The complete error message is as follows:
A D3D11 compatible GPU is required to run the engine
D3D11 stands for Direct3D 11. The Direct3D provides an API that allows apps and games to take advantage of the computing capabilities and graphics of the computers having a Direct3D compatible GPU. The Direct3D 9 is an older version, whereas the Direct3D 11 is the newer version that comes with newer features and is required by most modern games. The latest version of Direct3D is D3D12. It is more efficient and faster as compared to the previous versions of Direct3D. Also, the D3D12 enables games to fully utilize the graphics card so that the games could display richer scenes. The D3D11 compatible GPU error usually occurs in the following cases:
When the user’s system does not have Direct3D 11 or higher version.When the user’s GPU does not support Direct3D 11 or higher version.If the D3D11 libraries get corrupted.
If you see this error message while launching a game on your computer, try the following fixes to get this issue resolved. Let’s see all these solutions in detail.
1] Check Direct3D version
As we have explained above, if your system does not have Direct3D 11, you will see this error message while playing some games. If you have Windows 11/10, you have to update your system in order to install the Direct3D 11. To check whether or not your system has Direct3D 11, follow the following steps:
Open the Run command box by pressing the Win + R keys.Type dxdiag and click OK.The above command will open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.Click on the Display tab.You will see the version of Direct3D under the Drivers section.
If you have an older version of Direct3D, you have to install its latest version. If you are a Windows 11/10 user, the only way to install the latest version of Direct3D is to update the Windows. If despite having the latest version of Direct3D, you are receiving the error on your games, some DirectX files might be corrupted. In both of the above scenarios, a Windows Update can fix the problem. Check for Windows Update manually. If an update is available, install it. After updating your system, the issue should get fixed. If not, try the next solution.
2] Repair or reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables
One possible cause of the problem is the corrupted packages of Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables. Repair the Visual C++ Redistributables. The following steps will guide you on this:
Open Windows 11/10 Settings.Go to “Apps > Apps & Features.”Scroll down and locate Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables. You will find more than one installed on your system.Select each of them and click Modify. On Windows 11, you have to click on the three dots next to the Visual C++ Redistributables to view the Modify option.Click Yes in the UAC prompt.Click Repair.
Similarly, repair all the Visual C++ Redistributables installed on your system. When you are done, launch your game and see if the error occurs. If yes, visit microsoft.com and download all the Visual C++ packages that are installed on your system. Now, uninstall the Visual C++ Redistributables one by one from your computer. When you are done, run the installer files to install the latest version of Visual C++ Redistributables.
3] Download DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer from Microsoft website
This solution has worked for a lot of users. If you are still experiencing the same issues in your video games, visit microsoft.com, select your language and click on the Download button, and save the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer on your system. Now, run the installer file to install DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer. When you are done, restart your computer. This should fix the problem.
4] Update or reinstall your graphics card driver
Though your graphics card supports the Direct3D 11 or higher versions, you may receive the “D3D11 compatible GPU is required to run the engine” error while playing games due to the corrupted or outdated graphics card driver. Hence, you should update your graphics card driver. To do so, open your Windows 11/10 Settings and go to the Optional Updates page. If an update for your graphics card driver is available, it will be shown there. Install the update if it is available. If this does not work, visit the official website of your graphics card manufacturer and download the latest version of your graphics card driver. Now, uninstall your graphics card driver using DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller). After uninstalling the driver, run the installer file to install the graphics card driver on your system. Read: Fix VALORANT DirectX Runtime error
How do I fix D3D11 compatible GPU is required to run the engine?
You may see this error while playing video games on your Windows computer if it does not have Direct3D 11 or higher version. To fix this problem, you have to install Direct3D 11 or a higher version. For this, download the latest Windows update. If this does not work, repair or reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables and update your graphics card driver.
What happens if Fortnite says D3D11 compatible GPU?
It means that Fortnite requires a graphics card that is compatible with D3D11. You can check this by launching the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. Some fixes that you can try to resolve this issue are installing the latest Windows Update, updating your graphics card driver, etc. Hope this helps. Read next: Fix DX11 feature level 10.0 is required to run the engine error in Valorant.
