CyberGhost recently published an article on iconic video game glitches, and some of them reminded us of better, nostalgic times.
Even though they can be hilarious, glitches often cause all sorts of problems, and spoil everyone’s fun. To help you minimize glitching issues, here are a few pieces of advice on how to minimize the glitching risk.
What Causes Video Game Glitches?
In the simplest of terms, glitches are errors in video games. They manifest themselves as graphics of a video game failing to load properly, characters getting stuck, animations malfunctioning, or background objects not working the way they were programmed to.
Although the majority of glitches don’t cause significant issues in a video game, they can sometimes be quite distracting. But understanding their root cause might help look at the problem a little more objectively and reduce the problem.
Video games are becoming more complex. Their production often requires a team of hundreds of developers. When the individual units of the games are pieced together to create the entire thing, some discrepancies may occur. These glitches may go unnoticed for a while and finally come to attention later– sometimes when it is too late.
The usage of gaming consoles and PCs in modern gaming happens to be another factor that can cause glitches. These gadgets require their individual hardware parts to be assembled together in order to form a whole unit and function well. This work is usually done by interfaces like DirectX that make the process seamless. However, errors in assembling still do occur and show up as video game glitches.
Sometimes, glitches are present in video games for practical purposes. They are called development glitches and come in handy to developers. The construction of a video game is never a linear process. Several versions and levels of the same game are created in order to decide what works and what doesn’t.
Developers and video game testers need to have access to all the previous versions, levels, and missions of video games even though they have the newer stuff. And that’s why they often intentionally leave gaps in different video game levels. This helps them test their creation and progress ahead quicker.
In case the glitch is still present in the video game, then it was either forgotten all about or it was left on purpose.
How To Prevent Video Game Glitches?
Knowing why glitches occur might have helped you understand that they are not completely horrific. In fact, they sometimes serve a greater purpose! Despite this, the fact that they can be a hindrance between you and a seamless gaming experience doesn’t change. So, in this section, I will tell you what you can do to prevent gaming glitches.
Patch Updates
Patch updates released by game developers go a long way when it comes to fixing and preventing glitches. These developers closely montior the performance of a video game after its release and come up with updates that can fix glitches that players may come across. So, you can stay on a look out for such patch updates that other users found handy and install them for your game.
In fact, developers themselves release a list of errors that players can come across while playing a particular game. Along with that, they also release updates that can be installed beforehand to avoid running into a glitch.
Install Hardware Updates
Hardware updates go a long way in eliminating glitches and enhancing performances of video games. Visual glitches that arise out of GPU drivers plus other display and audio related glitches can largely be prevented by simply updating drivers regularly.
A lot of GPU manufacturers of gaming PCs, like NVIDIA and AMD, offer free applications that notify users that latest software and driver updates are available. Other component and accessory manufacturers do the same too.
Provide Feedback
Upon coming across a glitch in a video game, the first thing you do might be to go on the internet and see if your fellow gamers are also experiencing it. If you notice that you’re the only one going through the glitch, you should immediately report it to the developers of the same. Doing so will increase the chances of the glitches you’re facing getting fixed quicker. Plus, other similar glitches might get fixed in the process too.
Plus, several games contain in-game forms that make the process of reporting glitches easier. You should also ensure to go through the GameFAQs to check out other resources and information from the developer on how to navigate your way through glitches and errors better.
Pay Attention To Game Installation
Plenty of video game glitches occur because of faulty installation processes that make a file go corrupt and give rise to in-game issues. So, you need to pay attention to how you install a game – make sure that the process isn’t disturbed in between, check for driver updates before you begin, etc.
In case you run into some error while installing a game, uninstall it to clear the system and start all over again. Plus, before installing a game, make sure your device is updated to its latest version.
Final Words
Glitches can be quite fun, but it is also true that they can prove to be problematic. However, now that you know the causes and preventive measures, you will be able to have a pleasant gaming experience!