Crash and Black Screen Fixes#

Black Myth: Wukong was developed by Game Science and built with Unreal Engine, released simultaneously on four platforms — Steam, Epic Games Store, WeGame, and PS5 — on August 20, 2024, and came to Xbox Series X|S on August 20, 2025. The combination of multiple launchers and varied hardware environments makes the causes of crashes and black screens extremely varied: some are shader compilation problems that broke out all at once on launch day, some are compatibility defects in specific driver versions, and some are conflicts between patches and mods. This page organizes official announcements and community-verified fixes by symptom, and notes the version that handled each type of problem along with its current status (verified as of October 15, 2026; the latest official version is PC 1.0.21.23831).

Crashes During Shader Compilation#

The official solutions are downclocking Intel 13th and 14th Gen Core processors, or skipping shader compilation; without downclocking, stability is not guaranteed, and devices that crash during compilation may still crash randomly while running the game.

Launch-Day Outbreak and Official Solutions#

On August 20, 2024, the day of release, a large number of players crashed outright during the shader compilation stage at first launch. The official announcement issued that day offered two options: one, follow Intel’s or your motherboard manufacturer’s instructions to downclock the CPU; two, skip shader compilation and go straight into the game. Officials also stated clearly: skipping compilation only temporarily bypasses the problem, stability cannot be guaranteed without downclocking, and official testing found that devices which crash during compilation may also crash randomly after entering the game — in other words, skipping compilation alone is not a real cure.

Two Steps for Intel 13th and 14th Gen Core Users#

The hardest hit group for shader compilation crashes is Intel 13th and 14th Gen Core desktop processors, which is directly tied to the high-voltage instability issue of those two generations. The fix comes in two steps:

1. Update the motherboard BIOS: update the motherboard BIOS to a version containing microcode 0x129, addressing the voltage anomaly at its root;
2. Temporary downclocking as an emergency measure: when the BIOS cannot be updated for now, you can downclock manually with Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (Intel XTU); the reference approach is lowering the i9-14900K’s performance-core ratio from 57 to 55 and its efficiency-core ratio from 44 to 43.

Recompilation Crashes After the 1.0.21 Patch#

After the 1.0.21 patch was pushed in January 2026, the official announcement again mentioned crashes during shader recompilation: repeatedly restart the game until compilation completes, or you can choose to skip shader compilation. This stems from the same root cause as the launch-day problem — major version updates trigger shader recompilation, and players on all three PC platforms, Steam, Epic, and WeGame, may run into it after updating; patiently waiting for compilation to finish is the only proper fix.

Prologue Crashes and Visual Errors on AMD Graphics Cards#

Roll the AMD driver back to version 24.5.1 — this was the solution the officials gave on launch day, August 20, 2024, targeting the poor compatibility of the then-new 24.8.1 driver.

Repeated Prologue Crashes: Roll Back to the 24.5.1 Driver#

Early after release, many AMD graphics card players crashed repeatedly during the prologue. Officials confirmed it was related to compatibility with the new 24.8.1 driver, and the fix was rolling the driver back to version 24.5.1. Before rolling back, it is recommended to first use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) in Safe Mode to thoroughly remove the old driver, then install 24.5.1; users of cards such as the RX 7900 XTX followed this procedure and both crashes and visual errors were resolved at the same time.

White Screens, Red Screens, and Particle Effect Errors in Certain Boss Fights#

On AMD graphics cards there have also been cases where visuals broke after entering certain boss fights: the screen turns white or red, or particle effects render incorrectly. Handle it exactly the same way as prologue crashes — uninstall the current driver and reinstall version 24.5.1.

The WeGame Version Being Missed by the Driver Panel#

Players launching through WeGame may also run into AMD graphics control software failing to recognize the game, making it impossible to set a separate performance profile for it. The fix is to manually import the game’s executable file path in the graphics control software, and then adjust the graphics settings for this game individually.

Handling Insufficient Video Memory Errors#

Launch in Steam compatibility mode, or change the compatibility of the game’s main executable to Win7, and update the graphics driver at the same time; Intel 13th and 14th Gen Core users should prioritize updating the motherboard BIOS or downclocking temporarily.

Error Characteristics and Four Handling Steps#

The full text of this error is Out of video memory, which mostly occurs during the shader compilation or startup stage. As compiled by media in August 2024, there are four workable approaches:

1. Launch the game in compatibility mode in Steam;
2. Enter the game installation directory and change the compatibility properties of the main program b1.exe to Win7;
3. Update the graphics driver to the latest version available at the time;
4. Intel 13th and 14th Gen Core users should update the motherboard BIOS (microcode 0x129), or refer to the first section and use XTU to downclock as an emergency measure.

Official Combined Solution for Black Screen Crashes During Play#

Follow the official announcement step by step: restart the computer and close unnecessary software, choose a clean install of the graphics driver to clear the shader cache, use the launcher to verify the integrity of the game files, and then update Windows to the latest version.

The Official Four-Step Solution#

For sudden black screens and getting dumped to the desktop during play, the officials gave a four-step combined solution in their launch-day announcement:

1. Restart the computer and close unnecessary background software, freeing up memory and video memory usage;
2. Check “clean install” when installing the latest graphics driver, clearing the shader cache along the way;
3. Use Steam, Epic, or WeGame’s built-in verify integrity of game files function to check the installation package;
4. Update Windows to the latest version — old systems have compatibility problems with this game.

Lowering Graphics Settings and Turning Off Frame Generation#

If black screens persist after the four steps, start with graphics quality: lower the overall quality preset and turn off the “Frame Generation” option — frame generation places higher demands on video memory and driver stability, and turning it off noticeably reduces the chance of black screens. Users of cards such as the AMD RX 7900 XTX can combine this with the section two approach of “uninstalling with DDU and reinstalling the 24.5.1 driver.”

Note on the -DX11 Launch Parameter#

One solution circulating during the launch period in 2024 was adding -DX11 to the launch options to force a switch of graphics API. The accounts need to be clarified: multiple sources at the time said this parameter worked; but 2026 technical documentation states clearly that this game only supports DirectX 12, and stuttering under ray tracing comes from shader compilation and cannot be avoided by switching APIs. The two accounts contradict each other; this parameter was a launch-period workaround, and whether it still works in later versions should be judged by actual testing — do not treat it as an official long-term guarantee.

Disabling Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling and Memory Overclocking#

Another known trigger of black screen crashes during the prologue is Windows’ “Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling”: go into Settings > System > Display > Graphics settings, turn it off, restart the computer, and then start the game. If you encounter the rare full-PC reboot during play, beyond trying the solutions above you should also disable Intel XMP or AMD EXPO memory overclocking — memory overclocking parameters conflict with game stability and are one of the multiple causes of full-system reboots.

Graphics Driver Version and Crash Lookup Table#

The mapping between crashes and driver versions is clear: AMD graphics cards roll back to 24.5.1, the RTX 50 series updates to 576.28 or above, and if community reports say a new driver causes crashes, roll back to the 572 series. The table below summarizes the corresponding versions for four situations.

Failure to Launch and Corrupted Saves After Patch Updates#

The official 1.0.21 patch announcement requires: uninstall all mods before updating, and after updating verify the integrity of the game files before launching; if crashes occur during shader recompilation, restart repeatedly until compilation completes, or choose to skip.

Two Mandatory Actions in the Official Announcement#

Conflicts between mods and patches are the main source of failure to launch, corrupted saves, and error pop-ups after updating. Officials specified two actions in the 1.0.21 version announcement on January 12, 2026:

1. Uninstall all mods (MOD) before updating;
2. After updating, first verify the integrity of the game files, then launch the game.

List of Problems Fixed by the 1.0.21 Patch#

If the problem you are having is in the list below, simply update the game to 1.0.21 to solve it directly, with no need to troubleshoot item by item:

Community Combined Solutions for Errors After Updating#

When the error message falls outside the scope of the official announcement (for example Unreal Engine errors or D3D12 device crashes), the combined procedure given by communities and driver vendor tutorials is, in order: delete mods > verify game file integrity > reinstall or roll back the graphics driver > clear the shader cache > reinstall the Microsoft Visual C++ redistributables. Launch the game once after each step to check, and stop the moment it works, to avoid repeating unnecessary hassle.

Reserved Space for the PS5 Major Patch#

The PS5 version received a performance-oriented major patch larger than 93GB in the 1.0.20 round in October 2025; you need to reserve plenty of space before updating, otherwise the update will be interrupted for lack of space. The current PS5 version number is 1.0.21.23672.

Disk Write Errors During Installation#

Install the game on a solid-state drive. Officials explicitly require 130GB of storage space and mandate the use of a solid-state drive; mechanical hard drives are a common cause of disk write errors and stuttering during installation.

If a disk write error occurs during installation, check the installation drive first: this game’s official configuration requirements carry the additional note “SSD Required,” with a unified requirement of 130GB of storage space across all platforms. The PS5 download size is about 99.8GB, and the console needs about 104GB of installation space reserved; insufficient space will likewise cause the download or update to fail.

General Troubleshooting Path for Errors Not in the Table Above#

First locate the stage where the problem occurs — installation, shader compilation, prologue, combat, or a specific scene; then check the graphics card brand and driver version; finally, troubleshoot item by item in the order of mods, files, drivers, and system.

Officials have not published a dedicated error code reference document for this game, so error code tables circulating online should not be trusted lightly. When you run into an error not covered by the table above, narrow things down with these four criteria:

• Judging by occurrence stage: errors during installation — check the drive and space first (solid-state drive, 130GB); crashes during compilation — refer to the Core downclocking solutions in section one; prologue crashes — suspect the AMD driver version or “Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling” first; combat and specific scene anomalies — check mods and drivers first;
• Judging by graphics card brand: NVIDIA users should focus on the driver version and the lookup table in section five; AMD users should first confirm the 24.5.1 rollback approach; Intel discrete GPU users should confirm the driver is the latest version;
• Judging by launcher: the file verification entries of Steam, Epic, and WeGame differ from one another, and so do mod directory locations — the WeGame version may also be missed by graphics control software, requiring manual import of the game path;
• Judging by update timing: has the problem only appeared since a certain patch? If so, delete mods first and then verify files, following the combined solution in section six.

The above are general handling methods; issues specific to Black Myth: Wukong are subject to official announcements.

Related Guides#

• Performance Optimization — quality presets, supersampling, and driver panel settings, which together with this page address frame rate and stability issues;
• FAQ — collected answers on game mechanics, collectibles, and purchasing questions;
• Beginner Guide — opening route and early-game progression advice, avoiding common newbie detours;
• Control Settings — keyboard and gamepad key layouts, including where to adjust the controller type setting;
• Full Walkthrough — index of the six-chapter main story and each chapter’s boss strategies.