Thanks for the reply. I installed 19.2.0-rc1 but the issue still persists.

glxinfo | grep 'version'

server glx version string: 1.4
client glx version string: 1.4
GLX version: 1.4
Max core profile version: 4.5
Max compat profile version: 3.0
Max GLES1 profile version: 1.1
Max GLES[23] profile version: 3.1
OpenGL core profile version string: 4.5 (Core Profile) Mesa 19.2.0-rc1
OpenGL core profile shading language version string: 4.50
OpenGL version string: 3.0 Mesa 19.2.0-rc1
OpenGL shading language version string: 1.30
OpenGL ES profile version string: OpenGL ES 3.1 Mesa 19.2.0-rc1
OpenGL ES profile shading language version string: OpenGL ES GLSL ES 3.10
GL_EXT_shader_implicit_conversions, GL_EXT_shader_integer_mix,

That seems to have done the trick! The game now launches and seems to play without issue.

I'm seeing the same issue on a machine with an Intel HD 4600, which isn't able to utilize iris.

if using mesa-git as of this commit https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/mesa/commit/9fb45c5bbd11fa54c0777021a236114e414207f8 . the game will now work just fine on gen6+ with the i965 driver. tested with haswell, but the main fixing commit https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/mesa/commit/fa4d981f6f9fdb9a8d91568f08e5ce813ca76b62 enabled GL_EXT_gpu_shader4 for Gen6+ so the game should also work just fine on ivybridge

Problem

FF8 launcher crashes at start with this error:

Proton log:
steam-1026680.log

System Information

GPU: RX 6700 XT
Kernel: 5.12.12-arch1-1
Proton: Experimental
Steam system information: https://gist.github.com/minecraft2048/1c26932f3ae1874173dc94649407a493

I can also reproduce/am experiencing the issue that kiask-valve migrated over from maran's original report

I, too, experience this issue.

After sleeping the Steam Deck and going into any menu (main menu / tutorial screen etc) the game graphics engine seems to freeze, sound does keep playing. Only way to fix is to restart.

I am happy to report that this seems to have been solved in the Steam Deck OS 3.4 Update

Tried playing on the Steam Deck using Proton Experimental, but it keeps crashing.

After playing for about 45 minutes, the graphics glitch out and disappear, leaving only the audio. Since you can only manually save at save points, this results in a loss of progress every time this happens.

I had PROTON_LOG=1 enabled because it crashes so often but I can't upload the full log since it's 209MB.

Here's the log's header and some of the exceptions logged when the graphics glitched out.

======================
Proton: 1779444645 experimental-11.0-20260522b
SteamGameId: 1026680
Command: ['/home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered/FFVIII_LAUNCHER.exe']
Options: {'forcelgadd', 'noxalia', 'gamedrive'}
depot: 4.0.20260415.225012
pressure-vessel: 0.20260414.0
scripts: 0.20260414.0
steamrt4: 4.0.20260415.225012 steamrt4 4.0.20260415.225012
Kernel: Linux 6.16.12-valve21-1-neptune-616-g6e6a05c0d53f #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Wed, 20 May 2026 22:57:44 +0000 x86_64
Language: LC_ALL None, LC_MESSAGES None, LC_CTYPE None
PATH: /home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Proton - Experimental/files/bin/:/usr/bin:/bin
System WINEDLLOVERRIDES: dxgi=n
Effective WINEDLLOVERRIDES: dxgi=n
Effective WINEDEBUG: +timestamp,+pid,+tid,+seh,+unwind,+threadname,+debugstr,+loaddll,+mscoree
======================
ntsync: up and running.
80379.995:0028:002c:trace:seh:install_bpf Installing seccomp filters.
80379.995:0028:002c:trace:seh:check_bpf_jit_enable enabled 0x31.

83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault code=c0000005 flags=0 addr=0xf0460ff1 ip=f0460ff1
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault  info[0]=00000001
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault  info[1]=0000002c
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault  eax=00000000 ebx=e0000422 ecx=00000001 edx=00000000 esi=7a19cdac edi=7a19cd08
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault  ebp=0059f878 esp=0059f820 cs=0023 ds=002b es=002b fs=0063 gs=006b flags=00210202
83223.215:044c:0450:warn:seh:handle_syscall_fault backtrace: --- Exception 0xc0000005 at 0xf0460ff1: /usr/lib/pressure-vessel/overrides/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libgallium-25.3.0.so + 0x741ff1.
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault returning to user mode ip=765f555a ret=c0000005
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault code=c0000005 flags=0 addr=0xf0460ff1 ip=f0460ff1
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault  info[0]=00000001
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault  info[1]=0000002c
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault  eax=00000000 ebx=e0000422 ecx=00000001 edx=00000000 esi=7a19d0ac edi=7a19d008
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault  ebp=0059f878 esp=0059f820 cs=0023 ds=002b es=002b fs=0063 gs=006b flags=00210202
83223.215:044c:0450:warn:seh:handle_syscall_fault backtrace: --- Exception 0xc0000005 at 0xf0460ff1: /usr/lib/pressure-vessel/overrides/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libgallium-25.3.0.so + 0x741ff1.
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault returning to user mode ip=765f555a ret=c0000005
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault code=c0000005 flags=0 addr=0xf0460ff1 ip=f0460ff1
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault  info[0]=00000001
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault  info[1]=0000002c
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault  eax=00000000 ebx=e0000422 ecx=00000001 edx=00000000 esi=7a19d22c edi=7a19d188
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault  ebp=0059f878 esp=0059f820 cs=0023 ds=002b es=002b fs=0063 gs=006b flags=00210202
83223.215:044c:0450:warn:seh:handle_syscall_fault backtrace: --- Exception 0xc0000005 at 0xf0460ff1: /usr/lib/pressure-vessel/overrides/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libgallium-25.3.0.so + 0x741ff1.
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault returning to user mode ip=765f555a ret=c0000005
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault code=c0000005 flags=0 addr=0xf0460ff1 ip=f0460ff1
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault  info[0]=00000001
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault  info[1]=0000002c
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault  eax=00000000 ebx=e0000422 ecx=00000001 edx=00000000 esi=7a19d52c edi=7a19d488
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault  ebp=0059f878 esp=0059f820 cs=0023 ds=002b es=002b fs=0063 gs=006b flags=00210202
83223.215:044c:0450:warn:seh:handle_syscall_fault backtrace: --- Exception 0xc0000005 at 0xf0460ff1: /usr/lib/pressure-vessel/overrides/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libgallium-25.3.0.so + 0x741ff1.
83223.215:044c:0450:trace:seh:handle_syscall_fault returning to user mode ip=765f555a ret=c0000005
83223.231:044c:0470:trace:seh:NtGetContextThread 0xfffffffe: eax=000014bb ebx=7bf3b940 ecx=00000000 edx=00000000 esi=00000002 edi=00000001
83223.231:044c:0470:trace:seh:NtGetContextThread 0xfffffffe: ebp=0627ff38 esp=0627fe1c eip=7b5e1c48 cs=0023 ss=002b flags=00000246
83223.231:044c:0470:trace:seh:NtGetContextThread 0xfffffffe: ds=002b es=002b fs=0063 gs=006b
pid 33188 != 33187, skipping destruction (fork without exec?)

@TraceBullet Did you start the game on deck or elsewhere and then moved to deck? I ask because I played about an hour and half, defeating monsters in the over world and ifrit, and didn't run into any issues with steamos stable and proton experimental, so more details are needed. Maybe the issue only manifests later on into the game, in which case a save file would be useful, or maybe you've modded the game and that's a factor.

So try and share any information you can think of. As for the log, they tend to compress well, you might be able to share it if you zip it first.

@simifor I had Eden Launcher installed so I just reinstalled the game and loaded my save without any mods, and I still ran into the blackout glitch. Running SteamOS on the Beta update channel and Proton Experimental.

Video of the glitch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4Wza7c89us

Error Logs from that session

My FF8R Save Games

It's not consistent but this is what I did prior to the glitch:

1. Loaded my manual save in Eshtar
2. Went to Lunar Gate and watched the scenes there
3. Returned to Eshtar and started the event to board Lunatic Pandora
4. Reloaded my save since I missed something before the event
5. Redid steps 1-3 at 3x speed
6. Hit the blackout glitch

@TraceBullet I think I hit the same issue with your save file, it seems like a random chance with scene transitions. Just to make sure this matches what you see, does the game crash eventually after you hit the black screen? after around 15 seconds I got kicked back to the game's launcher.

It'd also be helpful to know if you've tried the game in a setup different from steamos beta + proton experimental and if you ran into the same issue with those setups.

@simifor I don't remember if the game crashed after the black screen. I just closed the game soon after since it was unresponsive.

I did switch my Steam Deck from the Beta system update channel to Stable and kept using Proton Experimental for FF8, and I haven't encountered this black screen glitch since then.

@TraceBullet haven't had luck reproducing again on beta/experimental, but given that both are moving targets, there's a chance the issue was resolved by an update. Now that steamos beta made its way to stable, and assuming you haven't finished the game again, it'd be good to know if you can still hit this issue.

@simifor Just ran into the issue again on the latest Steam Deck Stable/Proton Experimental updates. Was running around Ultimecia Castle for about 30 minutes and the game crashed when I unlocked the Treasure Vault door while in 3x speed mode. The graphics disappeared leaving only the music, then a few seconds later I couldn't access the Steam Deck's menus and the Deck rebooted itself.

Here's the logs from this session: steam-1026680.zip

@TraceBullet Does that unlock get accompanied by some sort of screen transition? Just curious if a pattern can be established. There's a chance deck itself didn't reboot but steam did, they'd look very similar so it'd be good to confirm which one it was. Steam button > settings > system > create report (near the bottom of the page) > save to desktop. This will create a text file after a few minutes, you can access it in desktop mode in the desktop folder.

Would also be good to know an estimate of how much time you played since the last time you hit the issue previously

@simifor Here's that system report you requested: systemreport-20260701011138.zip

Slight correction on my last report - I didn't have the key at the time, so it just crashed while the locked door text was still on screen.

I started again to recover my lost progress (with 3x game speed enabled) and I hit the crash again on a different map transition. I was able to play for about 30 minutes before that crash. Here's the logfile: steam-1026680.zip

Looking at my achievements, it looks like today was the first time I've played since SteamOS 3.8 got pushed to Stable. I think I had 15 hours of game play progressing through Disc 3 and doing sidequests while on the old Stable update.

Edit: Crashed yet again after 33 minutes, this time in the middle of the final boss battle.

@TraceBullet just to make sure I have details clear, on the previous stable bracnh (3.7.x) the game was working seemingly fine, right?
And what looked like a reboot, was that around 7:20pm? the logs show that gamescope crashed around that time, which would take down steam with it, and the recovery process is going to look a lot like a reboot.

Edit: Try changing your launch parameter to PROTON_USE_WOW64=1 %command%

@simifor That's correct.

I also tried the PROTON_USE_WOW64=1 %command% launch option, and that might solve this issue. I was able to play for 90 minutes all the way through to the ending without encountering this crash.

Ended up here from Google after receiving the same issue around 5 times and was about to put down the game for good. Game would randomly just display a black screen and music would be playing still. No menus would work and would have to back out to steam and start again.

I also feel like it was the upgrade to 3.8 that started this issue but have no hard evidence.

Setting PROTON_USE_WOW64=1 %command% launch options have so far resolved the issue, playing in 2 separate hour log sessions without the issue. Sleeping steam and the game between.