Fix Unexpected Crashes In Final Fantasy XV

It's been over 3 years since Final Fantasy XV was released on PC. And while the game has seen countless updates, DLC, and improvements throughout the year, players are still experiencing Unexpected crashes in Final Fantasy XV which take away their experience. Frequent crashes are still reported to occur in Windows 10 y Windows 11.

If you want to learn the methods you can apply and the situations that usually cause unexpected crashes in Final Fantasy XV, be sure to read our post.

What causes unexpected crashes in Final Fantasy XV?

We have investigated this issue and analyzed dozens of different user reports facing this same problem. It turns out that there are actually multiple possible causes that could be the root of this problem. Here is a list of culprits that you should investigate:

• Outdated GPU drivers: One of the most common causes that is often overlooked is an instance where the GPU drivers and physics module are outdated. This seems to be an issue on Windows 10 and older versions. If you haven't updated your GPU drivers for a while, installing the latest versions might fix the issue in your case.
• The current TRAM configuration is unsustainable- This game has always been bad at managing texture RAM (ever since the original release). And while the developers alleviated the issue to some extent through the various patches released over the year, it remains a constant reason for frequent crashes on low to medium PC configurations. If you're barely making it past the medium spec requirements, you'll be better off setting your TRAM settings to Low and locking it at 30 FPS.
• Poor memory management during mode full screen: It turns out that there is a good chance that you can make the game much more stable if you force the game to run in borderless mode instead of fullscreen mode. This is reported to be effective mostly in Windows 11, but you can also try it on Windows 10.
• Nvidia Turf Effects and Hairworks are enabled: If you're using a dedicated Nvidia GPU and have Nvidia Turf Effects and Hairworks enabled, you may want to disable them if you don't want the game to constantly crash. Square Enix never implemented these features properly for FF XV and you'll be better off keeping them disabled.
• Full screen mode hardware is enabled: Another reason why you might see this behavior on Windows 10 is a scenario where fullscreen is applied at the hardware level from the game settings. In this case, you might be able to fix the issue by disabling the hardware fullscreen mode from the game settings menu.
• VSync is enabled on low-end PCs: At the expense of seeing constant screen tearing, you're better off disabling Vsyns while playing Final Fantasy XV, especially if you're on a low-end PC. This method is confirmed to be effective on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
• A second monitor is connected: If you're launching the game while having a second monitor connected, you may be able to permanently fix the crashes by simply unplugging the secondary monitor before launching the game. This is especially effective if you have a setup with two or more HDMI splits.
• Missing or corrupted Visual C++ 2017 dependency: A lesser-known scenario that could cause this issue is a scenario where a key Visual C++ (released in 2017) dependency that the game needs in certain scenarios is missing. Another possibility is that the required dependency is corrupted and needs to be replaced. In this case, you should be able to fix the issue by uninstalling all Visual C++ dependencies before reinstalling them.
• The GPU is not powerful enough to render the game: If you are using a low-end GPU that barely meets the minimum requirements, you can try tweaking the GraphicsConfig file and disabling a couple of settings that are putting a heavy load on your GPU. Also, if you have the budget for it, you should also consider upgrading to a more powerful GPU.
• Flow Guard (CFG) is enabled: If you are on Windows 10 and are using Windows Security as the default security suite, you should take There to disable Flow Guard (CFG) from the Windows Security settings menu. This method seems to have helped many FF XV players experiencing this issue on Windows 10.
• Antivirus interference: If Final Fantasy XV crashes every time the game tries to connect to the game server, it is possible that your antivirus or firewall is interfering with communications between your local installation and the game server. In this case, you can prevent the issue from occurring by whitelisting the game files in your antivirus settings.
• Poor management of the Windows page file: While this is not a recommended solution as it could cause other issues with native Windows components, other Final Fantasy XV players reported that the crashes stopped occurring once they disabled the Windows page file feature.

Methods to fix unexpected crashes in Final Fantasy XV

Now that we've gone over all the possible reasons why you might be experiencing these types of crashes, let's go over all the solutions that other Final Fantasy XV players have successfully used to get to the bottom of this issue.

1. Update GPU drivers

The first thing you should do when troubleshooting this issue is to make sure you are running the correct GPU drivers. Final Fantasy XV (especially the newer DLCs) uses a number of unique physical dependencies that will only install with certain driver versions (depending on your GPU).

The ideal way to do this is to use the dedicated utility (from AMD or Nvidia) to make sure you are installing the latest driver version for your GPU model, from Nvidia or AMD.

Depending on whether you're on the Nvidia or AMD side, follow one of the subguides below to ensure you're running the latest GPU drivers:

Update Nvidia GPU

Nvidia recommends that you take the time to first uninstall all remnant driver files (before installing the latest version) if you suspect that your GPU driver fleet might be affected by corruption.

Do this to briefly switch to the generic driver and ensure that the installation of the new GPU drivers goes as planned.

• Follow the steps below to upgrade to GPU Nvidia most recent according to your particular model:
• Start by opening a dialog box Run; you can do this by pressing Windows key + R.
• Write 'appwiz.cpl' inside the text box and press Enter to open the menu Programs and characteristics.

Note: If you see the window User Account Control, click Yes to grant administrator access.

• On the menu Programs and Features, click the Editor button to sort each article by your editor.

Note: This action will allow us to more easily detect the totalities belonging to Nvidia.

• Next, scroll down and look for posts published by Nvidia Corporation.
• Right click on each Nvidia item and select uninstall in the context menu.

• Next, go ahead and uninstall all software programs published by NVIDIA Corporation from your computer.
• Once the above step is complete, restart your computer and wait for the next startup to complete.

Note: This action will force generic GPU drivers back into action.

• Once your PC restarts, visit the Official GeForce Experience download page.
• From the dedicated download page, click the button Download  now to download the latest version of GeForce Experience.

• Start following the steps outlined to install the latest version of GeForce Experience on your PC.

Note: In the confirmation message, click Yes to grant administrator access.

• Open GeForce Experience and go to the page Controladores to see if there is a new driver version waiting to be installed.
• Then click quick installation and follow the remaining prompts to complete the driver installation.

• Once the latest driver version is installed, restart your PC to finalize the changes.
• Launch Final Fantasy XV again and see if the crashing issue is gone.

AMG GPU Update

On the other hand, if you're using an AMD graphics card, you should definitely use the cleanup utility before attempting to update your current driver - doing so will ensure that you remove all the leftover files from the previous driver installation and start from scratch.

Once you do this, you can safely download the latest GPU version using the Auto-Detect utility.

These are the complete steps of this process:

• Open the AMD Cleanup Utility official download page link. This should trigger an automatic download of the latest version of AMD Cleanup Utility.
• Once the download is complete, right-click on AMD Cleanup Utility and select Run as administrator  in the context menu that just appeared.
• You should then see a message asking you to log in. safe mode to make the utility more effective. Click on Yes when this happens.

Note: What this tool will do is uninstall the current AMD drivers, then it will implement a system-wide scan that will look for remnant registry files and startup items that contain AMD driver store signatures.

• If you find any data that should no longer be on your system, it will be removed without any friction with other system components. The entire process is automated, so there is no further action on your part.
• To begin the process, click on Accept to start the process and run it in the background.

Note: Once the utility launches, you can expect the screen to start flickering before going black for a few seconds. This is perfectly normal.

• Once the operation is complete, click on Finalize to reboot your computer normally and transition to generic drivers.
• After PC restarts, visit the AMD official page of the automatic detection and installation of graphics utility.
• On the auto-detect page, scroll down to the section Automatically detect and install Radeon graphics drivers for Windows  and click Download now.

• Double-click the executable you just downloaded and follow the remaining instructions to install Radeon Adrenalin.
• Once the installation is complete, you should see AMD Adrenalin launch automatically as it begins searching for the latest compatible AMD graphics drivers.
• Please wait patiently until the driver scan is complete.
• You will then be prompted to install the appropriate driver for your model. Press Install when the message appears.

• At EULA (End User License Agreement),  click  I agree to complete the procedure.
• Restart your PC one last time to complete the operation, then launch Final Fantasy XV once more and see if the game no longer crashes.
• If the same problem continues to occur, please move down to the next possible solution below.

2. Set TRAM to Low and lock it at 30 FPS

Once you've ensured that your current fleet of GPU drivers is not to blame for this issue the next thing you need to troubleshoot is a situation where the TRAM settings you're using when playing Final Fantasy XV are unsustainable.

This is quite common with low PC configurations that barely meet the minimum requirements. If this scenario is applicable to you, our recommendation is to set your TRAM settings to Low and lock your FPS to 30.

This action is looked at by many community members who are stuck with low PC configurations. You can modify these settings by opening Final Fantasy XV and going to Settings > Graphics.

Once you're in, configure TRAM en low and then changes frame rate a 30 FPS before saving the changes.

Once you make these changes, save them and restart the game before loading your saved game and testing to see if you still experience constant crashes.

If the problem persists, move on to the next method below.

3. Disable Nvidia Turf Effects and Hairworks

If you're using an Nvidia GPU, you'll notice a couple of additional Nvidia-pushed settings in Final Fantasy XV's graphics settings.

After trying different settings and seeing several user reports, we recommend resisting the temptation to enable them.

You can leave Nvidia-VXAO and Nvidia ShadowLibs enabled if you have a compatible PC, but you must disable both Nvidia TurfEffects and Nvidia Hairworks. 

You can do this by opening the game and going to Settings > Graphics.

Note: It seems that more than 3 years after Final Fantasy XV was released on PC, Square Enix still hasn't made these options reliable, so it's better to sacrifice some graphical bells and whistles for stability.

After disabling this graphics setting, restart the game and see if the issue is now fixed.

If the same issue persists or if you already had Nvidia TurfEffects and Nvidia Hairworks disabled, please move on to the next possible solution below.

4. Switch from full screen to borderless

It turns out that a popular reason why you might be experiencing this issue while playing Final Fantasy XV on PC is a case where some sort of memory mismanagement occurs while playing the game in fullscreen mode.

This is completely out of your control as this issue occurs due to developer fault and is only reported to occur with certain PC configurations.

Fortunately, there is a way to fix the crashes caused by this issue, but unfortunately, you'll have to switch from full-screen mode to borderless mode.

The game does not have a toggle menu that you can modify to achieve a borderless state, so you will need to do so by editing the file GraphicsConfig.ini of the game.

For step-by-step instructions on how to do this, follow the instructions below:

• Make sure that Final Fantasy XV, as well as Steam, are closed and not running in the background.
• Open File Explorer and navigate to the location where you installed Final Fantasy XV.

Note: If you got it through Steam, you will find the game in the following location:

C:\Program Files\Steam\My Games\FINAL FANTASY XV

• Then navigate through the following folders until you finally see GraphicsConfig.ini archive

76561197985784977 > save storage

• At this point, we recommend creating a backup of GraphicsConfig.ini  so that you have a safety in case you make a mistake while editing the file. To do this, right click on the file and click Copy, then press Ctrl + V to make a copy of the file.

Note: This step will prevent you from having to reinstall the game in case you do not modify the configuration file.

• Then right click on GraphicsConfig.ini  original (not the backup) and click Open with > Notepad of notes to be able to edit the values.
• Once you see the values ​​inside the file GraphicsConfig.ini, scroll down and locate HardwareFullScreenMode. Once you find it, change the value assigned to 0.

• After making this change, click on File> Save in the ribbon menu at the top to save the change and make it permanent.
• Once the changes have been saved, close the Notepad file and launch the game once again to see if the crashes stop.

In case Final Fantasy XV keeps crashing unexpectedly even though you're playing in borderless mode, revert the change you made earlier and move on to the next method below.

5. Disable hardware fullscreen mode

If editing the configuration file didn't fix the issue for you, the next thing you need to troubleshoot is a scenario where fullscreen is being enforced at the hardware level from the in-game settings. According to community members, this is usually an issue on PCs with a dual-GPU setup.

Fortunately, you can fix the problem if this scenario is applicable by opening the Final Fantasy XV graphics settings tool and unchecking the box associated with the hardware full screen mode.

If you want to try this solution, follow the instructions below:

• First things first, make sure Final Fantasy XV is closed and not running in the background.
• Open File Explorer and navigate to the following location:

C:\Program Files\Steam\My Games\FINAL FANTASY XV\tools\GraphicsConfigurationTool

• Once you are in the correct location, double-click the executable GraphicsConfigurationTool.

• When you are inside the menu graphics settings, go to Basic Settings and uncheck the box associated with the hardware full screen mode.

• Save the changes, then launch the game again and see if the issue is now resolved.

If the same type of problem continues to occur, move down to the next potential solution below.

6. Disable VSync (if applicable)

It turns out that if you're using V-Sync on a low-end PC that uses an Nvidia GPU, you can avoid these constant Final Fantasy XV crashes by disabling V-Sync via the Nvidia Control Panel.

Sure, doing this will mean you'll notice some degree of screen tearing while playing, but it's still better than constantly being kicked out of the game as it crashes.

We managed to find many users who reported that, in their case, the issue was completely fixed after using the Nvidia Control Panel to change the program settings for Final Fantasy XV to ensure that Vertical Sync remains disabled.

If this scenario is applicable to you and you are looking for step-by-step instructions on how to disable VSync in Final Fantasy XV, follow the instructions below:

• Make sure Final Fantasy XV is closed and not running in the background.
• Press the Windows key on your keyboard and type 'Nvidia Control Panel'.
• From the list of results, click Nvidia Control Panel.

• Once you are inside the Nvidia Control Panel, click on Manage 3D settings in the side menu on the left.
• Next, go to the right side menu and click on the tab Program settings.

• In the Program Settings menu, select Final Fantasy XV en Select a program to personalize.
• Scroll down and change the drop-down menu associated with Vertical Sync to Disabled, then click Apply To save the changes.

• After this change has been made and saved, launch Final Fantasy XV once again and see if the problem is now fixed.

If you are still experiencing the same type of crashes, please move on to the next method below.

7. Disconnect the second monitor (if applicable)

If you're using a dual monitor setup, you may be able to alleviate Final Fantasy XV crashes by disconnecting the secondary monitor before launching the game.

The community reports that this solution is effective in scenarios where dual monitor setup is achieved via an HDMI split.

So before you start your game, take the time to physically disconnect the second monitor from its HDMI port.

After doing this, launch the game and see if the problem is now resolved.

In case this method is not applicable or unplugging the monitor has not alleviated the frequency of crashes, please move on to the next method below.

8. Reinstall all Visual C++ dependencies

It turns out that another possible reason you might be experiencing this issue is a scenario where Final Fantasy XV requires a Microsoft C++ Redistributable released in 2017, but it cannot be located.

Note: Please note that this Visual C++ package It is extremely important to ensure that Final Fantasy XV is able to utilize the DirectX shaders that the game uses on Windows 11.

If you think this method is applicable, you should start by uninstalling the package Visual C++ Reddit 2017 (if you already have it installed) and perform a new installation from the official Microsoft channels.

Here is a quick step-by-step guide that will walk you through the entire process:

• Press Windows key + R to open a dialog box Run. Then write 'appwiz.cpl' and press Enter to open the screen  Programs and characteristics.
• If Microsoft Visual C ++ 2017 Redistributable  is already installed, right click on it and select uninstall in the context menu to get rid of it.

Note: If you do not have this Visual C++ Redistributable Package installed on your computer, skip this step entirely.

• Then, within the uninstallation screen, follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation, then restart your computer and wait for the next startup to complete.
• Once you are done with the above step, download one of the Visual C++ 2017 redistributable packages below based on your OS architecture (32-bit or 64-bit): Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable
  32-bit.
• Double click on the installer vc_redist recently downloaded and click Yes if prompted by the user account notice UAC.
• Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation of the latest version of Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable.
• Restart your PC and launch Final Fantasy XV to see if the issue is now resolved.

In case you are still experiencing the same indiscriminate crashes while playing the game, move on to the next method below.

9. Edit the GraphicsConfig file to force Window mode

In case you have a low-end graphics card that barely meets the minimum requirements of Final Fantasy XV and you experience these crashes during heavily populated areas of the game, it may help if you modify the file GraphicsConfig.ini  to force Window mode.

This will end up avoiding the memory leak issue mentioned above. Many affected users have confirmed that going this route finally made the game stable enough to play without worrying about constant crashes.

If you're prepared to make this trade-off (playing in windowed mode), follow the instructions below to learn how to edit the GraphicsConfig file for your Final Fantasy XV installation:

• Start by making sure Final Fantasy XV and Steam are closed and not running in the background.
• Next, open File Explorer and navigate to the location where you installed Final Fantasy XV.

Note: If you got it through Steam, you will find the game in the following location:

C:\Program Files\Steam\My Games\FINAL FANTASY XV

• Navigate through the following folders until you finally see the file GraphicsConfig.ini:

76561197985784977 > save storage

• At this point, we recommend creating a backup of GraphicsConfig.ini  so that you have a safety in case you make a mistake while editing the file. To do this, right click on the file and click Copy, then press Ctrl + V to make a copy of the file
• Right click on GraphicsConfig.ini original (not the backup) and click Open with > Notepad of notes to be able to edit the values.
• After you manage to open the GraphicsConfig.ini file with Notepad, scroll down to Basic Settings and change the value of  FullScreenModeOnStartup a 0.

• Go to File> Save to save the changes you just made.
• Start the game once again normally and play normally to see if the unexpected crashes stop.

If the issue is still not resolved or you were already playing in windowed mode, try the next solution below.

10. Disable overclocking or overclocking of your GPU (if applicable)

Instability while playing Final Fantasy XV on PC is also found in cases where you are using an overclocked GPU card that is simply not stable enough to run the game.

Most cases will occur if you have overclocked your GPU and the voltages cannot be kept up. Another possibility is that due to your overclocking, your PC is unable to supply enough power.

A couple of affected users who were also dealing with this issue reported that Final Fantasy XV was finally running smoothly and without crashes after they lowered their overclocking frequencies for both their CPU and GPU.

If this method is applicable, we recommend reverting to default values ​​which will allow you to determine if the problem is actually due to overclocking.

After resetting the overclocked frequencies to default, launch the game once again and see if you are still dealing with the same type of crashes.

If this method was not applicable or did not improve your gaming experience in any way, try the next solution below.

11. Disable Flow Guard (CFG) in Windows Security (Windows 10 only)

If you're still using Windows 11 and using Windows Security as your default antivirus and firewall solution, you should also investigate whether the Flow Guard (CFG) feature is causing these unexpected crashes when playing Final Fantasy.

It turns out that the crash can occur when the CFG function flags some game code as potentially malicious and terminates the application.

Note: This is a security option intended to prevent applications installed on Windows from performing unwanted actions. However, in this case, it is just a false positive that can simply be ignored.

If it seems like this scenario might apply to you, please follow the instructions below to disable the Flow Guard (CFG) feature in your Windows Security to prevent this scenario from happening again when you play in the future.

This is what to do:

• Press Windows key + R to open a dialog box Run. Then write 'ms-settings:windowsdefender' inside the text box and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open Windows Security with administrative privileges.
• On the menu Settings that just appeared, click on Windows Security.
• Once you are inside the Windows Security menu, click on Application control and navigation.

• Next, scroll down to the section Exploit Protection and click on Exploit Protection Settings.
• Next, go to the System Configuration tab and change the Protection drop-down menu. control flow (CFG) ha Disabled. 

Note: Additionally, you can go to Program settings and create a custom rule for Final Fantasy XV which will only disable the CFG function for Final Fantasy XV.

• Save the changes, then restart your PC and launch Final Fantasy XV once more to see if the problem is now resolved.

If the crashes continue to occur, move on to the next method below.

12. Whitelist the game in AV settings

If you notice that the game is crashing every time it tries to connect to Square Enix servers, you should seriously investigate a scenario where your activity is interfering with the connection between your local Final Fantasy XV installation and the game server.

In this case, the only method that will save you from having to uninstall the overprotective suite is to whitelist the game to prevent your antivirus or firewall from interfering and blocking the connection to Square Enix servers.

Note: In case you are using a third-party security suite, the instructions for whitelisting game files will differ depending on the security tool you are using. Since we cannot provide you with a definitive guide, the best thing you can do is search online for the specific steps to whitelist applications according to the antivirus or firewall you are using.

Alternatively, if you are using Windows Security as your default antivirus package, follow the instructions below to whitelist the Final Fantasy XV executable in your antivirus settings:

Note: The steps below will work for all recent versions of Windows (Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11)

• Start by pressing Windows key + R to open a dialog box Run.
• Write "control firewall.cpl»  and press  Enter  to open the classic Windows Firewall interface. In the UAC (User Account Control), click Yes to grant administrator access.
• Next, use the menu on the left to click on Allow an app or feature through the Firewall Windows Defender. 
• On the menu Allowed apps, click the Change settings button and allow administrator access by clicking on Yes on the indicator UAC (User Account Control).

• Once you have the necessary permissions, scroll down the list of allowed apps and see if you find the entries associated with Final Fantasy XV.
• If they are missing, click the button Allow another application, then click Examine, Navigate to your location and add all the executables belonging to final Fantasy  XV from the game installation folder.
• Save the changes, restart your PC and launch Final Fantasy XV once again and see if it still crashes when trying to connect to the Square Enix servers.

If the issue is still not resolved, move down to the next potential solution below.

13. Disable the Windows paging file (not recommended)

If you have followed all the steps above and still have not been able to prevent Final Fantasy XV from crashing unexpectedly, the last thing you can do is disable the Windows paging file feature.

This is not recommended by any means as it could cause friction with other native Windows applications, but many affected users facing this issue on low-end PC configurations have confirmed that this fix finally allowed them to play games normally.

If you are ready to use this method, follow the instructions below to disable the Windows paging file:

• Press Windows key + R to open a dialog box Run.
• Then write 'sysdm.cpl'  inside the text box and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the screen System properties with administrator access.
• Once you are inside the screen System properties, access the Advanced tab from the menu at the top, then click the button Configuration associated with Performance.
• On the menu Performance options, click the tab Advanced at the top, then click the button Change in Virtual memory.
• Once you are finally inside the Virtual Memory menu, uncheck the box associated with Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
• Then select the button No paging file option and click Accept To save the changes.
• Finally, you must restart your PC to check if the error has actually been resolved.

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