Fix X-Plane 12's Vulkan 1.3 required error by checking GPU support, installing the correct driver and selecting the right graphics device.
X-Plane 12's “Vulkan 1.3 or newer is required” error means the simulator cannot access a Vulkan 1.3-capable graphics device through the active driver. Install the latest correct GPU driver, force laptops to use the discrete GPU, and verify that the hardware itself supports Vulkan 1.3; unsupported cards must be replaced.
Fix the Vulkan 1.3 error in this order
Check which GPU X-Plane detects. Open
Log.txtin the main X-Plane 12 folder immediately after the failed launch. Search forVulkan, the graphics-device name and the reported API version. The file is replaced on each launch, so inspect it before running X-Plane again.If the log names an Intel or AMD integrated GPU instead of the NVIDIA or AMD discrete card you expected, the hardware may be compatible but X-Plane is using the wrong adapter.
Install the correct graphics driver. Download the supported driver for the exact GPU model from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel rather than relying only on the generic driver supplied through the operating system. Use the driver's clean-install option if one is offered, then restart the computer.
The mistake we see most often is updating the integrated GPU driver while leaving the discrete GPU on an old or incomplete driver. Both may need updating on a hybrid-graphics laptop.
Force X-Plane to use the discrete GPU. In Windows Graphics settings, add
X-Plane.exeand select the high-performance GPU. Laptop users should also connect mains power and check that the manufacturer's power utility has not disabled the discrete card. On a desktop, connect the monitor to the dedicated graphics card rather than the motherboard output.Verify Vulkan support outside the simulator. On Linux, run
vulkaninfo --summaryafter installing the distribution's Vulkan tools. The intended physical GPU must appear and expose Vulkan 1.3 or newer. Our Linux graphics-driver and GPU-detection walkthrough covers Mesa, proprietary drivers andvulkaninfoin more detail.Undo graphics wrappers and repair the installation. Temporarily remove any third-party Vulkan layer, graphics injector or wrapper that you deliberately installed. Then verify X-Plane's files through Steam or run the X-Plane installer/updater to repair a direct installation. Do not download replacement Vulkan DLL files from an unrelated download site.
Check the hardware limit. If the correct, fully updated driver still reports a maximum Vulkan version below 1.3, that driver and GPU combination cannot run X-Plane 12. Lowering graphics settings will not change the supported API version. Compare the machine with our explanation of X-Plane 12's GPU compatibility baseline before replacing hardware.
What do the Vulkan results mean?
| Detected result | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Correct GPU, Vulkan 1.3 or newer | Broken installation, conflicting Vulkan layer or another launch fault | Repair X-Plane, disable graphics injectors and inspect the rest of Log.txt |
| Integrated GPU only | X-Plane is assigned to the power-saving adapter | Select the discrete GPU in the operating system and GPU control panel |
| Vulkan 1.2 or older | Outdated driver or hardware on a legacy driver branch | Update the driver; replace the GPU if 1.3 remains unavailable |
llvmpipe, lavapipe or another software device | The physical GPU's Linux Vulkan driver or ICD is missing or broken | Install the correct hardware driver and remove conflicting driver packages |
| No physical Vulkan device | Missing driver, disabled GPU, virtual machine or remote-session limitation | Launch locally and repair or enable the physical graphics adapter |
Can I bypass X-Plane 12's Vulkan 1.3 requirement?
No. X-Plane 12 has no OpenGL fallback on Windows or Linux, and a launch option, lower rendering preset or deleted preferences cannot add Vulkan 1.3 support. Installing the Vulkan SDK does not make an incompatible GPU compatible either; the graphics driver must expose the required API.
X-Plane 12 uses Metal rather than Vulkan on macOS. These Vulkan-specific steps therefore apply to Windows and Linux; a Vulkan message encountered through a compatibility layer or virtualised environment does not describe the native macOS renderer.
Why does the error remain after updating the driver?
The newest available driver is not always a Vulkan 1.3 driver. Older GPUs eventually move onto legacy driver branches, so their final supported package may still expose only Vulkan 1.2 or earlier. The API version reported by the active driver—not the driver's release date—settles the question.
Also check that Windows has not substituted a basic display driver, that the discrete GPU is enabled, and that X-Plane is not being started through Remote Desktop or a virtual machine exposing a software adapter. On Linux, mixed Mesa and proprietary-driver components can leave the Vulkan loader pointing at the wrong ICD.
What if X-Plane starts but then crashes?
If X-Plane reaches the menu and later reports a device-loss message, Vulkan 1.3 initialisation has succeeded; use our separate Vulkan device-loss troubleshooting steps. If the original warning disappears but the simulator still closes during launch, work through the broader X-Plane 12 launch-crash checks for plug-ins, preferences, damaged files and other errors recorded in Log.txt.