The fix depends on the symptom. For several-second stalls, update the graphics driver and remove every custom launch argument. For an ERR_GFX_STATE crash, switch the game from Vulkan to DirectX 12, then disable fullscreen optimization and run RDR2.exe as administrator if the crash continues. For consistently low frame rates, run the built-in benchmark and reduce the most expensive settings first—MSAA, reflections, water, volumetrics, and near-volumetric resolution.
Also install the latest Windows updates and Rockstar Games Launcher update. If an older AMD driver installation may be leaving conflicting files behind, use AMD Cleanup Utility before reinstalling the current driver. Intel Arc owners should update Red Dead Redemption 2 to version 1.32 and install the latest Intel graphics driver; Intel reports that Vulkan can deliver lower FPS than DirectX 12 on Arc in this game.
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Identify the failure before changing settings
Red Dead Redemption 2 has several problems that look similar but require different remedies. A two- or three-second freeze every few minutes is not the same as a game that crashes immediately with ERR_GFX_STATE, and neither is the same as a system that renders smoothly but never reaches the desired frame rate. Start with the pattern that matches what you see.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
| What you see | Most likely troubleshooting path | First action |
|---|---|---|
| Several-second stalls while playing, especially on a four- or six-core CPU with an NVIDIA GPU | Driver or launch-argument conflict | Update the GPU driver, then remove all custom launch arguments |
ERR_GFX_STATE during launch or immediately after loading |
Graphics API or executable compatibility problem | Change Graphics API from Vulkan to DirectX 12 |
| The game launches but average FPS is consistently low | Graphics settings exceed the system’s budget | Run the built-in benchmark and tune the costly settings in order |
| Crashes remain after the API change | Driver remnants, launcher, Windows, or security software issue | Use the general update and cleanup checklist |
| Intel Arc shows lower FPS with Vulkan than expected | Arc-specific Vulkan behavior documented by Intel | Update the game to version 1.32 and install the latest Intel driver |
Make one category of change at a time. If you change the API, half a dozen quality options, launch arguments, and driver packages together, you will not know which change solved the problem or caused a new one.
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Fix several-second stutters and stalls
1. Update the graphics driver first
Rockstar Games Customer Support said in 2024 that it identified an issue with certain NVIDIA graphics-card drivers causing “significant stalls of several seconds” on systems using four-core and six-core CPUs. That description applies to a specific driver-and-CPU combination, not to every stutter report, but it makes the driver the correct first check when the game pauses for multiple seconds rather than merely dropping a few frames.
- Install the current driver package for your NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel GPU from the manufacturer’s official channel.
- Restart Windows after the installation, even if the installer does not insist on a restart.
- Test the same save and location where the stall normally occurs before changing graphics quality.
If the stalls disappear after the driver update, leave the graphics settings alone. Lowering image quality is unnecessary when the root cause was a driver defect.
2. Remove launch arguments in Rockstar Games Launcher
Custom command-line switches can force an obsolete renderer, debugging mode, or other behavior that interferes with the current driver. Rockstar’s stutter procedure is to remove every argument, not just the one you suspect.
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- Open Settings.
- Select Red Dead Redemption 2 under My Installed Games.
- Scroll to Launch arguments.
- Delete all text in that field.
- Return to the game and launch it normally.
Do not add a replacement argument while testing. A clean launch establishes a useful baseline.
3. Remove arguments in Epic Games Launcher
Epic exposes the setting in a different place. Open Epic Games Launcher, select Settings, choose Red Dead Redemption 2, and enable the additional-command-line-arguments area if it is hidden. Remove every argument, return to the main menu, and relaunch the game. The result you want is a normal launch with no user-supplied switches.
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4. Distinguish stutter from a low frame rate
A low but steady frame rate produces consistently short frame times; a stall produces a long pause followed by a burst of motion. If removing arguments and updating the driver do not change the pause pattern, record whether the stall happens during traversal, when entering a town, at night, or only after loading a particular save. That information helps separate a repeatable game-state issue from a system-wide performance limit, but do not start by buying hardware or an “FPS booster.” The documented remedy for this particular multi-second-stall issue is driver and launch-argument cleanup.
Fix ERR_GFX_STATE crashes
Use DirectX 12 as the first API change
Rockstar’s documented sequence changes the graphics API from Vulkan to DirectX 12. Follow the order exactly so the new API is saved before the next launch.
- Update the GPU driver.
- Launch Red Dead Redemption 2.
- Open Settings > Graphics > Advanced Settings.
- Set the advanced-settings level to Unlocked if it is locked.
- Change Graphics API to DirectX 12.
- Save the change. When the game asks whether to restart, choose the option that saves without restarting at that moment.
- Return to the main menu.
- Exit the game completely.
- Launch Red Dead Redemption 2 again.
The deliberate exit and relaunch matters: the renderer change is not fully tested while the old session is still running. Rockstar specifically recommends DirectX 12 for this ERR_GFX_STATE path; it is not a claim that DirectX 12 produces the highest average FPS on every GPU.
If the crash continues, change executable compatibility
- Locate
RDR2.exein the game installation folder. - Right-click it and choose Properties.
- Open the Compatibility tab.
- Check Run this program as administrator.
- Check Disable fullscreen optimizations.
- Apply the settings and launch the game again.
Rockstar provides separate installation-navigation instructions for Rockstar Games Launcher, Steam, and Epic installations, but the compatibility choices are applied to the executable itself. If a launcher update replaces or relocates the executable, recheck that you edited the active installation rather than an old folder.
Do not confuse an API crash with a performance preference
Switching to DirectX 12 is a stability test when Vulkan produces ERR_GFX_STATE. Once the game launches reliably, you can use the built-in benchmark to compare frame-time behavior on your own hardware. Do not revert to Vulkan during the initial troubleshooting cycle simply because a forum post calls it faster; the official crash procedure prioritizes a successful launch.
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Work through other launch and crash failures
When the error is not specifically ERR_GFX_STATE, Rockstar’s general checklist covers the components most likely to be stale or conflicting.
Update every software layer
- Install the latest NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel graphics driver for the installed GPU.
- Install the latest available Windows Update.
- Update Rockstar Games Launcher.
- Restart Windows after updates and test a clean launch.
Keeping only the GPU driver current is not enough if the launcher or operating system is several releases behind. Apply updates before changing advanced graphics options so that you are not troubleshooting an already-fixed software version.
Clean legacy AMD driver details when applicable
Rockstar specifically lists AMD Cleanup Utility for cases where legacy AMD graphics-card details may remain. Use it only when an AMD driver transition or leftover installation is plausible. Follow AMD’s own cleanup instructions, restart when requested, then install the current driver. This is a targeted cleanup step, not a reason for every player to repeatedly remove a working driver.
Temporarily test antivirus interference
Rockstar includes temporarily disabling antivirus in its general checklist. Treat that as a short diagnostic test, not a permanent configuration. Disconnect from untrusted networks, disable real-time protection only long enough to launch and test the game, then turn protection back on. If the crash disappears, create an appropriate game or launcher exception using your security product’s documented controls instead of leaving protection disabled.
Delete the local Rockstar Games Launcher profile
A damaged local launcher profile can prevent a normal start. Deleting the local profile signs you in again, but it does not delete your Rockstar account or saved games. Close the launcher first, remove the local profile through Rockstar’s supported troubleshooting instructions, reopen the launcher, and sign in. Because the account and saves remain intact, this step resets local launcher state rather than your game progress.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsRank #4
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Raise low FPS without creating new stutter
Start with the quality slider
Rockstar’s quality slider analyzes the PC and adjusts background parameters for the selected resolution and the chosen performance-versus-quality preference. It is a sensible baseline when you do not know which setting is consuming the frame-time budget.
- Open Settings > Graphics.
- Use the quality slider to select the desired balance between performance and visual quality.
- Apply the changes and note the resulting frame rate and visual compromises.
- Run Settings > Graphics > Run Benchmark Test.
The slider is a starting point, not a universal preset. Rockstar cautions that the impact of each setting depends on system configuration, so a setting that is expensive on one PC may be relatively cheap on another.
Use the built-in benchmark as your measuring tool
Run the benchmark after the baseline and after each meaningful group of changes. Record the average result, but also watch for uneven frame delivery: a higher average with obvious hitching can feel worse than a slightly lower average that remains consistent. Use the same resolution, API, and quality target for each comparison. Do not treat a single number as a universal promise; Rockstar publishes no universal average-FPS figure for all PCs.
Tune the most expensive settings first
| Setting | Why it can cost performance | Practical adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| MSAA | Multisample anti-aliasing adds substantial rendering work, especially at higher sample counts. | Reduce it first when GPU usage and frame time are high; compare image quality in the benchmark scene. |
| Reflection Quality | Reflections require additional scene information and can be costly in towns, interiors, and wet scenes. | Lower it before cutting textures if you want to preserve surface detail. |
| Water Quality | Water simulation and reflections become more demanding near rivers, lakes, and rain. | Reduce it if outdoor scenes near water cause the largest drops. |
| Volumetric Quality | Fog, haze, light shafts, and atmospheric depth are rendered through expensive volumetric effects. | Lower it when weather, smoke, or distant haze causes frame-time spikes. |
| Near Volumetric Resolution | Higher near-field volumetric detail increases the cost of nearby fog and light effects. | Reduce it after the main volumetric setting if close-range effects remain expensive. |
Rockstar recommends trying MSAA, Reflection Quality, Water Quality, Volumetric Quality, and Near Volumetric Resolution first. Change one or two related settings, run the benchmark, and keep the change only if the frame-time improvement is visible without an unacceptable loss of image quality.
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If the five primary settings do not provide enough headroom, Rockstar’s suggested follow-up order is temporal anti-aliasing, textures, lighting, shadows, ambient occlusion, anisotropic filtering, volumetric lighting, triple buffering, global illumination, particles, mirrors, and far-volumetric settings.
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- Temporal anti-aliasing: compare edge smoothness and motion clarity after each change; a lower value can expose shimmer even when the benchmark improves.
- Textures: lower them only when available video memory or texture streaming is the constraint. Texture quality often changes detail more than frame rate when the GPU has sufficient memory.
- Lighting and shadows: reduce them when scenes with multiple light sources or dense geometry are the slowest.
- Ambient occlusion: test it in towns and interiors, where contact shadows are most visible.
- Anisotropic filtering: compare ground and road detail at oblique angles; its performance cost may be smaller than that of reflections or volumetrics on some systems.
- Volumetric lighting, global illumination, particles, mirrors, and far-volumetric settings: lower the option that corresponds to the scene where the benchmark or your normal play session shows the largest frame-time increase.
- Triple buffering: test it with your chosen synchronization method; the result depends on the display and API configuration.
There is no single “best” setting combination. A high-quality texture setting paired with reduced volumetrics can look better to you than lowering every option evenly, while another system may need the opposite balance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Vulkan or DirectX 12: choose by symptom and hardware
Compare the APIs on four axes: crash stability, frame-time smoothness, average FPS, and GPU vendor. The right choice is not universal.
| Situation | Preferred test | Reason |
|---|---|---|
ERR_GFX_STATE at launch |
DirectX 12 | Rockstar’s documented recovery sequence changes the game to DirectX 12. |
| Intel Arc with Vulkan | Update to game version 1.32 and the latest Intel driver, then compare DX12 | Intel says Vulkan FPS is lower than DX12 in the described Arc scenario. |
| Stable launch but uneven frame times | Benchmark both APIs with identical settings | Frame-time consistency can differ even when average FPS is similar. |
| NVIDIA or AMD without a documented crash | Keep the API that benchmarks and plays more smoothly | No official source establishes one universal winner across all GPUs. |
When comparing, use the same resolution, quality settings, and benchmark run. Record both average FPS and whether camera pans or traversal produce visible hitching. Intel’s published result is vendor-specific and should not be presented as a benchmark for NVIDIA or AMD hardware.
Intel Arc-specific guidance
Intel’s support article, last reviewed February 21, 2025, states that Red Dead Redemption 2 can produce lower FPS with Vulkan than with DirectX 12 on Intel Arc. Intel also reports drops at night, with many areas reaching 63 FPS under the described condition. Those figures describe Intel’s documented Arc/Vulkan behavior; they are not a universal frame-rate target for every PC.
- Confirm that the game is updated to version 1.32.
- Install the latest Intel graphics driver.
- Restart Windows and launch the game.
- Run the built-in benchmark with Vulkan and DirectX 12 using identical settings.
- Choose the API that gives your Arc system the better combination of average FPS and frame-time consistency.
If the result differs from Intel’s description, use your own benchmark rather than forcing the reported 63-FPS figure as a guarantee. Resolution, quality settings, display refresh rate, and the exact Arc model all affect the result.
A complete troubleshooting order
Use this sequence when you are unsure where to begin:
- Classify the problem as multi-second stalls,
ERR_GFX_STATE, another crash, or consistently low FPS. - Install current Windows updates, the current GPU driver, and the current Rockstar Games Launcher update.
- For stalls, remove every Rockstar or Epic launch argument and test again.
- For
ERR_GFX_STATE, switch to DirectX 12, save without restarting when prompted, exit to the main menu, quit, and relaunch. - If the API change does not help, set
RDR2.exeto run as administrator and disable fullscreen optimization. - For other crashes, consider AMD Cleanup Utility when legacy AMD details may remain, perform a short antivirus-interference test, and reset the local Rockstar Games Launcher profile if necessary.
- For low FPS, apply the quality slider, run the benchmark, and tune MSAA, reflections, water, volumetrics, and near-volumetric resolution before the secondary settings.
- If the GPU is Intel Arc, verify game version 1.32 and the latest Intel driver, then compare Vulkan with DirectX 12.
- After each successful fix, stop changing settings until you have confirmed the result in the same game scene that originally exposed the problem.
Common mistakes that make troubleshooting harder
- Changing resolution before removing launch arguments: a renderer or driver conflict can cause stalls regardless of image quality.
- Editing graphics settings while the game is still crashing at launch: stabilize the API and executable first; visual tuning cannot repair a renderer initialization failure.
- Assuming one API is always faster: Rockstar’s DX12 recommendation is for
ERR_GFX_STATE, while Intel’s Vulkan warning applies specifically to Arc conditions. - Using a single benchmark result as a guarantee: Rockstar states that setting impact depends on system configuration.
- Leaving antivirus disabled: use the security change only as a brief test, then restore protection.
- Expecting profile deletion to erase saves: the local Rockstar Games Launcher profile reset signs you in again but does not delete the Rockstar account or saved games.
- Buying hardware or installing an “FPS booster” without identifying a bottleneck: the documented fixes here are software, API, driver, and setting changes; hardware advice requires measurements from your particular PC.
What a successful fix should look like
A successful stutter fix removes the long pauses without requiring lower image quality. A successful crash fix lets the game reach the main menu and load the same save repeatedly. A successful FPS tune produces a measurable benchmark improvement while keeping frame delivery acceptably even in the scenes that originally ran poorly. Keep a note of the working API, driver version, launch-argument state, and major graphics settings so a future driver or launcher update can be compared against a known-good configuration.
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