Europa Universalis IV (EU4 or EUIV) is a grand strategy game developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive. In his article, you will be provided solutions to the Europa Universalis IV Error: Failed to create graphics device. Exiting.
Europa Universalis IV “Error: Failed to create graphics device. Exiting.”
The error message “Failed to create graphics device. Exiting.” commonly indicates that the game is unable to initialize the graphics hardware on your system. This can happen for several reasons, including outdated or incompatible video card drivers, issues with the graphics settings, or problems with the game’s installation. Many users on Steam Community and Reddit also experience this error while playing.
How To Fix Europa Universalis IV “Error: Failed to create graphics device. Exiting.”
When this error occurs, the game will fail to start, and you will be returned to the desktop with the error message displayed. Here are some solutions that you can try to resolve this error.
Fix 1: Switch to Windowed Fullscreen Mode
In the game settings, change the display mode to “windowed fullscreen.” This can sometimes help resolve the issue by making the game more compatible with your system’s display settings.
Fix 2: Verify the Integrity of Game Files
- Open Steam and go to your Library.
- Right-click on Europa Universalis IV
- Select Properties.
- Go to the Local Files tab
- Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
Fix 3: Check for Hybrid Graphics
If your system uses hybrid graphics (switching between an integrated Intel GPU and an NVIDIA card), Check that you have the necessary drivers installed. The game might need to switch to the NVIDIA card correctly.
Fix 4: Perform a Clean Reinstall
- Back up any valuable save games.
- Uninstall Europa Universalis IV via Steam.
- Manually delete the
Steam/SteamApps/common/EU4
andDocuments/Paradox Interactive/EU4
folders. - Reinstall the game via Steam and run a Steam Verify when done.