Windows 11 and DirectX 10/11 for Civ 5.

[wpnsrgt]

I recently upgraded, unfortunately, to Windows 11 and am having trouble playing Civ 5. The Game refuses to use DirectX 10/11. I have uninstalled/reinstalled both Steam and Civ 5. I have verified file integrity. I have directed the game via the Steam start to always use DirectX 10/11. Yet the game insists on using Direct X 9 which plays but produces inferior graphics. I have selected resolution 1920x1080 60hz in Options which worked perfectly on Windows 10. Does anyone have any ideas how to make this game use DirectX10/11? For all of you playing Civ 5 with Windows 11, are you all having to use DirectX 9?

Any suggestions are welcomed. Thanks in advance.

[DerEider]

There is no problem with Win11 nor Civ5 ... They must be set up correctly.

Are you launching from the Desktop ? ... If so, WHY ?
Civ5 is designed to launch from Steam Library ...

Right click on Civ5 & set desired DX <I use DX 10/11> from "Properties" > Launch Options

Start Civ5 from the "PLAY" in Library, NOT from the desktop !!

[wpnsrgt]

DerEider,
I'm launching from the Steam library not the desktop. I'm doing the exact procedure your suggesting. I've indicated to start the game the same way each time - by using DirectX 10/11 in Properties> Launch Options. Thanks for trying to help.

[whatamidoing]

Have you installed whatever graphics drivers you need, I guess?
Other thought, maybe you need https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35
I have a pretty fresh Win11 install right now, and Civ 5 does correctly launch with DX11, but I did install that DirectX component bundle to get an unrelated older game to work before I installed Civ 5.

[wpnsrgt]

whatamidoing,
Thanks - I checked and I do have the Directx10/11 driver in the Civ5 game File (newly downloaded) and it still insists on displaying in DX9. If you have any other ideas let me know and thanks for the assist. In the game, in the Options>Video Options the displays and choices for DX9 and DX10/11 are different (obviously) in Windows 10 versus Windows 11.

[ode2dave]

So I don't know if this work for you OP, but I too recently migrated to Win11 with a freshly built PC. The 2 things that I found fixed most of my issues are the following:

1) Install Epic Games installer
2) Override the display settings in Win11 and force it to use your GPU only

#1 will fix by itself a lot of DirectX files that Windows seems to forget. You don't have to log into it, just run it, then shut it down, uninstall it, then launch the game.
#2 is a fix to disallow Win to utilize multi-GPUs (it should work in theory but fails in practice)

[wpnsrgt]

ode2dave,
I'll try suggestion #1 first. I'll have to figure out how to do your suggestion #2 - some work-arounds I'm not that familiar with. And thanks for your help. I'll let you know how this works a bit later.

[wpnsrgt]

odetodave,
The Epic Games Installer didn't force it to use DX 10/11. I'm not sure fix 2 would work given how I've seen its implemented - unless I'm mistaken. Anyway, thanks for your input.

[ode2dave]

#1 The Epic games installer is just for fixing the DirectX files on your PC. I'm still using DX 9 when I launch the game (in the game properties). If you are launching it using DX10 or higher, just try DX 9 now that you have run the installer.
#2 this is because Win11 opens the door for multi-GPU - which most (maybe all) games prior to Win11 do NOT support. So if you don't override this, Win11 will try to use your CPU's GPU which terrible. I'm assuming you have a seperate GPU card, if you don't then I guess this setting doesn't matter (it mattered to me because I have a seperate video card).

[wpnsrgt]

I can play on DX9 just prefer DX10/11. This few months old Windows 11 computer could play DX10/11 when I first got it then promptly forgot how to do that. I've been seeking fixes with no success. Apparently some W11 download software update screwed that capability.
Just have one video card, a GEFORCE RTX.
My old Windows 10 computer's video card appears to be slowly failing and won't be supported after October in any event but it still plays DX10/11 for Civ 5.
So, thanks again for trying to help on this. I'd be less disappointed if I had either Civ 6 or 7 but I never bought Civ6 because of the reviews and the initial Civ7 reviews don't impress me either, so I'll stick with Civ5.

[whatamidoing]

What happens if you run the DX11 executable directly?

[wpnsrgt]

whatamidoing,
Sorry, can you clarify your question?
if I try to start from either within Steam requiring it to start DX10/11 or from the desktop shortcut I get DX9 either way. If you are referring to a other start option please explain -thanks

[whatamidoing]

I mean opening the game's files and directly running the DX11 executable.

[wpnsrgt]

whatamidoing,
Yup, tried that and it gets me DX9 again. Thanks again.

[whatamidoing]

Well, my Windows install kept bluescreening constantly so I reset it, and I was going to try to see if I could reproduce whatever's happening with you, but it's still constantly bluescreening with a very useful "critical process died" message (it's not at all useful). Funny, I threw Windows back on here because Linux was having issues waking from sleep, but Windows is just totally unusable.

[wpnsrgt]

whatamidoing,
Gotta give you credit for perseverance. I was planning on trying the insertion of "DX12" in the Advanced User’s Launch Options to replace the Play DirectX 10/11 tomorrow when I have more time to be frustrated and hostile. Seems to work for some people in curing some issues. I'm about ready to surrender and enjoy the grandeur of DX9.