God of War Ragnarök has launched for PC. Despite being a critically acclaimed game, the PC version of the game is facing backlash from Steam users. On top of that, Windows PC users are experiencing errors and crashes with the game like the “D3D error: Device not available” error. I have compiled a list of fixes that will help you resolve God Of War Ragnarök’s D3D error.
How Do I Fix GOW Ragnarök D3D Device Not Available Error On Windows PC
With so many PC configurations out there, different Windows users have distinct reasons why God of War Ragnarök’s D3D error is popping up. For some PC users, the game crashes due to corrupt or missing files, DLSS frame generation, high GPU and Memory clocks, and more. The following are the fixes that will resolve the “D3D error: Device not available” crash in GOW Ragnarök.
Fix #1: Verify Game Files
Before we move to some of the more complex fixes, try verifying game files for God of War Ragnarök to resolve the error. Many PC users report that, verifying the game files has fixed the error, Here is how you can verify and fix corrupt game files:
- Open your Steam library and right-click GOW Ragnarök.
- Select the “Properties” option.
- Go to the “Installed files” tab and click the “Verify integrity of game files” button.
- Steam will scan for missing or corrupt files and will repair them.
- Play God of War Ragnarök and the D3D error is fixed.
Fix #2:Disable DLSS Frame Generation
For those of you experiencing the D3D error when you select resume from the main menu or if God Of War Ragnarök crashes with the error randomly, disable DLSS Frame Generation to fix it. DLSS 3 Frame-Gen is causing the game to crash with the D3D error, and you have to disable it until devs roll out a proper fix for it.
Fix #3: Ensure God Of War Ragnarök is Switching to Dedicated GPU
Gaming laptops utilize both integrated and dedicated GPUs; Windows automatically switches to the latter when a game is launched. However, sometimes the OS does not make the switch, which crashes games at startup.
If you have a gaming laptop with a dedicated GPU and an iGPU, Windows isn’t making the switch to the Nvidia or AMD GPU, which crashes God of War Ragnarök with the “D3D error: Device not available” error. To fix the error, make sure the game always uses the dedicated Nvidia or AMD GPU, and here is how you can do it:
- Open Windows 11/10 Settings.
- Go to System > Display > Graphics.
- Select “God Of War Ragnarök’ from the list.
- Click on Options.
- Check the “High Performance” options and save the changes.
- Play the game and the D3D error is fixed.
Fix #4: Use Recommended GPU and Memory Clocks
Some game engines are sensitive to the GPU and memory clocks, and playing them on overclocked or factory-overclocked graphics cards results in crashes. Most graphics cards from third-party AIB partners, such as Zotac, are either factory overclocked or use higher GPU and Memory clocks. If you are using such a graphics card, then it is crashing God Of War Ragnarök with the D3D error. To fix it, you need to force the graphics card to use its reference GPU and Memory clocks, and here is how you can do it:
- Open the Nvidia Contro Panel.
- Click the “Help” button at the top and select “Debug Mode”.
- Launch God Of War Ragnarök and it won’t crash with the D3D error.
What is Debug Mode
Enabling the Debug Mode from the NVIDIA Control Panel forces your NVIDIA graphics card to use the reference GPU and Memory clocks for the particular model. This reduces the load on the graphics card, which fixes the D3D Error on PC. You can disable the Debug Mode at any time you want.
Fix #5: Update GPU Driver
The reason God of War Ragnarök is crashing with the D3D error for most PC users is an outdated GPU driver or the current version is incompatible with the game. Update the driver or install a different version of it, and the error will be fixed. Ensure you do a clean installation, so the settings from the previous version won’t interfere with the new one.
That is all for our God of War Ragnarök fixes for the “D3D error: Device not available” error. I will keep on updating this guide with more fixes as I find them. If you are experiencing errors and crashes in games, also see our fixes hub for commonly occurring errors for PC and handhelds.
