This article covers troubleshooting steps for players having trouble launching or starting Baldur's Gate 3 on PC. It addresses crashes on startup, black screens, grayed-out Play buttons, Larian Launcher errors, and toolkit launch failures.
Common causes
- Corrupted or incomplete game updates leaving files damaged or missing.
- The Vulkan graphics API not being supported properly by your system, causing crashes before the game loads.
- Outdated or corrupt graphics drivers.
- Corrupted launcher cache or configuration files in the Larian Studios AppData folder.
- Background software — overlays, antivirus, backup tools, or audio software like Nahimic — interfering with the game's startup.
- Missing legacy DirectX components or Visual C++ runtime libraries.
- Disabled DLC components (specifically for the game toolkit).
- Dual-GPU systems defaulting to integrated graphics instead of a dedicated card.
Troubleshooting steps
1. Switch between Vulkan and DirectX 11
Baldur's Gate 3 defaults to the Vulkan renderer, which can cause crashes on some systems. Switching to DirectX 11 is one of the most common fixes for startup failures.
- When the Larian Launcher opens, select DirectX 11 instead of Vulkan before clicking Play.
- If the launcher itself crashes before you can change the setting, navigate to the game's installation folder, open the
binsubfolder, and runbg3_dx11.exedirectly. For the Vulkan version, the executable isbg3.exe.
2. Verify and repair game files
If the Play button is grayed out, an update failed, or the game unexpectedly shows as uninstalled or corrupted:
- Open GOG GALAXY and select Baldur's Gate 3 from your library.
- Click the settings icon next to the Play button, select Manage installation, and click Verify / Repair.
- Let the client scan and restore any corrupted files.
3. Clear the Larian Launcher cache
If the launcher crashes, shows a blank window, or gets stuck loading:
- Press
Win + R, type%LocalAppData%\Larian Studiosand press Enter. - Delete the Launcher folder. Do not delete the Baldur's Gate 3 folder — it contains your save data.
- Restart the launcher. The first launch may take longer while it rebuilds the cache.
4. Reset game configuration files
If the game crashes after you changed graphics settings, or crashes consistently right after the intro:
- Press
Win + R, type%LocalAppData%\Larian Studios\Baldur's Gate 3and press Enter. - Back up the PlayerProfiles folder (this contains your saves) to a safe location.
- Delete everything else in this folder — this resets all configuration, shader cache, and engine settings to defaults.
- Launch the game again.
5. Run the game directly as administrator
If the launcher keeps failing or the Play button flashes and resets:
- Navigate to the Baldur's Gate 3 installation folder and open the
binsubfolder. - Right-click
bg3.exe(Vulkan) orbg3_dx11.exe(DirectX 11) and select Run as administrator. - To make this permanent in GOG GALAXY, right-click the executable, select Properties > Compatibility tab, and check Run this program as an administrator and Disable fullscreen optimizations.
- You can also configure GOG GALAXY to point directly to this executable under Manage installation > Configure > Features to keep achievement and playtime tracking.
6. Update or clean-install graphics drivers
Outdated or corrupted drivers are a common cause of startup crashes and black screens.
- Download and install the latest drivers from your GPU manufacturer's website (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel).
- If crashes persist, use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) in Safe Mode to completely remove your current drivers, restart, and install fresh.
7. Force your dedicated GPU
On systems with both integrated and dedicated graphics, the game may try to run on the weaker integrated chip.
-
NVIDIA: Open the NVIDIA Control Panel, go to Manage 3D Settings, and set your dedicated NVIDIA card as the preferred graphics processor — either globally or by creating a program-specific profile for
bg3.exe/bg3_dx11.exe. - AMD: Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, go to Gaming, find or add the game's executable, and set the Graphics Profile to High Performance.
8. Disable overlays and conflicting software
Background applications can interfere with the game's startup sequence.
- GOG GALAXY overlay: Open GOG GALAXY settings, go to the Game features tab, and uncheck Overlay.
- Third-party overlays: Close Discord, GeForce Experience, MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner, Radeon Software, and any other apps with in-game overlays.
- Audio software: Disable or uninstall Nahimic audio software if it's on your system.
- Backup software: If you use a backup tool that monitors your Documents folder (such as OneDrive, Backblaze, or similar), temporarily pause or exclude the Larian Studios folder from syncing — these tools can lock save files and cause crashes.
9. Install required software prerequisites
Missing runtime libraries can prevent the game from starting.
-
Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables: Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator (right-click the Start button > Terminal (Admin)) and run the following commands one after another:
winget install Microsoft.VCRedist.2015+.x64 --forcewinget install Microsoft.VCRedist.2015+.x86 --forceRestart your computer afterward.
- Legacy DirectX runtimes: Download and install the DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) to make sure all required legacy components are present.
10. Configure antivirus and firewall exceptions
If the game crashes on launch or drops back to the desktop immediately:
- Open your antivirus or security software settings.
- Add the Baldur's Gate 3 installation folder and both executables (
bg3.exeandbg3_dx11.exe) to the exception or exclusion list. - Also add GOG GALAXY's executables (
GalaxyClient.exe,GalaxyClientService.exe,GalaxyCommunication.exe) to the exclusion list. - Check your antivirus quarantine log and restore any game files that were flagged.
11. Enable Toolkit DLC (if using the Toolkit)
If the Baldur's Gate 3 Toolkit closes immediately upon launch without any error message:
- Open GOG GALAXY and go to the game's DLC section.
- Find the Toolkit DLC and make sure its checkbox is enabled.
- Try launching the Toolkit again.
When to contact support
If you've gone through all the steps above and Baldur's Gate 3 still won't launch or crashes on startup, reach out to our support team with a copy of your DxDiag report and we'll take a closer look.