The Unknown error FFFFFFFF is one of the most widely reported Red Dead Redemption 2 startup issues. Many players have posted on Reddit, Steam, and Rockstar game forums seeking potential fixes for that error. The error FFFFFF message pops up for some players while playing RDR2 or when they try to launch the game. It is an error that often crashes the game randomly and regularly for some players. This is how you can fix the Red Dead Redemption 2 Unknown error FFFFFFFF issue on a Windows 11/10 PC.
Read also: 6 Ways to Fix the Red Dead Redemption 2 ERR_GFX_STATE Error on a Windows 11/10 PC
Disconnect Unneeded External Devices
Rockstar support says certain external devices (peripherals) connected to your PC can cause the Red Dead Redemption 2 Unknown error FFFFFFFF issue to arise. So, disconnect all external peripherals connected to your PC (including speakers and headphones) except your mouse. Try launching RDR2 with only the mouse connected to the PC. If that works, you can reconnect external speakers after the game starts for sound if necessary.
Repair Game Files by Verifying Them
Some players confirm repairing Red Dead Redemption 2’s game files fixed error FFFFFFFF on their PCs. You can repair RDR2’s files by running a verification scan for that game with whatever gaming client you installed it with. Steam, Epic Games Launcher, and Rockstar Games Launcher all include options for verifying the integrity of game files. These Steam, Epic Games, and R Support pages include instructions for how to verify a game’s files with their respective launchers:
- Verify Red Dead Redemption 2 with Steam
- Verify Red Dead Redemption 2 with Epic Games Launcher
- Verify Red Dead Redemption 2 with Rockstar Games Launcher
Disable Full-Screen Optimizations for Red Dead Redemption 2
- Click the File Explorer taskbar shortcut to open the Red Dead Redemption 2 installation directory.
- Right-click on the Read Dead Redemption 2 EXE file (otherwise RDR2) to start the game and select Properties.
- Click Compatibility to access the settings shown below.
The Run this program as an administrator checkbox
- Select the Disable screen optimizations checkbox.
- Press the Apply and OK buttons to set the option.
Disable Integrated GPUs
If your PC has two or more GPUs, try disabling the integrated graphics driver on your PC. A few players have confirmed they were able to fix the Red Dead Redemption 2 Unknown error FFFFFFFF by disabling integrated graphics cards on their PCs. An integrated graphics card is an Intel one that relies on system memory only. This is you can disable an integrated GPU on a Windows PC like this.
- Open Device Manager, which you can access by simultaneously pressing the Windows logo + X keyboard buttons and selecting a shortcut for that utility on the Power User menu.
- Double-click on Display adapters to view your PC’s GPUs.
- Disable all graphics adapters shown there that aren’t AMD or NVIDIA GPUs by right-clicking them and selecting Disable device. Make sure your NVIDIA or AMD graphics card is enabled.
The Disable device option
Allow Vulkan Shaders in Steam
This potential fix for the Read Dead Redemption 2 unknown error FFFFFFFF issue is especially recommended for PCs with AMD GPUs that work better with the Vulkan API. Selecting to allow Vulkan shaders in Steam will enable that API, which could fix the FFFFFFFF error for some players. This is how you can allow Vulkan shaders in Steam.
- Open the Steam window.
- Click the Steam menu.
- Select the Backup and Restore Games option.
- Click the Shader Pre-Caching tab.
- Select the Allow background processing of Vulkan shaders checkbox.
The Allow background processing of Vulkan shaders setting
- Click OK on the Settings window.
Change the Graphics API Setting
If you can access Red Dead Redemption 2’s graphics settings, change the Graphics API from there. Vulkan is recommended for PCs with AMD graphics cards and DirectX 12 for NVIDIA GPUs. However, change the Graphics API to its opposite setting depending on how it’s set for your game. For example, select DirectX 12 if the API is currently set to Vulkan.
The Graphics API setting
Erase the Red Dead Redemption 2 Data Folder
Erasing the Red Dead Redemption 2 data folder is a widely confirmed potential solution for error FFFFFFFF. However, note doing that may erase saved game data. So, consider backing up saved game data first or at least trying other resolutions first. You can delete the Red Dead Redemption 2 data folder as follows.
- Open File Explorer (you can access that folder navigator by pressing the Windows logo + E hotkey).
- Click on This PC in Explorer’s left pane.
- Open the Documents folder.
- Click the Rockstar Games folder to open it.
The Red Dead Redemption 2 data folder
- Right-click on the Red Dead Redemption 2 folder in the Rockstar Games directory and select Delete.
Update Graphics Drivers
An outdated graphics driver can cause many Red Dead Redemption 2 issues. For that reason, it’s recommended to install the latest driver for your PC’s graphics card. You can manually update the graphics driver.
- Bring up the driver download page for your PC’s AMD or NVIDIA graphics card.
- Select your PC’s graphics card and Windows platform.
- Click either Submit or Search to view drivers for your PC’s graphics card.
The NVIDIA driver downloads page
- Press the Download button for the latest AMD or NVIDIA driver available for your PC’s graphics card.
The Download option for a NVIDIA driver
- Open the folder containing the downloaded driver package file.
- Double-click the driver file to run its setup wizard.
- Click on the installation option within the driver setup window.
You can stop the Red Dead Redemption 2 Unknown error FFFFFFFF spoiling your RDR2 fun by applying those potential solutions. They’re potential solutions confirmed to work by RDR2 players who’ve needed to fix that issue.
