Direct3D 12 – Feedback, Known Issues, and FAQ

Hello all,

This thread is for feedback and issue reports related to the Direct3D 12 rendering backend in BeamNG.drive.

Direct3D 12 was introduced as the default renderer on Windows in version 0.39. It supports modern rendering features such as Shader Model 6 effects, texture streaming, and HDR on compatible systems.

We would like to hear your feedback, but please review the guidelines below before posting.

Documentation page:
https://documentation.beamng.com/support/troubleshooting/direct3d12/

Posts that do not follow the guidelines may be removed or merged.

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Posting guidelines

Before posting, please make sure to:

• Update your GPU drivers to the latest stable version.
• Install any pending Windows updates.
• Update the game to the latest version, including hotfixes.
• Remove custom launch options.
• Disable all mods and test again.
• Check if the issue occurs in Safe Mode.
• Test Direct3D 11 or Vulkan to determine whether the issue is specific to Direct3D 12.
• If the game does not start using Direct3D 12, switch to Vulkan or Direct3D 11 through the Launcher Support Tools and attach your log when reporting.

When reporting:

• Check whether the issue has already been reported. If you have additional information, reply to the existing report instead of creating a duplicate.
• Clearly describe what is happening and when it happens.
• Describe how to reproduce the issue, if possible.
• Attach screenshots or video for visual issues.
• Attach beamng.log whenever possible, especially for crashes, startup issues, or rendering errors.
• If the issue occurs only at a specific place on a map, press ALT+O and share the generated URL.

Reporting template:

The issue you’ve noticed:
(Describe what is happening. Attach a screenshot or video if useful.)

This happens when:
(Describe how to trigger the issue, if possible. This helps us reproduce it.)

My specs are:
(Include Windows version, CPU, GPU, RAM, graphics driver version, selected graphics API, and any relevant display or HDR setup.)

Logs:
(Attach beamng.log.)

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Known Issues
(as of 29.07.2026)

• Slowdowns or crashes when the game uses more VRAM than is available.
• Out-of-memory protection is disabled when the GPU has less than 6 GB of VRAM. Some levels require almost 4 GB of VRAM for non-streamable data alone. Enforcing the normal limit in these situations could prevent textures from loading.

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FAQ

1. What systems support Direct3D 12?
Direct3D 12 is available only on Windows. Native Linux uses the Vulkan renderer.
The minimum requirements include:

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit.
• Memory: 16 GB RAM.
• GPU memory: At least 6 GB of VRAM.
• GPU: AMD Radeon RX 570, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060, or better.
• Driver: A current driver with Direct3D 12 support.

A GPU reporting Direct3D 12 support does not necessarily meet the game’s feature, performance, or VRAM requirements.

2. My game does not start using Direct3D 12. What should I do?
Try the following:

• Confirm that your system meets the minimum requirements.
• Install the latest stable driver directly from AMD, Intel, or NVIDIA.
• Install pending Windows updates and restart the computer.
• Remove any custom launch options.
• Start the game in Safe Mode.
• Clear the cache using Clear Cache.
• Test Direct3D 11 or Vulkan.

When reporting the issue, attach beamng.log. The log usually contains the selected GPU, driver information, supported features, and device creation errors.

3. Why does Direct3D 12 fail even though other Direct3D 12 games work?
Different games require different Direct3D feature levels, Shader Model versions, resource-binding capabilities, and other GPU features.
BeamNG requires modern features used by its renderer. A GPU or driver may support Direct3D 12 in general while still missing a feature required by BeamNG.
Update your GPU driver first. If Direct3D 12 still fails, test Direct3D 11 or Vulkan and attach your log when reporting the issue.

4. What is the difference between Direct3D 12, Vulkan, and Direct3D 11?

• Direct3D 12 is the default renderer on Windows starting with version 0.39.
• Vulkan is a modern cross-platform renderer and is used on native Linux.
• Direct3D 12 and Vulkan support modern renderer features such as Shader Model 6 effects and texture streaming.
• Direct3D 11 is an obsolete compatibility backend. It does not support texture streaming or other features that require Shader Model 6.

On Windows, you can choice between Vulkan and Direct3D 12. You can try both and use one that works better for you. Native Linux selects Vulkan automatically.

5. Does Direct3D 12 support texture streaming?
Yes. Direct3D 12 includes texture streaming support starting with update 0.39.
Texture streaming loads texture mip levels on demand instead of keeping every texture at full resolution in VRAM. This reduces VRAM pressure and improves scalability in large scenes.

6. Why do textures look blurry or take time to sharpen?
This is usually related to texture streaming, Texture Quality, VRAM pressure, or storage speed.
Possible causes include:

• Texture Quality is set to Low or Lowest.
• The game is close to its VRAM budget and cannot load higher-resolution mip levels.
• The storage device is slow, delaying texture streaming.
• A mod or level uses very large textures.
• A mod uses uncooked or non-DDS textures.

When VRAM usage is high, the engine may prefer lower-resolution textures instead of risking an out-of-memory crash.

7. Does Direct3D 12 work with older mods?
In most cases, yes. Mods should generally work across rendering APIs.
However, some mods may contain outdated shaders, uncooked textures, invalid materials, or other content that behaves differently with a modern renderer. Always test without mods before reporting a Direct3D 12 issue.

8. Does Direct3D 12 support HDR?
Yes, Direct3D 12 supports HDR on compatible systems.
If reporting an HDR-related issue, include:

• Display model.
• Display resolution and refresh rate.
• GPU and driver version.
• Windows HDR configuration.
• Whether multiple displays are connected.
• Whether the issue also occurs with HDR disabled.
• Screenshots or photos showing the issue.
• Reported HDR mode in game settings
• beamng.log.

9. Will Direct3D 12 replace Direct3D 11?
Direct3D 12 is the default renderer on Windows starting with version 0.39.
Direct3D 11 is obsolete and is planned to be deprecated. After its removal from the current game version, it will remain available only through a separate Steam branch containing the final version with Direct3D 11 support.

10. What information is most useful when reporting Direct3D 12 bugs?
Please include:

• beamng.log.
• GPU model.
• GPU driver version.
• Windows version.
• Selected graphics API.
• Whether Safe Mode was tested.
• Whether Direct3D 11 or Vulkan was tested.
• Steps to reproduce the issue.
• Screenshots or video for visual issues.
• ALT+O location URL if the issue is map- or location-specific.

 

Hey, I forwarded your issue to the graphics developers

 

We are working on fixing the issue with texture streaming for today's hotfix. Sorry for the inconvenience.