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Vulkan Driver and Graphic Card Issues

Many AMD and Nvidia users may experience issues when attempting to run the Valthrun controller. This issue manifests through various error messages, with common examples including:

  • Unable to find a Vulkan driver
  • Failed to load vulkan-1.dll (os error 14001)
  • The overlay is black or white instead of transparent

While the precise cause of these issues is currently unknown, several methods have been reported as effective by different users.

Potential Solutions

General Solutions (For Both AMD and Nvidia)

Issue: Unable to find a Vulkan driver or Failed to load vulkan-1.dll (os error 14001)

Installing the Vulkan Runtime

If you encounter a Vulkan error, installing the Vulkan Runtime may help. You can download and install it from LunarG’s official site by selecting Runtime - Runtime Installer.
Vulkan Runtime

Copying vulkan-1.dll from Chrome

Another workaround involves copying the vulkan-1.dll file from the local installation of Google Chrome and placing it in the directory where controller.exe is located.

The vulkan-1.dll file for Chrome is usually found in:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\ followed by a folder with the Chrome version number.

note

If this does not resolve your issue, delete any vulkan-1.dll file located in the same folder as controller.exe to prevent additional conflicts.

Using Vulkan Configurator (for Detection and FPS Issues)

Directly configuring Vulkan interactions with the controller application or simply opening the Vulkan Configurator can help. Follow these steps if you encounter Vulkan detection or FPS issues.

Fixing Vulkan Detection Issues
  1. Choose any of the three configurations
    image
  2. In the application launcher, click the three dots to add controller.exe
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  3. Add controller.exe as an option and press launch
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Fixing FPS Issues
  1. Open Vulkan Configurator
  2. Go to "Vulkan Layers Configurations" and adjust portability, synchronization, and validation layers to the “Reduced-overhead” preset
    image
  3. Test the settings to see which works for you (portability or synchronization layers typically work best).

General Solutions (For Both AMD and Nvidia) for Overlay Issues

Issue: Overlay is Not Transparent

Disabling Windows HDR

Disable HDR by going to Settings > System > Display > HDR.

AMD-Specific Solutions

Using AMD's Pro Drivers

Some users have reported success using AMD's Pro drivers. To switch, use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to remove your current drivers and then install the AMD Pro drivers.

Downgrading AMD Driver to 23.7.1

For AMD users encountering this issue, downgrading the driver to version 23.7.1 may help. This version is available on AMD's official website, or you can download it directly: AMD Driver 23.7.1.

Nvidia-Specific Solutions

Use Native Present Method

  1. Open NVIDIA Control Panel and go to "Manage 3D Settings"
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  2. Switch to "Program Settings"
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  3. Click "Add" and find controller.exe, then click "Add Selected Program"
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  4. Scroll down to Vulkan/OpenGL present method and switch it to Prefer native
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  5. Apply settings