You’ve seen the fix: add -dx11codecodecodecodecodecode, -dx12codecodecodecodecodecode, or -d3d11codecodecodecodecodecode to the Steam launch options. They’re presented as interchangeable workarounds, but they aren’t. Each one targets a different rendering backend, and picking the wrong one can mask the real problem or introduce new instability. Let’s cut through the copy-paste advice.
What Each Launch Option Actually Does
Modern Windows games don’t talk directly to your GPU. They call a graphics API – typically Direct3D 11 (D3D11) or Direct3D 12 (D3D12). The launch option tells the game’s engine which API to initialize.
Forcing DirectX 11 via -dx11 provides mature driver support and often resolves crash-on-launch errors.
-dx11codecodecodecodecodecode and -dx12codecodecodecodecodecode are generic Steam launch arguments. Many games recognize them, but their behavior depends entirely on the engine. In Unreal Engine 4/5 titles, -dx11codecodecodecodecodecode forces D3D11, and -dx12codecodecodecodecodecode forces D3D12. In other engines, they may be ignored or misinterpreted.
-d3d11codecodecodecodecodecode is a specific Unreal Engine command. It forces the engine to use the D3D11 renderer, bypassing any engine-level logic that might default to D3D12. This is the most reliable way to enforce a D3D11 path in Unreal-based games.
CONTROL Resonant runs on an evolved version of Remedy’s Northlight engine. Northlight has its own rendering abstraction, but the source material confirms that all three arguments work in practice. The reason is that Remedy included explicit command-line mapping for these arguments, likely for debugging and compatibility testing. That mapping is not guaranteed to exist in every title.
-dx11: The Baseline Fallback
Forces the DirectX 11 runtime. D3D11 is mature, has broad driver support, and doesn’t require the explicit resource management that D3D12 demands. If your game crashes on launch with a DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNGcodecodecodecodecodecode or DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_REMOVEDcodecodecodecodecodecode, switching to D3D11 often resolves it. But it also disables features like variable rate shading and mesh shaders that could be enabled under D3D12.
-dx12: The Modern Gamble
Forces DirectX 12. This gives the engine more direct control over GPU resources, which can improve CPU-bound performance and reduce draw-call overhead. The trade-off: D3D12 drivers are more complex and less forgiving. A buggy driver, an unstable overclock, or a conflicting overlay application can cause crashes that D3D11 would never trigger. In the troubleshooting guides for CONTROL Resonant, -dx12codecodecodecodecodecode is consistently listed after -dx11codecodecodecodecodecode – a tacit admission that it’s less reliable for this title.
-d3d11: The Unreal-Specific Override
Here’s where it gets non-obvious. -d3d11codecodecodecodecodecode doesn’t just switch the API – it also sets a feature level. In Unreal Engine, -d3d11codecodecodecodecodecode forces the D3D11 renderer to run at feature level 11_0, even if the hardware supports 11_1 or 12. This can eliminate crashes caused by driver quirks in higher feature levels. You lose no critical features for CONTROL Resonant because the game was designed to run on D3D11 as a base target. But you also lose any D3D12-specific optimizations that the Northlight engine might use when available.
Which One Should You Use?
The answer depends on your hardware and the specific error.
If you get DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNGcodecodecodecodecodecode or DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_REMOVEDcodecodecodecodecodecode on launch: start with -dx11codecodecodecodecodecode. Those errors are classic D3D12 timeouts. -dx11codecodecodecodecodecode removes the driver’s need to manage timeouts, and in most cases stops the crash. If -dx11codecodecodecodecodecode still fails, use -d3d11codecodecodecodecodecode – it enforces a lower feature level that older or buggy drivers handle more gracefully.
If the game launches but stutters or freezes randomly: test -dx12codecodecodecodecodecode. The original Control had known stuttering issues on D3D11 with certain NVIDIA drivers. If you’re on a 30-series or newer NVIDIA card with a driver from the past six months, D3D12 might actually run smoother. But if you see a black screen or crash after the splash logo, revert immediately.
If you have mods installed: use -d3d11codecodecodecodecodecode. Mods often hook into D3D11 rendering functions. Forcing D3D12 breaks those hooks, causing crashes that look like engine faults. -d3d11codecodecodecodecodecode keeps the D3D11 renderer active, which is what most mods expect.
If you’re on a laptop with an Intel iGPU + NVIDIA/AMD dGPU: use -d3d11codecodecodecodecodecode. The integrated GPU rarely supports D3D12 well. -dx12codecodecodecodecodecode may try to initialize on the iGPU and fail silently. -d3d11codecodecodecodecodecode forces the game to use D3D11, which both GPUs handle natively, and combined with setting high-performance GPU preference in Windows Graphics Settings, you avoid the fallback path.
The Real Problem These Arguments Don’t Solve
Adding a launch option is a workaround, not a fix. If -dx11codecodecodecodecodecode or -d3d11codecodecodecodecodecode gets the game running, you still have a driver-level incompatibility that could reappear when you update your graphics driver or Windows. The canonical solution is to clean-install the latest stable driver for your GPU (using DDU in safe mode) and verify that no overlay software (Discord, GeForce Experience, MSI Afterburner) is interfering. The launch options just buy you time until a game patch or driver update addresses the underlying issue.
And if none of these arguments work at all – the game crashes on the splash screen regardless – then the problem isn’t the API. It’s something deeper: a corrupted shader cache, a missing Visual C++ redistributable, or a system-wide driver conflict. In that case, the launch options are a distraction. Move directly to clearing the DirectX Shader Cache (using Disk Cleanup), updating Windows, and reinstalling the Visual C++ 2015-2022 redistributables (both x86 and x64). That combination resolves the stubborn cases that launch options can’t touch.
- What does the -dx11 launch option do for CONTROL Resonant?It forces the DirectX 11 runtime, providing mature driver support and often resolving crash-on-launch errors.
- What does the -dx12 launch option do?It forces DirectX 12, offering better CPU-bound performance but with more complex and less forgiving drivers.
- What does the -d3d11 launch option do?It forces the D3D11 renderer at feature level 11_0, even on hardware that supports higher levels, eliminating certain driver quirks.
- Which launch option should you use on a laptop with dual GPUs?Use -d3d11 to ensure both the integrated and discrete GPUs handle the game natively.
- What should you do if none of the launch options work?Clean the shader cache, update Windows, and reinstall the Visual C++ redistributables to resolve deeper driver conflicts.
