Alan Wake 2 Crashing/Freezing/Not Launching Steam Deck Issues-Fixed

You eagerly installed the long-awaited sequel to Remedy Entertainment’s cult classic horror game on your Steam Deck console. Your body tingles with anticipation as you fire it up for the first time. But instead of being plunged into a dark supernatural thriller, you’re met with…nothing. The game crashes back to the SteamOS home screen before you can even get past the splash videos. Or maybe it loads but stutters and freezes within minutes. You’ve been let down before, but this sinks to a new low.

Don’t abandon all hope yet. This guide will walk you through several troubleshooting tips targeted at getting Alan Wake 2 up and running smoothly on SteamOS.

How to Troubleshoot Game Issues and Fix Alan Wake 2 Keeps Crashing, Freezing or Not Launching on Steam Deck Console

Verify Your Game Files

Corrupted data is often the culprit behind crashes. Steam offers an easy way to check for missing or mangled files. Follow these steps:

Open your Steam library
Right-click on Alan Wake 2
Select Properties
Navigate to Local Files tab
Click “Verify Integrity of Game Files”

Steam will sift through the installation and replace any files that fail the validity check. This process can take several minutes depending on your connection speed. Once completed, try launching the game again to see if stability improves.

Update Graphics Drivers

Outdated drivers account for many game issues. Alan Wake 2 won’t tap into the full potential of your GPU without optimized software to run it. Here’s how to get the latest:

Go to the Steam menu
Navigate to Settings
Click “System” then “Hardware”
Select “Video”
Update your AMD or Intel graphics drivers

After updating, reboot your Steam Deck to complete the installation before launching Alan Wake 2 again.

Tweak Graphics Options

If crashes still occur, the problem may stem from settings that overtax the hardware. Alan Wake 2 defaults to High graphic options that light up every visual bell and whistle.

Attempt to run the game on lower quality presets:

Set overall quality to Medium or Low
Disable ray tracing features
Lower resolution from 1080p to 720p
Cap frame rate at 30 FPS

Experiment with adjustments until you find the sweet spot of playability versus aesthetics.

Close Background Apps

Even the beefy Steam Deck hardware can choke when too many processes vie for resources. Suspend any non-vital software before launching Alan Wake 2:

Fully close the Steam store page and library
Shut down other games or apps running in the background
Disable Wi-fi and Bluetooth if not needed

Freeing up RAM and CPU cycles prevents stability issues and smoother performance.

Verify Game File Permissions

The Steam Deck uses a Linux-based OS. Certain system permissions can block games from modifying files they need to run properly.

Check for permission issues with these steps:

Open Konsole terminal
Type “verify” to open the verification tool
Click “Select folders” and choose your Steam installation
Review results for any errors
Set permissions correctly if inconsistencies are found

File access errors often lead to stalled launch attempts or mid-game crashes.

Check for OS and Game Updates

Both Steam OS and game developers rapidly roll out fixes for bugs that slip through quality testing. Your issues may already have a patch waiting:

Connect your Steam Deck to a wifi network
Click the Steam button to open the menu
Navigate to the “System” section
Select “System Update” to fetch the latest for SteamOS
Check if Alan Wake 2 needs an update under game properties

Regularly installing the newest updates is key to avoiding problems that others already reported.

Scan for Possible Malware Infections

While rare, malware infections can definitely cause havoc with game performance. Run a quick check just to rule it out:

Open Konsole terminal
Type “clamscan -r /” and hit Enter
Review results for any infected files detected
Quarantine or remove malware if found

Virus activity in the background could lead to stuttering, crashes or launch failures.

Verify Hardware Performance

If you’ve tried all other troubleshooting tips to no avail, the crashing may indicate a defective component. Test Steam Deck hardware with these tools:

Open Konsole terminal
Type “sudo steamos-hw-probe” and hit Enter
Review report for hardware issues
Repeat test during game crash to check for anomalies

Problematic RAM, storage drives or temperature spikes could require repair or replacement if malware and software fixes don’t resolve the crashes.

How to Fix Alan Wake 2 Keeps Crashing, Freezing or Not Launching Issues on Steam Deck