How to Fix Fallout New Vegas Crashing Issue on PC?

Fallout New Vegas is a 32-bit application built on the Gamebryo engine, primarily designed for 32-bit systems. Because of this, Fallout: New Vegas is limited to 4GB of memory, which is why users encounter performance issues on modern systems with more RAM, especially with high graphics settings or extensive modding.

Another cause that could lead to this issue is memory leakage. Memory leaks occur when the software requests a specific amount of RAM from the system. The OS checks the available RAM and then assigns the requested memory to the software. However, when the program is done with the memory, it should release the memory that is no longer in use.

In a memory leak, the software doesn’t release unneeded memory, so when the software requests more memory and the system cannot provide it, the software crashes immediately. This might not be the only reason for Fallout: New Vegas crashes, but it could be one of them.

Before we dive into the methods and start troubleshooting this issue, it is highly recommended to ensure your GPU driver is updated. An outdated GPU driver can cause instability when playing games.

1. Download the Performance Fix Mod

Players encounter multiple issues when playing Fallout: New Vegas, especially if they are playing in a 64-bit environment. To fix all of these issues, you can download a performance fix mod called DXVK. You may be able to play without crashes; however, if you experience any more issues after installing the mod, you can uninstall it just like you installed it.

1. Download the DXVK from the link.
2. Once the mod zip folder is downloaded, extract it using WinRAR.
3. Once done, navigate to the extracted folder and copy all the files.
   
4. Now, open the folder where Fallout: New Vegas is installed, and paste the copied files here.
   
5. Once done, launch Fallout: New Vegas, and this should resolve the crashing issue.

If you have a list of mods installed for Fallout: New Vegas, you need to properly reinstall them to achieve stable performance. Many affected users have fixed crashing issues by properly reinstalling the mods, as mentioned in a detailed article from Viva New Vegas. You can follow this to fix the issue.

2. Use Low Graphics Settings

Using low graphics settings can reduce the load on the system’s GPU and CPU, which can help avoid crashes caused by overloading the 32-bit game engine. Setting the graphics settings to low means using fewer high-resolution textures and complex visual effects, which could prevent memory-related crashes by keeping the game within the limited 4GB RAM usage.

1. Go to Settings > Display.
2. Reduce all the settings to low or medium.
   
3. Once done, play the game for a while to see if this resolves the crashes.

3. Verify the Game Files

Verifying game files checks and restores any missing or corrupted files by downloading them from the Steam server. This can prevent crashes by restoring files that might be corrupted due to incomplete installation, mod conflicts, or failed updates, resulting in this issue.

1. Open Steam and navigate to Library.
2. Right-click on Fallout: New Vegas and select Properties.
   
3. Select Installed Files from the left and click Verify the Integrity of Game Files. This will take several minutes, depending on the network connection.
   
4. Once done, verify if the game is still crashing.

In the end, if you are still experiencing the issue, reinstalling the game may be your last option. However, before doing so, try uninstalling half of your mods to see if the problem is resolved. If it is resolved, then the issue likely lies within your mods. If not, uninstall the remaining mods and check again.