

The easiest way to find and download the latest version of Custom Shaders Patch for Assetto Corsa is to use Content Manager. It is baked into the app, and available from the settings menu, then the Content Manager tab.

Learn how to install Content Manager for Assetto Corsa in our step-by-step installation guide.

Download older versions of CSP

You can ensure you are downloading the latest version of CSP, download newer untested versions, or older versions of the mod by visiting the acstuff.ru website.

You will be able to see a selection of CSP versions that you can download. Some of the versions haven’t been fully tested, meaning the recommended version is normally not the latest build. Click on any of the versions to download them.

CSP Preview version

If you wish to gain access to CSP previews which includes the very latest version of the mod, you can subscribe to the developer’s Patreon page. Subscribing to Ilja Jusupov aka x4fab on Patreon at any membership level will grant you access to the latest preview version of CSP.

There is a membership level costing just $1 per month, which will grant you access to the preview versions. For such a low cost, I would recommend doing it. It supports the developer and grants you access to some new features.

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How to install CSP to Assetto Corsa

Installing CSP via Content Manager

There are two ways to install CSP. The first is to install the latest public version, which can be done via Content Manager. The second is to navigate to the settings and then the Custom Shaders Patch tab, which allows you to install the latest version without having to download additional files.

1. Open Content Manager
2. Click on settings in the top right of the screen
3. Click on the Custom Shaders Patch tab on the top left of the screen
4. Click the button that says “install”

This will run through the installation and automatically install Custom Shaders Patch into Assetto Corsa, and you won’t even need to download any files. After the installation, you can configure CSP from the settings.

Installing CSP preview build or downloaded file

If you are downloading a preview build from Ilja’s Patreon, you will be given a zip file to download. This will be called “lights-patch-v0.2.5-preview-full.zip“, although the version number may change over time as newer versions are released. Despite being called “lights-patch”, this is actually the latest preview build of CSP.

To install this version of CSP, or any other version that you may have downloaded manually from acstuf.ru, follow the steps below;

1. Download the version of CSP you wish to use (the Patreon preview build is the best version to use)
2. Open the Content Manager UI
3. Drag the downloaded .zip folder into the Content Manager UI screen
4. Click the green menu icon in the top right of the screen
5. Click the button that says “install”. You can see the version of CSP that you are installing right above the button
6. Allow the installation progress bar to complete
7. You should receive a “successfully installed” message, and your Content Manager settings will change

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Setting up CSP inside Content Manager: Key settings to change

After the installation of CSP, you will see a host of new settings in Content Manager. The number of settings can be overwhelming as there are so many options to scroll through and settings to change.

With so many settings, it can be hard to know where to start. I’ll run through some of the key CSP settings that you should change or enable in Content Manager before loading up a race in Assetto Corsa.

• Enable extended physics: Back out of the settings menu and into the race screen. In the bottom left of the screen there is a box that says “Use extended physics”. Enable this to turn on additional physics features.
  • Important note: When racing against AI drivers, disable the extended physics to avoid unwanted AI behaviour.
• Install the pure mod for better post processing: Pure is another mod that you can download from the Patreon of Peter Boese (Pure creator). This enables better graphics, as well as adjustments to the weather FX appearance.
• Update the weather FX version for more realistic rain: To enable realistic rain, you should ensure SOL is installed after installing CSP. Then, navigate to the Weather FX setting in the left bar and change the “controller script” to SOL 2.4, and adjust the “weather style” to Pure.
• Install custom PP-filters to enhance the look of Assetto Corsa: You can find various PP-filters online from different creators. These are settings that adjust the post processing and appearance of Assetto Corsa. You can drag these straight into Content Manager to install them, and experiment with them in game.

If you haven’t read our guide on the best mods for Assetto Corsa, head over and read it now to discover which mods should be the first ones you install.

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Frequently asked questions