Satisfactory is an ace factory simulator game some players can’t play on PCs because of startup issues. A player reported Satisfactory not starting in a Reddit post as follows: “Satisfactory won’t open – I have tried everything… Woke up today and went to play, and the game simply won’t open from Steam.” These launch crashes are especially disappointing for players who have recently purchased Satisfactory. This is how you can fix Satisfactory not launching on Windows PCs.
Verify the Satisfactory Game Files
Start your troubleshooting by verifying (repairing) the Satisfactory game files. This probably won’t work for everybody, but some Satisfactory players say validating game file integrity has worked for them. You can apply this troubleshooting method by going through the steps on these Steam support or Epic Games pages.
The Verify integrity of game files option
Start Satisfactory With a DirectX 11 Launch Parameter
A widely confirmed way to fix Satisfactory not launching is to set a DirectX 11 launch parameter for that game. Satisfactory will then start with the DirectX 11 API when you apply this potential fix. You can set a -dx11 parameter in Steam and Epic Games like this.
Steam
- Start Steam and go into the Library tab within that software.
- Right-click Satisfactory to select Properties.
- Type -dx11 into the Launch Options box inside the General tab.
The General tab in Steam
- Restart Steam and try starting Satisfactory.
Epic Games
- Run Epic Games and click the circular user profile button at the top-right corner of that gaming client.
- Click Settings on the menu.
- Next, click Satisfactory to view options for that game.
- Click on Additional Command Line Arguments to select that option’s checkbox.
The Additional Command Line Arguments checkbox
- Input -dx11 inside the text box for the Additional Command Line Arguments setting.
Set a Vulkan Launch Argument for Satisfactory
A few players have said they could fix Satisfactory not launching by setting a Vulkan launch parameter. Doing that will configure Satisfactory to start with the Vulkan API rather than DirectX 11. You can apply this fix by going through the steps of the previous resolution and adding a -vulkan parameter for Satisfactory.
Install Unreal Engine in Epic Games
Unreal Engine 5 is an essential requirement for the Satisfactory game. If you’re an Epic Games user, make sure the Unreal Engine 5 is installed on your PC. This Epic page tells you how users can download and install Unreal Engine.
The Unreal Engine page in Epic
Disable Microsoft Defender
Some players confirm they could fix Satisfactory not launching by disabling the Microsoft Defender antivirus shield before starting the game. So, it could be the case that the Windows antivirus is blocking Satisfactory from starting on your PC by quarantining (flagging) some of its files. False flagging like that is a rather annoying habit of many antivirus tools.
Temporarily disabling Microsoft Defender before starting Satisfactory will enable you to determine if that is causing the issue. You can turn off that antivirus shield by disabling the Real-time protection setting as instructed on this Microsoft page. Try starting Satisfactory after turning off the Real-time protection option.
The Real-time protection option for Microsoft Defender
Install a New Graphics Driver
Outmoded GPU drivers that can’t handle Satisfactory’s graphical requirements are a potential cause of startup issues. Installing a new driver for your PC’s graphics card is a relatively straightforward troubleshooting method to apply. If you’re not sure how to apply this possible solution, check out this KeenGamer guide for updating graphics drivers.
The graphics driver download page
Other Possible Ways to Fix Satisfactory Not Launching
If Satisfactory still doesn’t start, don’t give up on getting it up and running. Try these extra troubleshooting methods to fix Satisfactory not launching:
- Reinstall Satisfactory via Epic Games or Steam.
- Set the Satisfactory EXE game file to run as an administrator.
- Download new Visual C++ runtime files by clicking the X64 and X86 links for Visual Studio 2015-2022 on this Microsoft page. Double-click the downloaded VC_redist files and select their Install options.
- Turn off the Steam overlay feature and overlays in other third-party software.
- Rename the FactoryGameSteam.exe file to FactoryGame.exe. Steam users can find that file in the Steam > steamapps > common > Satisfactory folder.
The potential fixes outlined above are among the most widely confirmed ways to fix Satisfactory not launching on Windows PCs. However, this doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to kick-start that game in all scenarios. You can also contact Satisfactory’s support service at su*****@**************me.com to ask for more potential ways to fix this game when it doesn’t start.
