Starfield is now available for users who pre-ordered the Premium Edition on both Xbox consoles and PC. The PC version runs fine for the most part, but like any other major release, there are some technical issues. If you’re running into the Starfield crash at launch issue, here are a few things I recommend doing.
Verify Game Files
As usual, the first thing you want to do is to make sure that your game files are in order, and unaffected by download or installation issues. Thankfully, no matter which client you have downloaded Starfield through, you can easily scan the files, and re-download any broken or missing files.
Steam
- Open Steam and navigate to your library
- Right-click on Starfield in your library
- Click Properties
- Select the Installed Files tab
- Click on Verify Integrity of game files
Xbox App for PC
- Launch the Xbox App
- On the left, under INSTALLED, click on Starfield
- 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 GPU Drivers
Make sure you have the latest GPU drivers to avoid any compatibility or performance issues. You can get the latest ones from the links below.
Update DirectX and Visual C++ Redistributables
Ensure that both DirectX and Visual C++ Redistributables are on the latest version.
Switch to dedicated GPU (Laptop Users)
If you’re playing Starfield on a laptop, make sure to check if your dedicated GPU is being utilized correctly.
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 Starfield 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 Starfield from the list of applications
- If Starfield 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.
Add an Exception to Your Anti-Virus
It’s possible that third-party anti-virus software has flagged the game as a threat. Try adding Starfield to its exceptions or exclusions list, and see if that makes a difference.
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
Run Starfield as an Administrator
- Open Steam and then your library
- Here, right-click on Starfield
- Click Manage
- Then select Browse local files
- Right-click on the Starfield executable and select Properties
- Click the Compatibility tab
- Check “Run this program as an administrator“
Update Your Windows
Make sure that you are on the latest version of Windows. The game requires at least version 21H1 (10.0.19043).
- 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
Disable Mods
Since the game just came out, there will be plenty of patches and updates over several weeks. I recommend disabling any mod to see if that fixes the crashing. Mods are a big part of any Bethesda RPG, version mismatches can result in stability problems, hence the crashing.
Update Starfield
As mentioned before, Starfield will continue to receive patches in the coming weeks, so it’s important to ensure that you’re always on the latest version. You can use Steam to force high-priority updates for Starfield.
- Open Steam and navigate to your library.
- Right-click on Starfield in your library
- Click Properties
- Select the Updates tab, and set Automatic Updates to High Priority
Lower Some Settings
Compared to previous Bethesda titles, Starfield is a bit on the demanding side, which makes sense considering how massive its scope is. The minimum recommended GPU is a GTX 1070 Ti, which has 8 GB of VRAM. If you have something a bit below this, you might be running into stability issues, which is why I recommend turning down some settings, and the resolution to lower VRAM usage.
We hope this guide helped fix the Starfield crash at launch issue. Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
