While playing games, many users see the message DX11 Feature Level 10.0 is required to run the engine. This message indicates that your system does not have the necessary hardware, Direct3D Hardware Feature Level, to run the engine. If you have the latest DirectX version, then the reason behind the problem can be an outdated Graphics Card Driver.

However, there is nothing to worry about because this problem can be solved undoubtedly. In this article, we will tell you six methods to fix: DX11 feature level 10.0 is required to run the engine. To start with, we would like to address some basic things about DirectX like:

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What is DirectX?

Developed by Microsoft, DirectX is a group of Application Programming Interfaces (API) that handles multimedia and provides some stunning graphics and effects to video games based on Microsoft Windows. Over the years, there have been various versions of DirectX starting from DirectX 1 to DirectX 12 Ultimate.

What is the Difference Between DirectX Runtime and Direct3D Hardware Feature Level

A lot of users confuse DirectX and Direct3D are different. However, Direct3D is a part of DirectX, which is used for 3D graphics in games on Microsoft Windows.

The other confusion arises between DirectX Runtime and Direct3D Hardware Feature Level. DirectX Runtime is primarily depicting the DirectX version your operating system can install, whereas Direct3D Hardware Feature Level sees the support your GPU provides to the game.

It should be noted that DirectX Runtime in your PC does not necessarily mean that it can support the Direct3D Hardware Feature Level. The main reason is that GPU does not assist certain feature levels because it is out of date.

How to Find DirectX in PC

If you have the Windows 10, DirectX 12.0 Runtime is already there on your laptop. However, to use the DirectX APIs, you must ensure that your GPU supports them.

For this, you need to check the DirectX version supported by the operating system by following these steps:

Step 1 – Press Windows key + R to open the Run Box.

Step 2 – Type dxdiag (DirectX Diagnostic Tool) and click OK. You’ll see the DirectX Diagnostic Toolbox on your screen now.

Step 3 – Click on the Systems tab and check the version of Direct X.

Step 4 – At last, to check whether GPU supports the feature levels or not, go to the Display tab. On the right side of the box, you can see the Drivers column. Under this, you will find Feature Levels. Check for Feature level 10_0.

If you do not find the feature level 10_0, it means that:

  1. Your GPU is outdated and requires an update.
  2. Your GPU does not support Feature 10_0 and you need to buy a new graphics card.

How Fix DX11 Feature Level 10.0 is Required to Run the Engine Error

Even after checking the DirectX version and required Feature level to play the game or run any other application and fixing it, if you still face the “DX11 Feature Level 10.0 is required to run the engine” error then you need to look at the six methods mentioned below.

Method 1: Running the application with the dedicated GPU

If you have two graphics cards on your laptop, then the system decides which one to use after a thorough analysis of how many resources are required by the application. But when your PC is on battery saver mode, the system starts the application with an integrated GPU to save resources. To solve this problem, follow the steps given below:

Step 1 – Right-Click on the game shortcut on your desktop and choose run with Graphics processor.

Step 2 – Select your graphics card and try running the game again. If it starts without the error message, follow steps 3 and 4.

Step 3 – Go to Control Panel.

Step 4 – At last, change the default graphics processor.

In case the above-mentioned method didn’t work for you, don’t be disheartened. Try other methods.

Method 2: Updating your Graphics Card Driver

As mentioned earlier, a missing or out of date Graphics Card Driver can cause the error “DX11 Feature Level 10.0 is required to run the engine”. The latest windows automatically update the driver needed for your GPU to run the game. Otherwise, you can download the drivers for your GPU.

Note that you should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions while downloading and installing the drivers in your system. Steps to update Graphics Drivers through Device Manager:

Step 1 – Press Windows key + R to open the Run Box.

Step 2 – Type devmgmt.msc then, press Enter.

Step 3 – In the Device Manager, expand Display Adapters and choose graphics drivers.

Step 4: Right-click on the chosen Graphics Driver and select Update Driver. A new window opens.

Step 5 – Click on Search automatically for updated driver software and wait for Windows to scan for new updates.

Step 6 – If there is any update, install it and restart your PC.

If you’re unable to update through the Device Manager, please follow the instructions mentioned for the specific graphics card.

For NVIDIA Graphics

Follow the steps given below:

Step 1 – Go to the official site of the NVIDIA download page. (https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us)

Step 2 – Fill in the column for Product Type, Product Series, Product, Operating System and Download Type. Then, click on the Search button.

Step 3 – Download and install the suggested drivers for your GPU. Wait till the installation is complete.

Step 4 – Finally, reboot your system.

For AMD Graphics

Look at the steps given below:

Step 1 – Go to the official page of AMD Downloads (https://www.amd.com/en/support).

Step 2 – Scroll down and fill in the details about your product- Product Type, Product Family and Operating System.  Then, click on Submit.

Step 3 – Choose the appropriate driver and wait for the installation to complete.

Step 4 – Reboot your system and check if the issue is resolved.

Method 3: Repairing the DirectX Runtime Environment

In rare scenarios, the APIs in DirectX does not function properly. Sadly, you can’t uninstall the DirectX. Moreover, all the updates are handled by Windows Update automatically. But what you can do is repair the files by DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer and DirectX Redlist. Following are the steps to repair the DirectX Runtime Environment:

Step 1 – First, download the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer.

Step 2 – Right-Click on the file and Run as an Administrator. Now, download the DirectX Redlist.

Step 3 – Open and Extract the DirectX SDK. In the extracted files, open DXSetup executable.

Step 4 – Finally, after completing the installation, reboot your system.

Method 4: Installing the Platform Update (Windows 7 Only)

As opposed to Windows 8 or Windows 10, Windows 7 requires an additional update KB2670838 to allow DirectX Feature Level 10.0. You need to follow a simple two-step procedure to solve this problem:

Step 1 – Check for all the pending updates and perform them or go to Microsoft’s official site and download the KB2670838 Update.

Step 2 – Reboot your system and try again. In case the error persists, you can give Method 5 or Method 6 a shot.

Method 5: Install the latest patches

Game developers keep releasing new patches to improve and fix the features available in games. Sometimes, when you do not install these new patches, the game shows error “DX11 Feature Level 10.0 is required to run the engine”.

Therefore, follow these steps to install the patches:

Step 1 – Go to the official site of the game and check for updates. You can also check for the new updates on Steam.

Step 2 – If there is an update available, install it by following the proper procedure.

Step 3 – Restart your game.

Method 6: Update your DirectX version

Last but not the least, this method has been proven beneficial to fix the error you encounter while playing your favorite game. All you have to do is follow the procedure step by step, and you will be able to update the DirectX version.

Step 1 – Follow the steps mentioned above in How to find if DirectX is installed?

Step 2 – Go to the Display tab. Then, check that DirectDraw Acceleration, Direct3D Acceleration, and AGP Texture Acceleration are enabled.

Step 3 – For the latest Windows version, you can directly update your Windows and install the latest DirectX version. But for Windows 7, Windows XP, and Windows Vista, you need to install an update package from the official site of Microsoft.

Step 4 – Afterwards, restart your computer.

Conclusion

We hope the above mentioned six methods help you solve the problem. We advise you to patiently look into the complication carefully and follow the appropriate solution to solve it.