DOOM (2016): which renderer should you use?
Vulkan is the headline feature, but OpenGL is the recovery path when the game will not start. Here is when to use each.
DOOM (2016) launched with a native Vulkan renderer at a time when that was rare for a AAA release, and it remains one of the best-optimised games of its generation. It also gives you a second renderer, which is genuinely useful — because the fallback is what gets you into the game when Vulkan fails.
When Vulkan is worth it
The gains are largest on AMD cards, not only because of Vulkan itself but because of AMD-specific low-level optimisation delivered through AMD Intrinsics, with async compute available immediately. The second condition matters just as much: you benefit most when the game is CPU-limited. If you are GPU-limited and not on AMD, expect the two renderers to perform similarly — and the higher your resolution, the smaller the gain, because you become progressively more GPU-bound.
You can test where you sit by running at a low resolution such as 720p, where being GPU-bound is unlikely.
Compare your GPU's relative performance →Relative GPU performance with cited 2026 figures.When OpenGL saves you
If DOOM crashes at startup, forcing OpenGL is the recovery path. Add +r_renderAPI 0 to Steam launch options and the game will start on OpenGL, letting you reach the menu and switch renderers properly. Two specific fatal errors respond to other fixes first: "Failed to create XAudio2 engine" needs the latest DirectX End-User Runtime, and "wglCreateContextAttribsARB failed" indicates OpenGL context creation failing on your current driver.
Getting the most out of it
- Disable the Steam overlay — id Software recommended it, because external FPS counters measurably affect performance here. Use the built-in Performance Metrics in Advanced Settings instead.
- On AMD, choose TSAA or no anti-aliasing so async compute stays enabled.
- If you have 4GB of VRAM or less, adjust window size, resolution, texture quality and shadow quality, then restart after any Advanced Settings change.
Get in on OpenGL if you must, then switch to Vulkan once the game is stable. On AMD hardware especially, that is where DOOM earns its reputation.
When the game will not start at all
Two fatal errors account for most DOOM launch failures. "Failed to create XAudio2 engine" means the DirectX runtime is incomplete, so install the DirectX End-User Runtime from Microsoft. If the game closes with no message, or with wglCreateContextAttribsARB failed, force OpenGL with +r_renderAPI 0 in Steam launch options and switch back to Vulkan once you are in the menu.