"Rendering Device Lost" after Alt+Tabbing

Technical Support
1

Alt+Tabbing causes system freezes or even black screens and game crashes.

Frequency: Short freeze and audio loop every time when Alt+Tabbing. Intermittent crash (seems more likely when Alt+Tabbing quickly out and in of the game).

System Specs:

  • OS: Windows 10 Home (Version 10.0.19045, Build 19045)
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
  • Monitor: ASUS ROG PG279, Display Port, 2560×1440@165Hz, G-SYNC

Razer Synapse 3 is running, but Chroma Connect is disabled for Overwatch 2.

Game

  • Overwatch Version: 2.15.1.1.136696.
  • DirectX 11
  • Fullscreen 2560×1440@165Hz

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Launch Overwatch 2.
  2. Alt+Tab out of the game.
  3. Quickly Alt+Tab back into the game.

A short freeze always happens. Repeat steps for crash.

Expected Behavior

Alt+Tabbing in and out should minimize/maximize the game and not crash the game or the Windows Shell.

Actual Behavior

Short freeze when Alt+Tabbing out and in.

Occasionally, when Alt+Tabbing back in:

  • Main monitor sometimes stays black for multiple seconds, up to a minute.
  • Second monitor freezes or might update sporadically.
  • Game audio loops the last clip.
  • System becomes unresponsive (Ctrl+Shift+Esc does not open Task Manager).
  • Eventually, Overwatch 2 crashes with the Error “Your rendering device has been lost! Application closing!”.
  • Simultaneously, the Windows process explorer.exe hangs according to Event Viewer.

Error Message (critical error message box):

Your rendering device has been lost! Application closing!

What I tried (unsuccessfully)

  • Windows Update
  • Game Update
  • Game Repair (using Battle.net)
  • Graphics Driver Update
  • Disabling Chroma Connect
  • Stopping Razer Synapse

Additional Information

The problem seems to be less serious when the default refresh rate in Windows’ Advanced Display Settings is set to the same refresh rate as set in the game.

This means that the monitor doesn’t have to switch refresh rate when switching between the game’s full-screen mode and the desktop.

I didn’t yet experience a crash since I set that. Short freezes less than a second duration still occur every time I Alt+Tab in or out of the game.

2

Couple of suggestions:

  • Make sure you are using Windowed mode full screen, not exclusive, especially since you run multiple monitors.
  • GPU scheduling in Windows should be enabled.
  • Go back to driver 566.36. The newer 572 drivers are buggy.

See if any of that helps.

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