Horizon Forbidden West Crashing? Fixes That Work

If Horizon Forbidden West is crashing on your PC or PlayStation, the problem is almost always one of a handful of causes: outdated graphics drivers, corrupted shader cache, unstable overclocks, or a buggy game patch. Below are the specific fixes that resolve the vast majority of crashes, starting with the most common and moving to more advanced steps.

Why Horizon Forbidden West Crashes

The game launched on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in February 2022, and the PC port arrived in March 2024. Crashes on PS5 were most frequent in the first few weeks after launch, often triggered by a specific cutscene or a corrupted save file. On PC, the most reported crash types are:

• DirectX 12 device hung – usually a driver or GPU memory issue
• Shader compilation stutter/freeze – happens when the game builds shaders on first launch
• Random desktop crashes – often from overclocked GPUs or CPUs
• Out of video memory – the game tries to allocate more VRAM than available

Knowing which crash message you see helps narrow the fix, but the steps below cover all of them.

Fix 1: Update Your GPU Drivers

An outdated or corrupted graphics driver is the single most common cause of PC crashes in this game. Both NVIDIA and AMD released day-one drivers specifically for Horizon Forbidden West, and later patches improved stability further.

1. Go to the official NVIDIA or AMD website and download the latest driver for your GPU model.
2. Use the “Clean Install” option (NVIDIA) or “Factory Reset” (AMD) to remove old driver remnants.
3. Restart your PC and launch the game again.

If you already have the latest driver, try rolling back to the previous version – sometimes a new driver introduces a regression. You can do this in Device Manager or by downloading the older driver from the manufacturer’s site.

Fix 2: Clear the Shader Cache

Horizon Forbidden West compiles shaders the first time you run it. If that process is interrupted (by a crash or forced quit), the cache can become corrupted, leading to repeated crashes on every launch.

• On PC: In Steam, right-click the game, select Properties > Local Files > Verify Integrity of Game Files. This will re-download any missing or corrupted files, including the shader cache.
• On PS5: Delete the game’s saved data (not your save file) and let it rebuild. Go to Settings > Storage > Games and Apps, find Horizon Forbidden West, and delete the “shader cache” if visible. Alternatively, rebuild the database via Safe Mode (option 5).

After clearing the cache, the game will recompile shaders – this takes a few minutes and may stutter, but it should not crash.

Fix 3: Disable Overclocks and Check Temperatures

Overclocked GPUs and CPUs are a frequent source of crashes, especially in graphically intense open-world games. Horizon Forbidden West pushes hardware hard, and an unstable overclock that works in lighter games can cause crashes here.

1. Reset your GPU and CPU to stock clocks (remove any overclock in MSI Afterburner, Intel XTU, or AMD Ryzen Master).
2. Also disable XMP/EXPO for your RAM if you have manually tightened timings – run at default JEDEC speeds.
3. Monitor temperatures with a tool like HWiNFO64. If your GPU exceeds 85°C or your CPU hits 95°C, you may be thermal-throttling, which can cause crashes.

If the game becomes stable at stock settings, your overclock was the culprit. You can try a milder overclock, but it’s not worth the risk of repeated crashes.

Fix 4: Adjust In-Game Settings

Some settings are known to cause crashes on certain hardware, particularly on PC. Lowering these can improve stability:

• Texture Quality: If you have 8 GB VRAM or less, set this to High or Medium, not Ultra.
• Ray Tracing: Turn it off entirely. It is very demanding and a common crash trigger.
• Upscaling: Try switching between DLSS, FSR, and XeSS. Some users report crashes with one but not another.
• Frame Generation: Disable it if you have a 30-series or older GPU, as it can cause instability.

Also, cap your frame rate to your monitor’s refresh rate via the game’s settings or an external tool like RivaTuner. Uncapped frame rates can cause GPU memory spikes and crashes.

Fix 5: Verify Game Files and Reinstall

Corrupted game files are a common cause of crashes, especially after a patch. On Steam, right-click the game and select Properties > Local Files > Verify Integrity of Game Files. On the Epic Games Store, click the three dots on the game and choose Verify. On PS5, you can delete and reinstall the game – your save is stored separately, so you won’t lose progress.

If verification finds no issues, a full reinstall is the next step. Sometimes a patch leaves behind conflicting files that a reinstall clears.

Fix 6: Check for Known Issues and Patches

Horizon Forbidden West has had several patches that fixed specific crashes. For example, the PC version had a bug where the game crashed when using certain AMD GPUs with specific drivers – that was fixed in a later patch. Always make sure your game is updated to the latest version. On PC, Steam and Epic auto-update by default, but you can manually check for updates. On PS5, enable automatic updates in the console’s settings.

If the crash started after a recent update, you can try rolling back the game version (on PC, via Steam’s beta branches) to see if the previous version is stable – but this is a temporary workaround.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Horizon Forbidden West crash on my PS5?

PS5 crashes are often caused by corrupted save data or a buggy patch. Try rebuilding the database via Safe Mode (turn off the console, then hold the power button until it beeps twice – choose “Rebuild Database”). If that doesn’t work, delete and reinstall the game. Also, ensure your PS5 system software is up to date.

Will lowering graphics settings stop the crashes?

Yes, in many cases. The most demanding settings – texture quality, ray tracing, and frame generation – are the most likely to trigger crashes, especially on GPUs with 8 GB VRAM or less. Lowering these to High or Medium often resolves the issue.

Is there a known fix for the “DirectX 12 device hung” error?

This error is almost always driver-related. Update your GPU driver, clear the shader cache, and disable any overclocks. If it persists, try switching from DirectX 12 to DirectX 11 – some players have found that more stable, though the game is designed for DX12.

Can I fix crashes by disabling my overclock?

Yes. An unstable overclock is a common cause of crashes in demanding games. Reset your GPU and CPU to stock clocks and disable XMP/EXPO for RAM. If the game stops crashing, your overclock was the problem.

Does the game crash because of a corrupted save file?

Yes, a corrupted save file can cause crashes, particularly on PS5. If the crash happens when loading a specific save, try loading an earlier auto-save. On PC, you can back up your save folder (usually in Documents/My Games/Horizon Forbidden West) and delete the local save to test.

What should I do if none of these fixes work?

If you’ve tried all the above and the game still crashes, check the official support forums – Guerrilla Games and the Steam community often have threads for specific hardware combos. Also, report the crash with the error code (if any) to the support team. Sometimes a workaround is found that isn’t widely known.

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