Resident Evil 5 is the fifth titular installment in the popular and critically acclaimed Resident Evil franchise, a series of horror games which have left a huge impact upon the genre as a whole and one which continues to deliver with their new games and remakes, such as Resident Evil Village or Resident Evil 4 Remake. The game series has even created a movie show and film series, apart from various merchandise, sideline games and more content. The game’s unique take on horror elements and storytelling typically contained in cinema along with crisp gameplay and fluidity makes them the best horror video game franchise to date, with their newest entry Resident Evil 4 Remake topping Steam charts, even beating extremely popular multiplayer games like Fortnite or Call of Duty.

Resident Evil 5 is the fifth installment if not including the spinoff titles, and is a strong contender among the series. While Resident Evil 2 or 4 got the most praise, while 5 was slept on at the time of release, it has now had a sort of cult following. It is a great game, which was simply pushed with an impossible take, beating the juggernaut of a game Resident Evil 4. Even then, Resident Evil 5 is still widely played and has its fanbase in the Resident Evil and gaming communities. Many players still load their games to experience or reexperience Resident Evil 5, which makes it annoying when the game refuses to launch on Steam. This unfortunately is an issue often reported by players of Resident Evil 5, that the game does not launch on Steam. Not to worry though, as we have the currently updated fixes for the problem to fix resident evil 5 not launching on Steam, as you will read below.

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Why Does Resident Evil 5 Not Launch On Steam?

Before we can fix Resident Evil 5’s Steam launch issue, we must comprehend the root cause. Some gamers have reported a recurring issue with Resident Evil 5 not launching on Steam while using the Steam Client to play the game on PC. These players frequently run into issues that prevent the game from starting when they try to launch it. These issues could include any error messages that the game displays, game crashes, or just a black screen with nothing happening. Compatibility issues, obsolete drivers, faulty game files, and problems with the Steam client itself are just a few causes of this problem. Resident Evil 5 is an older game, and these problems tend to happen to older games which have not been updated to the newer hardware. Fortunately, as we said, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take to resolve these problems and get Resident Evil 5 running smoothly once again. Now that you know about the issue of Resident Evil 5 not launching on Steam, we will proceed to various methods to stop this problem and ensure that your gaming experience is not hindered.

How Should You Fix Resident Evil 5 Not Launching On Steam?

The problem of Resident Evil 5 not launching on Steam is one which can be caused by a variety of different issues, as we have discussed in detail above. As such, we present different methods by which you can fix it, written down below.

Method 1: Update Or Restart Your PC

Before we start on the further complex and more time taking processes, try restarting your PC and checking if there are any pending updates to download. At times, this simple trick can help applications function properly which were not behaving the way they should, so this can also work on Resident Evil 5. If you have tried restarting or rebooting your PC and updating it to the current updates and the issue still remains the same, then proceed to the following methods.

Method 2: Do Game Files Verification

At times the game files or a part of them can go corrupt, which can lead to the game not showing up as verified for Steam and thus not launching properly. We show how to verify game files below.

• Step 1: Launch Steam on your desktop and head to your library.
• Step 2: In your game library, find Resident Evil 5 and then right-click on it.
• Step 3: Under the tab which will open, select properties.
• Step 4: A window will open up. In the left panel, select LOCAL FILES.
• Step 5: Now at last, click on the “Verify Integrity of Game Files” option.

Method 3: Update Graphics Card Drivers

Sometimes the graphics card drivers being outdated can cause incompatibility or other such issues which result in games not launching correctly. To update your graphics card, use the method given below.

• Step 1: Use the Windows button + X shortcut.
• Step 2: In the popup list that appears, select Device Manager, or hit the M key.
• Step 3: In the list of devices, click on Display adapters to find your graphics card.
• Step 4: Select your graphics card and right click on it.
• Step 5: In the menu option, click on the update driver option.
• Step 6: Now, select the choose automatically for drivers option and then install all the updates which are available.
• Step 7: After you have updated your graphics card drivers, reboot the game and then try to run it. It should work as intended. If not, check out the other methods below.

Method 4: Run Game In Compatibility Mode

Resident Evil 5 is an old game, which causes some issues when the game is run on newer devices. Using compatibility mode can often fix troubles, as with the popular game KOTOR 2 which is also known to keep crashing on Windows 10. The steps to run the game on compatibility mode are as follows.

• Step 1: Locate the game file under its installation directory.
• Step 2: In the installation directory, find the re5dx9.exe file.
• Step 3: Right click on this file, and under the options panel click on the Properties button.
• Step 4: Under the box that opens, click on the Compatibility tab above.
• Step 5: In that tab, there will be a checkbox for Run the program in compatibility mode. Check on it, and select Windows 7.
• Step 6: Click on the Apply and OK button to save the updated settings.

This will cause the PC to emulate Windows 7 environments for Resident Evil 5 every time you launch the game. This can significantly help with the game not launching on Steam.

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Final Words

Horror game enthusiasts, Resident Evil fans and simply avid gamers will be deeply drawn into the Resident Evil franchise, and thus to Resident Evil 5. That is why the issue of Resident Evil 5 not launching on Steam can be a frustrating one. But as we discovered in this article, it can be fixed. By following our troubleshooting guide and carefully following each step, you are sure to now be able to work the game as intended. Enjoy your thrilling ride in Resident Evil 5!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q) Can reinstalling the game fix the issue?

Ans: Oftentimes some problem can occur which makes the game not get downloaded properly. By reinstalling, you make sure that there are no such errors. So yes, do try reinstalling Resident Evil 5 as this can fix it not launching on Steam.

Q) I followed every step and yet the problem still persists. What should I do?

Ans: Even if after all these issues the game still does not work, then we suggest contacting support and reaching out to the various Resident Evil 5 forums to seek further assistance.