Mundfish’s Atomic Heart is finally out on PC, and after years of development, we now have the first-person shooter on Steam and Game Pass for PC. The title surprisingly runs well enough and has many settings to adjust, but there are a few technical issues. If you are running into the Atomic Heart crash at launch issue, here are a few things you can try.
Verify Game Files
As always, you first want to check if your game files are in order. It’s possible that something went wrong during the installation or download process, and your client needs to scan through your current game files. This can easily be done in both clients Atomic Heart is available on.
Steam
- Open Steam and navigate to your library
- Right-click on Atomic Heart in your library
- Click Properties
- Select the LOCAL FILES tab
- Click on Verify Integrity of local files…
This will scan your game files and redownload anything missing or broken.
Xbox App for PC
- Launch the Xbox App
- On the left, under INSTALLED, click on Atomic Heart
- Click on the button with three dots
- Select Manage
- Select the FILES tab, and then click on VERIFY AND REPAIR under Options
Like Steam, this will also initiate a scan that will go through your game files to check for any issues.
Update DirectX and Visual C++ Redistributables
Ensure that both DirectX and Visual C++ Redistributables are on the latest version.
Manually update your GPU Drivers
Make sure that you have the latest drivers for your GPU installed. You can get the latest ones from the links below.
Add an exception to your anti-virus
Many third-party anti-virus software can actually flag certain games as threats. Add Atomic Heart’s installation folder to the list of exclusions or exceptions to ensure that doesn’t happen.
We have listed some popular ones and their respective FAQ pages.
- Windows Defender
- Microsoft Security Essentials
- Malwarebytes
- Avast Antivirus
- AVG Antivirus
- Kaspersky Anti-Virus
- Webroot SecureAnywhere
- McAfee Antivirus (Steam Support guide)
- Bitdefender
Switch to dedicated GPU (Laptop Users)
Ensure that your dedicated GPU is being utilized instead of the integrated one.
Switching to the dedicated Nvidia GPU
- First, open the Nvidia Control Panel
- Then navigate to 3D Settings and then Manage 3D Settings
- Open the tab Program Settings and choose Atomic Heart from the dropdown menu
- Next, select the preferred graphics processor for this program from the second dropdown.
- Your Nvidia GPU should show as High-performance Nvidia processor
- Save the changes
Switching to the dedicated AMD GPU
- First, open Radeon Settings
- Then navigate to Preferences, followed by Additional Settings
- Here, select Power and then Switchable Graphics Application Settings
- Select Atomic Heart from the list of applications
- If Atomic Heart isn’t in the list, click the Add Application button and select the executable from the installation directory. This adds the game to the list, and you’ll be able to select it afterward.
- In Graphics Settings, assign the High-Performance profile to the game.
Update Atomic Heart
Since the title just came out, it’s bound to receive a few updates that will likely include stability improvements. Please ensure your game is updated whether you’ve installed it through Steam or the Game Pass for PC app.
Steam
- Open Steam and navigate to your library.
- Right-click on Atomic Heart in your library
- Click Properties
- Select the Updates tab, and set Automatic Updates to High Priority
Xbox App for PC
- Launch the Xbox App
- On the left, under INSTALLED, click on Atomic Heart
- Click on the button with three dots
- Select Manage
- Select the FILES tab, and then click on CHECK FOR UPDATES
Update Your Windows
Make sure that you are on the latest version of Windows. The game requires at least the 20H1 version.
- In Windows Search, type “Update” and click on Check for Updates
- This will take you to the Windows Update section, and you can make sure you are on the latest version
We hope this guide helped fix the Atomic Heart Crash at launch issue. Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
