Genshin Impact Not Working/Crashing on PC: When Genshin Impact refuses to launch, crashes on startup, closes by itself, freezes during loading, or fails right after clicking Play on PC, the problem is often tied to a small set of official troubleshooting categories rather than a random permanent fault.
HoYoverse’s support guidance points to the same main causes again and again: the PC may not meet the recommended requirements, background programs may be interfering, the game files may be damaged, the graphics drivers may be outdated, the launcher may be unstable, or the network/session state may need to be refreshed. HoYoverse also says that if device specifications are too low, the game may crash, freeze, or fail to start properly. (HoYoverse Help Center)
The fastest way to solve the issue is to work through the fixes in a practical order, starting with the simplest checks and moving toward deeper repairs only if needed. That approach matches HoYoverse’s current PC support flow, which recommends restarting the PC, closing memory-heavy background apps, opening the launcher directly, repairing the game, verifying file integrity, and updating graphics drivers when the game is crashing, lagging, or freezing. (HoYoverse Help Center)
What usually causes Genshin Impact to crash on PC
A crash on PC can happen for several reasons, but the most common ones are system strain, file corruption, launcher trouble, or a driver conflict. HoYoverse’s official PC requirements say Genshin Impact needs at least Windows 10 64-bit, 8 GB RAM, a GTX 1050 or equivalent, DirectX 11, and 110 GB of free storage. The recommended setup is Windows 10 or Windows 11 64-bit, 16 GB RAM, a GTX 1060 6 GB or better, DirectX 11, and 110 GB of free storage, with an SSD recommended for smoother gameplay. If the PC is below that level, crashes and black screens are more likely. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Another common cause is the launcher itself. HoYoverse has a separate support article for launcher crashes and errors, and it specifically tells players to restart the computer, close background applications using a lot of memory, open the HoYoPlay Launcher directly, use the launcher’s Repair Now function, and reinstall the launcher if needed. That means some “game crashes” are really launcher-side problems that happen before the game even reaches a stable start state. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Network and login state can also matter. HoYoverse says some loading-screen and login failures are tied to network instability, and it recommends switching networks, restarting the router, disabling VPNs or proxies, and keeping DNS on automatic. If the game appears to crash right after launch but is actually waiting on a failed connection or session refresh, the symptom can look like a crash even though the root cause is network-related. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Step 1: Restart the PC and close the game completely
Start with the simplest fix first. HoYoverse explicitly recommends restarting the computer when the game crashes or fails to update through the launcher, and it also says to completely close the game and wait five minutes before restarting it when troubleshooting crash, lag, or freezing behavior. A full restart clears temporary processes and can remove a short-lived conflict that is keeping the game from starting normally. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Do not just minimize the game or close the window. Fully exit Genshin Impact, make sure the launcher is not still running in the background, then restart Windows and try again. This is especially useful if the crash began after a sleep cycle, alt-tab session, or previous failed launch. HoYoverse’s own support flow treats a full restart as the first practical step because it often solves the problem before deeper repair work is needed. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Step 2: Close memory-heavy background applications
HoYoverse tells players to close any programs using a large amount of memory and, more generally, to close unnecessary background applications that consume system resources. Browsers, streaming services, overlays, screen recorders, launchers, and other heavy tools can all compete with Genshin Impact during startup and cause it to crash or freeze. (HoYoverse Help Center)
The simplest test is to shut down everything you do not need, then launch the game by itself. If Genshin Impact starts normally afterward, the crash was likely caused by a resource conflict rather than a broken installation. HoYoverse’s support specifically includes this step in its official crash and performance troubleshooting, which makes it one of the most reliable early fixes. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Step 3: Open the HoYoPlay Launcher directly
If the issue happens when you launch the game through a shortcut or another entry point, HoYoverse recommends opening the HoYoPlay Launcher directly to check for updates and launch the game. This is part of its official troubleshooting for launcher crashes and update failures. (HoYoverse Help Center)
That matters because the shortcut can hide a launcher-side issue. If the launcher itself is unstable, the game may never start cleanly. Using the launcher directly helps determine whether the problem is in the game client or in the launcher environment. HoYoverse also lists “open the launcher directly” as an early step before more advanced repair actions, so it should be tried early. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Step 4: Repair or verify the game files
If the game starts but crashes during loading, or if the crash began after an update, damaged files are a strong possibility. HoYoverse’s support says to verify the integrity of your game files by clicking the wrench icon on the login screen or by going to Paimon Menu > Settings > Resources > Check Resource Integrity. It also recommends the launcher’s Repair Now function for update and download problems. (HoYoverse Help Center)
This step is especially important after a partial patch, failed download, abrupt shutdown, or power interruption. In those cases, one or more files may be incomplete or corrupted, and the game can crash while trying to load them. HoYoverse’s official guidance places file verification among the core fixes for crash, lag, and freezing problems, which makes it one of the highest-value steps to try. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Step 5: Update or clean reinstall the graphics drivers
For PC users, HoYoverse specifically says to ensure the graphics card drivers are up to date, and if they already are current, to try a clean reinstallation of the drivers. This is one of the most important fixes because driver problems can cause crashes, black screens, frame drops, and general instability. HoYoverse also points players to the official NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel websites for the latest driver versions. (HoYoverse Help Center)
If the game started crashing after a GPU update, a clean reinstall can sometimes help more than a normal update because it removes conflicting remnants of the previous driver package. HoYoverse’s own support makes clean driver reinstallation a direct recommendation, not a last-ditch guess. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Step 6: Lower the in-game graphics settings
HoYoverse’s official crash and freezing guidance says to lower the in-game graphics settings through Paimon Menu > Settings > Graphics, specifically reducing items like Graphics Quality, Shadow Quality, and Special Effects. It also recommends lowering graphics settings such as environment details and resolution in its black-visual support article when a scene appears wrong or the device is under strain. (HoYoverse Help Center)
If your PC is near the minimum requirement or if the game crashes in busy regions, lowering the visual load can make a real difference. This is especially useful on laptops or older desktops where the GPU, CPU, or cooling system is already close to its limit. HoYoverse’s support materials clearly position graphics reduction as one of the standard fixes for instability and frame-related issues. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Step 7: Make sure the PC actually meets the system requirements
HoYoverse’s PC system requirements are worth checking closely. The minimum setup is Windows 10 64-bit, 8 GB RAM, a GTX 1050 or equivalent, DirectX 11, and 110 GB of available storage. The recommended setup is Windows 10 or Windows 11 64-bit, 16 GB RAM, a GTX 1060 6 GB or better, DirectX 11, and 110 GB of available storage. HoYoverse also recommends installing the game on an SSD for smoother play. (HoYoverse Help Center)
If the PC is below the minimum, the game may still launch sometimes, but crashes and black screens become more likely. If it is closer to the recommended level, you usually get more stable performance, fewer loading issues, and less pressure on the system during updates and heavy scenes. These are not guesses; they are direct implications of the official minimum and recommended specifications. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Step 8: Check storage space and move the game to an SSD if possible
HoYoverse says Genshin Impact needs at least 110 GB of available storage on PC, and it warns that storage requirements may increase with future updates. It also recommends using a solid-state drive for a smoother gaming experience. If your storage is nearly full, or if the game is installed on a slow hard drive, the client may struggle more at launch and during updates. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Clearing space can help even if the crash is not obviously storage-related, because the launcher still needs room to update, unpack, and manage game files. If you already have an SSD available, moving the game there is one of the easiest upgrades you can make for startup stability. HoYoverse explicitly includes SSD installation in its recommended PC guidance. (HoYoverse Help Center)
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Step 9: Check for launcher-specific problems
If the crash happens before the game loads, the launcher itself may be the problem. HoYoverse’s launcher support says to restart the computer, close memory-heavy background applications, open the HoYoPlay Launcher directly, use Repair Now, and reinstall the launcher if needed. It also asks for screenshots or video, a dxdiag.txt file, antivirus details, and launcher logs when the issue persists. (HoYoverse Help Center)
If the launcher has trouble after a Windows 11 upgrade, HoYoverse has a specific fix: completely close the launcher, download cef_109.zip, extract it, copy the files into the launcher installation folder, replace the existing files, and relaunch the application. That is the official solution for the Windows 11 launcher black-screen case. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Step 10: Check your network if the crash looks like a login or loading failure
Some “crashes” are really connection stalls that happen before the game reaches a stable state. HoYoverse says loading-screen and login issues are often caused by network instability, and it recommends switching to another network, restarting the router, disabling VPNs or proxies, and setting DNS back to automatic. For download or update issues, it also recommends a stable internet connection, preferably a direct cable connection if possible. (HoYoverse Help Center)
If the crash happens consistently right after you hit Play and the game never gets past a loading or sign-in stage, test a different network before assuming the game client is broken. A direct cable connection is the best test if you have access to one. HoYoverse’s support repeatedly treats network cleanup as a first-tier fix for launch and update failures. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Step 11: Reinstall the launcher or the game if nothing else works
HoYoverse treats reinstalling as the final step after the main repairs fail. For launcher crashes, it says to reinstall the launcher if the problem persists. For update and download failures, it says to restart the device, use Repair Now, and then reinstall the game from the official source if needed. (HoYoverse Help Center)
A reinstall makes the most sense when:
- the crash started after a bad update,
- verification and driver updates did not help,
- the launcher itself keeps failing,
- or the game continues to crash in the exact same place every time.
Those are the kinds of cases where a clean reinstall can remove whatever is left of the corruption or bad install state. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Step 12: Collect the right information if you need support
If the problem still persists after trying the main fixes, HoYoverse asks for specific details so it can investigate. For crash and freezing issues, it wants your Game UID, a screenshot or video, your operating system and device model, your ISP, and a detailed description of the issue. For PC specifically, it also wants your processor, graphics card, RAM, date and time, antivirus name and version, and crash log files such as output_log.txt, mihoyocrash dump files, and driverError.log. For launcher problems, it also asks for dxdiag.txt, launcher logs, and a launcher info snapshot. (HoYoverse Help Center)
That information matters because it turns a vague complaint into something support can actually diagnose. If you reach this point, you have already ruled out the major user-side causes, so the remaining evidence is exactly what support needs. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Best fix order to try first
If you want the fastest route, use this order: restart the PC, close background apps, open HoYoPlay directly, repair or verify game files, update or clean reinstall GPU drivers, lower graphics settings, check storage space, make sure the PC meets the recommended specs, test another network if the issue looks login-related, and reinstall only if nothing else works. That sequence matches the structure of HoYoverse’s current support guidance for crashes, launch issues, update failures, and loading-screen problems. (HoYoverse Help Center)
FAQs
1. Why does Genshin Impact keep crashing on PC?
HoYoverse says crashes on PC are commonly tied to system requirements, background applications, corrupted game files, outdated graphics drivers, launcher problems, or unstable network/login states. Its official troubleshooting starts with restarting the PC, closing memory-heavy apps, repairing files, and updating drivers. (HoYoverse Help Center)
2. Do I need to reinstall Genshin Impact to fix crashes?
Usually no. HoYoverse recommends trying restart, background-app cleanup, launcher repair, file verification, and driver updates first. Reinstalling the launcher or game is a later step if the problem still persists. (HoYoverse Help Center)
3. What PC specs does Genshin Impact need to run smoothly?
HoYoverse lists Windows 10 or 11 64-bit, 16 GB RAM, a GTX 1060 6 GB or better, DirectX 11, and 110 GB of free storage as the recommended PC setup, with an SSD recommended for smoother gameplay. The minimum spec is lower, but lower-spec systems are more likely to crash or freeze. (HoYoverse Help Center)
Final thoughts
A PC crash in Genshin Impact is frustrating, but HoYoverse’s support makes the path forward very clear. Start with the basics: restart the computer, shut down heavy background apps, launch the game through HoYoPlay, and repair or verify the game files. Then move to graphics drivers, graphics settings, storage, and system requirements. If the launcher itself is the issue, use the launcher’s own repair steps or the Windows 11 launcher black-screen fix. If nothing works, collect the logs and device details HoYoverse asks for so support can investigate properly. (HoYoverse Help Center)