Troubleshooting

This guide covers the most common issues you might encounter while using PlayRen and how to fix them.

Black Screen After Launch

If the game launches but you see a black screen:

1. Wait a few seconds — the game may still be loading. Some titles take 5-10 seconds to render the first frame after the stream connects.
2. Click on the stream area — the game window may need focus to start rendering.
3. Check your browser — make sure you're using a supported browser (Chrome, Edge, or Firefox). See System Requirements.
4. Disable browser extensions — ad blockers and privacy extensions can interfere with WebRTC connections. Try disabling them temporarily.
5. Try a hard refresh — press Ctrl+Shift+R (or Cmd+Shift+R on Mac) to reload without cache.

Lag or Stuttering

If the stream is choppy, delayed, or stuttering:

1. Check your internet speed — you need at least 10 Mbps for a smooth experience. Run a speed test at fast.com.
2. Use a wired connection — Wi-Fi introduces latency and packet loss. Ethernet is always more stable.
3. Close other tabs and applications — bandwidth-heavy activities (video streaming, large downloads) compete with your game stream.
4. Move closer to your router — if you must use Wi-Fi, reducing distance and walls between you and the router helps.
5. Enable hardware acceleration — in your browser settings, make sure hardware acceleration is turned on. This offloads video decoding to your GPU.

Connection Failed

If you see a "connection failed" or "unable to connect" error:

1. Check your internet — make sure you're online and other websites load normally.
2. Firewall or VPN — corporate firewalls and some VPNs block WebRTC traffic (UDP). Try without the VPN, or ask your network administrator to allow UDP traffic.
3. Try a different network — if you're on a restrictive network (school, office), try from home or a mobile hotspot.
4. Retry — transient server issues can cause one-off failures. Wait 30 seconds and try launching again.

No Audio

If the game plays but you can't hear sound:

1. Unmute the stream — the stream starts muted by default due to browser autoplay policies. Click the unmute button in the stream toolbar.
2. Check system volume — make sure your device volume and browser tab aren't muted.
3. Check browser permissions — some browsers require explicit permission for audio. Look for a speaker icon in the address bar.

Game Won't Launch

If clicking Play doesn't start a session:

1. Check your plan limits — if you're on the Free plan, you may have exhausted your monthly playtime. Check Dashboard > Plan & Billing.
2. Wait for server availability — during peak hours, all servers may be busy. The system will queue your request.
3. Check the status page — visit the Status page to see if there's a known outage or maintenance.

Save Data Missing

If your save progress seems lost:

1. Check the correct slot — make sure you're launching from the same save slot where your progress was saved.
2. Don't confuse slots — each of the 3 slots is independent. Launching from Slot 2 won't load Slot 1's saves.
3. Check if the slot was deleted — if you or someone with access deleted the slot, the data is gone permanently.

Still Having Issues?

If none of the above solutions work:

• Visit the Contact page to reach our support team.
• Use the Support section in your dashboard to submit a ticket.
• Include your browser name and version, your operating system, and a description of the issue.