One of the most popular first-person shooters, Mortal Kombat 1, the fifth iteration, brings immersive, fast-paced gameplay, challenging levels, and weapons. Many users have reported several issues in the community, which can be quite frustrating.
If you encounter a glitch that may cause conflicts with the startup, today I will share a guide on how you can troubleshoot and fix the issue. Here are the instructions below:
Mortal Kombat 1 System Requirements
| Requirements | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Requires | 64-Bit processor and OS | 64-Bit processor and OS |
| OS | Windows 10 64-Bit | Windows 10/11 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core i5 660/ AMD Ryzen 3 3100 or Ryzen 5 2600 | Intel Core i5 8400/ AMD Ryzen 5 3600X |
| Memory | 8GB RAM | 8GB RAM |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce GTX 980, AMD Radeon RX470, or Intel Arc A750 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080Ti, AMD Radeon RX 5700XT, or Intel Arc A770 |
| DirectX | V12 | V12 |
| Storage | 100GB available space | 100GB available space |
It’s also recommended to place the storage and RAM in the slots properly. Additionally, try unplugging the HDD/SSD RAM if you encounter issues with launching the game on the loading screen and check if it gets fixed.
Fix Mortal Kombat 1 Troubleshooting Guide
Most of the issues occur due to incorrect PC configuration, making Mortal Kombat 1 incompatible with the game. Some potential reasons for these issues are:
- Outdated Graphics Driver
- Missing or corrupted game files
- Outdated Game Version
- DirectX issue
- Overlay App issue
- High in-game graphics
Mortal Kombat 1 Startup—Black Screen
Facing a black screen issue and issues like not exiting causes players to get stuck on a black screen after launching the game. This also results in no sound, and players must quit the game.
Mortal Kombat 1 Crashing
If your game is crashing or not loading on PS5 or Xbox One Series X consoles, it could be due to firmware issues, incorrect settings, or corrupted game data.
Mortal Kombat 1 is not working on the Nintendo Switch
There is a high chance that the game has some bugs or issues that need to be fixed by the developers. This could be caused by temporary system glitches, corrupted or outdated games, cache data issues with memory, corrupted or missing game data, low storage space, or other factors that trigger crashes.
Mortal Kombat 1: Stuttering, Lags, or Freezing
Such configuration is required to run the game in full resolution and at a higher FPS. Despite being quite common for PC titles, this can be performance-hungry.
Mortal Kombat 1 Low FPS Drop
Various factors could cause frame drops.
Mortal Kombat 1 Sound is Not Working or the Audio Cutting Out
If the audio is not working during a gaming session, it could be due to trouble with in-game sound, outdated drivers, or other issues.
Disable Mortal Kombat 1 Fullscreen Optimization
It affects the optimization, which causes FPS drops. It was created to provide players with a better gaming experience. However, it could cause FPS drops.
- Go to the installed directory of Mortal Kombat 1.
- Right-click on the Mortal Kombat 1.exe file and click on Properties.
- In the Properties dialogue box, go to Compatibility and uncheck the checkbox for the Enable Fullscreen Optimization toggle.
- Click on Apply and then OK to save the changes.
Run Mortal Kombat 1 as an Administrator
To avoid account controls, you must run it as an administrator and make it permanent. Players are always advised to run the Steam Client as an admin on a PC.
- Go to the installed directory of Mortal Kombat 1, then right-click the Mortal Kombat 1.exe file.
- Open the Properties and go to the Compatibility tab.
- Check the checkbox for “Run this program as an administrator.”
- Click on Apply, and then select OK to save the changes.
Update Graphics Drivers
Drivers help boost your PC’s performance; if they are already installed, you need to update to the latest version.
- To simplify it, press Windows + X, then click Device Manager.
- Next, expand the display adapter by double-clicking on it and right-clicking on your GPU.
- Click “Update driver” to start searching for the GPU driver.
- If an update is available, download and install it. It will also require a restart to apply the changes successfully.
You can update your sound driver if you are also facing audio issues.
- Update the driver from the same Device Manager by choosing the audio device.
- After that, search for the driver automatically; if an update is available, simply download and install it.
- Once finished, restart your computer to apply the changes.
Update Mortal Kombat 1 Game
It depends on updating Mortal Kombat 1. Check for the update and then install it.
Check for updates on Steam
- Open Steam and go to the library. From the list of installed games on the left pane, click on Mortal Kombat 1.
- It will start checking for updates automatically. If an update is available, click on the Update option and wait for the update process to complete.
- Once the update is finished, quit the Steam client and reboot your PC to apply the changes.
Check for updates on the Epic Game Launcher
- Launch Epic Game Launcher and go to the library.
- Select the triple-dot menu in Mortal Kombat 1 and choose Auto Update to ensure it is enabled.
Xbox
- Press the Xbox button on the controllers, choose My Game & App, and then select All.
- Choose Manage, and if an update is available, it will automatically start downloading and installing the new patch.
PlayStation
- Head to the library and choose the game you want to update.
- Press the Option button on the controller, then select Check for Update. If an update is available, simply follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
Nintendo
- Open the Home screen, select Mortal Kombat 1, press the plus button, and choose Software Update from the drop-down menu.
- Click on “Using the Internet as a source,” and it will start the update process. A reboot may be required.
Check RAM, GPU, and CPU Usage
If you are experiencing slow computer issues, here is how you can check your hardware usage.
- Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
- Go to the Process tab and choose the task, such as Mortal Kombat or any other task consuming many resources.
- Select the task and close the specific app by right-clicking on the task and clicking on End task.
- Then, restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
After closing the background and running tasks, simply set the game as a high priority.
- From the taskbar, right-click on the game in the Processes tab.
- Select Set Priority to High, and then close the Task Manager.
Verify Game Files and Repair
By verifying the integrity of the game, you can check the files on your computer to ensure they are not damaged or corrupted.
Steam
- Open Steam and go to the library.
- Right-click on the Mortal Kombat 1 game and click on Properties.
- Go to the Local Files tab and click Verify game file integrity. This process will verify and check the installed game to determine if any missing or corrupted files are located.
- It may take some time. Once it finishes, reopen Steam and try relaunching the game.
Epic Game Launcher
- Open the Epic Game Launcher and go to the Game Library.
- Choose Mortal Kombat 1, then select Settings and click on Verify. This will start the verification process.
- Close the Launcher and then restart your PC to apply the changes.
Nintendo
- Open the menu and choose System Settings from the drop-down menu. Select data management.
- Choose Software from the drop-down menu, and then select Mortal Kombat 1.
- After that, choose Look for Data Error and wait for it to finish. Then, reboot the Switch console to apply the changes.
Reset Console
This will wipe all users’ data and factory reset your console.
PlayStation
- Open the PlayStation Settings menu, select the Initialization tab, and choose Initialize PS5.
- After that, from the prompt, choose Full, which will automatically start wiping itself to restore factory defaults.
- It may take some time. Once it finishes, reboot your system.
Xbox
- Press the Xbox button, then from the controller guide menu, choose Profile & System.
- Head over to Settings, then choose System. Go to Console Info and reset the console.
- Then, it will ask you to reset your console and select Reset and Remove Everything. You can also choose to reset and keep your games and apps.
- After that, with the selected option, it will start deleting and resetting the system to factory default settings.
- Wait for some time to finish the console.
Disable Third-Party Overlay Apps
Overlays are interactive widgets or statistical information. You can improve performance by turning off in-game overlays, especially for low- to mid-end PCs. For Steam, follow this guide:
Steam
- Open Steam, then go to the library. Right-click on Mortal Kombat 1.
- Choose Properties, then head to the General section and uncheck the checkbox for Enable Steam Overlay.
- Return to the library to relaunch Mortal Kombat 1 and fix the issues.
If there are any other third-party applications with overlays enabled, disable them as well.
Discord Overlay
- Open Discord, then click on the settings icon at the bottom right.
- Next, click “Overlay” under “App Settings” and enable the in-game overlay.
- Afterward, go to the “Game” tab and choose Mortal Kombat 1 to turn off the in-game overlay toggle, then restart your PC.
Xbox Game Bar
- Open Windows Settings, then go to “Gaming.”
- From there, click on “Game Bar” and toggle off the “Record Game Clip,” “Screenshots,” and “Broadcast using Game Bar” options.
Nvidia GeForce Experience
- Open the Nvidia GeForce Experience, then go to “Settings.”
- Choose the “General” tab, then turn off the “In-game Overlay” option.
- Restart your PC to apply the changes, and then try relaunching the game.
Check for Updates
To update your Windows to the latest version, sometimes bugs need to be fixed, or stability issues need to be addressed. If you have any pending Windows updates, install the Windows 11 update.
Windows
- Open Windows Settings by pressing Windows + I.
- Go to Update & Security, then click Check for Updates under the Windows Update section.
- If there are any available Windows updates, download and install them.
- Please wait for the updates to be installed, then it will prompt you to restart your computer.
PlayStation
- Open Settings, then go to System Software Update.
- Check for updates; if an update is available, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update.
- Once the update is finished, reboot the system to apply the changes successfully.
Xbox
- Press the Home button on the Xbox to open the Dashboard menu.
- Then go to Settings and select All Settings. Now choose System, and then select Updates.
- If an update is available, select Update Console to follow the on-screen instructions to finish the installation, then restart.
Nintendo
- Before proceeding, ensure that there is enough battery charge. Go to the Home Menu, then select System Settings.
- Then scroll down to select system and choose System Update.
- After that, select System Update and perform a check to determine if an update is available. Then download and install it to finish successfully.
Mortal Kombat Graphics Settings
Lower your in-game graphics settings. Check again after disabling V-Sync, Shadow Effects, and Anti-Aliasing to help lower the display resolution.
If you have a low-end PC specification, here are the suitable graphics settings, including enabling DLSS and FSR upscaling.
| Gameplay | Tournament | Display | Upscaling | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round Time: 90 | Allow Match Restart: Off | Display No.: Your main monitor | Upscaling Method: Off | Texture Quality: Medium |
| Rounds to Win: 2 | Allow First Hit: On | Video Mode: Borderless | Render Scale: 100 (lower it if you’re getting low FPS) | Aniso Filtering: 2x |
| Story Difficulty: Your preference | Round Time: 90 | Screen Resolution: Highest resolution of your main monitor | Upscaling Sharpness: 20 | Shadow Quality: Low |
| Health Details: On | Lowered Health Bars: Off | Render Resolution: Highest resolution of your main monitor | Bloom: On | |
| Lowered Health Bars: Off | Arena Select: On | Vsync: Off | Ambient Occlusion: On | |
| Show Session Stats: On | Random Skin: Off | Graphics Preset: Custom | Reflection: On | |
| Pause Delay: Off | Fatal Blow Cooldown: On | FPS Limit: 60 | Chromatic Aberration: On | |
| Offline Input Delay: Off | Fatal Blow Damage Boost: On | System Cursor: Off | AA Mode: FXAA | |
| Share Match Replays: On | Fatal Blow Delayed Armor: Off | Particle Density: Medium |
From the Nvidia Control Panel, ensure you have disabled V-Sync, enabled Triple Buffering, and set the maximum pre-rendered frames to one. You can also disable multi-threaded rendering.
Disable Mouse Acceleration
- Search for mouse settings, and then change mouse settings.
- Next, go to Additional Mouse Options and choose the Pointer option tab.
- Uncheck the checkbox for Enhanced Pointer Precision.
- Then, save and apply the changes.
Disable Steam Input
If you are still encountering issues like the game not launching or getting stuck:
- Launch the Steam client and go to the library.
- Right-click on the game, click Controllers, and set “Override for Mortal Kombat 1” to “Disable Steam Input.”
- Then, relaunch the game.
Use a Dedicated GPU Instead of an Integrated
- Please right-click on the desktop to open the context menu, and then click on the NVIDIA Control Panel to open it.
- Next, head to 3D Settings and choose Manage 3D Settings to open the Programme Settings tab.
- After that, choose Mortal Kombat 1 from the drop-down menu, and then choose Preferred Graphics Processor for this game from the drop-down menu. Choose the NVIDIA GPU to show as the high-performance NVIDIA processor. Save the changes and reboot your PC.
Change the High DPI Settings
If you have enabled the high DPI settings, it could cause frame drops.
- Open Steam, head to the library, and right-click on the game to manage it.
- From there, click Browse Local Files to open the file explorer.
- Next, scroll down to Mortal Kombat 1.exe and right-click on the file to go to Properties.
- Now, go to the Compatibility tab in the properties to change the high DPI settings.
- Uncheck the checkbox for Override High DPI Scaling Behavior and Scaling Performed by Application. That is it. Apply the changes to save.
Disable Full-Screen Optimization
- Launch Stream, head to the library, and right-click on Mortal Kombat.
- Go to Manage, then browse local files to open File Explorer. From there, scroll down to find the .exe file.
- Right-click on the file, then go to Properties and click the Compatibility tab to turn off full-screen optimization. Then, apply the changes.
Update DirectX
It is possible that your DirectX is outdated and needs to be updated to the latest version. You can download the DirectX End-User Runtime web installer. Install it, and after updating, restart your computer.
Alternatively, you can also try disabling DirectX 12.
- Open Settings, then go to Videos and set Enable DX12 to off. Then, restart Mortal Kombat 1 after making the changes.
Correct Rendering Device
- Open Steam, then launch Mortal Kombat 1.
- Afterward, go to the Video Settings menu and Select Rendering Device.
- Choose your dedicated GPU, and then reboot to save the changes.
Reinstall the MS Visual C++ Runtime
Some apps require Microsoft C and C++ tools. Try reinstalling the MS Visual C++ Runtime.
- Open Apps and Features from Windows Search.
- Look for the Microsoft Visual C++ program. You can download and install MS Visual C++ if it is not installed.
- Uninstall the existing MS Visual C++ runtime, then install the latest version of Microsoft Visual C++ runtime. After installing, restart the system to apply the changes.
Delete Saved Games
Deleting all data stored in the game. The data will be saved in the cloud, so after clearing the saved data, reinstalling or launching the game will restore the saved game data.
PlayStation
- Open Settings, then go to storage.
- From there, choose Saved Data, then choose Mortal Kombat 1.
- After that, press the Option button on the controls, choose saved game data files, and hit delete to clear the saved game data. After this, restart your game to see the changes.
Xbox
- Head over to Profile & System, then go to Settings.
- Choose system and then click on storage, then select Manage Storage Device and Clear Local Save.
Xbox Cloud Saves
- Head over to My Games & Apps, then press the Menu button on the controller.
- Choose Manage Game & Add-on, then select Saved Data.
- Choose Mortal Kombat 1 data, confirm the deleting process, and wait for it to finish. Then, reboot the console to make changes.
Nintendo
- Go to the Home menu, then select System Settings from the drop-down menu.
- After that, choose the system, then select the Formatting option, and choose Delete all content and settings from the browser’s menu.
- Now, clear the cache and follow the on-screen instructions to fix it.
Use Task Switcher
If facing a black screen, press the Alt + Tab keys to open the Task Switcher. This will allow you to switch between apps, even if your game is on full-screen Windows.
Disable the Windows Firewall or Antivirus Program
You can disable the Windows firewall for the private network, which sometimes temporarily blocks the game. However, temporarily disable or turn off the real-time protection and firewall.
Windows Firewall
- Search for the firewall in the Windows Start menu, then select Windows Defender Firewall.
- Click “Turn Windows Defender Firewall on/off” from the left pane, then turn off the Private Network or Public Network settings.
- Now save it, and then restart your computer.
Privacy and Security
- Open Windows Settings, then head over to Updates and Security.
- Choose Windows Security from the left pane and click the Windows Security button.
- Go to Virus and Threat Protection, then click on Manage Settings.
- From there, disable the real-time protection and proceed with turning off the antivirus. You can also turn off cloud-delivered protection and tamper protection if required.
Set High Performance in Power Options
In the power options, you can choose a power mode that does not run on balance mode. Select the high-performance mode, which will consume more power or battery to enable the performance mode.
- Go to the Power Options and click on High Performance to select it.
- Next, make sure to restart your computer to improve performance.
Audio Output Device
- Right-click on the sound icon on the taskbar, then click on Open Sound Settings to choose the correct audio device.
- After making changes, test the audio with the master volume and try relaunching the game.
Perform a Clean Boot
Apps and services automatically start during boot, and if you’re experiencing issues, perform a clean boot on your computer.
- Open msconfig by pressing Windows + R, then type “msconfig” and press Enter.
- In the System Configuration, enable the “Hide all Microsoft Services” checkbox, turn off all other services, and apply the changes.
- Go to the Startup tab in the Task Manager and turn off all unnecessary startup items.
- That is it!