Oxygen Not Included Won’t Launch: Quick Fix

Our proven solutions are the best way to address launch issues with Oxygen Not Included. 👍

By Ljubinko Last updated May 10, 2024

Oxygen Not Included won’t launch? Don’t worry; you are not alone if this space-colony simulation game can be challenging to launch.

Oxygen Not Included is a complex mix of management simulator and survival game that is funny and clever. The game is available on Steam on PC, MacOS, and Linux. It’s a shame if you can’t run this game on your computer, but luckily, we have a couple of proven solutions for you.

Why is my Oxygen Not Included not launching?

We will highlight the following reasons why the Oxygen Not Included won’t launch:

System requirements: The game won’t launch if your computer doesn’t meet system requirements.
GPU driver issues: If you have troubles like failing to launch, stuttering, or crashing, your GPU driver is outdated.
Compatibility issues: Your game may not launch due to an outdated OS.
Corrupted game or system files: The game may not launch due to corrupt or missing game or system files on your computer.
Third-party background services or apps: Demanding third-party apps running in the background can cause the game not to launch.
Security software interferes with the game: Firewall or antivirus settings might cause the game not to launch.
Corrupted game cache: Oxygen Not Included may not launch because of a corrupted cache.

How do I fix it when Oxygen Not Included won’t launch?

Before we move on to specific tips, try these quick fixes:

Check game minimum requirements.
Restart the game launcher or your computer.
Temporarily turn off firewall and antivirus.

If the problem is not solved despite precheck tips, do the following:

Update your GPU driver
Disable overlays
Reinstall game

1. Update your GPU driver

An outdated or corrupted graphics driver may cause problems when launching Oxygen Not Included. To minimize these problems, we recommend updating your GPU driver manually as follows:

1. Press the Win+R keys to bring up the Run dialog box.

2. Type; “devmgmt.msc” and hit Enter.

3. Double-click on the Display adapters and select your graphics card.

Oxygen Not Included Won't Launch - Update AMD GPU Driver

4. Click Update driver and choose Search automatically for the drivers.

5. Follow the on-screen guide to finish updating the GPU driver.

6. Restart your PC and check whether the Oxygen Not Included launch issue is resolved.

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2. Disable overlays

If you have an Oxygen Not Included launch issue, disable overlay applications such as Discord and Xbox Game Bar. It’s also possible that certain games might have difficulty connecting with Steam overlay, so turning it off could potentially fix the issue.

👉Disable the Steam overlay

1. Open the Steam client and choose the Steam>Settings option.

Oxygen Not Included Won't Launch - Steam Settings

2. Click the In Game tab and toggle OFF Enable Steam Overlay while in-game.

Oxygen Not Included Won't Launch - Disable Steam in-game overlay

👉Disable the Xbox Game Bar

1. Right-click on Windows Start and choose the Settings option.

2. Click on the Gaming section.

3. Make sure the Xbox Game Bar toggle is OFF.

Oxygen Not Included Won't Launch - Xbox game bar

👉Disable the Discord overlay

1. Open Discord and click the cog icon (User settings).

2. Select the Game Overlay from the left pane and then toggle off Enable in-game overlay.

Oxygen Not Included Won't Launch - Discord Game Overlay

3. Reinstall game

Time needed: 5 minutes

If Oxygen Not Included still won’t launch, repair the game files before reinstalling. If that doesn’t work, follow these steps to reinstall the game.

Right-click the Steam icon on the taskbar, and then select Exit.
Press the Win+E keys at the same time to open File Explorer.
Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common.
Right-click on the Oxygen Not Included folder and select Delete.
Relaunch Steam to download and reinstall Oxygen Not Included.
After reinstalling, launch the game to check if this fixed your issue.

✅Extra steps:

If Oxygen Not Included still won’t launch, consider some additional options:

Update Windows to the latest version.
Update DirectX, .NET Framework, and VCRedist.
Run the game as an administrator.
Update the game.
Reinstall the GPU driver.
Disable overclock and tools like MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner, etc.
Reduce the screen resolution or graphic details to medium or low.
Run the game in compatibility mode.
Close unnecessary apps in the background.
Perform clean boot.
Reinstall the game in a different folder or disk (SSD).

Conclusion

If you’re having trouble launching Oxygen Not Included, try restarting your computer or the game itself, as this can often fix minor issues. You should also double-check that your computer meets the minimum requirements for the game and ensure that both your OS and GPU drivers are up-to-date. If the game still doesn’t launch, you can try turning off the overlay or reinstalling the game. However, if you continue to experience problems, leave a comment below, and we’ll do our best to assist you further.

Oxygen Not Included