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Helldivers 2 just can’t seem to catch a break. No matter how many patches the devs at Arrowhead put out, there seem to always be issues with crashing; especially on PC. While it can annoying, there are fixes that you can try to help you get back in the game and mitigate them. Let’s break down how to fix Helldivers 2 if it keeps crashing on PC.
How to fix Helldivers 2 crashing on PC
There are multiple potential fixes you can try if you keep having issues with Helldivers 2 crashing on your PC. Each of these are general fixes that can help prevent crashes but be aware that there are in-game actions you can take that cause crashing. In the event that this is the case, you will need to wait for Arrowhead to put out a patch to fix a specific issue causing a crash.
Update your GPU drivers
Go through the Helldivers 2 Steam library menu and browse the local files. Image captured by VideoGamer
Go through the bin folder and choose to run the application as an administrator. Image captured by VideoGamer
This sounds obvious, but really needs to be the first thing to check. Always make sure your GPU is running latest drivers, as these can iron out performance issues in some games. You can do this by going through the desktop app required for your graphics card or by going to the company’s website. If you require the correct Nvidia drivers, follow this link. If you require the correct AMD drivers, follow this link.
Verify file integrity
Go to the Helldivers 2 properties menu. Image captured by VideoGamer
Choose the files option and verify the integrity of the Helldivers 2 files. Image captured by VideoGamer
Next, verify your file integrity. To do this, go to the Helldivers 2 page in your Steam library. From there, select the gear icon to bring up a small menu and select the “Properties” option. This will open a new menu. In this menu, choose the “Installed Files” option and then choose “Verify integrity of game files.” This is also a means of fixing the game if it won’t launch on Steam.
Limit the framerate
Once your drivers are updated and the files are verified we can start making more sensitive adjustments. Limiting the framerate has been tested by a Helldivers PC player on Reddit, who explained that this seemed to stabilize performance. To do this simply follow the below steps:
For Nvidia cards
- Head to Nvidia Control Panal
- Click Manage 3D settings
- Program Settings
- Select Helldivers 2
- Then on Max Frame Rate select this to ‘On’ and hit 60
While you’re there, check PhysX via the Configure Surround tab. Sometimes this can be set to CPU. If it is, set this your GPU.
Lower the graphics quality
If you’re still experiencing crashes, then you can try setting the graphics settings to low. This will help the game be less demanding on your PC. To do this, bring up the in-game menu by pressing the ESC key. From here, go to the options menu and select the “Graphics” option. After this, simply turn all of the graphics settings to low. In particular, ensure that anti-aliasing and screen-space global illumination are disabled.
Disable Steam controller input
Once again, head to the properties menu and Steam. Image captured by VideoGamer
Go to the controller menu and choose to disable Steam Input. Image captured by VideoGamer
To disable Steam controller input, start by going to the game’s properties menu via the Steam library page. Choose the cog icon and select properties. From there, choose the “Controller” option. In the controller menu go to the pull-down menu and choose to disable Steam controller input. Again, this has been verified as a step you may want to take if performance is suffering.
Run the game as an administrator
Finally, you may want to try running the game as an administrator. To do this, follow these steps:
- Go through the Steam library menu.
- Select the cog icon, go to manage, and then select browse local files.
- From there, choose the “bin” folder.
- In this folder, right-click on the application and then choose to run the game as an administrator.
We do not recommend doing a clean wipe and reinstalling Windows, as this will not affect performance. When you do get back up and running, or if you’re waiting for the game to load, make sure to check out our guide on the best Helldivers 2 weapons and Warbonds.
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