(POSSIBLY SOLVED) Game keeps freezing at the starting few minutes of FFX

[Darthfrodo7]

Edited Post:
Big thanks to everyone for the help! This might solve similar issues for those with laptops that have NVIDIA graphics cards! Not sure if it is the ultimate solution or if I was just lucky, but so far it looks to have worked!

What seemed to have been the problem was that I was not using my dedicated GPU:

From NVIDIA Control Panel
3D Settings->Manage 3D Settings
Tab "Global setttings"
Preferred Graphics Processor
Select : High performance NVIDIA processor

I didn't experience any further problems leading up to the first save point. Hope this helps others in similar circumstances!

Original Post:
I'm having a hard time playing this game past the first couple seconds of gameplay (at best). The game keeps freezing on me every time I try to start the FFX part of the remaster. I've been experimenting on a few things to try and find the problem, but what I've found out is really odd. Here's what I've come up with (note I'm trying to boot up with default settings since anything else has met with either the same results or just straigt up crashing):

1. The game mostly craps out in one of two moments. First in the opening cutscene with everyone around the fire (note that the visuals freeze, but not the audio and SFX), and second is when control is first enabled within Zanarkand (the game just completely freezes except for BGM).

2. I was able to play the Remaster's credits and audio story without any trouble at all. I haven't tried other selections on the launch screen yet, but it shows that I can run other parts of the Remaster without lag or loss of quality in audio/visual.

3. I verified the Remaster's game data since, from past experience, some Steam games have had issues upon release that were fixed through verification, but there were no problems found and the issues I'm having haven't changed.

I'm no tech genious, so I don't know if I'm using a bad set up or not. As of a few days ago, I've had this ASUS laptop for a full year (it was a newer model) and upgraded from Windows 8 to Windows 10. I also have NVIDIA GeForce built in, but I'm not sure if that alone either helps or deters my ability to run this game.

Any help?

[Seattlehockeyfan84]

try setting the exe to windows 7 or 8 compatiblity?

[Cygnus]

I'm reinstalling it for the 3rd time now. And now I've got tons of problems, everytime there's another system error and steam tells me it can't open the game. Anyone else getting errors like this?

I'm very disappointed. Didn't they test this before?! It came out of nowhere.

[Seattlehockeyfan84]

Did you update all system drivers? Most pc game issues happen after its launched.

[Darthfrodo7]

Originally posted by gstommylee001:

Did you update all system drivers? Most pc game issues happen after its launched.

Yeah I checked the NVIDIA Game Ready Driver and Steam's updates, but nothing new. Do I need another driver or something?

Originally posted by gstommylee001:

try setting the exe to windows 7 or 8 compatiblity?

How do I switch compatibility for the game? I'm not sure if I would need to switch compatibility to 8 since this laptop started with that OS, but I can't find where you change compatibility settings.

[Springwiesel87]

Originally posted by ℱroschprinz:

I'm reinstalling it for the 3rd time now. And now I've got tons of problems, everytime there's another system error and steam tells me it can't open the game. Anyone else getting errors like this?

I'm very disappointed. Didn't they test this before?! It came out of nowhere.

hast du deine Grafik-treiber aktualisiert? die windows kompabilität sicher gestellt? dein anti-virus mitgeteilt das es das spiel zulassen soll?

[Seattlehockeyfan84]

Originally posted by Darthfrodo7:

Originally posted by gstommylee001:

Did you update all system drivers? Most pc game issues happen after its launched.

Yeah I checked the NVIDIA Game Ready Driver and Steam's updates, but nothing new. Do I need another driver or something?

Originally posted by gstommylee001:

try setting the exe to windows 7 or 8 compatiblity?

How do I switch compatibility for the game? I'm not sure if I would need to switch compatibility to 8 since this laptop started with that OS, but I can't find where you change compatibility settings.

Right click the exe go to properties, then compatibility tab

[Darthfrodo7]

Tried running it again. Best attempt yet, but still couldn't get more than the first few minutes. I made it to the Zanarkand bridge after signing autographs, when the sports announcer is narrating the upcoming Blitzball game, when the visuals just froze after taking a few steps. Weird thing was that the audio was functioning just fine and I could hear Tidus' footsteps whenever I pushed the movement keys, so the game was still running. Just the visuals wouldn't change. What the heck?

[Springwiesel87]

Originally posted by Darthfrodo7:

Tried running it again. Best attempt yet, but still couldn't get more than the first few minutes. I made it to the Zanarkand bridge after signing autographs, when the sports announcer is narrating the upcoming Blitzball game, when the visuals just froze after taking a few steps. Weird thing was that the audio was functioning just fine and I could hear Tidus' footsteps whenever I pushed the movement keys, so the game was still running. Just the visuals wouldn't change. What the heck?

you have 2 Gafic-cards or, on your Laptop? are you sure that the game use you NVidia and not your onboard...

can you give us your PC-specs please?

[max_sparta]

Laptops in particular seem to be having most of the issues with random crashing. Maybe the M series cards are not jelling with this game for some reason

[Viper]

Most likely its not using your dedicated GPU

From NVIDIA Control Panel
3D Settings->Manage 3D Settings
Tab "Global setttings"
Preferred Graphics Processor
Select : High performance NVIDIA processor

[Zantagor]

Originally posted by Viper:

Most likely its not using your dedicated GPU

From NVIDIA Control Panel
3D Settings->Manage 3D Settings
Tab "Global setttings"
Preferred Graphics Processor
Select : High performance NVIDIA processor

Pretty much all the freezing issues so far has been this

[Darthfrodo7]

Originally posted by [e-mail]:

Originally posted by Darthfrodo7:

Tried running it again. Best attempt yet, but still couldn't get more than the first few minutes. I made it to the Zanarkand bridge after signing autographs, when the sports announcer is narrating the upcoming Blitzball game, when the visuals just froze after taking a few steps. Weird thing was that the audio was functioning just fine and I could hear Tidus' footsteps whenever I pushed the movement keys, so the game was still running. Just the visuals wouldn't change. What the heck?

you have 2 Gafic-cards or, on your Laptop? are you sure that the game use you NVidia and not your onboard...

can you give us your PC-specs please?

I don't think my NVIDIA even recognizes FFX/X-2 (or most games other than AAA games released in the west). It doesn't appear with some of the other games that popped up on the optimization list. From what I've looked up, my specs are on the better end of the spectrum for ASUS laptops. I have a Windows 10 Home system with Intel Core i7-5500U CPU @ 2.40 GHz, 8.00 GB RAM, 64-bit OS. Only NVIDIA GeForce 840M graphics card as far as I can tell, unless I'm missing something.

Originally posted by max_sparta:

Laptops in particular seem to be having most of the issues with random crashing. Maybe the M series cards are not jelling with this game for some reason

Is that a real issue for M series cards that try to run FFX? Mine is 840M so if other players with similar issues have the same series of cards, maybe there's a work around?

[Springwiesel87]

Originally posted by Zantagor:

Originally posted by Viper:

Most likely its not using your dedicated GPU

From NVIDIA Control Panel
3D Settings->Manage 3D Settings
Tab "Global setttings"
Preferred Graphics Processor
Select : High performance NVIDIA processor

Pretty much all the freezing issues so far has been this

*

try this...

and Geforce experience dont support FF ! ^.^

[Darthfrodo7]

Originally posted by Viper:

Most likely its not using your dedicated GPU

From NVIDIA Control Panel
3D Settings->Manage 3D Settings
Tab "Global setttings"
Preferred Graphics Processor
Select : High performance NVIDIA processor

Huh... I never realized that setting was necessary. I switched it to that, so let's see if that changes anything.

[Viper]

840m is not actually that good of a mobile GPU..The level is 40. There is an 850m, 860m, 870m and 880m. The only lesser ones in the 800 series are the 820m and the 830m. There is also a newer generation 900 series which is better.

The best mobile GPU right now is a 980m. WHich actually puts many desktop GPUs to shame. Giving performance close to a GTX 960.