6 Ways to Fix the “D3D11 Compatible GPU is Required to Run the Engine” Game Error on Windows PCs

The “D3D11 compatible GPU” error is a common PC gaming issue that many players report occurs when they try to start games like Fortnite, Valorant, CS2, etc. For example, one player said this on Reddit: “I’ve been trying to figure out this problem I’m having every time I boot up Fortnite. It says ‘A D3D11-compatible GPU(Feature level 11.0, shader model 5.0) is required to run the engine.’” This is how you can fix the “D3D11-compatible GPU is required to run the engine” error on Windows PCs.

Repair Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable

It has been confirmed by players that repairing (or updating) Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable packages can fix the “D3D11-compatible GPU is required to run the engine” error. This highlights that corrupted or missing Microsoft Visual C++ runtime libraries can cause this gaming issue. So, try repairing Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 packages as follows:

1. Open Run by right-clicking the taskbar’s Start button and selecting a shortcut for that accessory on the menu.
2. Next, enter appwiz.cpl (for Programs and Features) into Run and select OK.
3. Click Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (x64) to select it.
4. Next, press the Change button.
5. Click Repair in the Microsoft Visual C++ window.
   
6. Repeat the previous steps for Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (x86).
7. Restart your Windows PC.

If you can’t find Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 listed in Programs and Features, try downloading the 32 and 64-bit versions of that package from this page. Then, open the downloaded Visual C++ installer files. Select to install the missing packages from there. 

Set a DirectX 11 Mode Launch Parameter for the Game

The official Epic fix for the “D3D11-compatible GPU is required to run the engine” is to set a DirectX 11 launch parameter for the game. This sets your game to run in a DirectX 11 mode. You can set a DirectX 11 launch parameter for a game like this:

Epic Games

1. Bring up your Epic Games Launcher program.
2. Next, click the player profile icon in Epic to select Settings.
3. Click Fortnite to expand it.
4. Turn on the toggle switch for the Additional Command Line Arguments box.
5. Enter a -d3d11 launch parameter in the box.

Steam

1. Start Steam and click Library within that software’s tab bar.
2. Next, right-click your game in the sidebar to select Manage and Properties.
3. Type -d3d11 into Steam’s launch options.

Run the DirectX End-User Runtime File

The DirectX End-User Runtime file installs legacy DirectX runtime libraries, which can potentially fix the “D3D11-compatible GPU is required to run the engine” error for some users. These are the steps for running the DirectX End-User Runtime file:

1. Click Download on this DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer page.
   
2. Next, select I accept the agreement.
3. Click Next two times to proceed.
4. Select Finish when installation is complete.

Update the Driver for Your Graphics Card

Updating graphics drivers is a potential fix for the “A D3D11-compatible GPU(Feature level 11.0, shader model 5.0) is required to run the engine” error because doing that might restore the D3D11 module. There are numerous ways you can update a graphics driver on your PC. This KeenGamer guide for updating graphics drivers provides further details on how to apply this potential fix.

Update Windows

Installing all available patch updates for Windows is another potential fix because doing this can address DirectX issues. There might even be some DirectX-related updates available. Check out this Microsoft help page for details about how you can update Windows 11/10.

Set a Dedicated Graphics Card for the Game

Does your PC have two graphics cards? If it does, it could be the case that your game is running with an incompatible integrated GPU. You can remedy that by setting the game to run with a High-Performance GPU like this:

1. Activate the file search box by clicking on it in the taskbar.
2. Enter graphics settings and select the result that matches.
3. Next, click Browse to select the EXE file for your affected game.
4. Click the game and Options.
5. Select High performance, which is the option for the dedicated GPU.
   
6. Click Save to finish.

The potential fixes above will usually resolve the “D3D11-compatible GPU is required to run the engine.” If they don’t work for you, then it could be the case that your graphics card doesn’t support DirectX 11. In this case, you would need to upgrade your PC’s GPU to resolve this gaming issue.