DXVK conflicts with overlays and mods, and how to fix them

Conflict matrix

Start here. Filter by name or kind. Status untested means we have no result either way.

Overlays and monitoring tools

Launcher overlays

Steam, the EA app, Ubisoft Connect, older Origin, Discord and the GPU makers’ overlays all draw on top of the game by hooking its graphics calls. With DXVK the game’s calls go through DXVK first, which some hooks do not expect. Reports: a stuck cursor after the Steam overlay in GTA IV (issue 2174); a black screen from the EA overlay with The Sims 3 in a 2026 guide; Ubisoft Connect trouble in Assassin’s Creed Origins (issue 2655). The fix is the same everywhere: turn the overlay off for that game. In Steam, right-click the game, Properties, and untick the in-game overlay. Other launchers have the same switch in their game settings.

RTSS and MSI Afterburner

Upstream’s Windows wiki puts overlays at the top of its list of third-party breakages. RTSS (RivaTuner) installs a Vulkan layer that loads for every Vulkan program, even when RTSS itself is not running, according to reports. What users say helps: update RTSS, use its per-application profile options, or uninstall it. For Afterburner, start the game first and Afterburner second. These are reports; we did not try them.

Recorders

OBS and others can capture a game in several ways. If game capture shows black with a DXVK game, try window capture. We did not test any recorder; check the recorder’s own notes on Vulkan.

Mods that replace d3d9.dll, dxgi.dll or dinput8.dll

The rule behind most of these conflicts: a folder can hold only one file with a given name, so only one tool can own each name. On Windows a game loads DLLs from its own folder first (F02), so whichever copy you made last wins. DXVK needs d3d9.dll for Direct3D 9 (F38) and d3d11.dll plus dxgi.dll for Direct3D 11 (F40). Never mix DXVK’s dxgi.dll with Windows’ own d3d11.dll: a lab test crashed within a second (F41).

If you use two tools, one has to load the other under a different name, or you pick one. Both are fragile; keep notes of every file you add.

ENB

ENB uses proxy DLLs too (d3d9.dll or d3d11.dll, depending on the game). Community guides say its enblocal.ini has a [PROXY] section that can load a renamed DXVK DLL. We did not verify any working setup and publish none. Freezes before the title screen with Skyrim SE and ENB are reported (issues 865 and 2033). Read the Skyrim page and the Fallout: New Vegas page.

ASI loaders and FusionFix

ASI loaders are usually a dinput8.dll or d3d9.dll. The community says FusionFix for GTA IV can load DXVK when it is renamed vulkan.dll; we did not verify it. One report says DXVK loaded this way may not read dxvk.conf: check the HUD still reacts to your settings. See GTA IV.

Shader and texture loaders

XNFS, a shader loader for Need for Speed: Most Wanted, is reported broken with DXVK 2.5.2 and newer (issue 4624). If you need such a tool, pin the older DXVK it works with. See the Most Wanted page.

Special K, OneTweak and other wrappers

Not tested; the one-name-one-owner rule applies. Wrapping chains such as dgVoodoo2 are covered on their own page. Special K and similar tools inject into the game, which anti-cheat can treat as cheating: never use them in online games.

“DXVK” downloads on Nexus Mods and in mod packs

Many mod pages bundle DXVK’s DLLs, sometimes an old version, sometimes with a ready-made dxvk.conf. In a mod manager the name usually just means “DXVK’s DLLs, installed into the game folder”. To check what you have, use the DLL Verifier on the download page: it compares each file’s hash with every official release. Do not use the file’s Properties dialog: DXVK’s DLLs show generic Windows version text (F45). When the files are not official or are not the version you want, take the official release from the download page instead. Antivirus flags on re-uploaded packs are covered on the safety page.

How to find the culprit

The HUD page shows how to turn the HUD on.

Linux: layers and overlays

On Linux, overlays such as MangoHud and the Steam overlay are Vulkan layers or injected libraries. If a game crashes only with an overlay on, start without it, then add it back. We have not tested any of them. See the Proton page.