Fix Doom The Dark Ages Crashing & Black Screen

How To Fix Doom The Dark Ages Crashing & Black Screen

By Daniel Hidalgo | 2025-05-15 09:19:04
Discover effective solutions to fix Doom The Dark Ages crashing and black screen issues. Get back to gaming with our comprehensive troubleshooting guide.

It's definitely a frustrating experience to eagerly jump into the brutal action of DOOM: The Dark Ages, only to be met with crashes or a dreaded black screen! Especially with a highly anticipated title like this, you want to get straight to the demon-slaying. Let's break down these troubleshooting steps to get players back into the carnage.

Fix Doom The Dark Ages Crashing & Black Screen

You've outlined a solid set of initial workarounds for players encountering these launch issues. It's helpful to note that the vague nature of the crashes (black screen or simply returning to desktop) makes systematic troubleshooting even more important.

1. Verify Game Files:

You're spot on to start with this fundamental step. Corrupted or missing game files are a surprisingly common cause of various game issues, including crashes. The process for verifying game file integrity is generally straightforward across different platforms:
  • Steam: Right-click on DOOM: The Dark Ages in your Library -> Properties -> Local Files -> Verify integrity of game files.
  • Xbox App: Select DOOM: The Dark Ages in your library -> click the "..." button -> Manage -> Files -> Verify and repair.
  • Battle.net: Select DOOM: The Dark Ages -> click the cogwheel icon next to the "Play" button -> Scan and Repair.
As you mentioned, this process can take some time, but it's a non-invasive first step that often resolves the issue.

2. Reinstall the Latest GPU Drivers:

Given that both Nvidia and AMD typically release optimized drivers for major game launches like DOOM: The Dark Ages, ensuring you have the latest version is crucial. However, your caution about potential issues with these very drivers for some players is also wise. Your recommended approach of a clean driver reinstall using DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) is excellent advice:
  • Download and run DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) to completely remove your current graphics drivers. This ensures a clean slate.
  • Download the latest drivers for your specific Nvidia or AMD GPU from their official support websites.
  • Install the newly downloaded drivers.
  • Reboot your PC after the installation is complete.
    • Your specific driver version recommendations are also very helpful: Nvidia Driver 576.40 and AMD Drivers 25.5.1 or higher are the ones optimized for DOOM: The Dark Ages.

    3. Tweak Game Settings & Use Borderless Window Mode:

    Your suggestion to adjust in-game graphical settings is a common and ofteneffective way to address crashes, especially on systems that might bepushing the limits or encountering specific setting-related bugs.Scaling back demanding options like shadows, reflections, and texturequality can often stabilize the game.

    The specific mention of disabling Frame Generation as a potential temporary fix is also a valuable piece of advice, asthis newer technology can sometimes have compatibility issues at launch. Switching to Borderless Window Mode can also sometimes resolve black screen issues or improve stability bychanging how the game interacts with the operating system's displaymanagement.


    4. Disable Third-Party Software Overlays:

    Overlays from various applications (like Discord, Steam, Nvidia GeForceExperience, AMD Adrenalin, etc.) can sometimes interfere with gameprocesses and lead to crashes. Your recommendation to disable any unnecessary third-party overlays for testing purposes is a goodtroubleshooting step. If the crashing stops after disabling overlays,players can try re-enabling them one by one to identify the culprit.

    By systematically working through these potential fixes, players experiencing crashing or black screen issues with DOOM: The Dark Ages have a good chance of getting back to the satisfying demon huntsthey've been waiting for! Let's hope one of these workarounds does thetrick until an official patch arrives. Rip and tear!

    Platform(s): PlayStation 5 PS5, Windows PC, Xbox Series X/S
    Genre(s): First-person shooter
    Developer(s): id Software
    Publisher(s): Bethesda Softworks
    Engine: id Tech
    Release date: May 15, 2025
    Mode: Single-player, multiplayer
    Age rating (PEGI): +18
    Video preview▶


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