Ryujinx does a good job of playing games, and for the most part, they work on release day, but there are some games that just don't want to cooperate and crash randomly all the time. So in this guide, we're going to take a look at all of the different solutions you can use to fix games crashing in Ryujinx. As always, there are a lot of different things to cover, so make sure you check them all and don't skip anything, as each plays an important role in solving this problem.
Takeaways:
- Learn how to stop games from crashing in Ryujinx.
- What is causing games to crash randomly in Ryujinx?
Table of Contents
How to Fix Games Crashing in Ryujinx
As we mentioned above, there are a lot of different things that can cause games to crash in Ryujinx. So make sure you work your way through the list of steps below in order as it has been designed this way to give you the highest possible chance of solving most crashing issues.
Make Sure You Have the Latest Version of Ryujinx
Ryujinx is updated frequently to improve performance, stability, and compatibility. Running an outdated version can cause crashes, freezing, or other unexpected behaviour.
- To verify that you have the latest version, open Ryujinx and click Help on the menu bar, then select Check for Updates.
- Follow the prompts to install any available update. You can also download the latest release directly from the official Ryujinx website.
- After updating, restart the emulator or your computer to make sure the update is fully applied.
Make Sure You Have the Latest Prod.keys
Ryujinx depends on a set of decryption files called prod.keys and title.keys, which come from a real Nintendo Switch console. These files allow the emulator to decrypt and load game data correctly. If they are missing, outdated, or incompatible with your firmware, games may crash immediately on startup.
- To fix this, locate your Ryujinx system folder and confirm that your keys are up to date and correspond to your current firmware version.
If you have recently updated your firmware, replace the old keys with a new set dumped from your console. Once the correct files are in place, restart Ryujinx and try launching the game again.
Make Sure You Have the Latest Firmware
Outdated or mismatched firmware can cause certain games to fail when launching. Each game may require a specific firmware version to function correctly.
- To update your firmware, open Ryujinx and go to Tools > Install Firmware > Install from XCI or ZIP.
- Choose your firmware package and confirm the installation.
When it finishes, restart Ryujinx. The firmware version and prod.keys version must match for stable operation.
Try Running the Game Without DLC or Updates Installed
If Ryujinx only crashes for one specific game, the issue may be related to incomplete or corrupted DLC or game updates. Disabling these is a quick way to isolate the cause.
- Right-click the game in your list and select Manage DLC. Click the Trash Can icon to remove or uncheck installed content, then click Save.
- Do the same for Manage Title Updates. After disabling them, launch the base game.
If it runs without crashing, one of your updates or DLC files is likely damaged or incompatible. Re-dump or reinstall them to fix the issue.
Purge PPTC Cache for the Game That’s Crashing
Ryujinx uses a Profiled Persistent Translation Cache (PPTC) to store precompiled CPU instructions for each game. This cache helps reduce load times, but if it becomes corrupted or outdated after an update, it can lead to frequent crashes or failure to boot.
- To clear it, right-click the affected game in your Ryujinx list, select Cache Management, and choose Purge PPTC Cache.
This will delete the existing compiled data for that game. The next time you launch it, Ryujinx will rebuild the cache automatically, which may temporarily increase load times but often resolves stability issues.
Purge Shader Cache
Similar to the PPTC cache, Ryujinx maintains a Shader Cache to store precompiled GPU shaders. A corrupted shader cache can cause graphical glitches, stuttering, or even crashes.
- To fix this, right-click the problematic game, choose Cache Management, and then select Purge Shader Cache. After purging, start the game again.
The emulator will regenerate the shader data as you play, which can initially cause some stutter but will result in a clean, stable cache.
