How to Fix The Outlast Trials Crashing Issue?

The Outlast Trials has had a persistent crashing issue since its beta stage. It frequently crashes during gameplay for many players, and sometimes even at launch. Although numerous factors can cause these crashes, our findings indicate that the most common ones include playing on DX12 and using outdated Graphics Card drivers.

In this guide, we’ll help you determine why The Outlast Trials keeps crashing on your system and provide steps to resolve the issue.

1. Verify the Game’s System Requirements

Ensure your gaming setup aligns with the latest system requirements for The Outlast Trials, released in the recent patch notes. Upgrading your system or tweaking the game settings can lead to significant improvements in performance and stability. Compare these specifications with your system’s hardware using the attached screenshot.

If your system’s hardware doesn’t meet the game’s minimum requirements, this could be the reason why the game often crashes. To mitigate this issue, consider reducing the game’s graphics settings to the minimum and playing at a lower resolution. While these adjustments may not eliminate crashes completely, they should make them less frequent.

If your system’s hardware meets or exceeds the game’s recommended requirements, apply the solutions below to resolve the issue.

2. Verify the Game Files 

Corrupted or incomplete game files are often the culprits behind persistent crashes. Our step-by-step verification process will guide you through restoring any damaged files, ensuring your game runs smoothly without compromising your progress or settings.

Steam 

1. Open Steam and navigate to your Library.
2. Right-click on The Outlast Trials and select Properties.
   
3. In the new Window, navigate to the Local Files tab.
4. Click on the “Verify the integrity of game files” option.

   

Epic Games Launcher

1. Open the Epic Games Launcher and navigate to your Library.
2. Click on the three dots next to the game’s title.
3. Click on Manage.
4. Click on the “Verify” option.

   

After selecting ‘verify’, allow the launcher a few minutes to scan your game files. Should it detect any corruption or missing files, it will automatically replace them to resolve the issue.

If it detects no irregularities in your game files, a message will appear saying, ‘All files were successfully validated’. If so, proceed to the next solution.

3. Switch to DirectX11

The Outlast Trials supports both DirectX12 and DirectX11. By default, the game uses DX12. However, older hardware may have compatibility issues with DX12.”.

Switching to DX11 could solve the issue due to its superior hardware compatibility and reliability compared to newer versions.

Follow the steps we’ve written below to switch over to DX11:

Note: Before entering the launch option for DX11, make sure the game is closed. 

Steam

1. Open your Steam Library.
2. Right-click on The Outlast Trials and select Properties.
   
3. In the General tab, scroll down to “Launch Options.” 
4. Type -dx11 in the text box and close the Properties Window.

   

Epic Games Launcher

1. Open the Epic Games Launcher. 
2. Click on your profile icon at the top-right corner.
3. Click on Settings.
   

   

4. Scroll down to the ” Manage Games” section at the bottom.
5. Click on The Outlast Trials.
6. Select “Additional Command Line Arguments.”
   

   

7. Type -dx11 in the box that appears and then go back to the home page. 

Once you’ve applied this launch option, the game will automatically use DX11 instead of DX12 each time it starts, likely resolving the crashing issue. If problems persist, don’t worry, additional solutions are listed below.

Outdated or corrupt graphics drivers can wreak havoc on your gaming experience. Stay ahead of the game with our guide on identifying your graphics card model and updating to the latest drivers. This simple yet crucial step can often be the key to eradicating those pesky crashes.”

4. Run the Game as an Administrator 

If the game is not run as an administrator, it will not have the necessary permissions to access system resources, files, and modify settings. This can result in numerous errors such as constant crashes and freezes.

Running the game as an administrator ensures it has access to necessary resources and files, effectively resolving the crashing problem.

Follow the steps below to run the game as an administrator:

1. Open your Steam Library.
2. Right-click on The Outlast Trials and select Manage > Browse Local Files.
   

   

3. In the folder that opens up, look for the executable file (.exe) of the game.
4. Right-click on the file and select Properties.
5. Navigate to the Compatibility tab and put a checkmark next to “Run as an administrator.”
   Ensure the “Disable fullscreen optimizations” option is selected while this window is open. This feature is known for causing game crashes and stuttering, so it’s advised to disable it. After doing so, click Apply > OK to save changes.

5. Run the Game on Your Dedicated GPU (If Applicable)

The game may be running on your system’s integrated graphics, not your dedicated graphics card. This could explain its poor performance, as your integrated GPU is likely much weaker than the dedicated one.

To ensure the game runs on your GPU, follow the steps below:

1. Press the Windows Key, type Graphics Settings, and hit Enter.

   

2. Press the Browse button and select the executable file (.exe) of the game.
3. Once the game is added to the list, click on it and select Options.
4. Click on “High Performance” and press Save.

   

6. Update Graphics Card Drivers

Navigate to your GPU manufacturer’s website, select your graphics card model, and download the latest drivers. Our guide includes direct links and a walkthrough to simplify this process, ensuring you’re not left in the dark when updating your drivers.

6.1 Finding the Make and Model of Your GPU

To update your GPU drivers, first identify your GPU model by following the instructions below:

1. Press Windows Key + R at the same time to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type devmgmt.msc and press enter. 

   

3. Expand the Display Adapters section and note down the name of your GPU.

   

Note: If your GPU is identified as “Microsoft Basic Display Adapter” in Device Manager, it indicates missing or corrupted drivers. This is not your GPU’s actual name, so refer to this guide to determine your GPU’s make and model.

6.2 Updating Drivers

Before updating your drivers, uninstall the current ones to avoid file conflicts. If you have an AMD GPU, utilize the AMD Cleanup Utility program for a straightforward process.

If you have an NVIDIA or Intel GPU, use the Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to remove your current drivers. After downloading the program, proceed with these steps to update your Graphics Card Drivers:

1. Press the Windows Key to open the Start menu.
2. Hold Shift and click on the Power icon, then press Restart.
   

   

3. Navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings.
   

   

4. Press the Restart button. 
5. Wait for your system to restart and then press F4 to boot into Safe Mode. 

   

6. Double-click the executable file (.exe) of DDU. 
7. Set the Device Type to GPU.
8. Select the appropriate manufacturer (NVIDIA/AMD).
9. Press the Clean and Restart option and wait for the drivers to be removed.

   

After your system restarts, visit your GPU manufacturer’s website, input your GPU model, and download the latest drivers. Refer to this guide if you require installation assistance.

7. Reinstall the Game

If none of the above solutions resolve your issue, the final resort is to reinstall the game. There could be deep corruption in your game files that the launcher’s verification feature may overlook.

Reinstalling the game can resolve performance issues. To do so, first uninstall it using these steps:

Steam

1. Open your Steam Library.
2. Right-click on The Outlast Trials.
3. Click on Manage > Uninstall.
   

   

Epic Games Launcher

1. Open the Epic Games Launcher and navigate to your Library.
2. Click on the three dots next to the game’s title.
3. Click on Uninstall. 

   

After uninstalling the game, reopen Steam or Epic Games Launcher to reinstall it. Ensure there are no network or power disruptions during the download.