Fix: PEAK Stuck on Loading Screen or Failing to Launch

When PEAK gets stuck on the loading screen or fails to load properly, it indicates a breakdown in the initialization process. This typically occurs when:

• The game is forced to run at an unsupported resolution or refresh rate.
• The selected graphics API (DirectX/Vulkan) isn’t compatible with the GPU or installed drivers.
• Damaged or missing game files prevent the Unity engine from starting correctly.
• Outdated GPU drivers cause rendering calls to fail.

Essentially, the game cannot build a stable rendering pipeline, leaving the player stuck in an infinite loop. Below are the most effective fixes, explained in detail.

1. Reset Registry Screenmanager Keys

The Unity engine stores display preferences (resolution, full-screen/windowed, refresh rate) in the registry under Screenmanager keys. If these values mismatch your current monitor or become corrupted, PEAK will fail to render the game window.

Resetting these keys forces Unity to rebuild display preferences from scratch based on your actual hardware.

1. Ensure PEAK is completely closed.
2. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.
   
3. Navigate to:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\DefaultCompany\PEAK

4. Locate every entry starting with Screenmanager, right-click, and Delete.
   
5. Restart your PC and relaunch PEAK, it will rebuild fresh settings automatically.

2. Set Launch Options to Windowed Mode

Fullscreen mode can fail if the selected resolution or refresh rate is unsupported. Forcing windowed mode bypasses these conflicts by running the game inside the desktop environment.

1. Open Steam → Library.
   
2. Right-click PEAK → Properties.
3. Under the General tab, find Launch Options.
4. Type:

   -windowed -noborder

   

5. Close Properties and launch PEAK again.

If the game now loads, the issue was tied to unsupported fullscreen configurations.

3. Switch to Vulkan Graphics API

By default, PEAK may launch with DirectX. However, DirectX relies on system DLLs and Windows components, if these are outdated or missing, it fails.

Vulkan, in contrast, communicates more directly with the GPU and avoids these OS-level dependencies. Switching to Vulkan often resolves initialization crashes.

1. Open Steam → Library.
   
2. Right-click PEAK → Properties.
3. Under Launch Options, enter:

   -force-vulkan

   

4. Close and relaunch PEAK.

4. Update the GPU Driver

If your GPU driver is outdated, it may lack support for modern rendering calls (like Vulkan or DirectX 12 features). This mismatch often causes Unity games to hang at launch. Updating ensures your driver contains the latest bug fixes and compatibility patches.

1. Press Windows + R, type devmgmt.msc, and hit Enter.
   
2. Expand Display adapters.
3. Right-click your GPU → Update driver.
   
4. Select Search automatically for drivers.
   
5. Install updates, then restart your PC.

5. Verify the Game Files

Sometimes, corrupted or missing files in PEAK’s installation folder cause loading loops. Steam’s verification tool compares local files against the official server and redownloads anything broken.

1. Open Steam → Library.
   
2. Right-click PEAK → Properties.
3. Go to Installed Files.
   
4. Click Verify integrity of game files.
5. Wait for Steam to finish scanning and repairing.
6. Launch PEAK again.

Finally, if the issue persists, the final way that you can try is to reinstall the game. Reinstalling the game will remove any corrupted or damaged files that could possibly lead to this issue.