Game developers have moved on from old operating systems like Windows 7. But some PC players have not moved on as they still use Win 7. Like a Dragon: Ishin requires Windows 10 64-bit to run as the game uses DirectX 12. However, a workaround exists to get Like a Dragon: Ishin running on Windows 7.
Run Like a Dragon: Ishin On Windows 7
Despite Microsoft dropping support for Windows 7, the operating system is still pretty popular among PC users. Games now require at least Windows 10 to play, and Like a Dragon: Ishin is no exception. There is are workarounds to get the game running on Windows 7, and here is how you can play the game on Win 7.
Force DirectX 11
Like a Dragon: Ishin uses DirectX 12 to run, which means you can’t play the game on Windows 7. However, forcing Like a Dragon: Ishin to use DX11 can make the game run on Windows 7. Right-click the game in Steam library > properties > General tab > type -dx11 under Launch options and close the window. Launch Like a Dragon: Ishin will launch on your Windows 7 operating system. For good measure, ensure you are using a 64-bit version of Windows 7.
Use Vulkan
If switching to DX11 doesn’t run the game on Windows 7, players can try Vulkan to run the game on Windows 7. This process is complicated, but players report that using Vulkan makes Like a Dragon: Ishin run on Windows 7. First, download the latest packages or versions of the following:
ZST (To open the VKD3D)
DXVK contains x86 and x64 versions. We only need the x64 versions. DXVK-ASYNC contains the following files:
- d3d10_1.dll
- d3d10.dll
- d3d11.dll
- dxgi.dll
- d3d9.dll
- d3d10core.dll
The VKD3D only contains the d3d12.dll file. Extract the contents of the x64 folder into the game library. Or you can copy the contents of the x64 folder and then right-click Like A Dragon: Ishin in Steam Library > manage > Browse local files. A new explorer window will open with game files. Find the executable and paste all the files into this directory. Also, extract the DXVK-ASYNC and VKD3D files in the same directory.
Now you need to make a new config file. Open Notepad, type the following, save the file, name it dxvk.conf, and place it in the same directory where you extracted all the Vulkan files.
dxvk.enableAsync = true
After this, you need to force the game to use DirectX 11; check the ‘Force DirectX 11’ fix above to see how to force the game to use DX11. Launch Like A Dragon Ishin, and it’ll work on Windows 7.
That is all for our guide on how to run Like a Dragon: Ishin on Windows 7. If you face crashes playing the game, see our Like a Dragon: Ishin Crash Fix. If you are facing errors and issues with other PC games or your PC, see our hub for commonly occurring PC errors and their fixes.