Red Dead Redemption 2 error code
RDR2 PC Error ERR_GFX_INIT: Failed to Initialize Graphics Device
ERR_GFX_INIT in one line: Red Dead Redemption 2 couldn't start your graphics card when it launched.
Try this first: update your NVIDIA or AMD graphics driver, then relaunch.
Try this first: update your NVIDIA or AMD graphics driver, then relaunch.
What ERR_GFX_INIT means
Rockstar Support says: “ERR_GFX_INIT: Failed to initialize graphics device. Please reboot or reinstall latest drivers.” (official page)
Rockstar's answer has three fixes: newer drivers, a settings reset and a graphics API switch in system.xml.
Likely causes
- An out-of-date graphics driver.
- Damaged or incompatible game settings files.
- The chosen graphics API (Vulkan or DirectX 12) failing on your PC.
How to fix ERR_GFX_INIT, easiest first
- Update your graphics driver
Get the latest driver from NVIDIA or AMD. - Reset the settings files
Close RDR2 and the Rockstar Games Launcher. In Documents\Rockstar Games\Red Dead Redemption 2\Settings, delete every file except system.xml, then relaunch. - Switch the graphics API
Open system.xml in Notepad, change kSettingAPI_Vulkan to kSettingAPI_DX12 (or the reverse), save, and delete any files starting sga_ in the same folder. Then launch the game.
| Step | What to do | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Update your graphics driver | Official |
| 2 | Reset the settings files | Official |
| 3 | Switch the graphics API | Official |
When to contact support
If none of these work, contact Rockstar Support.
ERR_GFX_INIT FAQ
Which settings file should I keep?
Keep system.xml. Rockstar says to delete every other file in the Settings folder.
Sources
Other Red Dead Redemption 2 error codes
- FFFFFFFF (Unknown error): An unknown RDR2 PC error; Rockstar lists audio-device, driver and graphics-API fixes.
- 0x99380000: RDR2 can't connect to Rockstar Game Services to download or verify content.
- ERR_GFX_INIT: Red Dead Redemption 2 couldn't start your graphics card when it launched.
- ERR_GFX_STATE: Red Dead Redemption 2 crashes at launch with a graphics state error.
- Error Code: 18: Red Dead Redemption 2 couldn't start because of a graphics API setting.
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