Payday engages players in a variety of heist scenarios, starting from bank robberies to elaborate thefts, each with its own set of objectives and challenges. While the game is centered around stealing objects, people, and money, imagine the disappointment when its vibe just gets stolen as it suddenly crashes out of nowhere. Unfortunately, many players have reported crashing issues with the recently released Payday 3 on their computers on startup or while playing. So, what’s all the fuss about, and how to fix it? We’ve got you covered.
Why Does Payday 3 Keeps Crashing on My Computer?
Some of the reasons why you might be experiencing issues with the game include hardware compatibility issues; outdated drivers, high-graphics settings, or even using overlays.
Before we start with our blog, check and make sure that your PC meets at least the minimum system requirements to play Payday 3. If not, you might need to upgrade the hardware components to avoid such issues.
| Minimum System Requirements | Recommended System Requirements |
| Operating System: Windows 10 (64-bit) | Operating System: Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Processor: Intel Core i5-9400F | Processor: Intel Core i7-9700K |
| RAM: 16GB | RAM: 16GB |
| Graphics Card: Nvidia GTX 1650 (4 GB) | Graphics Card: Nvidia GTX 1080 (8GB) |
| DirectX Version: 11 | DirectX Version: 12 |
Method 1: Basic Troubleshooting Solutions
Before we move to complex solutions, let’s start with some easy-to-go ones and see if that could fix the issue without much hassle.
Method 1.1: Kill Unwanted Background Applications
Online games such as Payday demand enough CPU, GPU, Network, and Memory. However, unwanted applications active in the background consume system resources even when not in use. Remove them all to fix the issue.
1. Open Task Manager and move to the Processes tab.
2. Right-click on any background application you want to kill and select End task from the context menu.
Method 1.2: Run Game as Administrator
Running Payday 3 in administrative mode provides it complete access to system resources and privileges, which usually resolves the crashing issue. Follow the steps:
1. Locate the Payday 3 executable file, right-click on it, and select Properties from the context menu.
2. In the Compatibility tab, tick the checkbox next to Run this program as an administrator, and click on Apply, then OK to save the changes.
Note: You can also check the box next to Disable fullscreen optimizations, which may also fix the issue.
Method 1.3: Cool Down CPU and GPU
When the PC overheats, it causes hardware components such as CPU or GPU to operate inefficiently, potentially leading to game freezes and crashes. Hence we suggest you allow the PC to cool down before you start the game again. Refer to our guide on How to Lower Your GPU Temp for more help.
Method 2: Disconnect VR Headset and VR Capabilities
Yes, it might sound strange, but occasionally, having a VR headset connected to the PC could be the reason for the discussed issue. Nothing but this seems to be a bug in the game that hasn’t been fixed yet. Unplug your VR headset and follow the steps to disable VR capabilities:
1. Find the Payday 3 game files and once you’re in the Payday 3 installation folder, follow the address: Engine > Binaries > Thirdparty.
2. Delete the OpenXR folder.
Once deleted, VR functionality will be completely disabled in the game.
Method 3: Switch between DirectX 11 or DirectX 12
Tweaking the graphics settings, particularly switching between DirectX 11 (DX11) and DirectX 12 (DX12) can help fix the crashing issue in Payday 3. Some players have managed to resolve their crashing issues by changing the graphics API. Payday 3 initially runs on DX11, but you can set launch parameters on Steam or Epic Games Store to switch to DX12.
Option 1: On Steam
Follow the steps:
1. Open Steam, right-click on Payday 3 in your game library, and select Properties from the context menu.
2. Navigate to the GENERAL tab, and in the LAUNCH OPTIONS text field, type -dx12.
3. If it is already set to DX12, remove it and set the command to -d3d11.
Option 2: Epic Games
Follow the steps below:
1. Open Epic Games Launcher and navigate to the Settings menu.
2. Expand the Payday 3 drop-down menu, check the box next to Additional Command Line Arguments, and in the text field, enter -dx12.
3. If it was already set to run in DirectX 12, change the command line to d3d11.
Method 4: Verify Game Files
If Payday 3 is still crashing after trying other fixes, it might be due to issues with the game files. This can happen when files are missing or corrupt. You can use the game client’s built-in utility to check and repair your game files.
Option 1: On Steam
If you play Payday 3 on Steam, follow our guide on How to Verify Integrity of Game Files on Steam to repair game files.
Option 2: On Epic Games
Follow the steps:
1. Open Epic Games Launcher, move to the Library, and search for Payday 3.
2. Click the three dots icon next to it and select Manage from the context menu.
3. Click on VERIFY next to the Verify Files option.
Method 5: Remove the Skull of Liberty Mask
Some players have experienced issues in Payday 3 when using the special preorder Skull of Liberty mask. It’s unusual that a cosmetic item can cause the game to crash, but it’s happening to some players. So, switch back to the default mask or replace the Skull of Liberty mask with the Dallas Mask.
Note: The crashing issue appears to occur only when you’re using the -dx12 launch option along with the State of Liberty mask.
Method 6: Disable Overlays
It has been observed that active overlays, such as those from Discord or screen recorders, can interfere with Payday 3 and cause the game to freeze or crash on your computer. Hence, you can just turn them off to avoid such issues. Refer to our guide on How to Disable Steam Overlay in Windows 10.
For Discord, follow our guide on How to Disable Discord Overlay.
Method 7: Clear Cache Files
Games and applications store cache files over time, which when become corrupt or buggy can lead to issues. Follow the steps to delete them for Payday 3:
1. Press the Windows key + R at the same time to open the Run dialog box.
2. In thetext field, type %localappdata% and press OK.
3. In the LocalAppData folder, press CTRL + A to select all the files and click the Delete option at the top.
Method 8: Update GPU Drivers, then Windows
Outdated graphics card drivers can affect the game’s performance, causing it to crash. You can update the drivers to run the game better. Follow our guide on How to Update Graphics Drivers in Windows 11 for more help.
Method 9: Increase Windows Virtual Memory
On Windows, you can allow the OS to use a portion of the hard drive or SSD as virtual memory, in case the PC’s physical RAM is full. It can prevent the game from crashing as it can use more memory than what is physically available. Follow the steps given in our detailed guide on Manage Virtual Memory (Pagefile) In Windows 10.
Method 10: Disable Overclocking
Games and applications are set to run within the specifications of the default clock speed and overclocking increases the clock speeds of the CPU and GPU beyond their factory settings. Occasionally, this could lead to hardware instability, overheating, and game crashing.
- If you used software like Intel XTU or Throttlestop, disable or reset the overclocking values to their default settings.
- If you overclocked through the UEFI/BIOS, make sure to either remove these values and set them to stock or adjust them properly to ensure your entire system operates stably.
Method 11: Allow Payday 3 through Windows Firewall
Sometimes the issue is also because of the network traffic between the game servers and PC being blocked by Windows Firewall. You do not have to completely disable the Firewall but allow Payday 3 through it. Our guide on Allow or Block Apps through the Windows Firewall will help you do so.
Method 12: Reinstall Game
If even after trying out all the previous fixes, Payday 3 still encounters errors, the last resort can be to uninstall and reinstall the game once again. Doing so ensures you have a clean copy of the game without any corrupted files or settings conflicts.
Method 13: Contact Support
Finally, you can also reach out to the game’s support team through the official customer support website, where you can describe your problem and seek their assistance.
That’s it! We hope our guide helped you fix the persistent Payday 3 crashing issue on your computer. If you have any queries or suggestions for us, do let us know in the comments section below. Stay connected to TechCult for more such troubleshooting guides.
