Need For Speed Heat is as close to the Underground series as possible. While it doesn’t feature a dynamic time-of-day system, players can switch between day and night which plays a role in the gameplay loop. Aside from the quality of the game, PC users report errors and issues like DirectX error, stuttering, crashing, and more. I have compiled a list of fixes that help PC users resolve these Need For Speed Heat errors and crashes.
Try These NFS Heat DirectX Error, Crashes, and Other Fixes
NFS Heat takes the best parts of the recent NFS titles and creates a unique experience. With the game being delayed a year, one would expect that the devs would have done a better job optimizing the game. But, that’s not the case as NFS Heat faces errors and issues like crashing at launch, black screen, and DirectX error. The following fixes will help PC users resolve Need for Speed Heat’s errors and crashes.
NFS Heat DirectX Error Fix
Need For Speed Heat players report that it is crashing with the DirectX error. In most cases, such an error occurs on a relatively older GPU. But, in the game case of NFS Heat, the DirectX error followed by a crash occurs for PC users with the latest GPUs and CPUs. While developers are looking into the problem, here is a workaround that might help you.
Fix #1: Lower Graphics Settings
The game is crashing with the DirectX error because the GPU is under a lot of rendering load at Max settings. If you are playing NFS Heat at max settings, lower the graphics settings to High or Medium and the error will be fixed.
If you are experiencing the DirectX error at startup, you can use GeForce Experience to lower the game’s graphics settings.
- Open GeForce Experience and select the game
- Click on the “Custom Settings icon” right next to the Optimize button
- Drag the slider to performance, hit apply, and click Optimize.
- Play NFS Heat and the DirectX error is fixed
Fix #2: Limit Max Frame Rate
Playing games at unlocked FPS has its perks low input latency and smooth gameplay. However, it can put the GPU and the CPU under stress, which leads to games crashing to the desktop. If you are playing NFS Heat at an unlocked FPS, it is crashing the game with the DirectX error. Limit the game’s max FPS to reduce the GPU and CPU load and fix the error.
- Open the Nvidia Control Panel.
- Click “Manage 3D Settings” and open the Program Settings tab.
- Select Need For Speed Heat 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 #3: Enable Debug Mode
Graphics cards from AIB partners like Zotac or GIGABYTE are either factory overclocked or use higher GPU and Memory clocks than Nvidia reference GPUs. This is crashing NFS Heat with the DirectX error and it can be fixed by enabling the Debug mode. Enabling it forces the GPU to use Nvidia’s recommended GPU and memory clocks. Open the Nvidia Control Panel > Help > Debug Mode.
Fix #4: Update DirectX
NFS Heat is crashing with the DirectX error because of missing or corrupt DirectX files. Install or update DirectX to fix the error.
- Open Steam library.
- Type ‘Steamworks’ in the search bar.
- Right-click “Steamworks Common Redistributables” > Manage > Browse local files.
- A new Explorer window will open.
- Go to _CommonRedist > DirectX > Jun2010.
- Run the DXSETUP and follow the onscreen prompts to install DirectX.
- Play Need For Speed Heat and the DirectX error is fixed.
Fix #5: Delete DirectX Shader Cache
Microsoft frequently rolls out Windows Updates, which can sometimes corrupt the DirectX shader cache. Need For Speed Heat is crashing with the DirectX error due to a corrupt cache. Delete the cache and a new one will be created the next time you play the game. This will fix the DirectX error.
- Open Windows Settings.
- Go to System > Storage > Temporary Files.
- Select DirectX Shader Cache and click “Remove Files”.
- Launch NFS Heat and it won’t crash again with the DirectX error.
NFS Heat Low FPS, Stuttering, and FPS Drop Fix
Performance is often the issue with PC video games and Need For Speed Heat PC is no exception. Players are reporting that the game stutters constantly while playing. Here are a few things that might help eliminate stuttering from Need For Speed Heat PC.
Fix #1: Update GPU Drivers
Install the latest GPU drivers and ensure to do a clean installation. Also, ensure no background process is using too much CPU or HDD.
Fix #2: Tweak Nvidia Control Panel Settings
Certain Nvidia Control Panel tweaks will help PC users improve NFS Heat performance.
- Open Nvidia Control Panel > Manage 3D Settings > Program Settings.
- Select the game from the list.
- Set “Power Management Mode” to “Prefer Maximum Performance”.
- Set “Texture Filtering- Quality” to “High Performance”.
- Apply changes, and PC users will notice an uplift in the game’s FPS.
Fix #3: Enable Fast Sync
PC users that don’t have a Gsync or Freesync compatible display, can enable Fast Sync from the Nvidia Control Panel to improve NFS Heat’s in-game performance and fix stutters.
Open Nvidia Control Panel > Manage 3D Settings > Program Settings.
Select Need For Speed Heat from the list.
Set vertical sync to “Fast”.
Start NFS Heat, disable in-game v.sync, and set the display mode to Fullscreen.
This will fix the stuttering and low FPS issues with the game.
NFS Heat Black Screen Fix
Black screen is a common issue with PC games and Need for Speed Heat is no exception. Players report that when they launch NFS Heat, they only get a black screen but can hear the audio in the background. The following fixes will help PC users resolve the black screen issue.
Fix #1: Switch Resolution
To fix the black screen issue in NFS Heat, launch it, and when the black screen appears, press “Alt + Enter”. The game will go into Windowed mode and will start to display. Go to the video settings and set the resolution that is native to your display and you can play in Fullscreen.
Fix #2: Disable Overclock
If you have overclocked your GPU, it is causing the black screen issue. Some game engines are sensitive to GPU and Memory clocks and behave unpredictably when the GPU is overclocked. Frostbite is one of those game engines and Need For Speed Heat runs on it. If you have overclocked the GPU, it is causing the black screen issues. Revert the graphics card to its default clocks and the issue will be fixed.
Fix #3: Enable Debug Mode
Most graphics cards from AIB partners, like Zotac, are either factory overclocked or use higher GPU and Memory clocks than Nvidia reference models. These higher clocks are causing the black screen issue with NFS Heat and can be fixed by enabling the Debug Mode. Open the Nvidia Control Panel > Help > Debug Mode. Enabling it forces the graphics card to use Nvidia’s recommended GPU and Memory clocks for the model.
NFS Heat No Audio Fix
PC users report no audio and partial audio issues with NFS Heat. The following fixes will help resolve these audio issues.
If you have enabled Spacial Sound or Windows Sonic for Headphones in Windows settings, it is causing no audio issues in the game. Disable it to fix the problem, and here is how to do it:
- Right-click on the speaker icon and select Sound Settings.
- Select your active audio device.
- Scroll down and turn off “Spatial Sound”.
- Play NFS Heat and the no audio issue is fixed.
NFS Heat Crash At Launch, Crash Fix
PC users report that the game crashes randomly while playing, while it crashes at launch or doesn’t launch for others. The following fixes will help PC users resolve Need For Speed Heat’s crashes.
Fix #1: Restart PC
NFS Heat is crashing due to a prolonged gaming session. Restart your system and the game will run normally.
Fix #2: Disable Anti-virus
The game is crashing at launch due to a third-party anti-virus. The anti-virus is detecting the game’s exe as malware. Third-party anti-virus like DeepGuard are known for it. PC users can fix the crashes at startup by disabling the anti-virus or excluding the game folder form it, I recommend the latter. After that, verify game files, play Need for Speed Heat and it won’t crash at launch.
Fix #3: Run the Game as an Administrator
NFS Heat is crashing at launch because of the lack of administrative rights. Run the game as an administrator to fix the issues.
- Right-click NFS Heat in your Steam library > Manage > Browse local files.
- 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 Need for Speed Heat and it won’t crash at startup.
Fix #4: Disable Third-party Software
Third-party software like MSI Afterburner, RGB software, driver or software, or peripherals like controllers or HOTAS, and more are crashing the game at startup. Disable all third-party tools you are using and the game will launch without crashing.
That is all for our Need For Speed Heat fixes for errors and issues like DirectX error, crashes at launch, stuttering, low FPS, and more. Also, see our hub for commonly occurring PC errors and their fixes if you are experiencing errors with other PC video games or PCs.
