There's nothing worse than waiting years for Dune: Awakening to release, only to find the game crashing on startup, or worse, not launching at all. It's a frustrating experience, especially for players who were excited to finally jump into the world of Arrakis. What makes it even more annoying is that this issue isn't limited to low-end systems. Even users with powerful components are running into the same problem. In some cases, the game crashes after the intro screen. In others, it doesn't open at all, with no error message to explain why.

Thankfully, crashes and launch problems like these are common in new PC games and can often be fixed with a few simple steps. Whether the problem is with overclocking, missing files, or temporary bugs, there are several methods you can try to get the game running. And in this guide, we’ll go over all of them.

How to fix Dune: Awakening not launching or crashing on PC

In some cases, the game will launch or stop crashing after you restart your PC. However, if that doesn’t work, feel free to proceed to the methods mentioned below.

Repair missing or broken game files

Sometimes, game files can go missing or get corrupted during installation or even after the game has been played for a while. This can lead to crashing or prevent Dune: Awakening from launching at all. Thankfully, Steam has a built-in feature that allows you to scan and repair any missing or damaged files.

• Launch Steam.
• Go to your Game Library.
• Right-click on Dune: Awakening.
• Select Properties.
• Go to Installed Files.
• Select ‘Verify integrity of the game files.’
• Wait for the scan to complete.
• If any files were broken or missing, Steam will replace them.

Disable overclocking

Overclocking your CPU or GPU can boost performance in many games, but it can also lead to stability issues. In some cases, overclocked systems become unstable with newer or unoptimized games like Dune: Awakening. If your game is crashing often or refusing to launch, and you have overclocking enabled, it's worth turning it off. Don’t worry, if the game still continues to crash or not launch even after you’ve disabled overclocking, feel free to turn it back on.

Scan your PC for malware

Malware doesn't just slow down your PC – it can also cause games to crash or refuse to launch. If your system is infected, it may interfere with Dune: Awakening or consume system resources needed by the game. This can happen to anyone, but there’s a quick way to fix this.

Simply run a full system scan using Microsoft Defender or a trusted third-party antivirus. The tool will scan your entire system and let you know if there are any threats. If the tool detects something, follow the on-screen instructions to remove it. After the scan, restart your PC and try launching the game again.

Lock your FPS at 60

This may seem like a strange solution, but some players on the Steam Community Forum reported that Dune: Awakening stopped crashing when they locked their FPS at 60. If your game is crashing randomly or during intense scenes, it could be due to an internal bug related to high frame rates. To fix this, go to the in-game settings and set the frame rate cap to 60. Don’t worry, Dune: Awakening is not an FPS game, so you will be more than fine with 60 FPS.

Disable Shader Cache Size through the Nvidia Control Panel

The Nvidia Control Panel gives users access to various graphics settings, including Shader Cache Size. While this feature is meant to speed up loading and improve performance by storing compiled shaders, it can sometimes cause crashes in certain games. To disable it, follow these steps:

• Right-click on your desktop and select Nvidia Control Panel.
• Go to Manage 3D Settings.
• Finder Shader Cache Size and set it to Disabled.
• Click Apply and restart your PC.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.