Microsoft fixes Windows 11 game crashes caused by RGB lighting drivers

Microsoft has confirmed that a recent Windows 11 August cumulative update caused significant stability issues for gamers, including game crashes, freezes, and unexpected system reboots. The root cause was identified as a conflict between the operating system and certain RGB lighting control drivers, specifically the ‘inpoutx64.sys’ driver used by various hardware and peripheral software to access hardware ports.

Affected titles include ‘ARC Raiders’, ‘MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls’, and ‘THE FINALS’. Users reported symptoms ranging from ‘EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION’ memory errors to total system black screens or blue screens.

Microsoft has begun rolling out a fix that prevents the problematic ‘inpoutx64’ driver from loading. This patch is being deployed to consumer and commercial devices, though enterprise environments managed by IT policies may require manual intervention. The fix is expected to be fully integrated into the September Windows security updates and subsequent versions.