UPDATED - Enabling the console in the Steam version of DA:O Ultimate Edition

An attempted "simple" guide on how to enable the console in the Steam version of Dragon Age Origins Ultimate Edition.

Due to a previous error in both the manual instruction and the pre-edited files this guide has been updated and corrected. Link to download files is now fixed with updated pre-edited files which I have tested. Manual instructions also corrected (see intro for more info).

Intro

For the purposes of this guide I'm going to assume Steam is installed in the default location and your Steam games are also installed in the default location. If not you'll obviously need to look in whatever directories you installed them in.

You now have two options:

You can either download the pre-edited files and place them in the relevant locations, in which case just follow "The simplest method" part of the guide.

You can also just edit the files yourself if you prefer, in which case follow the "Editing The DAOriginsLauncher.xml File", "Editing The KeyBindings.ini File" & "Making The Console Visible" parts of the guide.

This guide has now been corrected. Somehow I did make an error while updating this guide back in 2019 both on the pre-edited DAOriginsLauncher.xml file and the manual edit instructions which have now both been corrected.

I somehow put the arguments="-enabledeveloperconsole" part in slightly the wrong place which has now been corrected. My apologies :(

I tested again myself on a brand new clean install to ensure this now works properly. I have made brand new pre-edited files and amended the download link to the new link. This should now work correctly as intended.

The simplest method

Click here to download the UPDATED pre-edited files from OneDrive

[1drv.ms]

There's two files in there and they need to go in the following locations - please note the locations carefully and make sure they go in the exact folders:

• The DAOriginsLauncher.xml file

  C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Dragon Age Ultimate Edition\data

  
  
• And the keybindings.ini file

  \My Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age\Settings\

Note that I have set the console to open with F7 rather than the tilde ` key as it causes issues with non-US Keyboard layout users. If you don't like that choice of key then see the section on editing the keybindings.ini to change it to a key of your choice.

Then go to Nexus Mods[www.nexusmods.com] to download the fonts.erf file to make the console visible. Place it in:

\My Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age\packages\core\data

That's it, the console should be working and visible.

Editing The DAOriginsLauncher.xml File

This section previously contained an error which caused the console not to work which has now been corrected

Go to

• C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Dragon Age Ultimate Edition\data

• Right click the DAOriginsLauncher.xml file and open the file with notepad.
  
• Find the line

  <condition name="FirstRunCheck" type="FileExist" file="${USERDATA_DIR}\SystemInformation.xml">

• Below that line should be this line

  <true action="execute" file="${BINARIES_DIR}\DAOrigins.exe" path="${BINARIES_DIR}" autoquit="true" />

• Just between autoquit="True" and /> add this: arguments="-enabledeveloperconsole". The line should then read

  <true action="execute" file="${BINARIES_DIR}\DAOrigins.exe" path="${BINARIES_DIR}" autoquit="true" arguments="-enabledeveloperconsole" />

• Save the file

Editing The KeyBindings.ini File

You now need to edit your keybindings file to assign a key to open the console.

• Go to \My Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age\Settings\
  
• Open the KeyBindings.ini file in notepad
  
• Find the line that starts OpenConsole_0=
  
• Change the part after the = sign to the key of your choice. For example Keyboard::Button_Tilde to use the Tilde key which is above Tab and to the left of 1.
  
  

  NOTE: Some people have reported issues using the Tilde key when using a non-US International keyboard layout. I usually just set it to OpenConsole_0=Keyboard::Button_F7 so the console opens with the F7 key instead to avoid any issues

  
  
• Once you have chosen and set your key save the file.

Making The Console Visible

Now those two edits are done the console should now work in-game.

However you will be unable to see it without the use of a mod (the console is invisible at this point though it does work).

• Download this mod[www.nexusmods.com] from the Dragon Age Nexus
  
• Extract the fonts.erf file from the archive (use WinRar or 7-Zip)
  
• Place the fonts.erf file into

  \My Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age\packages\core\data

Now the console should be both enabled and it should be visible.

Thank the maker!

[monozuki]

THANK YOU! I was stuck at having edited both files for ages, but then came here and downloaded the fonts file and works like a charm now!

- confirmed to work on Win11, DAO Ultimate, as of April 2025 -

Also tip for anyone struggling due to keyboard layout - I was trying to bind #, but that would not work for some reason. Instead, I used a free function key like the guide here suggested (F11 in my case) and, again, worked like a charm!

[Damn it Bobby]

Hm. As simple as I thought this would be, my game is now simply not working. It will launch, but it crashes now when I try to resume. Keep getting the Steam error, "can not launch executable" then tells me it has to do with my DAlauncher.exe. Perhaps I'll delete and redownload the game. See if that does anything.

[Belaslav]

Fixed mine - I was running a heavily modded version of DAO, which I launched via Vortex mod manager. This approach was not passing the '-enabledeveloperconsole' to the exe during startup. I simply made a new shortcut in Vortex that points to the game executable, and passes the extra flag for the console. After that, everything started working.

[Belaslav]

Not working. I've added the `fonts.erf` file, downloaded the INI file with the F7 command, and downloaded the XML file with the `-enabledeveloperconsole`. Still no effect.

[SharkSneaker3211]

Underrated post! Thank you so much!

[dgrafton1993]

you sir. you are an absolute gem. im not very good with computers but you made this very simple for me and it bloody works. thankyou very much

[Neo007]

Whoa...casually came here for the info but just saw the commenter before me O.O, is his dad the president?

[zev]

Thank you soo much for this!!!

[Mynia]

Just want to say thank you for making the downloads available. I've been at this for over an hour trying to get the console to work and had no luck. Using your .xml file worked perfectly though. Thanks!

[Singul_us]

Same as below. No dice.