**Microsoft** has acknowledged a series of persistent issues preventing games from launching or causing them to crash following the August 11, 2026, **Windows** updates (**KB5121003**) and subsequent releases. The tech giant's latest findings point to **RGB lighting** peripherals as a potential culprit. Initially confirmed by **Microsoft** on Wednesday, the problem affects games such as **ARC Raiders**, **MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls**, and **The Finals** on systems running **Windows 11 24H2** and **25H2**. Users have reported game freezes, "EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION" errors, and even unexpected system restarts. In a Thursday update, **Microsoft** elaborated: "Ongoing investigation indicates that this issue is related to peripherals or internal device components which have RGB lighting features. Such devices may install drivers or code components with file names similar to **inpoutx64**. In systems where these drivers are found, the issue is then triggered by launching certain games." **Microsoft** is actively working to understand the precise relationship between these **RGB** components and the games that trigger the issues, promising further updates as more information becomes available. ## Unofficial Workaround from Game Developers **Embark Studios**, the developer behind **ARC Raiders** and **The Finals**, has also weighed in, attributing the crashes to the **inpoutx64.sys** file. They suggest that recent changes to the **Windows kernel driver** are the underlying cause. "We're aware of a crash that has been impacting some players since the most recent **Windows** update (**KB5121003**). This is a crash related to the file **inpoutx64.sys**, which changed with the **Windows** update," **Embark Studios** stated. While an official fix from **Microsoft** is pending, **Embark Studios** has provided a temporary workaround. This multi-step process involves deleting the service and removing the **inpoutx64** file from the **Windows** drivers folder. ## A Recurring Problem for Windows Gaming This isn't the first instance where **Microsoft** has had to address gaming performance and stability issues stemming from **Windows** updates. In October 2024, **Microsoft** blocked **Windows 24H2** upgrades that led to **Asphalt 8** crashes and **Easy Anti-Cheat** blue screens. Similarly, in January 2025, a compatibility hold was lifted after a bug in the **Auto HDR Windows** feature, which was breaking some games on **Windows 11 24H2** devices, was resolved. Early last year, **Microsoft** also removed several upgrade blocks affecting players of titles like **Asphalt 8: Airborne**, **Assassin's Creed**, **Star Wars Outlaws**, and **Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora**, preventing them from updating to the latest **Windows** versions.