PC Version FAQ

Information about


 * general hints for PC players
 * Technical stuff: Link to unoffical patch notes and "tech-support"
 * Graphic settings, comparisons between different settings and additional settings which are not standard in the game menu.

Intro
The Wiki is not supposed to give "tech support", but we will share information about known bugs too.

If there are any differences for a certain platform, it will be mentioned on the according article ("PC only" etc.).

Basic recommendations

 * start the game via the launcher to make sure online play is enabled, use a LAN cable to have a stable connection
 * play Journey on a big screen (just connect your PC to the TV via HDMI)


 * a controller was the original way to play Journey, use shoulder buttons for flying, control explained in detail (RT button might make the game crash). Info for remapping buttons further then the game settings allow: -- > Hints for the regularly travelling Wayfarer.


 * adjust graphic settings not only in-game but on your screen (presets on TV or the extra program for your graphic card)
 * try to play with a headset at least once
 * General FAQ will be answered in the First Journey-Guide and the follow up guides, as well as the Basics Guides.
 * There are many community terms used to describe things in Journey. Use this list to find out what they mean.

Keyboard FAQs:


 * What are basic keyboard controls? See this guide
 * How do I sit/meditate using keyboard? Press Enter key
 * How do I pause the game / invoke screensaver? Press P key. You can also try F10 which freezes the game without invoking screensaver (tested on Steam version)

Patch notes
see Differences Between Versions --> PC

In July 2020 a patch for Steam, Epic and iOS version was released and may have fixed some of the issues that are mentioned here.

Known issues and solutions (Epic and Steam)
Players have reported the game being more likely to crash/freeze than on PlayStation, though details may vary by rig (a PlayStation is always rather the same build, thus less errors might appear).

General hints for common problems:


 * Steam Technical Support Forum - link


 * some people reported that things like plugging in the other monitor / the headset, activating the laptop screen, while playing on the TV etc... helped. This might be due to PC settings, like allowing the Journey app to use the main monitor or the sound on that device...
 * do not run Journey at the edge of your PCs performance. It seems that sometimes high settings/low performance has an effect on achievements or even crashes ("FPS")
 * via Steam "local files": find the Journey.exe, set it to run with admin rights
 * set Steam to start with admin rights
 * try to enable or disable the steam cloud. Warning: this might mess with your game progress, achievements will not be deleted
 * Run the game, open Task Manager, rightclick Journey.exe, navigate in the drop-down menu to "set priority". This is a try-and-error: choose lower priority and see if it helps; or higher...
 * Make sure your firewall and anti-virus software allow Steam and Journey.exe
 * Uninstall Journey, restart the PC and reinstall with admin rights.

Journey does not start
See hints above.


 * One solution is starting the Journey.exe directly with admin rights.

Rightclick in Steam libary on Journey, properties, navigate to local files to find the Journey.exe.


 * If a "missing .dll error appears", try this YouTube video :

How To Fix Steam Games Not Launching (Error: Missing msvcr110.dll OR msvcp110.dll)

Bad performance / CPU overload

 * 1) Switch preferred graphics processor (GPU):  Sometimes Windows10 switches an app/program to use CPU instead of your graphics card (GPU), this leads to bad performance. Here is a link on how to change your preferred graphics processor in win10: https://pureinfotech.com/set-gpu-app-windows-10/
 * 2) Besides lowering graphic settings (ultra not always best), you can try the following:  Run the game, open Task Manager, rightclick Journey.exe, navigate in the drop-down menu to "set priority". This is a try-and-error: choose lower priority and see if it helps; or higher...

Crashes after editing the graphics options
Solution: Change the settings to your liking, then restart the game. This might also happen due to a certain PC setup.

Windowed mode and window size, at least, appear to be safe to edit, as are the "VelvetSpecularCorrection" settings in the Journey.cfg file.

Crashing at first symbol in first level / RT button bug
Also crashing when hitting other triggers, like a banner. The option to use the shoulder buttons wasn’t added until v1.47, since the patch it seems to make the game crash at certain places, when using the RT-button setting at the ingame options.

Possible Solution:

"If you are using trigger LT or RT in settings for fly and chirp that spot crash for me aswell, so to bypass it change to something else and change back once passed it."

Dont set the RT button ingame options, rather use an external program, to change the button.

Game crashes at credits
This means, the player can not get certain achievements and is not able to see the Companions Met Along the Way list.

2020-11: Steam discussion about a possible solution. Worked for at least two people:

Solution: Run the game, open Task Manager, rightclick Journey.exe, navigate in the drop-down menu to "set priority". Choose a higher priority.

To test if it works, use the Snow level building in Chapter Select (CS) and just do the last two levels.

Name list problems / Companions Met Along the Way
Epic Games: most solutions in the article below, are probably not possible.


 * name missing in list
 * name is only numbers
 * crash before the list appears
 * can not find the specific name
 * too many results after searching for the name

Black sky, fog in tower wrong / MSAA bug
This has been fixed by the "sound-patch" from 2020-07-15.

The bug appears when changing the MSAA in the options menu. The major problem with this bug is that it changes the Goo in the Tower level. See image to the left, the Tower itself will look like its made of Goo and where it should be there is only black. This makes it hard to find things in the Tower. Looking from above into the Goo looks normal.

The MSAA bug causes differences in Broken Bridge and Paradise too. Sometimes black "formations" can show up in the screensaver animation.

Solution: If you changed graphic settings (msaa), restart the game or the bug will most likely appear later in game.

Adventure Achievement not working?
Some Steam players reported, that they tried several times and were not able to achieve it. Sometimes it might be, that also bigger gates were used (those do not count into the Achievement, only those shown in the Achievement-picture do).

At the beginning of July, some players reported that lowering the graphic settings, made them finally able to get the Achievement:

"I MADE IT, after tried it like 60 times. I just put the game all in low, also the resolution, I played it in 4:3, windowed.

I did 5 arcs (not 6, I missed 4th arc) at the first part, then all the arcs from the second part. I used the white robe, and entered the level through the level selector. I'm sure is related with FPS. :) Hope this work for someone else "

For further hints, read into this thread, at around page 5, start of July:

https://steamcommunity.com/app/638230/discussions/1/2521401367307609981/

Game Doesn't Save Progress?
PC related bugs are hard to track down and could also have different triggers. This section is only a collection of experiences reported by people.

Checking if its a bug:


 * After finishing a Journey, you start your next again with no scarf and normally with a red robe. Thats not an error.
 * Assuming you were on your first Journey: If "nothing" is saved, then you still have only one yellow line at the bottom of your robe, meaning you are on your first journey. You can also check at the Wardrobe, if the symbols you collected are shining. If nothing is shining and you picked up symbols, then the game didnt save the progress.
 * Journey should update the save file everytime you enter the next level. If you quit the game in Broken Bridge, it should ask you for "continue" or "new journey" at the next start. Continue should bring you then to the BB level again.

Possible solutions:


 * Within the credits and after them, the game will save certain information. The game counts a Journey as finished, when the line "new Journey" appears.
 * The game doesn't always save if you select "Quit to Desktop" or close the game directly (via "Alt + F4" or other methods). A workaround for this is to select Quit to Title from the pause menu before you close the game.
 * Checking if the save file is updated after going into the next level (timestamp).
 * See Known issues and solutions above.

Highest graphic setting not always the best?
As you can see here the sand seems to sparkle on low, this effect is missing on ultra. It also looks more grainy then on ultra, which looks more firm.

Ingame sand settings on medium or low makes the sand look more grainy, like actualy sand.

Graphic settings via the TV or the graphic card program can change the look of the game by a lot. Gamma and color settings, as well as ingame settings. It might take some Journeys and adjusting to find the perfect setting for your PC and monitor. Look at how the game looks for others: Streamers list.

Some Glitches look or behave differently, depending on dune settings. See Dune settings and PC glitches.

Robe moving too wild and quickly
If you did not play Journey before, you might not recognise that something is off. You can compare, by watching videos from console players.

Reducing the max FPS to around 60 can help avoiding the common undesired effect of the wayfarer's cloak and other cloth creatures being way too agitated.

If you're in this situation and your monitor has a very high max framerate setting available (120, 144, 200 or even more), you may want to consider giving a try to capping the max framerate of the game with the Nvidia control panel (or similar for an AMD GPU).

You should disable the V-sync in the game settings in this situation as well.

Adjust the shine of the sand (even in each level)
This has been figured out by people on the fan-discord. Since PS3 is the original version it would be possible to adjust each levels shine to the most look-alike setting.

The ingame settings allow you only little and step-wise settings. If you like you can adjust every possible setting manually within the

journey.cfg for more detailed settings

 * Navigate to the following folder:
 * or
 * open the Journey.cfg file in an editor
 * rightclick on the file and choose "open with" and then editor or "other program"
 * Follow the describtion in the picture/adjust the shine to your liking
 * search words with ctrl+f

The settings shown in the picture show the settings where we tried to make PC journey look like PS3. Feel free to play around with those settings until you become blind ;) See second picture, thats just too much.Once you have familiarized yourself with the file, you will see that you can also edit these settings per level. It is recommended to leave "VelvetSpecularCorrection" on the default value for the "Mountain" level.

Changing the .cfg is hacking?
Editing that Journey.cfg file is exactly what changing options in the in-game menu does. The menu just doesn't expose some of the settings that the developer decided were fine as they were. It doesn't modify the game itself and it doesn't change how other players interact with you. You can even experiment with the file all you like, because if you really mess up the settings and everything looks terrible, just delete that .cfg file and the game will make a new one at default settings next time you start.

VSYNC on or off?
If your PC has trouble running Journey smoothly, even with medium or low graphic settings, turning VSYNC on may help.

See also Robe moving too wild and quickly.

Having VSYNC off, may cause the following:

Playing offline, PC versions
Note: means not being able to play with a Companion. It can be used to have an undisturbed, not guided first Journey or when you want to explore or train things alone.

Epic Games specifics
Since a patch in April 2020, playing offline seems a bit complicated. With Epic Games version 1.59 the saving system for Journey has changed too.


 * Old and new save files do not work anymore.
 * Players tried to delete their progress; for example starting the Journey.exe directly from the game folder (works).
 * It was found out that cutting the internet connection makes the game crash if you go to another level. However you can still cut the internet after starting the game and go online after watching the vision at the statue, to avoid meeting people. Then go to the next level and cut internet again. You could also teleport from Chapter Select to any level by entering the corresponding circles of lights (thus playing offline).
 * You cannot go from Chapter Select  to Broken Bridge without internet but you can cut internet just after entering Broken Bridge if you wish to practice on this level. You cannot connect to a companion until you walk past the first 2 pillars of the bridge anyway (just do not jump down after entering the level).

Starting the game via Journey.exe / not using the Epic Games Launcher
This way you will start as a first run again. If you start the game normally via the launcher and connected to the internet, you get your progress back.

In the past the "start game via the .exe file" made you play offline, while keeping your progress.

Steam specifics
there are two ways to play offline.


 * 1) Through steam settings / Offline on Steam:
 * 2) *Go to Steam > Go offline...
 * 3) *Agree to restart in offline mode
 * 4) *Start the game.
 * 5) *To go online you will need to go to Steam > Go online..., which will ask you to restart steam again, hence the game will be closed.
 * 6) *It's impossible to switch between online and offline playing this way without quitting the game!
 * 7) Through turning your internet connection off. You can do that at any moment during playing your game or before starting it. Try not to do it, if you already have a Companion around: you will get disconnected. To go online just turn your internet on again.
 * 8) * If you have cloudsave enabled, trying to start the game offline this way will take some time: steam will try to connect to the cloud first, fail to do that and tell you about it, offering you to choose whether to play the game anyway or cancel it. You need to press 'play game' here to continue.
 * 9) *Be careful, this method can lead to some glitches you will not encounter otherwise.

Unlike the Epic Games version, both of these methods will keep your saves while you're playing offline and when you go online afterwards.

Block the network traffic for Journey at your firewall
Not tested with version Epic Games version 1.59, but should bring you also back to a first run.


 * How To Block a Program with Windows Firewall (Windows 10)
 * Microsoft Help Page

External homepage, PCgamingwiki
This homepage also provides some technical info about Journey, PC version.

https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Journey