How to Fix DragonSword Awakening Black Screen and Startup Crashes

Resolve black screen, freezing, and startup crashes in DragonSword: Awakening on PC with these verified step-by-step troubleshooting fixes.

Quick answer

  • 1Wait several minutes on the first launch to allow shader compilation to finish.
  • 2Move the game installation to an SSD to meet Unreal Engine 5's high-speed streaming demands.
  • 3Disable Windows Auto-HDR in your display settings to resolve rendering conflicts.
  • 4Turn off FSR Frame Generation and VSync, or delete GameUserSettings.ini to reset graphics.

Fix DragonSword Awakening Not Launching/Crashing/Startup Crash/Not Loading/Freezing/Black Screen PC

Watch this step-by-step video guide to troubleshoot startup crashes, freezing, and black screen issues in DragonSword: Awakening on PC.

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Step-by-Step Troubleshooting for Startup Crashes

To resolve loading hangs and black screens, work through these verified solutions.

1Wait for shader compilation
2Move game to SSD
3Disable Windows Auto-HDR
4Verify Steam files
5Reset GameUserSettings.ini
6Disable FSR and VSync

1. Wait Out the Initial Shader Compilation

When launching the game for the very first time, it must compile shaders to ensure smooth performance. During this process, the screen may remain completely black for several minutes. Do not force-close the game via Task Manager; allow the process to finish naturally.

2. Move the Game to an SSD

Unreal Engine 5 strictly demands high-speed asset streaming. If you installed the game on a traditional Hard Disk Drive (HDD), you will likely experience extended loading times, severe texture pop-in, random crashes, and persistent black screens.

To move the game using Steam:

  1. Open your Steam Library and right-click DragonSword: Awakening.
  2. Select Properties and navigate to the Installed Files tab.
  3. Click Move install folder and select a directory on your Solid State Drive (SSD).

Note: While some localized Steam store pages list a 25 GB storage requirement, others recommend 60 GB. To ensure stability and avoid installation errors, we recommend keeping at least 60 GB of free space available on your SSD.

3. Disable Windows Auto-HDR

Windows Auto-HDR can conflict with the Unreal Engine 5 rendering pipeline, preventing the game from initializing its display output correctly.

  1. Open your Windows Settings (Win + I).
  2. Go to System > Display > HDR.
  3. Toggle Auto HDR to Off before launching the game.

4. Verify the Integrity of Game Files

Corrupted or missing files from a patch or installation interruption can cause immediate startup crashes.

  1. Right-click DragonSword: Awakening in your Steam Library.
  2. Select Properties > Installed Files.
  3. Click Verify integrity of game files and wait for Steam to scan and replace any damaged files.

5. Reset Graphics Settings to Default

If you modified your graphics settings and can no longer see the main menu to revert them, you can force-reset your configuration by deleting the local configuration file.

  1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type %LOCALAPPDATA%\DragonSwordAwakening\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor and press Enter.
  3. Locate the file named GameUserSettings.ini and delete it.
  4. Launch the game. A clean, default configuration file will automatically generate.

6. Disable FSR Frame Generation and VSync

During the game's Demo period, developer Hound13 Inc. patched several performance drops and crashes specifically linked to combining FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), Frame Generation, and VSync. If you can access the settings menu, temporarily disable these features to test for stability.

7. Reset Your Graphics Driver

If the screen goes black and your system appears to freeze, you can attempt to wake up your display driver without restarting your PC by pressing Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B. Your screen will flicker and beep, indicating the graphics driver has successfully restarted.

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