Gaijin Entertainment is known for its free-to-play vehicular combat multiplayer video game ‘War Thunder‘ released in 2013. It offers cross-platform, MMO military gaming which is heavily attracted by aviation, armoured vehicles, naval craft, etc. The title is doing well in terms of the graphics, controls, and multiplayer mode. But War Thunder Crashing, Freezing, or Stuttering on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S becomes too frustrating for players.
It looks like there are plenty of reports appearing on several forums regarding the War Thunder game, which includes startup crashes, lags, freezes, stutters, other graphical glitches, and more. Though such issues are common on PC and prone to happen quite often, these days, even the gaming consoles like PlayStation & Xbox users are encountering a lot. Now, if you’re also facing the same issue then make sure to follow this troubleshooting guide to fix it.
Fix: War Thunder Crashing, Freezing, or Stuttering on PS4 or PS5
The screen flickering or freezing issue or even crashing issues can happen at any time on gaming consoles apart from the black screen issue or screen tearing, etc. If you’re using the PlayStation console and facing such an issue then make sure to follow the troubleshooting methods below individually until the problem gets fixed. So, without further ado, let’s jump into it.
1. Use Another Graphics Mode
It’s expected to encounter frame drops in some games occasionally even if you’re using the PS4/PS5 console. Make sure to try using another graphics mode in the game settings menu to cross-check whether the higher graphics settings are conflicting with the system performance or not. Sometimes changing the graphics mode or reducing the graphics quality up to some extent (depending on your need), may fix such an issue.
2. Reboot the PS4/PS5 Console
If in case, you’re one of the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 console users and having issues with the system performance or even the in-game performance then make sure to reboot the PS4/PS5 console to refresh the system. Sometimes a simple restart of the console may fix the issue with the game crashes or lags, stutters, screen flickering, etc.
3. Update PlayStation Firmware
It’s recommended to update the PS4/PS5 system software to avoid graphical glitches or lags. You can follow the steps below to install the update.
- Head over to Settings > Hit System.
- Select System Software > Hit System Software Update and Settings.
- Select Update System Software > Select Update Using Internet.
4. Update War Thunder
If you haven’t updated the War Thunder video game on your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 console for a while then make sure to update it by following the steps below:
- Turn on your PS4/PS5 console > Go to the Home screen.
- Now, navigate to the main menu on top.
- Head over to the Games tab.
- Scroll down to War Thunder and highlight it.
- Press the Options button on your controller.
- Finally, choose to Check for Update from the drop-down menu.
5. Power Cycle your PS4/PS5
It seems that sometimes any system glitch or cache issue can cause errors, crashes, lags, screen flickering, etc. By power cycling your console, you can simply clear the temporary cache or glitch to improve the performance.
- First, shut down your console completely.
- Next, remove the power cable from the console.
- Wait for around 30 seconds and plug the cable back in.
- Finally, turn on the PS4/PS5 console and check for the issue again.
6. Keep PS4/PS5 in a well-ventilated area
In some scenarios, your PS4/PS5 console may trigger several issues with the system performance or game lags due to overheating. Sometimes the lack of proper air ventilation in the room may cause hardware stress that directly affects gameplay or gaming performance. So, it would be best if you kept your PS4/PS5 console in a well-ventilated place to check whether there is an overheating issue.
The proper airflow and the cooler place or temperature inside the room might help the PS4/PS5 console work better. Keeping the console in a congested area or directly under sunlight may trouble a lot.
7. Check your TV or Monitor
Another possible reason behind the War Thunder game lagging on the PS4/PS5 console is that your TV or monitor might have some issues with the screen refresh rate. Maybe a temporary glitch or the refresh rate issue on the PS4/PS5 console may trigger some issues.
8. Check the HDMI port
It’s also recommended to check the HDMI port of both the console and display device properly because a misalignment or dust particles can easily cause connectivity issues. Try gently removing the HDMI cable and blowing some air in force to clear dirt/dust from the HDMI port.
9. Check the Free Hard Drive Space
Sometimes having low storage space on the hard drive can also trigger application launching issues apart from glitches, slow loading, lags, graphical issues, etc. You should always check for free hard drive storage space before getting to any other conclusion. If the free storage space is too low, then make sure to uninstall unnecessary games or other applications from your PlayStation console and check for the screen tearing issue again.
10. Eject the Game Disc and Gently Clean It
If in case, you’re using the disc edition of the PlayStation console, then keeping and using the physical discs are quite a tough job because any scratches or physical damage or even dust particles can easily ruin the disc and your gaming experience too. So, it’s suggested to eject the game disc and gently clean it using a microfiber cloth to remove smudges, and dirt, then try inserting the disc again to check for the issue.
11. Try Playing Another Game on PS4/PS5
Sometimes PlayStation games may not run properly, which is a bit of a letdown. Make sure to play another game on the PS4/PS5 console to check for the issue, or wait some time to try again.
12. Clear War Thunder Game Data
Clearing out the game-saved data on the console may also fix multiple issues with the game launching or gameplay. You can try it out:
- Go to Settings > Select Application Saved Data Management.
- Choose System Storage, Online Storage, or USB Storage > Select Delete.
- Select the War Thunder game > Checkmark the files you want to delete or Select All.
- Finally, select Delete > Select OK to confirm the task.
- Once done, reboot your console to check for the War Thunder screen freezing issue on the PS4/PS5 console.
13. Rebuild Database
Rebuilding the database on your PlayStation console can quickly resolve potential issues or errors. To do so:
- Switch off your console completely. Unplug the power cable from the console and wait for around 2-3 minutes.
- Now, plug in the power cable, and turn it on to clear the Cached Data automatically from the system.
Check whether this issue has been fixed with the War Thunder game or not. If not, follow the next steps below.
- Now, press and hold the Power button on the PlayStation console until you hear 2 beeps. [The second beep will sound after seven seconds]
- The console will boot in Safe Mode > Connect the controller to the USB with the console and press the PS Button on the controller.
- Next, you’ll get an option called Rebuild Database.
- Select Rebuild Database and confirm the task.
- It may take some time, depending on the hard drive data size. Have some patience.
- Once done, reboot the system normally.
14. Hard Reset your Console
In most cases, performing the hard reset of your console can fix system glitches or cache data issues from the game itself. To do so:
- Switch off your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 console first.
- Once the console is turned off, press and hold the Power button on the console until you hear two beep sounds within a couple of seconds.
- Here you’ll see two reset options to choose from.
- Select the necessary option to reset your PlayStation console.
- Wait for the process to complete and then make sure to sign in to the PlayStation account.
- Finally, install the War Thunder game, and try running it.
15. Don’t Put in Rest Mode
As a bonus method make sure not to put your console in rest mode because it may cause the system to have glitches or fully goes into rest mode. So, during the gameplay sessions, don’t put in the rest mode. To do so:
- Go to the PS5 Settings menu > Open the Power Saving tab.
- Select Set Time Until PS4/PS5 Enter Rest Mode.
- Set to Don’t Put in Rest Mode > Restart the console to apply changes.
Fix: War Thunder Crashing, Freezing, or Stuttering on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
If you’re using the Xbox gaming console and facing the screen tearing issue with the War Thunder game, then follow the methods below.
1. Check System Updates
We’ll highly recommend you check for system updates on the Xbox console before jumping into any other getting into any other workarounds because an outdated system version can trigger screen-related issues whatsoever. To do so:
- Press the Home button on the Xbox console to open the Dashboard menu.
- Now, select Settings from the bottom of the menu > Select All Settings.
- Choose System > Select Updates.
- Select Update Console (if available) > Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the update process.
- Once done, make sure to restart the console to apply changes.
2. Update War Thunder
You should also update the game version on your console to ensure there is no issue with the game files. An outdated or corrupted game can easily trigger multiple issues whatsoever. To do so:
- Go to the My Games and Apps section of your Dashboard menu.
- Select Manage > Go to Updates.
- If your War Thunder game has any available updates, you can find them easily.
- Select the update process and press the A button on the controller to start it.
Note: It’s worth recommending going to the Settings page > Choose Systems > Select Updates to update your game automatically whenever the console is connected to the internet.
3. Power Cycle your Xbox Console
Performing a power cycle method on your Xbox console is worth mentioning to ensure there is no issue with the device firmware or glitch. A normal reboot might not work in most cases and requires a power cycle process to clear out temporary glitches or cache data issues. To do this:
- Power Off the Xbox console > Unplug the power cable from the console and power source.
- Now, wait for around 30 seconds, and then plug back the power cable in.
- Make sure to turn on the Xbox console and check whether the screen freezing issue has been fixed or not.
4. Reinstall the Game
You should also try uninstalling and reinstalling the War Thunder game on your Xbox console. Once done, make sure to reinstall it on the Xbox console to avoid game-related issues. To do this:
- Press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu.
- Select My Games and Apps > Hit See all > Choose Games.
- Then select the Ready to install tab > Select Queue.
- Select the War Thunder game that you’re trying to reinstall.
- Now, press the Menu button on your controller.
- Select Manage game & add-ons or Manage app.
- Choose War Thunder > Select Uninstall all.
- Make sure to select Uninstall all to confirm the task.
- Wait for the uninstallation process to complete.
- Reboot the system to apply changes.
- Then press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu again.
- Hit My Games and Apps > Select See all > Go to Games.
- Select the Ready to install tab > Hit Install for War Thunder.
- Wait for the installation process, and then restart the console.
5. Reset the Console
If the above methods didn’t work for you, then make sure to follow the steps below to reset the console manually simply. By doing so, you can easily clear out system glitches or cache data issues from your console whatsoever. To do so:
- Press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu.
- Select Profile & system > Go to Settings > Select System.
- Go to Console info > Select Reset console.
- You’ll get a prompt like Reset your console.
- Here you should select Reset and remove everything. [This will delete all user data, including accounts, saved games, settings, all installed apps & games, etc]
- Although you can choose to Reset and keep your games & apps, it may not resolve the issue in most cases.
- After you select the option, your Xbox console starts deleting and resetting the system to the factory default settings.
- Wait for the process to get completed, then reboot the console.
That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.
