How to Install Assetto Corsa Mods: Tracks, Cars, Content Manager and CSP

To install Assetto Corsa mods, download the mod, then either drag the archive onto Content Manager or unzip it and copy the folder into the right place: tracks go in assettocorsa/content/tracks and cars go in assettocorsa/content/cars. If the mod needs Custom Shaders Patch (CSP), install CSP first, then pick the track layout or car skin in Content Manager and drive.

That is the whole job, and it usually takes a few minutes. The rest of this guide covers each step in detail and fixes the problems that trip people up most. If you need mods to practise with, every track and car pack in our Assetto Corsa drift tracks and Assetto Corsa car packs collections is a free download.

What Content Manager and Custom Shaders Patch are

You will see these two names on almost every Assetto Corsa mod page. They do different jobs.

Content Manager replaces the stock launcher. Its official page lists content installation as a key feature, along with a built-in browser to find and install mods, a repair tool for obsolete car mods and, in online mode, missing content download. The free Lite version has everything you need to install mods. The page notes that tracks management is a work-in-progress section that is not in Lite.

Custom Shaders Patch is what most modern tracks are built around. Rain, grass, night lighting and many visual effects in drift maps come from CSP, which is why listings say things like "CSP required". The official CSP page lists which versions are recommended, which are untested and which are marked buggy, so check it before you pick a version.

Step 1: Install Content Manager and CSP

1. Make sure Assetto Corsa is installed and has been launched at least once.
2. Download Content Manager from its official page and run it. Make sure it is set to your Assetto Corsa install folder.
3. Install Custom Shaders Patch. The official CSP page links each version, and Content Manager's own page has a Custom Shaders Patch section. Install a version marked recommended unless a mod asks for something newer.
4. Launch the game once from Content Manager to check everything works before you add mods.

CSP keeps per-track config files too. Its wiki says these configs are downloaded automatically and kept in assettocorsa/extension/config/tracks/loaded, so you do not need to hunt for them yourself.

Step 2: Install a track

Drag and drop in Content Manager

1. Download the track. It will usually be a .zip, .rar or .7z archive.
2. Drag the archive onto the Content Manager window.
3. Follow the install prompt in Content Manager.
4. Go to Drive, then Quick Drive, open the track list and look for the new track.

Manual install

1. Unzip the archive with 7-Zip or WinRAR.
2. Find the track folder. It is the folder that holds the track's files and a ui folder, not the folder named after the zip.
3. Copy that folder into assettocorsa/content/tracks. On a default Steam install that is inside steamapps/common/assettocorsa.
4. Restart Content Manager so it picks up the new folder.

Try it with Pine Valley Drift Park by the Assetto Drift League. It comes with seven layouts and a Line Maps folder inside the track folder, which also shows why the folder level matters: the line maps only make sense if the whole track folder lands in tracks.

Step 3: Install a car or car pack

Cars work the same way. Drag the archive onto Content Manager, or unzip it and copy each car folder into assettocorsa/content/cars. A car pack contains many car folders, and each one should sit directly inside cars.

Read the listing for requirements. BDC V4, for example, needs the official Japanese Pack DLC from Steam. Content Manager's official page also lists a repair tool for obsolete car mods or mods with common errors, which is worth a try if an older car behaves oddly. For a rundown of packs, see our guide to Assetto Corsa drift car packs.

Step 4: Pick layouts and skins

Layouts: many drift tracks ship with several layouts in one track folder. In Content Manager, each layout shows up as its own option when you select the track. Silver Dollar Motorsports Park, for example, has skid pad layouts, a hotlap layout, a drag strip and a road course comp layout, and you choose which one to load before the session starts.

Skins: each car has a skins folder at assettocorsa/content/cars/<car>/skins. A new skin is just another folder in there. Pick it in the car selection screen in Content Manager. Skins only change the look, not the physics.

For online servers, the server decides the track, layout and cars. You need the same files installed, so grab the server's track and car pack before you join.

Common problems and fixes

The track needs CSP and you do not have it

If a listing says CSP is required, as Quaker City Motorsports Park does for its RainFX, GrassFX and LightingFX, install CSP first. Without it the track will not look or work the way its creator intended, and it may not load at all. If a track names a minimum CSP version, use that version or newer.

Wrong folder level

This is the most common mistake with manual installs. Unzipping often creates an extra folder, so you end up with tracks/trackname/trackname instead of tracks/trackname. The game then cannot see the track. Open the folder you copied: if it only contains another folder with the same name, move that inner folder up one level.

Track not found or missing from the list

Check the folder level first. Then restart Content Manager so it sees the new folder. If a server says a track is missing, you either do not have it or your copy is a different version, so download the version the server uses.

Missing or broken textures

Missing textures usually mean files did not copy over. Delete the track or car folder and install it again from a fresh download. If the track uses CSP effects, check CSP is installed and up to date. Some tracks lean on extra CSP features: Kurayoshi Touge, for example, lists VAO patch support, GrassFX and RainFX as part of its visuals.

The game itself is broken

The CSP wiki's troubleshooting page suggests running a Steam integrity check. It notes this will not remove the cars or tracks you installed, but it will restore changed Assetto Corsa files.

Where to start

Start with one track and one car pack, test them, then add more. Our list of the best Assetto Corsa drift tracks groups free maps into pro rounds, grassroots venues, league layouts, touge and original parks. The Great State of Touge is a good test of a fully set up install, since its free version uses RainFX, GrassFX, TreeFX, LightFX and SkidmarkFX.

Drift a real car as well? Sim time is good practice, but your real car's balance comes from its suspension. Take a look at our coilovers when you are ready to set it up.

FAQ

Do I need Content Manager to install Assetto Corsa mods?

No. You can copy tracks into assettocorsa/content/tracks and cars into assettocorsa/content/cars by hand. Content Manager just makes installing, picking layouts and joining servers easier, and the Lite version is free.

Is Custom Shaders Patch required for mods?

Not for every mod, but many modern tracks need it for lighting, grass and rain. If a listing says CSP is required, install it before the mod.

Where is the Assetto Corsa content folder?

It is inside your Assetto Corsa install folder. On a default Steam install that is steamapps/common/assettocorsa/content, with tracks and cars folders inside.

Why does my track not show up in Content Manager?

Usually the folder is one level too deep, or Content Manager has not rescanned yet. Fix the folder so the track sits directly inside tracks, then restart Content Manager.

How do I change the layout of a track?

Select the track in Content Manager and pick the layout you want from its options. Each layout appears separately.

Sources

• Content Manager official page
• Content Manager features and requirements
• Custom Shaders Patch official page
• Custom Shaders Patch config wiki
• CSP troubleshooting