How to Fix Phasmophobia Won’t Launch Issue on Steam

Phasmophobia is a popular online co-op psychological horror game developed by Kinetic Games. The game allows players to team up with their friends and investigate haunted locations filled with paranormal activity. However, some players have reported that they are unable to launch the game on Steam, and are stuck with a black screen or an error message. In this article, we will show you some possible solutions to fix the phasmophobia won’t launch issue on Steam.

Solution 1: Delete or Rename OpenXR Loader File

One of the common causes of the phasmophobia won’t launch issue is the OpenXR loader file, which is required for VR mode. If you are not playing the game in VR mode, you can try deleting or renaming this file to prevent it from interfering with the game launch. To do this, follow these steps:

• Open your Steam library and right-click on Phasmophobia.
• Select Properties, and then go to the Local Files tab.
• Click on Browse Local Files to open the game folder.
• Navigate to Phasmophobia_Data/Plugins/x86_64 and locate openxr_loader.dll.
• Delete this file, move it out of the folder, or rename it to something like openxr_loader.dll.bak.
• Launch the game and see if it works.

This solution was suggested by a user on Steam¹.

Solution 2: Run the Game as Administrator

Another possible reason for the phasmophobia won’t launch issue is the lack of admin rights. Running the game as administrator can grant it the necessary permissions to access the system resources and avoid any conflicts. To run the game as administrator, follow these steps:

• Open your Steam library and right-click on Phasmophobia.
• Select Properties, and then go to the Compatibility tab.
• Check the box that says Run this program as an administrator and click Apply.
• Launch the game and see if it works.

Solution 3: Update Your Graphics Drivers

Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers can also cause the phasmophobia won’t launch issue, as they can affect the game’s performance and compatibility. To fix this, you need to update your graphics drivers to the latest version available for your GPU. You can do this manually by visiting the official website of your GPU manufacturer (AMD², NVIDIA³, or Intel⁴) and downloading and installing the appropriate drivers for your system. Alternatively, you can use a third-party tool like Driver Easy⁵ to automatically scan your system and update your drivers with one click.

Solution 4: Verify Integrity of Game Files

Sometimes, the phasmophobia won’t launch issue can be caused by missing or corrupted game files. To fix this, you can use the Steam’s built-in feature to verify the integrity of game files and repair any issues. To do this, follow these steps:

• Open your Steam library and right-click on Phasmophobia.
• Select Properties, and then go to the Local Files tab.
• Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files and wait for the process to complete.
• Launch the game and see if it works.

Solution 5: Reinstall the Game

If none of the above solutions work for you, you may need to reinstall the game completely to fix the phasmophobia won’t launch issue. This can help you get rid of any corrupted or incompatible files that may be preventing the game from launching. To reinstall the game, follow these steps:

• Open your Steam library and right-click on Phasmophobia.
• Select Uninstall and confirm your choice.
• Wait for the uninstallation process to finish and then restart your computer.
• Download and install Phasmophobia again from Steam.
• Launch the game and see if it works.

Conclusion

Phasmophobia is a fun and scary game that can provide hours of entertainment for horror fans. However, some players may encounter issues when trying to launch the game on Steam. In this article, we have shown you some possible solutions to fix the phasmophobia won’t launch issue on Steam. We hope that one of these solutions worked for you and that you can enjoy playing Phasmophobia without any problems. If you have any other questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below.