Persona 5 Royal is the expanded and enhanced edition of Atlus‘ stylistic and critically-acclaimed JRPG. With its cool Phantom Thieves premise, addictive fusion mechanics, and polished anime visuals, P5R builds upon the original‘s strengths to deliver an engaging 100+ hour experience.
However, some eager thieves have had their adventures interrupted by technical issues getting the game to launch properly. If Persona 5 Royal is crashing, freezing, or failing to open for you, don‘t pull your hair out just yet! In this comprehensive troubleshooting guide, I‘ll share fixes that helped me and other fans overcome all the common P5R launch problems.
An Introduction to Persona 5 Royal Issues
Persona 5 Royal transports players to a stunning animated vision of Tokyo as the protagonist joins a group of phantom thieves on a quest for justice. Its tales of rebellion struck a chord with fans, earning it a Metacritic score of 95/100 and numerous Game of the Year awards upon its original 2017 release.
This expanded "Royal" edition adds new characters, story depth, gameplay tweaks, and quality-of-life improvements to polish the experience even further. However, some eager fans ran into crashes, freezes, and launch issues when trying to play this acclaimed title.
Based on reports from Reddit and Steam discussions, here are some of the common problems:
- The game fails to launch entirely, or boots to a black screen.
- It launches briefly but then crashes/freezes during the intro videos.
- Random crashing occurs during gameplay segments.
- A white screen appears and the game hangs indefinitely.
These issues stem from various technical causes, including:
- Outdated graphics drivers resulting in API conflicts.
- Antivirus software or firewalls blocking game executables.
- Too many background apps consuming RAM and CPU cycles.
- Corrupted or missing game files.
- Conflicts with specific hardware like a Razer Synapse.
By leveraging solutions that worked for me and many others, you can resolve these frustrating launch crashes and get back to thieving hearts in style.
Step 1: Update Your Graphics Drivers
Keeping your NVIDIA or AMD graphics drivers up-to-date is essential for avoiding launch crashes in Persona 5 Royal. Outdated drivers can cause conflicts with the game‘s graphics APIs resulting in failures to open properly or boot to black screens.
Here are simple steps to update drivers on both major GPU brands:
For NVIDIA cards:
- Open the GeForce Experience app from the system tray or install it from NVIDIA‘s website.
- In the Drivers tab, click the "Check for Updates" button.
- If an update is available, click "Download and Install".
- Once complete, restart your PC.
For AMD cards:
- Go to AMD‘s Driver Download page here and enter your product (GPU type).
- Select the auto-detect option or manually choose your operating system.
- Download the latest recommended driver for your card.
- Run the installer and reboot once finished.
I also suggest toggling the "Clean Install" option which wipes previous versions to give a fresh driver install. This can fix quirky crashing behavior in games sometimes caused by driver remnants.
With new stable drivers powering your GPU, Persona 5 Royal should boot up smoothly without any screen abnormalities. Be sure to regularly check for updates to prevent issues reoccurring after major game patches or Windows updates.
Step 2: Run the Game as Administrator
Admin privileges allow Persona 5 Royal to bypass some security restrictions that may hinder execution or cause instability. Here‘s how to launch the game in admin mode:
Steam Version:
- Browse to Steam\steamapps\common\Persona 5 Royal
- Right-click on Persona5.exe and choose Properties.
- Go to the Compatibility tab.
- Check "Run this program as an administrator".
- Click Apply then OK.
- Launch the game via this exe to run it with admin rights.
Microsoft Store Version:
- Press Windows key + R to open the run dialog.
- Type "shell:appsFolder" without quotes.
- Locate Persona 5 Royal and right-click for Properties.
- Check "Run as administrator" under Compatibility.
Running as admin fixes some launch crashes caused by permissions issues and allows the game to operate with fewer restrictions. It‘s worth trying alongside the other solutions covered here.
Step 3: Add Persona 5 Royal to Your Antivirus Exceptions
Overzealous antivirus and firewall tools can sometimes detect parts of Persona 5 Royal as a potential threat and block execution. Adding P5R as an allowed exception prevents this.
For Windows Security:
- Go to Virus & Threat Protection in Windows Security settings.
- Click Manage Ransomware Protection.
- Click Add an Allowed App.
- Browse to Persona5.exe and select it.
You may also need to permit network access by:
- Going to Windows Firewall Settings.
- Choosing Allow an App or Feature through Windows Defender Firewall.
- Adding Persona5.exe as an allowed app.
For third-party antivirus:
Refer to your specific antivirus settings for steps to whitelist or exclude Persona 5 Royal. Common options include:
- Add the Persona5 folder or exe to exclusions.
- Disable real-time scanning for the game‘s directory.
- Turn off the antivirus entirely when launching the game.
Granting exceptions prevents your security tools from falsely flagging components of Persona 5 Royal as malicious.
Step 4: Disable Overlays and Incompatible Apps
Some third-party apps don‘t play nice with Persona 5 Royal, causing conflicts that result in launch issues or mid-game crashes. Temporarily disabling these while playing may help:
- Overlay Apps: Disable overlays in Discord, MSI Afterburner, Asus Aura Sync etc.
- Hardware apps: Close Razer Synapse, Logitech G Hub, NZXT CAM etc.
- Controller utils: Don‘t run DS4Windows, Input Mapper, etc.
- System monitors: Exit out of apps like HWiNFO64 that can conflict.
- Other: Don‘t run Cheat Engine or other memory editors during gameplay.
Freeing up CPU and RAM also helps. Before launching P5R, close unnecessary background apps especially browsers, Netflix/Youtube.
With fewer apps competing for resources, Persona 5 Royal has room to operate stably. Re-enable closed apps after playing.
Step 5: Verify Integrity of Game Files
Sometimes crashing or launch issues arise from corrupted game files. Steam‘s verification process scans for missing files and re-downloads anything damaged:
- In your Steam Library, right-click Persona 5 Royal > Properties.
- Go to Local Files tab.
- Click "Verify Integrity of Game Files" button.
- Steam will verify and restore any corrupt data.
The Windows Store version also has a built-in repair option you can use to fix damaged install files.
Verifying game data eliminates crashes caused by missing or corrupted textures, videos, and other resources needed to run properly.
Step 6: Update Windows and Drivers
Maintaining your Windows 10 installation is key for stability. Outdated Windows builds or components can cause conflicts resulting in launch/crash troubles.
Ensure you have the following updated:
- Windows Version: Go to Settings > Windows Update and install the latest updates.
- Graphics Drivers: Follow earlier steps to update GPU drivers if needed.
- Chipset Drivers: Get the latest from your motherboard OEM‘s site.
Also check for new drivers for your specific hardware models from manufacturer sites:
- Monitor Drivers
- Audio Drivers
- Network Adapters
- Input Devices
Updating eliminates bugs, improves performance, and boosts compatibility. After updating Windows or drivers, restart your PC for changes to take effect.
Bonus: Reviewing Crash Logs and Error Codes
When Persona 5 Royal crashes, take note of any error messages displayed. Also check Windows Event Viewer logs after a crash under Windows Logs > Application for useful clues.
Common Persona 5 Royal crash codes include:
-
MISSING_PREREQUISITES – Indicates certain C++ packages aren‘t installed. Fix by running the included Redistributables installer in Steam or the Microsoft store.
-
ERR_GFX_D3D_INIT – Points to a Direct3D graphics initialization error. Try updating GPU drivers.
-
Assertion failed messages – Something went wrong in-game code. May be fixed by verifying files.
-
EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION – The game tried to read or write to a restricted memory area. Close intensive background apps before playing.
Knowing the specific crash/error codes helps diagnose the cause and guides you to the right fix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do these fixes work for the original Persona 5 too?
A: Yes, the solutions in this guide also apply to resolving launch crashes in the original Persona 5.
Q: Which solution is most likely to fix my specific issue?
A: If the game crashes during boot or intro logos, try updating graphics drivers and verifying game files first. For crashes during gameplay, look at antivirus exceptions and closing overlay apps.
Q: Can I damage my PC or game install by making these changes?
A: The fixes here are safe tweaks that simply allow proper execution of the game. There is minimal risk involved.
Conclusion
With this comprehensive troubleshooting guide, you‘re equipped to vanquish even the most tenacious Persona 5 Royal launch, crash, and freeze bugs. By methodically applying each fix, you can determine what specific issue is plaguing your game and get back to enjoying the stylish Phantom Thief action.
Remember to update graphics drivers regularly, maintain clean game files, disable problematic apps, and keep Windows current. With diligent tweaking, you can spend your time bonding with captivating confidants rather than enduring crashes. Here‘s wishing you many seamless hours of Persona 5 Royal ahead! Let me know if any other issues arise or if you have additional questions.
