U49 on PC won't use laptop's high performance GPU

Moohemoth · March 10

Haven't seen this issue anywhere yet, but just as the title says ever since the update I can't get the game to use my NVIDIA GPU and it *only* chooses to use my CPU's integrated AMD GPU. Even going into the graphics settings in Windows to tell it to use the high performance GPU for eso64.exe won't stop it from using my integrated one.

PrinceShroob · March 10

Do you use MSI Center? From what I understand, this behavior usually happens because, basically, the computer has been told to use the integrated card unless the program is intensive enough to need the more powerful card, and it isn't reading the game as a game.

I have the same problem with with running Morrowind on my laptop--it's not recognized as a game so it just uses the integrated card. Unfortunately, the only fix I know of is to force the computer to use the NVIDIA card at all times.

Moohemoth · March 10

nope, no software like that, but good call! only things I got to manage what GPU a game runs on is windows graphics settings, and NVIDIA control panel. neither of 'em can make the game run with the right GPU for some reason. I wonder if it's related to not being able to pick which monitor the game runs on either

this is all after rebooting and letting Windows update and everything too, for the record.

quick EDIT: finally found someone else mention this exact problem on reddit, so it's hopefully not just me lol. exact same experience!

TazD · March 13

Game not using the high performance GPU after update 49, FPS drop after update 49
I have the same Problem.
With AMD GPUs.
First I only saw that the FPS after the update dropped fromm 100 to below 40 even 30. Was thinking about network etc ...
Later I found this post I checked the stats for GPUs. Found that the internal GPU goes to full load while the high performance one stays more or less idle.
Makes the game unplayable on a normal graphics quality.
:-(

CassandraMurphy · March 13

Please ZOS, notice this issue since it has been noticed only in reddit but we have not received any updates here.
May we receive any comments about it?
@ZOS_Kevin @ZOS_JessicaFolsom

Hello! I’m experiencing the exact same issue, and it only started after Update 49 — I had never encountered anything like this before.

I’m playing on a Lenovo Ideapad Gaming laptop with both an integrated AMD Radeon graphics card and an NVIDIA GeForce 3050 Ti.
After the update, all my graphics settings disappeared. I can no longer select a monitor (even though I’m using my laptop display), resolution, or DLSS. The NVIDIA GPU is no longer being recognized. In Task Manager, it’s clear that the game is not detecting my GPU at all.
The issue appears to be related to hybrid GPU setups (integrated AMD Radeon + NVIDIA GPU), as the game is no longer detecting the dedicated graphics card after the update.

I have tried every solution I could find online, including contacting NVIDIA support and following all the troubleshooting steps from the TESO FAQ and TESO Support. Unfortunately, nothing has worked and also Support agents did not address the issue to the dev team in order to fix that. All my other games run perfectly fine, and I even had my laptop checked at a service center — there are no hardware issues.

On the morning of March 9, 2026, the game was running perfectly with no issues. However, immediately after the update on March 10, 2026, this problem appeared.

I strongly believe this issue is related to the update and should be investigated by the developers. The more visibility this problem gets, the higher the chance it will be noticed and addressed.

Please take into consideration:
• our post in reddit
• another post related to the issue despite this one
• also topic where GPU is detected but settings for monitor disappeared and it looks similar to the problem which is described here. The only difference, TESO doesn't recognize GPU anymore.

This is how it looks like:

Please, we need your help to come back to the game!

CassandraMurphy · March 25

@ZOS_Kevin @ZOS_JessicaFolsom
I made my own experiment and maybe it can help you to reproduce the issue.
I tested the game on laptops of the same model and settings: my laptop (system 1) where the game was installed and got broken after U49 and on the second laptop (system 2) where TESO has never been installed.

I would like to provide a structured and reproducible description of the issue to assist the development team.

Environment
Device: Laptop (Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3)
CPU: AMD Ryzen (with integrated Radeon iGPU)
iGPU: AMD Radeon
dGPU: NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
Graphics mode: Hybrid (AMD + NVIDIA, no MUX switch)

Issue Description
After Update 49 in The Elder Scrolls Online:

The game no longer detects the NVIDIA GPU
The system defaults to AMD integrated graphics
DLSS option is missing
Settings are missing (monitor, resolution)
Performance is significantly degraded
Critical Observations
The game was functioning correctly before Update 49 on the same system and same drivers - morning 03/09/2026 before a maintainance - everything worked with the same drivers and system. evening 03/09/2026 after a maintainance and u49 release - TESO has issues described above.
The issue appeared immediately after the update, without any system changes
The issue is not isolated — multiple players report similar problems (GPU detection issues, missing DLSS, broken graphics settings)
Reproduction Pattern (Key Finding)

Testing on identical hardware shows:

System A (existing installation before Update 49)
Game updated
❌ NVIDIA GPU not detected
System B (identical laptop, fresh install after Update 49)
Game installed after update
✅ NVIDIA GPU detected correctly
Additional Important Detail

There is a consistent pattern observed among players:

Systems where the game works correctly often use older GPU drivers (e.g., from 2024) - the game on the system 2 was tested with driver 566.36 from Thu 05/12/2024
Systems with newer drivers are more likely to experience the issue

This suggests a potential compatibility problem between Update 49 and newer NVIDIA drivers in hybrid GPU environments (AMD + NVIDIA).

Conclusion
This indicates a game-side issue introduced in Update 49, likely related to:

• GPU detection logic
• handling of hybrid graphics systems
• interaction with existing configurations or driver versions

This is not a hardware failure and cannot be resolved through further user-side troubleshooting.

Request
We kindly ask that you test this hypothesis and provide feedback on your findings. We believe that a fix already exists, as similar issues have occurred following updates in 2014, 2018, and 2024 among players.
A fix (hotfix) is required, as the issue prevents normal use of the game and persists despite all troubleshooting steps performed.

CassandraMurphy · March 27

Follow-up to previous report – additional findings (GPU detection fully reproducible)

Hello, @ZOS_Kevin @ZOS_JessicaFolsom @ZOS_GinaBruno
I would like to provide an update to my previous report, as I was able to isolate the issue further and identify a fully reproducible trigger.

1. Summary of previous findings
As described earlier:
• The issue started immediately after Update 49
• NVIDIA GPU is not detected on affected systems
• DLSS is missing
• The game defaults to AMD integrated graphics
• The issue occurs on hybrid AMD + NVIDIA laptops (no MUX switch)

I also confirmed inconsistent behavior on identical hardware:
• One system works correctly
• Another does not

2. Additional troubleshooting performed

To exclude any driver-related issues, the following steps were performed on the affected system:

• Full driver removal using DDU (both AMD and NVIDIA)
• Clean installation of the latest AMD and NVIDIA drivers
• Installation without NVIDIA App / GeForce Experience
• System reboot and clean environment setup

Result:
❌ No change in behavior
❌ NVIDIA GPU still not detected when AMD iGPU is enabled

This confirms that the issue is NOT caused by:
* corrupted drivers
* leftover configurations
* incorrect driver installation.

3. New test performed (critical result)

I conducted an additional controlled test on the affected system.

Step 1: Disable AMD iGPU (Device Manager)
Result:
✔ NVIDIA GPU is immediately detected
✔ DLSS becomes available
✔ Performance significantly improves
However, overall visual smoothness and frame pacing are noticeably degraded in this configuration.
Animations appear less fluid and micro-stuttering is present, indicating that this workaround disrupts normal hybrid GPU behavior.
Step 2: Re-enable AMD iGPU
Result:
❌ NVIDIA GPU disappears again
❌ DLSS is no longer available
❌ Game reverts to integrated graphics

4. Key conclusion (fully reproducible behavior)

This behavior is 100% reproducible:
With AMD iGPU enabled → NVIDIA is NOT detected
With AMD iGPU disabled → NVIDIA works correctly

5. What this proves

This test confirms that:

The NVIDIA GPU and drivers are functioning correctly
The system configuration is valid
The issue is NOT related to driver installation or corruption
The issue is NOT related to hardware or MUX

The problem lies in how the game detects or selects GPUs in hybrid environments.

6. Technical implication

The issue appears to be related to:
• incorrect DXGI adapter selection
• improper GPU prioritization in hybrid systems
• failure to correctly bind to the discrete GPU when iGPU is present

7. Important clarification

Disabling the AMD iGPU is only a temporary workaround:
• It breaks normal hybrid GPU behavior
• It may result in unstable frame pacing and reduced user experience
• It is not a valid long-term solution

8. Final conclusion
This is a game-side regression introduced in Update 49 affecting hybrid AMD + NVIDIA systems.

The issue is:

• reproducible
• hardware-independent (confirmed on identical devices)
• not fixable through user-side troubleshooting

9. Request
Please investigate GPU detection and selection logic for hybrid systems.

A fix (hotfix) is required to ensure:
• proper detection of NVIDIA GPUs
• correct GPU prioritization
• DLSS availability

10. Additional note
Given that similar issues have been reported after previous updates (2014, 2018, 2024), this may indicate a recurring problem in GPU detection logic after major patches.

CassandraMurphy · March 30

Following today's maintenance on 30.03.26. the issue still persists.
The behavior remains fully reproducible:
- With AMD iGPU enabled - NVIDIA GPU is not detected, DLSS missing
- With AMD iGPU disabled - NVIDIA works correctly, DLSS appears
This confirms the issue is still present and not related to drivers or system configuration.
This issue appears to be related to GPU detection and selection logic in hybrid (AMD iGPU + NVIDIA dGPU) systems, where the game fails to correctly prioritize the discrete GPU.
It is important to note that disabling the AMD iGPU is not a valid solution. While it forces correct GPU detection, it breaks normal hybrid GPU behavior, resulting in degraded frame pacing, reduced animation smoothness, and overall lower visual quality.

Could you please confirm whether this issue is being actively investigated?
Thank you.

ArchangelIsraphel · March 31

After today's update I am also experiencing this issue, which is extremely frustrating as I had fixed FPS problems with ESO related to Windows Updates only a week before.

I do not have an AMD card, but my Lenovo Legion does have an integrated intel card along with a NVIDIA GPU. Normally my performance in ESO is outstanding on this laptop. I wasn't having issues at all last night, but after todays update, I have every single problem listed in this thread.

-Frames tank from 100 down to 20.
-Game feels like I'm moving through molasses.
-Stuttering becomes progressively worse over time until the game is completely unplayable.

Although my control panel/task manager CLAIMS that my NVIDIA card is under load, it either isn't being utilized properly by the game, or something else is going on that's related to the issue other players are experiencing here.

I have done all the usual checks and re-installations of drivers, checked settings, made sure I'm running on high performance, messed with settings in windows control panel...

Really this is beyond frustrating, it seems like every 3 weeks or so I have to fix this game, when it used to run perfectly.

ZOS_JessicaFolsom · March 31

Hello! Sorry for the delayed response in providing an update on this issue. Thank you all so much for the detailed info. It's been helpful. We have a potential fix going into the next incremental patch on April 20. Unfortunately, this issue is not one we can hotfix - it requires a new client build and incremental patch. We appreciate everyone's patience as we investigated this issue and worked on a fix.

ZOS_JessicaFolsom · March 31

For a little more technical context from the devs investigating this issue, here's what they had to say:

This issue is caused by some players' integrated GPU (Intel or AMD, integrated on the CPU) reporting more VRAM available than their discreet GPU (Nvidia or AMD in the PCIe slot), so the game was picking the integrated GPU as the best candidate. We changed the way we select GPU with the fix to ask the OS for the high performance GPU, instead of iterating all the GPU on the system and selecting the one with the most VRAM. (This works on Windows 10 and 11 only though, so the fix may not work for players still on Windows 7.)