Overwatch 2 “Rendering Device Lost” error: How to fix, possible reasons, and more

Fixing the “Rendering Device Lost” error in Overwatch 2 (image via Overwatch 2)
Fixing the “Rendering Device Lost” error in Overwatch 2 (image via Overwatch 2)

The Overwatch 2 servers and clients have been riddled with some of the most annoying bugs and performance issues that have prevented players from having a favorable experience in the game.

From abysmally long server queue times to errors and glitches that can cause the game to appear blurry, Blizzard's latest franchise entry seems to be falling short of player expectations.

One of the most annoying issues to deal with in the shooter is the “Rendering Device Lost” error, which occurs due to a TDR (timeout detection and recovery) incident when players are in the game.

This will automatically push the player out of the match, also closing the game in the process, making it one of the biggest game-breaking errors in the shooter.

However, there are a few solutions that players can employ to fix the “Rendering Device Lost” error in Overwatch 2, and today’s guide will explain each of them.


Fixing the “Rendering Device Lost” error in Overwatch 2

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The “Rendering Device Lost” error in Overwatch 2 is an extremely annoying issue to deal with in the game. However, there are a few things that players will be able to do in order to fix it.


1) Update the game to the latest version

The TDR incident can be caused due to a version mismatch that the player’s client is facing. Hence, to be able to fix it, one will be required to check for the latest version of the shooter and update it to the latest patch.

After checking for the latest game files (using either the Battle.net client on PC or the “check for updates” option on consoles) the game will automatically start to download the latest version of Overwatch 2.


2) Update the graphics drivers

Another viable solution that seems to have helped many in the community deal with the “Rendering Device Lost” error in the shooter is to update their GPU drivers. Players will be able to use apps like the NVIDIA Geforce Experience and the Radeon Software for AMD to easily upgrade their drivers to the latest version.

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Updating the GPU drivers more often than not solves issues related to game performance, and it’s likely to solve this error in Overwatch 2 as well.


3) Avoid overclocking the CPU/GPU

If fans are playing the shooter on an overclocked CPU or a GPU, they might face the “Rendering Device Lost” error more often than others. Many in the community have pointed out that restoring the clock speed to default has led to better performance and has also ruled out the error in several instances.

Hence, reverting it to the default settings might just do the trick for those who have been plagued with this game-breaking bug.


4) Avoid running background apps

This solution is for older systems that struggle to keep multiple tabs and applications open at the same time. If these users are facing the “Rendering Device Lost” error in Overwatch 2, it’s likely because they have other background apps open on their system.

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Players are therefore advised to relaunch the game after closing all background processes and freeing up their RAM as much as possible.


5) Re-install the game

While this may be one of the more drastic steps that a player can undertake, many in the community have mentioned that uninstalling and then re-installing the game seems to have done the trick.

If certain game files are corrupt and not working properly, then re-installing the game from scratch will likely solve the problem.

If players are still facing the “Rendering Device Lost” error on Overwatch 2 even after following the above steps, they are requested to submit a ticket to Blizzard Support.

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