Photoshop: Fix incompatible GPU error

The Photoshop incompatible GPU error message can occur for several reasons, such as:

• Outdated GPU drivers: If your GPU drivers are outdated, Photoshop may not be able to recognize or utilize your GPU properly, leading to the error message.
• Unsupported GPU: If your GPU is not compatible with the version of Photoshop you’re using, you may encounter the error message. Photoshop requires a GPU with DirectX 12 (Windows) or Metal (macOS) support.
• GPU performance issues: If your GPU is under powered or has insufficient VRAM, Photoshop requires 1.5 GB of GPU memory, you may experience issues when running Photoshop. This can manifest as the “incompatible GPU” error.

If you tried already to update your GPU drivers or even went for a fresh Photoshop installation, one solution could be to force Photoshop to use your GPU by creating a file PSUserConfig.txt containing the lines:

# Force GPU On
GPUForce 1

Save the TXT file to your Photoshop version settings folder:

Windows:
[InstallationDrive]:\Users \ [UserName]\ AppData\ Roaming\ Adobe\ [Photoshop_version]\[Photoshop_version]Settings\

macOS:
//Users/[UserName]/Library/Preferences/[Photoshop_version]Settings/

The error message should be gone when Photoshop launches the next time.