Fix: Need for Speed Heat Screen Flickering or Tearing Issue on PC

Need for Speed Heat is a racing video game developed by Ghost Games and published by Electronic Arts in November 2019. It’s available for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game received a new update recently, and some players are experiencing multiple issues with Need for Speed Heat, and the Screen Flickering or Tearing Issue on PC is one of them.

Now, if you’re also one of the victims of such an issue, don’t worry because here, we’ve shared the troubleshooting guide for you that should help you out. For years, screen flickering, tearing, or even freezing has been shared among PC games. Whatever game you’re playing, you might encounter such issues on multiple occasions. But there are some ways to fix this issue that you can check out quickly.

Fix: Need for Speed Heat Screen Flickering or Tearing Issue on PC

Suppose you’re facing the screen flickering or tearing issue while playing the multiplayer game modes, during specific sessions, or even during checkpoints. In that case, you should check whether your internet connection works properly. Sometimes, in-game graphics settings may also trigger these issues. Some reports also show that screen shimmering occurs during the cutscenes.

It’s also worth recommending cross-checking the V-Sync option for the Need for Speed Heat game because that can trouble you a lot for some titles on the PC. So, follow all the methods individually until the problem gets fixed for you. Now, without wasting any more time, let’s jump into it.

1. Enable V-Sync in Nvidia Control Panel

It’s recommended to turn on the Vertical Sync feature on your Nvidia Control Panel app for the Need for Speed Heat game to avoid graphical glitches up to some extent. Remember that this method only applies if you use an Nvidia graphics card.

• Launch the Nvidia Control Panel from the Start menu. If it’s not installed, go to Microsoft Store and install it.
• Go to ‘3D Settings’ > Select ‘Manage 3D settings’ in the Nvidia Control Panel interface.
• Select ‘Program Settings’ > Click on ‘Add’ and select ‘Need for Speed Heat’ from the list of programs on your PC.
  • If the game application isn’t listed, then click on ‘Browse’ and head over to the installed Need for Speed Heat directory on the drive. Simply locate the Need for Speed Heat folder and add the Need for Speed Heat.exe application > Then make sure to select the game in the list and add it.
• Now, scroll down to ‘Vertical sync’ > Click on it and select ‘On’ to enable it. This will force the Need for Speed Heat game to use V-Sync every time.
• Restart your computer to apply changes and play the game to check for the issue again.

2. Try Lowering In-Game Graphics Settings

First, you should try lowering the in-game graphics settings on your PC or console to check if that helps you fix the frame drops or stuttering issues. Try turning off some of the display settings for the Need for Speed Heat game, such as texture details, shadow effect, v-sync, anti-aliasing, etc. This should improve the FPS count and performance/smoothness in gameplay.

3. Update GPU Drivers

If in case, you haven’t updated your graphics driver on the Windows computer, make sure to install the latest patch version. To do so, you’ll need to check for available updates by following the steps below:

• Press Windows + X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
• Now, click on Device Manager from the list > Double-click on Display adapters.
• Right-click on the dedicated graphics card that you’re using.

• Next, select Update driver > Choose to Search automatically for drivers.
• If an update is available, the system will automatically download & install it.
• Once done, restart the computer to apply changes immediately.

4. Close Unnecessary Background Tasks

Another thing you can do is simply close unnecessary background tasks on your PC to ensure there is no additional consumption of system resources happening in the background. Make sure to keep Need for Speed Heat, Steam, and other system-related tasks running. To clear out background tasks:

• Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open Task Manager.
• Click on the Processes tab > Select the task you want to close.

• Once selected, click on End Task. Make sure to do the steps for each task individually.
• Finally, just restart your computer to change effects immediately, and check for the Need for Speed Heat screen flickering or tearing issue.

5. Check Your Internet Connection

You should also try checking for the internet connection on your PC and whether it’s running well. A slower internet speed or unstable connectivity can cause issues with the game launching or fetching data from the server. You can also try switching the internet connection from wired (ethernet) to wireless (Wi-Fi) to cross-check the network connectivity problem.

If your IP address has some issues or your DNS address is troubling you a lot, then make sure to use the Google DNS address on the PC to avoid rubberbanding connection or stuttering, or even lagging issues which can happen due to slow internet.

6. Update Need for Speed Heat

Sometimes an outdated game version can also bring multiple bugs or issues. Updating your Need for Speed Heat game is better by following the steps below. If an update is available, then simply install the latest patch. To do this:

Steam Launcher Users:

• Open the Steam client > Go to Library > Click on Need for Speed Heat from the left pane.
• It’ll automatically search for the available update. If there is an update available, make sure to click on Update.
• It may take some time to install the update > Once done, close the Steam client.
• Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes and launch the game again.

Epic Launcher Users:

• Open the Epic Launcher client > Go to Library > Look for Need for Speed Heat from the left pane.
• On your Need for Speed Heat application, you have to tap on the three-dot icon.
• Make sure to check the auto-update to get a new update installation automatically.
• It’ll automatically search for the available update. If there is an update available, make sure to click on Update.
• Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes, and then try launching the game again

For Origin:

• Open the Origin client on the PC > Click on Application Settings.
• Now, look for the Client update section > Here, you’ll need to Turn ON the Automatic game updates option.

For EA Desktop:

• Launch the EA Desktop client on the PC.
• Make sure that you’re logged into a valid EA account.
• Head over to the Profile section at the top right corner.
• Now, click the down arrow icon next to the profile > Click on Settings from the drop-down menu.
• Click on the Download tab > Under the Updates section, you’ll need to Turn ON the Update games automatically toggle.
• You should also Turn ON the Enable background services toggle to keep things going smoothly.
• Once done, restart the EA Desktop client again to apply changes immediately.

7. Verify Integrity of Game Files

If, in case, there is an issue with the game files and somehow it gets corrupted or missing, then make sure to perform this method to check for the issue easily.

Verify Game Files on Steam:

• Open up Steam > Go to Library.
• Right-click on the Need for Speed Heat game.
• Click on Properties > Go to the Local Files tab.
• Select Verify Integrity of Game Files…
• This process will start by verifying and checking all the installed game files to see whether a missing/corrupted file is located.
• Let the process be completed. Once done, close the Steam client and restart your computer to apply changes.
• Finally, re-open Steam, and try running the Need for Speed Heat game again.

Verify Game Files on Epic:

You can watch our video tutorial on verifying the game files on Epic launcher.

For Origin:

• Open the Origin client on the PC.
• Go to My Game Library > Select Need for Speed Heat from the list of installed games.
• Now, click on the Settings icon > Select Repair.
• Wait for the client to do the job for you.
• Once done, close the client and restart the PC to change effects immediately.

For EA Desktop:

• Open the EA Desktop client > Go to ‘My Collection’.
• Now, right-click on Need for Speed Heat from the list of games.
• Click on Repair and wait for the verification process to be completed.
• Once done, make sure to restart the computer to apply changes.

8. Set High Performance in Power Options

If in case, your Windows system is running on the Balanced mode in Power Options, just set the High-Performance mode for better results. Although this option will take higher power usage or battery usage. To do this:

• Click on the Start Menu > Type Control Panel and click on it from the search result.
• Now, go to Hardware and Sound > Select Power Options.
• Click on High Performance to select it.
• Make sure to close the window and fully shut down your computer. To do this, click on the Start Menu > Go to Power > Shut Down.
• Once your computer is turned off, you can recharge it.

9. Set High Priority in Task Manager

Make your game priority in the higher segment via the Task Manager to tell your Windows system to run the game properly. To do this:

• Right-click on the Start Menu > Select Task Manager.
• Click on the Processes tab > Right-click on the Need for Speed Heat game task.
• Select Set Priority to High > Close Task Manager.
• Finally, run the Need for Speed Heat game to check if it is crashing on the PC.

10. Update Windows

Updating the Windows OS build is essential for PC users and gamers to reduce system glitches, compatibility issues, and crashes. Meanwhile, the latest version mostly includes additional features, improvements, security patches, etc. To do that:

• Press Windows + I keys to open up the Windows Settings menu.
• Next, click on Update & Security > Select Check for updates under the Windows Update section.
• If there is a feature update available, select Download and Install.
• It may take a while to complete the update.
• Once done, restart your computer to install the update.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.