Have you ever been playing a video game, knee-deep in intense action, when suddenly everything stops? The picture on the screen becomes frozen in place and the sound effects either continuously repeat or cease entirely.
It has probably happened at some point to everyone who plays video games. While it can mean your game is in need of repair or cleaning, it can also be a simple, easily correctible malfunction.
What to do When Your Game Freezes
If your game freezes up and stops playing, you do not have to turn it off immediately. Give it about thirty seconds or so to see if it corrects itself. Sometimes games have to process so much data at once that they cannot continue playing until they sort out everything that is happening.
If your game does not continue playing after thirty seconds, turn off your console’s power or reset the game. If you are playing on a computer, you may just need to exit the game (by pressing Alt and Tab simultaneously) and close the program window. Forcing a shutdown on a computer can be hazardous to various programs and the computer itself, so it is best to try to close the game program first.
Fixing a Physical Error
If you are playing a disc-based game, freezing can be caused by scratches or foreign material (dirt, fingerprints, or food particles) on the underside of the disc. Scratches on the topside of the disc will not affect play as your console or computer only reads the underside.
If your disc is scratched, it is very likely that is what is causing the freezing issues. You may need to have your disc repaired. You can purchase a disc repair kit at many electronics retailers or take it to a pawn shop or video game store that repairs scratched discs.
To clean your disc, wipe it first with a wet, non-abrasive cloth, then again with a dry one.
If you are using a cartridge game, such as a Game Boy or Nintendo 64 game, you may need to blow gently into the cartridge to dislodge dust particles.
Correcting Non-physical Errors
If you are playing a game that was downloaded onto your console or computer and are experiencing freezing problems, then you may have a corrupted file. It can sometimes help to delete the game or downloaded content and re-download it.
Freezing can also be caused by errors in a game’s code, which can often by fixed by applying or removing updates. If you have constant freezing errors, and your game has never received an update or patch, it is best to connect your console or computer to an internet connection to see if any updates are available. This can fix freezing issues with the Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas games as well as many others.
Sometimes freezing is caused by too many things happening onscreen at once. It can help to play the game at a slower pace. Rushing through an area in an action game can cause numerous enemies to react to you and swarm on you, overloading your console. This is rare, but if the freezing always occurs when you have a lot of characters onscreen, it can be worth it to slow down and take the game at a more measured pace.
If your game freezes during online multiplayer games, it could be due to your internet connection or the way your online match is arranged. Try joining games instead of hosting them in order to make online matches easier on your connection. If you are hosting games, you can give your internet connection less work to do by keeping preset options and avoiding custom maps and custom matches.
If you are playing a game on your computer that freezes often, you may not have software that is powerful enough to run it properly. You can often fix this issue by buying a better graphics card or by changing the settings on your game. Before buying a computer game, you should always check to make sure your computer has the required specifications to run it properly.
If none of these fixes work for you, you should call the customer support number for the game manufacturer. This number can be found in the back of the game’s instruction booklet.