---
title: Vulkan check — GPU acceptance | Meridian
description: Confirm Vulkan 1.3 support for Meridian: driver updates, discrete-GPU selection on laptops, and failure diagnosis.
canonical: https://ps5emulatorwindows.com/reference/vulkan-check
updated: 2026-10-13
---

# Vulkan check

Vulkan 1.3 with current drivers on the discrete GPU. Fail this and nothing else can pass.

## Facts (2026-10-13)

- **Floor:** Vulkan 1.3, current vendor drivers
- **Laptops:** Discrete GPU selected for Meridian
- **Check:** Launcher Vulkan probe passes
- **Scope:** Required before any rating run

## Procedure

1. Update GPU drivers from the vendor (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel) — not from Windows Update alone.

2. On laptops, force the discrete GPU for Meridian in Windows graphics settings. Integrated graphics fail the probe by design.

3. Launch Meridian and confirm the Vulkan probe passes before installing firmware or indexing. A failing probe invalidates every later step.

## Failure map

- Probe fails on desktop: drivers are stale or the GPU predates Vulkan 1.3. Update, then re-probe.

- Probe fails on laptop: the integrated GPU answered. Force high-performance selection and re-probe.

- Probe passes but titles crawl: check VRAM headroom in [GPU and VRAM](/hardware/gpu-vram) and the baseline in [Minimum and recommended hardware](/hardware/minimum-recommended).

Why Vulkan at all is answered in [Why Vulkan](/diff/why-vulkan). Free build: [Download Meridian](/download).

## FAQ

### Can Meridian run on OpenGL or DirectX?

No. The renderer is Vulkan 1.3 only. There is no fallback path.

### My laptop has two GPUs — which one?

The discrete GPU, forced in Windows graphics settings. Integrated graphics fail the probe.

### Drivers are current but the probe fails?

Confirm the GPU supports Vulkan 1.3 at all. Older hardware cannot pass regardless of drivers.

## Related

- [Reference](https://ps5emulatorwindows.com/reference)
- [How it works](https://ps5emulatorwindows.com/reference/how-ps5-emulator-works)
- [Why Vulkan](https://ps5emulatorwindows.com/diff/why-vulkan)
- [GPU and VRAM](https://ps5emulatorwindows.com/hardware/gpu-vram)
- [Boot system software](https://ps5emulatorwindows.com/protocol/boot-system-software)

## Download

Free Windows app: [Download Meridian](https://ps5emulatorwindows.com/download)

Markdown mirror: https://ps5emulatorwindows.com/reference/vulkan-check.md