[FIXED] DirectX 12 Is Not Supported on Your System

“DirectX 12 Is Not Supported On Your System” appears when DirectX 12 is missing, and applications and games that require it are unable to function correctly. DirectX 12 is crucial for delivering enhanced graphics and improved performance in many modern games and software. Hence, when it is missing, you face issues, indicating that the hardware or software setup does not meet the requirements to support DirectX 12. 

Let’s understand the reasons behind this error and fix it using the practical solutions listed below.

Follow this troubleshooting guide and enjoy running your applications and games without issues.

Why Does This Error Occur

The “DirectX 12 Is Not Supported On Your System” error can occur for several reasons –

• The graphics card installed on your PC is not compatible with DirectX 12.
• The graphics driver on your PC is missing, outdated, or corrupted.
• DX 12 is only supported on Windows 10 and later. It won’t work with an earlier version of Windows.
• Some features of DirectX 12 require specific Windows updates, which may cause issues if not installed.
• Running games or applications in compatibility mode for older versions of Windows can prevent DX 12 from functioning properly.

How To Fix “DirectX 12 Is Not Supported On Your System”

Method 1: Verify The Hardware Requirements

This is the most crucial point to remember when facing the error above. DirectX relies heavily on the graphics card; if your graphics card doesn’t support the version of DirectX, you won’t be able to install it. Consequently, you’ll continue encountering the error whenever you launch any game or program.

Method 2: Direct X Update

To fix this issue, update the version of Direct X to version 12. However, if you cannot do it automatically, the installed version of Direct X will probably be corrupted. In such cases, update DirectX manually. But, no standalone installer is available to upgrade the existing version. You’ll need to install DirectX 12 separately. Before that, check the current version of DirectX. Here are the steps –

1. Press Win + R to open the RUN dialog box.
2. Type “dxdiag” and press the OK button.
3. The DirectX Diagnostic Toolbox will open, where you can check the current DirectX version.

4. If your DirectX version is not 12, download and install the latest version from the Microsoft Official Website.

Method 3: Update Graphics Drivers

Graphics drivers enable communication between your graphics card and the operating system. It’s essential to keep these drivers updated, as outdated, missing, or corrupted drivers can result in a DX 12 Not Supported error. Here are two ways to update your drivers –

Update Via Device Manager

1. Press Windows + X to launch the Power Menu and select Device Manager.
2. Click on the Display Adapters group to reveal your graphics card and right-click on it.

3. Select Update Driver and follow the instructions on the screen.

While this method is user-friendly, it is limited—it only retrieves updates from Microsoft servers and does not include updates from third-party websites.

Update Via Advanced Driver Updater

Advanced Driver Updater is a third-party application that streamlines the driver update process, enabling you to update all your drivers with just a few clicks without relying on specific servers. This efficient tool scans your PC to quickly identify and fix driver issues. Here’s how to use it –

1. Click the Download button below to get the setup file for Advanced Driver Updater.

2. Double-click the downloaded file to install Advanced Driver Updater.

3. Once the app is installed, open it and click the “Start Scan Now” button.
4. A list of outdated drivers will be presented on your screen within the app interface.

5. Locate the Graphics driver and click the Update button next to it.
6. Wait for the driver updation process to complete and reboot the PC

Method 4: Disable Compatibility Mode

If you’ve been using compatibility mode to launch a game, it’s time to turn it off. For instance, if your game requires DirectX 12 and you encounter errors when trying to start the game, it is because compatibility mode is enabled. Therefore, turning off compatibility mode is recommended to see if it resolves the issue. Here are the steps –

1. Right-click on the game icon and choose Properties from the context menu.
2. In the properties box, click on the Compatibility tab.

3. Next, remove the check mark before the Run the program in compatibility mode for option.

Method 5: Fix Microsoft.Net Framework

You can even fix the DirectX 12 not supported error by repairing the Microsoft.net framework on your PC. To do so, download this free utility from the Official Microsoft Website and run the tool.

Method 6: Verify Game Files

The next method to fix the error “The game won’t run on your system with DirectX 12 for the following reasons – atomic64 unsupported” is to verify the game files. Here are the steps to verify the saved game files on your PC.

For Steam Users

1. Launch the Steam app and click on the Library to view the list of games installed on your PC.
2. Right-click on the game you want to play and select Properties.

3. Navigate to the Local Files tab and click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
4. Steam will automatically check for missing and corrupted files and replace them.

For Epic Users

1. Open the Epic game launcher and click on Library.
2. Locate your game and click on the three dots next to your game to select Manage.

3. Scroll down till you get the Verify option and click on it.

Read Also: Resolve Epic Games Launcher Not Working on Windows

Method 7: Enable High Performance GPU

Some experts have recommended enabling the High Performance GPU options on your PC when facing “DirectX 12 is not supported on your system. try running without the -dx12 or -d3d12 command line argument.” Here are the steps to turn on High Performance.

1. Press Win + I to open the Windows Settings.

2. Click on the System tab in the left panel.

3. Next, click on Display in the right section, scroll down, and click on Graphics.

4. Add your game’s executable file, and then click on the down arrow to modify settings.

5. Select High Performance next to GPU preference.

Method 8: Update Windows

Moving on, if you are still facing the “DirectX 12 not supported on your system, try running without it” issues, then you must try to update the Windows OS. Here is what you need to do.

1. Press Windows + I to open the Settings box.
2. Click on the Windows Update tab in the left section.
3. Next, click on the Check For Updates button in the right panel.
4. Windows will now search for pending updates. After the process is complete, press the Check for Updates button again to ensure there are no updates remaining.
5. Click on the Install All button if any updates are found, and adhere to the onscreen instructions.
6. Next, click on the Advanced Option in the right panel.
7. Further, click on Optional Updates.
8. Now look for updates under the Driver Updates section and select all of them.
9. Click on the Download & Install button to complete those updates.
10. Restart your PC after all updates have been done.

Method 9: Check if your PC actually supports DirectX 12

Some Windows gamers have received the “DirectX 12 is not supported on your system. Ensure you have the latest Windows updates and video card drivers” error message. In this case, experts have suggested that users must check and confirm if the PC’s hardware actually supports DirectX 12.

1. Press Win + R and type “dxdiag” followed by Enter key.

2. A new window will open where you can click on the System Tab and check the DirectX version.

3. Click on the Display tab next and check the Feature Level (It must be Feature Level 12_0 or 12_1)

Method 10: Install Latest DirectX Runtime

Some users receive the error “DirectX 12 is not supported on your system. Try running without the -dx12 or -d3d12 command line argument”. In this case, after you have updated your Windows and checked the Feature Level using the above method, we can try to manually install the Latest DirectX Runtime. Here is what you need to do. 

1. Navigate to the official website of Direct X.
2. Select Language and click on the Download Button.
3. An installer executable file will be downloaded on your system.

4. Double-click on that file and follow the onscreen steps to onstall the latest Direct X on your PC.

Method 11: Force the Game to Use DirectX 12

If you receive an error and think “Directx 12 is not supported on your system, but I have it”, then here are a few steps to resolve this issue by forcing the OS to use DirectX 12. We have explained the steps using Steam game launcher. The commands are the same for all launchers.

1. Open Steam launcher and click on Library.
2. Make a right-click on the game and choose Properties.
3. Locate and click on Launch Options.
4. Type the below mentioned command and try to launch the game.

-dx12

5. If the issue persists, then type another command and try again.

-d3d12

Method 12: Use DirectX 11 To Play All Games

The final solution to fix the “DirectX 12 is not supported on your system. Try running without the -dx12 or -d3d12 command line argument” error is to use force your PC to use DirectX 11 to play games. Here are the steps.

1. Launch the Steam launcher and click on Library.
2. Right-click on the game and select Properties.
3. In the lauch Options text box, type the following command.

-dx11

4. If this does not work then type this command.

-d3d11

[Conclusion]

We hope that the above methods have helped you fix the DirectX 12 not supported error on your system. In the comments section below, we would love to hear your feedback and learn how you resolved the issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Read Also: How to Fix a “DirectX Encountered an Unrecoverable Error” Issue