Many Overwatch players say that they are unable to play Overwatch due to an error that makes their screen go black and an error box pop up that says “Your rendering device has been lost!“. If you are also experiencing this issue, there is no need to panic. In this guide, we have compiled 8 useful solutions that could help you fix this error. Keep in mind, that some of the solutions listed here are specific to rendering device, however, certain methods from Overwatch Crashing on Startup are also viable.
- You might encounter the “Your rendering device has been lost!” Error when you are trying to play Overwatch but the screen suddenly goes black and the game crashes.
- There are several things that cause this error, such as an overheating or overclocked graphic card, outdated graphic drivers and many more.
- You should close any background activity, such as applications you are not using so that you can lessen the load on your graphic card.
- Another reason you might be experiencing the “Your rendering device has been lost!” Error is because your graphic drivers are outdated. You can update your drivers by heading over to the official site of your graphic card manufacturer and finding the newest drivers.
- If you have an overclocked graphic card, you should put the clock speed back to its default settings, as this can be the reason you are experiencing the error.
- You should also make sure to check if you are not experiencing overheating issues for any of your PC components. You can use HWmonitor to do this.
- You should enable the Super Fetch Service in windows, as it can greatly increase the performance of your hard drive, which might fix the error for you.
- If you are using the AMD graphic cards, you should turn on the GPU Scaling in the AMD settings.
- If you are using any sort of Antivirus software, then it is possible that it is not letting your Overwatch application run because it could be mistaking Overwatch as a potential virus. This can be fixed if you get rid of the Overwatch application in your Antivirus settings.
- It is best to update windows 10 to the latest version if you are outdated, as the update might fix any potential issues that might be causing the “Your rendering device has been lost!” Error.
If the error still does not get fixed after trying all of the methods mentioned, then it is a good idea to contact the official Battle.net customer support and ask the professionals for any potential solutions.
How to fix Overwatch Rendering Device Lost Error?
The most common reason for the “Overwatch Rendering Device Lost” error is overheating or overclocked PC components, mainly the graphics card. This error could also occur when the GPU drivers are not up to date. This guide will discuss 8 different methods that will help you in troubleshooting this error.
Are you looking for the best Overwatch PC settings that could help you achieve maximum performance and smooth gameplay? Then check out our guide for the Best Overwatch PC Settings.
Close Background Applications
If you have too many programs running in the background, it could affect the performance of your computer and cause games to crash. Close any background application from the system tray or the task manager that you might not be using at that moment. After doing so launch the Modern Warfare application to see if the crashing persists.
Update Graphics Drivers
Outdated drivers are a common cause of a lot of different performance and crashing problems in PC gaming. Outdated drivers could also be a cause of the “Overwatch Rendering Device Lost” error. We recommend that you check for new graphics card drivers at least once every week as there are always new versions of these drivers being released. If left unchecked, outdated graphics card drivers could cause the Overwatch startup crash issue and other performance-related issues as well.
To update the video card drivers, visit the GPU manufacturer’s website and head over to the graphics drivers section to find the latest version of the graphics card drivers and install them. Below are the links for NVIDIA and AMD graphics card driver’s website pages.
If updating the graphics card drivers did not solve the issue, try the other solutions mentioned below.
Reset the Clock Speed Settings to Default
The Overwatch “Rendering Device Lost” error is likely occurring due to overclocked GPU, CPU, or other hardware components. If that is the case, you should try setting your components’ frequency or clock speed settings back to their defaults and then start Overwatch again to see if the error is resolved. If resetting the clock speeds to default does not fix the problem then try the methods down below.
Check for Overheating Issues
A lot of users have noticed that Overheating components are causing the “Rendering Device Lost” errors and also black screens. We recommend that you always closely monitor your computer temperatures and see if all the fans on your GPU are running as they should. Since it takes some time for your components to reach a high temperature, users should actively monitor all the fans and also the temperatures of the computer using temperature monitoring applications like HWmonitor to see if Overheating is the cause of the aforementioned error. If your temperatures are stable and all the fans are functioning properly, try other solutions mentioned below.
Enable Super Fetch Service
Windows SuperFetch is a component of Windows’ memory manager that improves hard drive performance. You make sure that this service is enabled as this could help in fixing the Overwatch Rendering Device Lost error. To do so follow these steps.
- Press the Windows logo key and R on your keyboard to open the Windows Run.
- Type services.msc and press Enter on your keyboard.
- Locate the service that is name SysMain and make sure that it is running.
Windows Services. - If it is isn’t running, Right-click the service and go to properties.
- Change the startup type to Automatic and click the start button, then click OK.
- Restart your computer.
- Launch Overwatch to see if the issue is fixed.
Turn on Scale with GPU (for AMD users)
This is a method that is specifically for people using AMD Graphic Cards. Many AMD users were able to fix their Overwatch Rendering Device Lost error by modifying display settings in their AMD Radeon Software. If you are an AMD user follow these steps mentioned below to turn on the GPU calling in the AMD Radeon Settings.
- Launch AMD Radeon Settings.
- Click on Display.
- Turn on GPU Scaling.
AMD Radeon Settings. - Run Overwatch to see if the error is solved.
Exclude Overwatch From Antivirus Scanning
Antivirus software could sometimes block the Overwatch app to run on the system by mistaking it for a threat. This results in your Anti-virus software making the game crash repeatedly. You can fix this problem by excluding the Overwatch application from your Anti-virus software. The exclusion process is very similar in most Anti-virus software, Here’s how to do it.
- Launch your Anti-virus application.
- Head to the Virus and threat protection settings.
Virus & threat protection. - Click on Add or remove exclusions.
- Add Overwatch and save the settings.
Exclusions.
Update Windows 10 to the Latest Version
Windows Updates can sometimes fix any bugs that could be causing performance problems and other hardware-related issues. Updating your Windows to the latest version could potentially fix the “Overwatch Rendering Device Lost” error.
- Open the Windows Search Menu by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard.
- Type Windows Update in the search box, select the Check for updates option.
Windows Update. - Click on Check for updates, Windows will search and download the latest update.
Check for Updates. - After the download is complete, restart your computer to install the update.
Run Overwatch to see if the problem is fixed.
Summary
That was all for our “Overwatch Rendering Device Lost” error fixing guide. We hope that you were able to fix this annoying error by following the various methods that we compiled in this troubleshooting guide. If the error still persists after trying all of the solutions above, then try contacting Battle.net Support and they will help you in identifying the exact cause of the problem after you provide them with all of the necessary information
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