Fix Counter Strike 2 (CS2) This Application Requires DX11 Error

Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) is the next-gen largest technical leap of Counter-Strike Global Offensive that ensures new features and updates for the upcoming years. Valve has announced Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test initially for the selected players but recently it seems that almost everyone from CS:GO can get into the Limited Test which indicates the full public release is imminent. However, early access bugs are still present and Counter Strike (CS2) This Application Requires DX11 Error is one of them.

Plenty of CS2 players are encountering several issues or errors with the game launching as well as server connectivity. If you’re unable to launch the CS2 game on the PC due to the “this application requires dx11” error then don’t worry. As per multiple reports, it mostly occurs whenever there is a conflict between the in-game settings and your PC configuration. This specific issue might appear even if you have the DirectX 12 or higher version installed on Windows.

Fix: Counter Strike 2 (CS2) This Application Requires DX11 Error

Now, if we talk about the ‘This application requires DX11’ error precisely, if your system doesn’t run on DirectX 11 (DX11) and you’re still trying to launch CS2 in DX11 then it will appear continuously. DirectX is a collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) developed by Microsoft to run plenty of programs like video games and multimedia properties quite easily. Luckily, a couple of workarounds mentioned below should help you a lot. Now, without further ado, let’s get into it.

1. Restart the PC

First, you should reboot the PC after closing the game to ensure there is no issue with the temporary glitch or cache data. It might not be helpful for everyone but you should try it out.

2. Run Steam as an Administrator

The second thing you should run the Steam client application as an administrator on the PC by following the steps below. It’ll ensure the game application will run with the UAC (User Account Control) permission. Not running the application with admin access might trigger several issues.

• From the Start menu, right-click on the Steam application.
• Click on Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.

• Click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to enable it.
• Once done, click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
• Finally, run the game, and check for the issue.

3. Set Launch Options

Several CS2 players have reported that they have used the following launch options on Steam for the game to fix the DX11 error.

• Open the Steam client > Click on Library.
• Right-click on the Counter-Strike 2 game from the left pane.
• Click on Properties > Under the General section, go to Launch options.
• Copy-paste the following command lines and click on OK.

-dx11

• Try launching the game and checking for the issue.

Note: If the dx11 launch option doesn’t work then try using -dx12 too.

4. Update the Graphics Driver

You can try updating the graphics driver on your PC by following the steps below to ensure that there is no issue with the outdated or missing graphics driver. If your PC does have an outdated GPU driver then make sure to update it by following the steps below.

• Press the Win+X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
• Click on Device Manager from the list.
• Double-click on the Display Adapters option to expand the list.
• Next, right-click on the graphics card.

• Select Update driver > Choose to Search automatically for drivers.
• If there is an update available for the GPU driver, it’ll automatically download & install the update.
• Let the process be completed > Once done, reboot your PC to apply changes.

If there is no update available for your GPU card then you can go to the official graphics card website from the links below and search for the model of your graphics manually. Make sure to download and install the latest graphics driver version for your specific graphics card model depending on the manufacturer.

• Nvidia GPU
• AMD GPU
• Intel GPU

5. Check for Counter-Strike 2 Updates

If in case, you haven’t updated the Counter-Strike 2 game for a while then make sure to follow the steps below to check for updates and install the latest patch (if available). An outdated game patch version might trouble you a lot. To do this:

• Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
• Click on Counter-Strike 2 from the left pane.
• It’ll automatically search for the available update.
• If any, make sure to click on Update.
• Wait for the update to complete and reboot the PC to apply changes.

6. Scan and Repair the Game Files

If you are still experiencing issues with CS2 this application requires DX11 error then you should try verifying the integrity of the game files on the PC via the Steam client.

• Launch the Steam client > Navigate to Library.
• Right-click on Counter-Strike 2.
• Select Properties > Click on the Local Files tab.
• Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
• Wait for Steam to verify the installed game files.
• Once repaired, relaunch the CS2 game, and try joining the game again.

7. Run CS2 in the Compatibility Mode

It looks like the CS2 game isn’t capable enough to run on the Windows 10 or 11 version. You should try running the compatibility mode on your PC by following the steps below for the older Windows versions.

• Open the Steam client > Click on Library.
• Locate and right-click on the CS2 title.
• Select Properties > Go to the Local Files tab.
• Click on Browse Local Files to open the installed game folder.
• Now, right-click on the CS2.exe application.
• Choose Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.
• Tick the Run this program in compatibility mode for checkbox to enable it.
• Select Windows 7 or Windows 8 from the drop-down menu.
• Then click on Apply and OK to save changes.
• Finally, you can reboot the PC to apply changes.

8. Update Windows

If you’re running an outdated Windows version or build number for a while then make sure to follow the steps below to check for the same. Always try to install the latest update of the system so that you can get the latest security patch, improved performance, bug fixes, additional features, and more.

• Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
• Click on Windows Update > Click on Check for updates.
• If there is an update available, click on Download and Install.
• Wait for the update process to be completed.
• Once done, reboot your PC to apply changes.

9. Check for Optional Updates

Additionally, you should also check for the optional updates by following the steps below because sometimes a couple of driver updates or security patch updates might appear here that can help you to fix several bugs or issues whatsoever.

• Press the Win+I keys to open Settings.
• Click on Windows Update > Click on Advanced Options.
• Scroll down to locate Additional options.
• Click on Optional updates > If there is an update available, you can select the update.
• Now, click on Download & Install then wait some time to complete it.
• Finally, reboot the system manually.

10. Try Removing Launch Options in Steam

Another thing you can also try removing the launch options command in Steam by following the steps below to ensure there is no issue with the DirectX11 error.

• Open the Steam client > Click on Library.
• Right-click on the Counter-Strike 2 game from the left pane.
• Click on Properties > Under the General section, go to Launch options.
• Delete the command from the box (if any).
• Relaunch Steam and run CS2 to check for the issue.

11. Launch CS2 Directly from the Installation Folder

You can try launching the Counter-Strike 2 game application directly from the installation directory. Make sure to follow the steps below to check for the issue.

• Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
• Right-click on Counter Strike 2.
• Select Manage > Click on Browse local files.
• It’ll open the game’s installation folder.
• Navigate to the bin folder > Open the bin64 folder.
• Now, locate & double-click on the CS2.exe application to launch the game directly.

12. Install DirectX

The chances are high that the DirectX program isn’t properly installed on the system. It’s worth recommending to install DirectX by following the steps below.

• Visit the official Microsoft DirectX download page here.
• After downloading the installer, run the same & follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
• Once done, restart your computer, and launch the game again.

13. Install Media Feature Pack for Windows N Editions

Make sure to install Windows Media Feature Pack for the N/KN editions by following the steps below.

• If you’re using Windows N or KN editions then you’ll need to install the Media Feature Pack.
• Visit the Microsoft Media Feature Pack download page and grab the latest version depending on your Windows OS.
• Now, install the appropriate Media Feature Pack for your system.
• Restart your PC and launch CS2 to check for the error again.

14. Try Disconnecting Additional Peripherals

You can try disconnecting additional peripherals such as controllers, monitors, other USB devices, etc. to avoid conflicts with DirectX 11 while launching the Counter-Strike 2 game.

15. Perform a Clean Boot

Multiple reports did claim that several third-party programs are always running in the background from the Windows boot. So, performing a clean boot and disabling conflicting startup apps will be crucial enough to get a better experience.

• Press the Win+R keys to open the Run dialogue box.
• Now, type msconfig and hit Enter to open System Configuration.
• Go to the Services tab > Enable the Hide all Microsoft services checkbox.

• Click on Disable all > Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
• Now, go to the Startup tab > Click on Open Task Manager.
• Click on the Startup tab from Task Manager.
• Make sure to click on the particular task that has a higher startup impact.
• Once selected, click on Disable to turn it off. [Do the same steps for each program that has a higher startup impact]
• Finally, make sure to restart your computer to apply changes.

16. Disable Overlay Applications

Mostly conflicts with the background running third-party overlay apps can trigger several issues with the game launching because they consume a lot of system resources just like the processes whenever you start the game. Even though the game doesn’t launch, the overlay app starts and runs until you close it manually. Some overlay apps may also start running while you boot the system at the very beginning. So, try disabling overlay apps manually.

Disable Discord Overlay:

• Open the Discord app > Click on the gear icon (Settings) at the bottom.
• Select Overlay under App Settings > Turn on the Enable in-game overlay.
• Click on Games > Select Counter Strike 2.
• Make sure to turn off the Enable in-game overlay toggle.
• Once done, reboot your PC to apply changes.

Disable Xbox Game Bar:

• Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
• Now, click on Gaming > Go to Game Bar.
• Turn Off the Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using the Game bar option.
• Once done, save changes, and reboot the PC to apply changes.

Disable Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay:

• Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience app > Go to Settings.
• Click on General > Disable the In-Game Overlay option.
• Once done, restart the PC to apply changes.

Disable Steam Overlay:

• Open the Steam client > Click on Library.
• Right-click on Counter Strike 2 > Click on Properties.
• Click on General > Turn OFF the Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game option.
• Once done, reboot the PC to change the effects.

Please Note: Some PC gamers or advanced users also use some other overlay apps such as MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB software, etc.

17. Check for Windows Updates

If none of the workarounds did come in handy then make sure to check for Windows updates on the PC. If you’re running an outdated Windows version or build number then follow the steps below to check for the issue.

• Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
• Click on Windows Update > Click on Check for updates.
• If there is an update available, click on Download and Install.
• Wait for the update process to be completed.
• Once done, reboot your PC to apply changes.

Conclusion:

Counter-Strike 2, as the evolutionary successor to CS:GO, promises a new realm of features and enhancements. However, like any game in its early stages, it isn’t without its technical hiccups. The DX11 error, despite players having higher DirectX versions, exemplifies such challenges. Addressing these compatibility conflicts between the game and system configurations is crucial for a seamless gaming experience, especially as CS2 nears its broader public release. Players should stay vigilant for updates and fixes to ensure optimal gameplay.