How to Fix RuneScape Dragonwilds Out of Video Memory Error

Daniel Hidalgo

2025-04-24 10:32:39

Struggling with the RuneScape Dragonwilds Out of Video Memory Error? Discover effective solutions and tips to enhance your gaming experience now!

RuneScape Dragonwilds plunges players into a high-stakes survival experience, but for some, the wilderness isn't the only adversary. A frustrating "Out of Video Memory" error is causing black screens and preventing adventurers from even entering this brutal new frontier. Instead of battling wild bosses, they're battling their own hardware. While there's no official fix yet, here are several potential workarounds to try and get you into the game.

This "CTD: Out of video memory trying to allocate a rendering resource" error is particularly affecting players with seemingly high-end systems, such as those with an i7-14700K, 48GB RAM, and a GeForce 4070Ti. Despite having the latest updates and drivers, the game often fails to launch beyond the splash screen, even when the error message is bypassed.

Fix RuneScape Dragonwilds Out of Video Memory Error

Unfortunately, there is no official fix for the "Out of video memory" error at this time. Like other unresolved issues in RuneScape Dragonwilds, this one hasn't been officially addressed by the QA team. For now, you'll need to experiment with various potential fixes to see what works for your specific system configuration.

Here are some workarounds that might help:

First Things First

Before diving into more complex solutions, ensure the basics are covered:

Check System Requirements: Double-check that your system meets the minimum requirements to run RuneScape: Dragonwilds.
Restart System: Perform a full system restart.
Run as Administrator: Make sure to run both Steam and the RuneScape: Dragonwilds executable with administrator privileges. Right-click on the application icons and select "Run as administrator."
Close Background Apps: Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and close any performance-intensive background applications that might be consuming valuable system resources. This includes web browsers like Chrome, communication apps like Discord, and other game launchers.

Intel Issue?

Be aware of a confirmed hardware issue with Intel's 13th and 14th generation Core processors (13xxx and 14xxx series). This issue can cause system instability, leading to failures and crashes in Unreal Engine games like Dragonwilds. The problem stems from physical wear on the CPU's clock signal circuitry and is often irreversible once it occurs. If you suspect this might be the case, the only long-term solution is to replace the affected processor. Keep an eye on official announcements regarding this issue.

Lower Settings

Given that RuneScape Dragonwilds is in early access and its beta stage, it might not be perfectly optimized for all system configurations. A simple way to potentially improve performance and stability is to lower the graphical settings as much as possible before launching a new world. If the game launches successfully with lower settings, try gradually increasing them to find a balance between visual quality and stability.

Downgrade Drivers

Significant issues have been reported with newer NVIDIA drivers. A potential fix that has worked for some players is downgrading to NVIDIA driver version 566.36. To do this:

Download driver version 566.36 from the official NVIDIA website or a trusted source.

Open Device Manager (search for it in the Windows search bar).

Expand the "Display Adapters" section.

Right-click on your NVIDIA GPU and select "Uninstall Device".

Crucially, check the box to "Delete the driver software for this device."

Restart your PC.

Install the older 566.36 driver you downloaded.

Once installed, try launching RuneScape Dragonwilds again to see if the issue is resolved.

Nvidia Hotfix

If downgrading to driver version 566.36 doesn't work, another approach for NVIDIA users is to try upgrading to the latest version of the GeForce Hotfix Display Driver. As of the time of this article, the latest hotfix is version 576.15. NVIDIA releases these hotfixes to address various reported issues, including potential memory allocation problems. To upgrade:

Visit the official NVIDIA website support or drivers section.

Look for the latest GeForce Hotfix driver (currently 576.15 or a newer version if available).

Download the driver and follow the installation prompts.

AMD Users: If you have an AMD graphics card, the general advice is the same: ensure you are using the latest driver version available from the official AMD support website. Driver updates often include fixes and optimizations that can improve game stability.

Run Game on Dedicated Card and Increase Page File Size

Forcing the game to use your dedicated graphics card and increasing the virtual memory (page file) size can sometimes alleviate "Out of Video Memory" errors:

Force Dedicated GPU:

Type "Graphics settings" into the Windows search bar and select it.
From the list of installed programs, find RuneScape Dragonwilds. If it's not listed, click "Browse" and locate the game's executable file.
Once selected, click "Options" and choose "High Performance" to ensure it prioritizes your dedicated GPU. Click "Save."

Increase Page File Size:

Search for "View advanced system settings" in the Windows search box and open it.
Navigate to the "Advanced" tab.
Under the "Performance" section, click "Settings...".
In the Performance Options window, go to the "Advanced" tab again.1
Under the "Virtual memory" section, click "Change...".
Uncheck the box that says "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives."
Select the drive where the game is installed.
Choose the "Custom size" option.
Set the "Initial size (MB)" to 1.5 times your total RAM (in MB). For example, if you have 16GB of RAM, enter 24576 (16384 x 1.5).
Set the "Maximum size (MB)" to 3 times your total RAM (in MB). For 16GB of RAM, enter 49152 (16384 x 3).
Click "Set", then "OK" on all open windows.
Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Update BIOS

In some instances, especially with newer CPUs and motherboards, an outdated BIOS can cause system instability that manifests as errors in demanding applications like Unreal Engine games. Installing the latest BIOS update for your motherboard might resolve underlying compatibility issues.

Identify your motherboard manufacturer and model.

Go to your motherboard's official support page on the manufacturer's website.

Download the latest BIOS version available for your specific motherboard model.

Carefully follow the instructions provided by your motherboard manufacturer for updating the BIOS. This usually involves preparing a USB flash drive and entering the BIOS setup utility at boot (often by pressing the DEL key).

Read the instructions thoroughly and avoid any interruptions during the BIOS update process to prevent potential damage to your system.

If you are not comfortable updating your BIOS or have never done it before, it is highly recommended to seek assistance from a qualified computer service center.

Launch Options

A simple launch option that has helped some players with Unreal Engine-related issues is forcing the game to use DirectX 11:

Open your Steam Library.

Right-click on RuneScape: Dragonwilds and select "Properties".

Under the "General" tab, find the "Launch Options" field.

Type -d3d11 into the box.

Close the window and restart the game to see if this resolves the "Out of Video Memory" error.

Fullscreen Optimisations and Steam Cache

Adjusting fullscreen optimizations and clearing the Steam download cache are other general troubleshooting steps that might help:

Disable Fullscreen Optimisations:

Go to your Steam Library, right-click on RuneScape: Dragonwilds, and select "Browse local files" to open the game's installation folder.
Find the main game executable file (e.g., RSDragonwilds.exe).
Right-click on the executable and go to "Properties".
Under the "Compatibility" tab, checkmark both "Disable fullscreen optimizations" and "Run this program as an administrator" options.
Click "Apply", then "OK".

Clear Steam Download Cache:

Open Steam.
Go to "Steam" in the top-left corner and select "Settings".
Navigate to the "Downloads" tab.
Click the "Clear Download Cache" button.
Click "OK" and restart Steam.

Last Resort

If none of the above solutions work, consider these final steps:

Verify Game Files: In your Steam Library, right-click on RuneScape: Dragonwilds, go to Properties, then the "Local Files" tab, and click "Verify integrity of game files...". This will check for and redownload any missing or corrupted game files.
Check for Updates: Ensure that both Steam and RuneScape: Dragonwilds are running the latest available versions.
Reinstall on SSD: As a last resort, consider uninstalling and reinstalling the game on a Solid State Drive (SSD). SSDs offer faster load times and can sometimes improve overall system performance and stability.

Remember that RuneScape Dragonwilds is in early access, and these issues are likely due to ongoing development and optimization. Keep an eye on official announcements and patch notes for any official fixes from the developers. Hopefully, one of these workarounds will allow you to brave the dangers of Dragonwilds!

Platform(s): Microsoft Windows PC

Genre(s): Action role-playing

Developer(s): Jagex Ltd

Publisher(s):Jagex Ltd

Mode: Single-player, multiplayer