How to fix Black Myth Wukong crashing on PC

On its very first day of release, Black Myth Wukong has topped the Steam Charts and sits amongst the most-played games of all time. The game is commendable and runs fairly well for most players, however, there have been reports of some crashing issues on PC, which we will discuss how to fix further below.

Some players have complained that the game crashes during the initial shader compilation and the prologue. If you're facing these issues, you're not alone. I've assembled some possible fixes that have reportedly worked for players and you can follow these troubleshooting tips to see if they work.

Run the game in compatibility mode

Besides restarting the game and your computer (basic fixes), I first want you to try to run the game in compatibility mode. Go to your Steam Library, right-click on Black Myth: Wukong, and click on Properties. In the General tab, go to Launch Options and select Play Black Myth: Wukong (Compatibility Mode) from the dropdown menu (see image above).

This launch option disables certain demanding features and settings in order to make the game run properly. This may downgrade the game's performance, but at least it will run without crashing and lagging frequently. Alternatively, you can try running the game in Windows 8 compatibility mode by changing the properties of the exe file.

First of all, open the game's installation folder. One way to do so is by right-clicking on the game in the Steam Library, going to Manage, and then Browse local files. Right-click on the b1 application and select Properties. Under the Compatibility tab, check the box that says Run the program in compatibility mode for: and set it to Windows 8 from the dropdown list (see image above).

In the same window, check the Run this program as an administrator box as well. Click Apply, then OK, and now play the game. This troubleshooting tip has fixed the Black Myth Wukong crashing problem for several players, so I highly recommend trying it.

Turn the in-game settings to low and enable framerate cap

Sometimes users have managed to go past the shader compilation screen but their game crashes during the prologue when you start the new journey. You may be able to fix this by lowering the game's graphics settings until the prologue runs and later turning the settings back to recommended or high. Follow the steps below.

• Go to the Display tab in the Settings menu and set the Framerate Cap option to 30 for the time being (first image above).
• Next up, go to the Graphics tab and change Super Resolution Sampling to TSR. Furthermore, turn the Frame Generation option Off (second image).
• Finally, scroll down to the Graphics Preset option and set it to Medium or Low. Now run the game and you should be able to play past the prologue, after which you can revert these settings.

Verify your game files

It may also be that some essential file is missing or was corrupted while initially downloading the game. To make sure this isn't causing the crashes and lagging, you should verify the game files. Right-click on Black Myth Wukong in the Steam Library and open Properties. Go to the Installed Files tab and select the Verify integrity of game files option. Let the client check the files and download any corrupted ones before running the game.

Check for Windows and GPU driver updates

Checking for and installing any pending Windows update is also a basic troubleshooting tip worth mentioning here. You should also ensure that your computer has the latest GPU driver installed as the manufacturers (AMD and NVIDIA) release updates on every major game launch to make sure smooth functioning. You can do so from the AMD Adrenaline and NVIDIA GeForce Experience software depending on your graphics card model.

There's a special case with some AMD GPUs where the game is crashing during the prologue. The developers of the game have acknowledged this problem and are working with AMD to resolve it soon. In the meantime, players are recommended to install an older driver version from the AMD website.

Underclock your CPU

For the final possible fix, I'll share what the developers have asked players using 13th and 14th-generation Intel CPUs to do. If you're getting the "Out of video memory" error during shader compilation, you should try underclocking your CPU using the Intel Extreme Tuning Utility software.

After installing Intel XTU and restarting your PC, run the app change the Core Voltage Offset option (see image above). When you get an Overclocking Disclaimer dialogue box, just click on I Agree to be able to tweak the setting. I suggest starting by underclocking your CPU to -0.020 V. It's a safe starting point but you can check out what's best for your particular model in test videos on YouTube. There's no need to worry here as if you go overboard with the underclocking, your computer will safely restart.

For more on Black Myth Wukong, check out How to equip and unequip mask and headgear in Black Myth: Wukong on Pro Game Guides.