Alexis Kestler
As an avid FIFA player, few things are more frustrating than error messages preventing you from getting on the pitch. If you‘ve recently encountered the bizarre notification "This software cannot be used at the same time as the game: Hypervisor" when trying to launch FIFA 23, you‘re definitely not alone.
Thousands of fans have reported this same Hypervisor issue since the game‘s worldwide September 30 release, leaving players fuming and EA scrambling for a solution.
In this comprehensive troubleshooting guide, I‘ll walk you step-by-step through what‘s causing the Hypervisor error, the most effective methods for fixing it yourself, and what to expect from EA in future updates. As both a lifelong soccer gaming fanatic and computer technician, I‘ve got the inside scoop on banishing this bug for good.
What Exactly is the "Hypervisor" Causing Problems in FIFA 23?
First, let‘s quickly demystify what a Hypervisor actually is and why it‘s wreaking havoc specifically in FIFA 23.
A Hypervisor is software that creates and runs virtual machines (VMs) on your computer. It allows you to have multiple simulated environments and operating systems all running at the same time on a single hardware host.
Popular Hypervisors like VMware Workstation, Windows Hyper-V, and Oracle VirtualBox are commonly used by developers for testing software in different OS environments.
So what does this have to do with FIFA?
Well FIFA 23 includes new anti-cheat technology aimed at stopping hackers and cheaters who have plagued the game‘s online modes for years. However, this anti-cheat tool seems to also flag Hypervisors as unauthorized third-party applications that could be used to exploit or modify the game.
Once FIFA 23 detects an active Hypervisor running in the background, it immediately blocks you from launching the game – resulting in the frustrating "This software cannot be used at the same time as the game: Hypervisor" error message.
Why the Hypervisor Error is New in FIFA 23
Long-time fans may recall that this Hypervisor conflict is completely new to FIFA 23 and did not appear in previous entries like FIFA 22.
During the FIFA 23 beta in late summer 2022, the issue also did not emerge. It only began popping up after the official worldwide launch on September 30.
The working theory is that the extensive new anti-cheat protections aimed at PC players have wider than intended consequences, blocking legitimate hypervisor software. However, EA has not issued an official explanation yet.
On forums and social media, the community outrage makes it clear this is a major problem that EA desperately needs to address:
"I‘ve never had an issue with Hyper-V enabled on my PC until FIFA 23. Game is literally unplayable."
"@EASPORTSFIFA when will you fix the hypervisor issue? I just want to play career mode man"
"Installed FIFA 23 yesterday and have the same problem. Will not run with Hyper-V enabled. Come on EA, this is ridiculous."
As an expert gamer and self-described tech geek, I‘ll walk you through various methods to get around this roadblock so you can get back on the pitch.
4 Ways to Fix "This software cannot be used at the same time as the game: Hypervisor"
Based on reports from players across Reddit, Twitter, Steam forums, etc., here are the top solutions for bypassing the Hypervisor error in FIFA 23:
1. Disable Windows Hypervisor Platform
The most straightforward fix is to simply disable the Windows Hypervisor feature through your Control Panel:
- Open Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows Features on or off
- Uncheck the box next to "Windows Hypervisor Platform”
- Click OK and restart your PC
By turning off the built-in Hyper-V tools in Windows, you prevent any conflict with FIFA 23.
Tip: Sometimes Hyper-V may re-enable itself after Windows updates. You can run the Command Prompt as Administrator and enter:
DISM /Online /Disable-Feature:Microsoft-Hyper-V This permanently disables Hyper-V to stop it from turning itself back on.
2. Disable Virtualization Based Security in Group Policy
You can also stop Hypervisors specifically by using the Local Group Policy Editor to toggle off virtualization-based security:
- Press Win + R to open the Run dialogue and type "gpedit.msc"
- Navigate to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Device Guard
- Set the policy for "Turn on Virtualization Based Security" to Disabled
- Click Apply and OK
This change disables the Windows Defender Credential Guard features that leverage hypervisor technology, removing the conflict with FIFA.
3. Turn Off Virtualization Technology in BIOS
If FIFA 23 still detects a Hypervisor active, you may need to dig deeper and disable virtualization at the motherboard-level in your BIOS:
- Reboot your PC and enter BIOS setup, typically by pressing F2, Delete, or a function key like F12
- Find and disable Intel Virtualization Technology or AMD-V options depending on your CPU
- Save changes and exit BIOS
With virtualization fully disabled on your hardware, there‘s no way for a Hypervisor to run behind the scenes.
Warning: Disabling virtualization in BIOS can impact performance in other applications that leverage this feature, like Docker. Only use this method if all else fails.
4. Repair or Reinstall FIFA 23
Finally, you can take the scorched earth approach and completely reinstall FIFA 23 through Origin, Steam or the Epic Store. This forces the anti-cheat protections to fully reinitialize and hopefully resolve any conflicts with the Hypervisor.
- For Origin – Right click FIFA 23 > Repair game
- For Steam – Go to Library > Right click FIFA 23 > Properties > Local Files tab > Verify integrity of game files
- For Epic – Uninstall then reinstall FIFA 23 fresh
Be sure to fully close and restart your game launcher to complete the reinstallation. This should reset the anti-cheat and clear the Hypervisor error.
Digging into Diagnostic Logs for Clues
If you still can‘t get FIFA 23 to launch after trying all those steps, your next move should be checking the Event Viewer application logs on Windows for clues.
Filter to the time when you attempted to launch FIFA 23 and look under the Application errors. Any debug information related to the game failing to start or anti-cheat conflicts could help identify permanent solutions.
You can also monitor your CPU and RAM usage levels in Task Manager while trying to start FIFA 23. If you notice spikes during launch, that indicates a resource conflict with the Hypervisor kicking in.
These diagnostic logs may provide the insight EA needs to patch the Hypervisor incompatibility. So consider sharing your findings on their official technical forums orsupport site.
Which Hypervisors Cause the Most FIFA 23 Issues?
Based on user reports, here are the Hypervisor platforms most frequently linked to the "This software cannot be used" error in FIFA 23:
- Windows Hyper-V – The built-in Hypervisor in Windows 10 and 11 seems widely problematic.
- VMware – One of the most popular enterprise Hypervisors, VMware Workstation triggers the error for many.
- Oracle VirtualBox – Used by developers for testing different OS builds, VirtualBox also struggles with FIFA 23.
Meanwhile, these alternatives seem to avoid conflicts so far:
- Parallels Desktop – Designed for Mac, this hypervisor causes fewer FIFA 23 issues.
- QEMU – The open source hypervisor QEMU also appears less likely to break FIFA 23.
So if you need to run virtual machines, switching from Hyper-V or VMware to options like Parallels or QEMU may provide a temporary workaround until EA resolves the root issue.
Waiting on an EA Fix for FIFA 23 Hypervisor Problems
Given the scope of complaints across social media and forums, EA is likely working as fast as possible to patch the anti-cheat detection glitch that blocks hypervisors. Until an official fix is released, you‘ll need to use the workarounds outlined here.
EA has not given an estimated date for an update, though some users have reported the error disappearing on its own after a few hours. For most however, only a patch from the developers will permanently address the problem.
You can check the EA Help site at https://help.ea.com/en/fifa/fifa-23/ or contact @EAHelp on Twitter for any status updates. I‘ll also monitor the situation closely and update this guide as soon as a FIFA 23 patch is released.
As a long-time FIFA gamer myself, I definitely empathize with the frustration of this Hypervisor issue preventing you from enjoying the latest entry. Hopefully the fresh gameplay innovations and revamped chemistry system will be worth the wait once you‘re past this roadblock.
Don‘t hesitate to reach out on social media or the EA forums if any other errors pop up. The community is working together to find solutions and help fellow fans. We‘ll get through this together and be dominating the pitch again soon. Game on!
