Zenless Zone Zero is the latest game from Genshin Impact developer. Since its launch, the game has dominated the PC, consoles, and mobile devices with over 50 million downloads. The game is well-optimized and runs smoothly for a variety of PC configurations. However, PC users report ZZZ is crashing in-game and at startup. I have compiled a list of fixes that help PC users resolve the Zenless Zone Zero in-game crash issue.
Try These Zenless Zone Zero Crash Fixes
ZZZ’s art style is quite similar to miHoYo’s previous games and like them, the game runs on Unity Engine. Despite the game’s low system requirements, PC users report that it is crashing randomly while playing. Multiple reasons are causing the game to crash to the desktop like the default shader cache size not being enough, an outdated GPU driver, and, more. The following fixes will help PC users resolve Zenles Zone Zero’s in-game crashes.
Fix #1: Restart GPU Driver
If you have not shut down or restarted your PC in a while, it is causing the game to crash. A simple fix would be to just restart your PC, but if that is not an option, PC users can reset the GPU driver to fix the crashes. Press the Ctrl+Win+Shift+B buttons simultaneously and you will see a brief flicker on the screen. The flicker indicates the GPU driver has reset. Play Zenless Zone Zero and it won’t crash to the desktop.
Fix #2: Increase Shader Cache Size
As stated, the game runs on the Unity engine and relies on shaders for its visuals and performance. ZZZ is crashing to the desktop because the default shader cache size for it is too small. Increase the shader cache to fix the in-game crash.
- Open the Nvidia Control Panel.
- Go to Manage 3D Settings > Global Settings.
- Scroll down and find “Shader cache size”.
- Select 10 GB from the drop-down list and apply changes.
- Play Zenless Zone Zero and it won’t crash anymore.
Fix #3: Disable In-game Overlays
In-game overlays are useful tools as they allow PC users to access certain features without quitting or minimizing the game. However, they often interfere with games and cause in-game crashes. If you are using an in-game overlay like Discord or GeForce Experience, disable it to fix in-game crashes.
Discord:
- Open User settings
- Go to the Game Overlay tab
- Turn off the “Enable In-game overlay” options.
GeForce Experience:
- Open GeForce Experience
- Click on the Gear icon next to your username
- Go to the General tab
- Turn off the “IN-GAME Overlay” option
Fix #4: Disable GPU Overclock
Overclocking can net PC users some extra performance out of their GPU or CPU, but it can make gaming an unstable experience as games crash constantly. If you have overclocked your graphics card, it is crashing Zenless Zone Zero to the desktop. Revert it to its default GPU and Memory clocks to fix the in-game crashes.
Fix #5: Use Defatul GPU and Memory Clocks
Unity is one of the game engines that is quite sensitive to GPU and Memory clocks. Most graphics cards from third-party AIB partners like Zotac or GIGABYTE are factory overclocked or use higher GPU and Memory clocks than Nvidia’s reference models. It is cruising Zenless Zone Zero to the desktop. Enable the Debug mode to force the graphics card to use Nvidia’s recommended GPU and Memory clocks to fix the in-game crashes. Open the Nvidia Control Panel > help > Debug Mode.
Fix #6: Limit Max Frame Rate
PC gaming has its advantages like being able to play games at an unlocked frame rate. It improves latency and smoothes out gameplay. However, it also puts the GPU and CPU under a lot of stress which can crash the game. If you are playing Zenless Zone Zero at an unlocked FPS, it is crashing the game to the desktop. Limit the game’s max frame rate to fix the issue.
- Open the Nvidia Control Panel.
- Click “Manage 3D Settings” and open the Program Settings tab.
- Select Zenless Zone Zero from the drop-down menu.
- Scroll down, enable Max Frame Rate, and set a value.
Note: Unless you use a Freesync or G.sync display, your Max Frame Limit should be 1/2, 1/3rd, or 1/4th of your monitor’s refresh rate. Otherwise, the game will feel jittery.
Fix #7: Update GPU Driver
The current GPU driver version installed on your PC is either corrupt or incompatible with the game. This is why Zenless Zone Zero is crashing. Update or install a different GPU driver version to fix the in-game crashes. Ensure to do a clean installation so that settings from the previous install won’t interfere with the new one.
Zenless Zone Zero Cras At Startup Fixes That Will Help
PC users report that ZZZ is crashing at launch and in some cases, isn’t launching. There are multiple reasons for these crashes at startup like DirectX API, corrupt or missing system files, third-party anti-virus blocking the executable, and more. The following fixes will help PC users resolve Zenless Zone Zero’s crashes at startup.
Fx#1: Switch DirectX
The game runs in DirectX 11 by default and PC users report that switching to DX12 fixes the crash at startup issue. Here is how to force Zenless Zone Zero to use DX12:
- Open the launcher > game settings > open directory.
- Right-click the executable > send to > Desktop (create shortcut).
- Go to the desktop, right-click the shortcut, and select properties.
- A small window will open and you’ll find the path to the executable in the ‘Target’ section.
- The path will end with \ZenlessZoneZero.exe
- Add a space at the end of the path and add -force-d3d12
- Apply the changes and launch the game using the shortcut.
- Zenless Zone Zero will run with DirectX 12 and won’t crash at launch.
Fix #2: Disable Anti-Virus
Some PC users take their security very seriously and use third-party anti-virus to protect their systems from malware and viruses. These anti-virus software often detect the game executable as malware and quarantines it, which crashes the game at startup. If you are using a third-party anti-virus like DeepGuard, it is cashing Zenless Zone Zero at startup. To fix the issue, you can either disable the real-time protection or exclude the game folder from the antivirus, I recommend the latter. After that, verify game files and ZZZ won’t crash at launch.
Fix #3: Run The Game As An Administrator
ZZZ is crashing at startup because it doesn’t have administrative rights. Run the game as an administrator and the issue will be fixed.
- Open the launcher > game settings > open directory.
- A new explorer window will open containing the game files.
- Right-click the game’s executable > Properties > Compatibility tab
- Check “Run this program as an administrator” and hit apply.
- Launch Zenless Zone Zero and it won’t crash at startup.
Fix #4: Update or Install Visual C++ Components
Having Visual C++ is essential to play video games on Windows. Zenless Zone Zero is crashing at startup because of corrupt or missing Visual C++ components. Install or repair Visual C++ Redistributables to fix the issue.
- Open the Steam library and type ‘Steamworks’ in the search bar.
- Right-click “Steamworks Common Redistributables” > Manage > Browse local files.
- A new Explorer window will open.
- Go to _CommonRedist\vcredist
- There are folders with names in years starting from 2010.
- Open each folder and run the VC_redis, both x64 and x86 versions.
- Install or repair Visual C++ Redistributables and restart your PC.
Fix #5: Disable Fullscreen Optimizations
Fullscreen Optimizations are enabled by default for every game or program installed in Windows. It can crash games at startup and ZZZ is crashing because of it. Disable fullscreen optimizations to fix the issue.
- Open the launcher > game settings > open directory.
- A new Explorer window will open with game files.
- Right-click the executable > properties > Compatibility tab
- Check “Disable Fullscreen Optimizations” and apply.
- Launch Zenless Zone Zero and it won’t crash at launch.
Fix #6: Repair system files
Corrupt or missing system files are crashing Zenless Zone Zero at launch. Run the SFC scan and it’ll download and replace any corrupt or missing files.
- Open Command Prompt(CMD) and run it as an administrator.
- Type sfc / scannow and press enter.
- Let the scan complete.
- It’ll automatically repair or replace system files that need it.
- Play ZZZ and it won’t crash at startup.
Fix #7: Delete DirectX Shader Cache
Windows updates roll out frequently and they often break certain Windows components. DirectX shader cache can be corrupted following a Windows update, which is crashing Zenless Zone Zero at startup. Delete the cache and a new one will be created the next time you run the game. It will fix ZZZ’s crashing at launch issue.
- Open Windows Settings
- Go to System > Storage > Temporary Files
- Select DirectX Shader Cache and click “Remove Files”
- Launch ZZZ and it’ll work without crashing at startup.
That is all for our Zenless Zone Zero fixes for in-game crashes and crashes at startup. Also, see our hub for commonly occurring PC errors and their fixes if you are experiencing errors with other PC video games or PCs.
