Unknown Error ARC Raiders

Mouse Freezing During Gameplay - ARC Raiders Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-03 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-03 👥 Reports: 21 ⚡ Severity: 🟡 Medium

🎯 Quick Answer

The primary fix involves disabling all mouse and keyboard software overlays, running the game in exclusive fullscreen mode, and ensuring your mouse firmware and Windows power settings are correctly configured.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

This error occurs when the mouse input device experiences a temporary but complete loss of communication with the ARC Raiders game client, resulting in a hard freeze of cursor and aim movement for 2-5 seconds. The game engine continues to process the last received input command, which can cause automatic weapons to continue firing. The problem is isolated to the Human Interface Device (HID) input stack and does not affect overall game or system performance. This issue primarily manifests on the PC platform across various game versions and is most frequently triggered during high-precision input moments, such as initiating combat or tracking fast-moving targets. The severity is high as it directly compromises core gameplay mechanics.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The mouse cursor and in-game aim become completely unresponsive for a duration of 2 to 5 seconds. During this freeze, if the left mouse button was depressed, the game continues to register a "held" input, resulting in continuous automatic fire. Keyboard inputs, game audio, and on-screen action continue normally. The freeze typically occurs at the moment of initial engagement, often coinciding with the first weapon discharge in a combat sequence. The system does not crash, stutter, or display a "Not Responding" state. Control returns abruptly after the freeze period without error messages.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Overlay Software Conflict: RGB control suites (Razer Synapse, Logitech G Hub) and performance overlays (MSI Afterburner/RivaTuner, Discord overlay) can inject hooks that conflict with ARC Raiders' direct input handling.
Fullscreen Optimization Interference: Windows 10/11 "Fullscreen Optimizations" can cause timing issues in exclusive fullscreen mode, leading to HID input buffer desynchronization.
Outdated or Corrupt HID Drivers: The Windows default HID-compliant mouse driver or vendor-specific driver may have a compatibility fault with the game's engine.
USB Selective Suspend Setting: The Windows power management feature "USB selective suspend" can incorrectly power down the USB receiver for a wireless mouse during consistent data transmission.
High Polling Rate Instability: Mice set to very high polling rates (e.g., 4000Hz or 8000Hz) can overwhelm the game's input queue during rapid event generation, causing a buffer overflow and subsequent freeze.
Game Engine Input Thread Starvation: A bug within the ARC Raiders client can cause the thread responsible for processing raw mouse input to be temporarily blocked by other higher-priority tasks, such as asset loading or network synchronization.
Firmware Incompatibility: The mouse's internal firmware may contain a routine that malfunctions under the specific USB load patterns generated by the game.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Disable Conflicting Software Overlays

Difficulty: Easy Time: 10 minutes Success Rate: High Steps:

Close Razer Synapse, Logitech G Hub, or any other peripheral management software completely via the System Tray (right-click icon > Exit).
Launch ARC Raiders. Navigate to Settings > Gameplay and disable any in-game "Hardware Statistics" or "Performance Display" overlay.
Open Discord. Go to User Settings > Overlay and toggle "Enable in-game overlay" to OFF.
If using MSI Afterburner, open the RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) application. Set the "Application detection level" for ARC Raiders.exe to "None."

Why it works: Third-party overlays capture and inject graphical data into the DirectX/ Vulkan pipeline, which can interrupt the low-latency path required for consistent raw mouse input processing.

Solution 2: Enforce Exclusive Fullscreen and Disable Optimizations

Difficulty: Easy Time: 5 minutes Success Rate: High Steps:

Launch ARC Raiders and enter the game's video/graphics settings.
Set "Display Mode" to Exclusive Fullscreen. Do not use Borderless Windowed or Windowed mode.
Exit the game.
Navigate to the ARC Raiders installation directory (typically C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ARC Raiders).
Locate the game's main executable (ARC Raiders.exe). Right-click it and select Properties.
Navigate to the Compatibility tab. Check the box for "Disable fullscreen optimizations."
Click "Change high DPI settings." At the bottom of the new window, check "Override high DPI scaling behavior. Scaling performed by:" and select Application from the dropdown.
Click OK, then Apply.

Why it works: This gives the game direct control over the display and input pipeline, bypassing the Windows Desktop Window Manager (DWM) which can introduce input latency and processing conflicts.

Solution 3: Configure USB Power Management and Update Drivers

Difficulty: Medium Time: 15 minutes Success Rate: Medium Steps:

Press Windows Key + X and select Device Manager.
Expand "Mice and other pointing devices." Right-click your mouse (e.g., "HID-compliant mouse" or "Razer Viper") and select "Update driver." Choose "Search automatically for drivers." Reboot if updated.
In Device Manager, expand "Universal Serial Bus controllers." For each "USB Root Hub" and "USB Composite Device," right-click > Properties.
Go to the Power Management tab. Uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power." Click OK.
Open the Windows Control Panel > Power Options. Select your current plan and click "Change plan settings" > "Change advanced power settings."
Expand "USB settings" > "USB selective suspend setting." Set it to Disabled. Click Apply and OK.

Why it works: This prevents Windows from aggressively power-cycling the USB port your mouse or its receiver uses, ensuring a constant, uninterrupted power state.

Solution 4: Adjust Mouse Polling Rate and In-Game Sensitivity

Difficulty: Easy Time: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Steps:

Open your mouse configuration software (e.g., Razer Synapse, Logitech G Hub).
Locate the polling rate (or report rate) setting. Reduce it from its maximum (e.g., 8000Hz/4000Hz) to 1000Hz.
Apply the change and ensure the software is running.
Launch ARC Raiders. Go to Settings > Controls > Mouse.
Avoid extreme sensitivity values. Ensure "Mouse Smoothing" or "Acceleration" is set to OFF.

Why it works: A lower polling rate reduces the volume of input events the game engine must queue and process, mitigating the risk of input buffer overflow during high-action sequences.

Solution 5: Perform a Clean Reinstall of Mouse Drivers

Difficulty: Medium Time: 10 minutes Success Rate: Medium Steps:

Press Windows Key + X, select Device Manager.
Expand "Mice and other pointing devices." Right-click your mouse entry and select Uninstall device. Check the box that says "Attempt to remove the driver for this device" if present. Click Uninstall.
In Device Manager, click the "Action" menu and select "Scan for hardware changes." This will reinstall the generic HID driver.
Download the latest driver/software package directly from your mouse manufacturer's website (e.g., Razer, Logitech). Install it and reboot your system.

Why it works: This removes any corrupted or layered driver files and establishes a fresh, clean communication protocol between the hardware and the operating system.

Solution 6: Test with a Different Port and Connection Method

Difficulty: Easy Time: 2 minutes Success Rate: Low (but critical for diagnosis) Steps:

If using a wireless mouse with a USB receiver, unplug the receiver from its current USB port.
Plug it directly into a different USB port on the motherboard's rear I/O panel. Avoid USB hubs, front-panel ports, or ports adjacent to high-bandwidth devices.
If the mouse supports a wired connection, connect it via the provided cable to test if the issue persists in wired mode.

Why it works: This isolates the problem to either a specific USB port (which may have power delivery issues) or the wireless connection itself, which can be susceptible to RF interference.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain a stable gaming environment by keeping your mouse firmware and vendor software updated on a monthly review cycle. Regularly clean the optical sensor of your mouse to prevent tracking errors that can stress the input stack. Create a dedicated "Gaming" power profile in Windows with USB selective suspend permanently disabled. Before launching ARC Raiders, establish a routine of closing non-essential background applications, particularly those with overlay capabilities. Monitor game and driver patch notes for fixes related to input handling.

SECTION 6: SUPPORT ESCALATION

If all tested solutions fail, the issue is likely a persistent bug within the ARC Raiders game client that requires a developer patch. Contact official Embark Studios support through their designated channels. Provide the following diagnostic information: your full system specification (CPU, GPU, RAM, OS build), mouse make/model/firmware version, a detailed list of all running background processes, and a precise description of the in-game circumstances triggering the freeze. Include a video capture of the incident if possible.