Troubleshoot gameplay issues on Windows 10

If your game won't start (when you launch it, you don’t get past the game loading screen), keeps freezing (becomes unresponsive, often with a frozen image on the screen) or crashes (closes unexpectedly back to the desktop), you may need to troubleshoot problems with your device.

For help with these problems, see Game freezes or stops responding on a Windows 10 device.

While you're trying to play a game, you may see an error message. For example, you may see an error if you lose network connectivity or if the online game service is unavailable. You may also see error messages when you try to save your game or if the game files have become corrupted.

Go to the Error & Status Code Search page and enter the error code to find more details about the error message that you received.

When you're playing a game, if you see unexpected images on your screen or pixilation (where an image doesn’t appear to display correctly), your display driver may have a problem.

For help troubleshooting display problems, see Troubleshoot game audio or video issues on Windows 10.

If your sound is distorted or isn’t working at all, there may be a problem with your audio driver.

For help troubleshooting audio problems, see Troubleshoot game audio or video issues on Windows 10.

Some games require a separate sign-in when you play them, even if you're signed in with your Xbox gamertag. For example, if you have problems signing in to your in-game account when you try to play with others online, there may be a problem with your account or the service that you’re trying to sign in to.

For help troubleshooting in-game account issues, see Sign-in problems with in-game accounts on Windows 10.

If you experience problems with your controller not connecting to your device, if your accessories don't work as expected or if you have issues like distorted audio, see the links below for troubleshooting help.

For help troubleshooting problems with your Xbox 360 controller, see Connect an Xbox 360 wired controller to your PC.

For help troubleshooting problems with your Xbox 360 headset, see Xbox 360 Wired Headset Troubleshooting for Windows 10.