A few games have started failing to launch with the message: "This program requires a graphics card and video driver that support OpenGL 2.1 or ES." The problem began shortly after downloading and playing Balatro through Steam. I have an AMD graphics card, and I've tried updating its drivers several times, but the installation finishes with a Windows-related error and apparently doesn't complete properly. I'm not very experienced with troubleshooting, so I'm unsure whether this is a hardware issue, a driver problem, or something else. What should I try?
2 Answers
This is most likely a graphics-driver problem rather than the game itself. Download the correct driver directly from AMD’s official support page for your exact graphics card, then run the installer and choose the clean or factory-reset installation option if it’s available. Restart the computer afterward and test the game again. If the installer still fails, the existing driver may need to be removed first with a driver-cleanup utility, followed by a fresh AMD installation.
First check which graphics adapter Windows is actually using. Open Device Manager, expand Display adapters, and look for a warning icon or an entry such as Microsoft Basic Display Adapter. If that appears, Windows has fallen back to a generic driver, which would explain the OpenGL error. Installing the proper AMD driver for the exact card and your Windows version should restore OpenGL support. Also restart after the installation instead of relying on the installer’s final screen.
I tried the AMD update a few times, but Windows reported that something went wrong, so it may not have installed completely. I’ll try removing the old driver and reinstalling it cleanly.