Before you ask why it's broken
Redistributables
install these. all of them. yes, even that one.
Microsoft Runtimes
Visual C++ Redistributable 2015–2022
Required by the vast majority of modern PC games. If a game crashes with a missing .dll error, this is probably why. Install both x64 and x86.
.NET Framework 4.8
Required by older and mid-gen PC games. Many Unity and Mono-based games depend on this.
DirectX End-User Runtime
Installs legacy DirectX components (D3DX9, D3DX10, D3DX11, XAudio 2.7). Required by older PC games that predate the modern DirectX 12 era.
XNA Framework 4.0 Refresh
Required by games built with Microsoft XNA Game Studio. Mostly indie titles from the early 2010s.
Physics & Audio
NVIDIA PhysX System Software
Required by games that use NVIDIA's PhysX engine for physics simulation. Mostly games from the late 2000s to early 2010s.
OpenAL
Audio library used by some older PC games. If a game has no sound or crashes on audio init, try this.
Emulator Requirements
RPCS3 (PS3 Emulator)
Required to run PS3 games on PC. You also need a PS3 firmware file — get it from PlayStation's official site.
PCSX2 (PS2 Emulator)
Required to run PS2 games on PC. You'll need a PS2 BIOS file — source that separately.
Xenia (Xbox 360 Emulator)
Required to run Xbox 360 games on PC. Compatibility varies by title — check the Xenia compatibility list before downloading.
