Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, a third-person shooter platform game that originally premiered exclusively on PlayStation 5, is now available on PC, two years after its initial release. However, as thrilling as the game is with its dimensional-hopping gameplay, some players are facing significant problems. Issues such as Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart crashing, not launching, or freezing on a black screen have become quite common on a PC. Fear not, fellow gamers, for we're here to help you navigate through these troubles. This guide outlines several potential fixes for these problems and walks you through them in a step-by-step manner.
Fixes for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Crashing or Not Launching Issues on PC
With a game as dynamic and exciting as Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, it's understandably frustrating to encounter technical issues. However, the fixes to these problems can be surprisingly straightforward. We've compiled a list of the most common solutions that have helped gamers tackle these issues successfully. Each of these solutions is described in detail below. So, whether you're facing crashing, not launching, or black screen issues in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on PC, one of these solutions will most likely set things right.
1. Verify Game Files
Indeed, the integrity of your game files can have a massive impact on the performance of your game. Any corrupted or missing files can cause the game to crash or not launch at all. Both the Steam and Epic Games Launcher platforms have built-in tools for checking and repairing the game files.
Verifying Game Files For Steam Users
If you're playing Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart through Steam, follow these steps to verify the integrity of your game files:
- Launch the Steam application on your PC.
- Navigate to your Library by clicking the Library tab at the top of the Steam client.
- In your list of games, locate Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
- Right-click on the game title and then select Properties from the drop-down menu.
- A new window will open. In this window, find the Installed Files tab at the top and click on it.
- In this tab, you will see a button that says Verify Integrity of Game Files. Click on this button.
Steam will then begin checking your game files, and this process might take a few minutes. Steam will automatically download and replace any files that fail this verification process. Once completed, try launching your game again.
Repairing For Epic Games Launcher Users
If you're using the Epic Games Launcher, the process is slightly different, but equally simple. Here's what you need to do:
- Open the Epic Games Launcher.
- Click on the Library tab located in the left-hand sidebar.
- Find Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart in your list of games.
- Click on the three dots next to the game's title.
- Next, select Manage. This will open a menu.
- In this menu, click on Verify.
The Epic Games Launcher will now verify your game files. If it finds any corrupted or missing files, it will download and replace them. Once the process is completed, you should try launching the game again to see if the issue persists.
2. Update GPU Drivers
Quite possibly, one of the most critical factors for a game to run smoothly is the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), and therefore, keeping your GPU drivers up-to-date is crucial. Outdated or corrupted GPU drivers can cause games like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart to crash, or not launch at all. Here's how to update your GPU drivers through Device Manager:
- Right-click on the Windows icon located at the bottom-left corner of your desktop.
- Select Device Manager from the menu that appears.
- In the Device Manager window, expand the Display adapters category.
- Under Display adapters, you'll see your graphics card listed. Right-click on it, and choose Update driver.
- A new window will pop up asking how you'd like to search for drivers. Select Search automatically for updated driver software.
Windows will now search your computer and the internet for the latest driver software for your device. If a new driver is found, it will be downloaded and installed automatically.
Related: How to completely uninstall AMD/NVIDIA/INTEL GPU drivers - DDU Guide
However, it's worth noting that Windows may not always find the latest driver updates. Consequently, you might need to manually download and install the drivers. Most importantly, you should download drivers only from official sources to avoid any potential issues. Here are the official driver download pages for the most common GPU manufacturers:
Simply visit the appropriate link, locate the correct driver for your GPU model, download it, and then follow the installation instructions provided.
After updating your GPU drivers, either automatically or manually, you should restart your computer to ensure the changes take effect. Hopefully, with your GPU drivers now freshly updated, you stand a much better chance of overcoming the crashing and not launching issues that might have been hindering your enjoyment of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Certainly, there's a universe to save, and these technical snags shouldn't stand in your way!
3. Check Windows Updates
Similarly, running Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on an outdated Windows system can also be a contributing factor to the game crashing or not launching at all. Here's how you can check if any vital updates are pending on your system:
- Click on the Windows icon.
- Choose Settings.
- Go to Update & Security.
- Click Check for updates.
4. Install Latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables
Lacking the most recent Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables can interfere with the launch of games, such as Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. To rectify this, follow these steps:
- Visit the official Microsoft website.
- Then download the latest Visual C++ Redistributable packages (Visual Studio 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022).
- Install them.
5. Run as Administrator
A simple yet often overlooked solution is to run the game as an administrator. This gives the game elevated privileges, which can solve a variety of issues, including the game not launching.
- Right-click on the game's shortcut.
- Choose Properties.
- Go to the Compatibility tab.
- Tick the box next to Run this program as an administrator.
6. Reinstall the Game
If all else fails, your last resort would be to uninstall and then reinstall Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
- Open Steam or Epic Games Launcher.
- Navigate to your Library.
- Right-click on Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and choose Uninstall.
- After the uninstallation, restart your PC.
- Reinstall the game.
I hope this guide has helped resolve your issues with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on PC. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to leave a comment below.
