# Epic Games Launcher version 19.0.0 does not start on Core 2 Duo CPUs due to lack of SSE4.2 support. **URL:** \ **Category:** Feedback & Requests\ **Tags:** launcher-not-startin, launcher-issue, launcher-crash, epic-games-launcher, epic-games-store, bug-report, question\ **Created:** [November 7, 2025, 3:04am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526 "2025-11-07T03:04:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Gasivodo](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Gasivodo](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Gasivodo)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2025, 3:19pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/43 "2025-12-07T15:19:23Z")
Tee-Hee! I’m so OOOOOLD that I forgot. That ALL AMD FX’ are better than a Phenom II X6 1100… ---
**Author:** ![flipation](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@flipation](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/flipation)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2025, 3:23pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/44 "2025-12-12T15:23:02Z")
Same problem. I have two PC with older cpus like a Quad Core and a AMD A63650 that suddenly din’t load the Epic Game Launcher. It was no easy finding that the issue was the last update. Also I have my Epic Launcher installation in an other drive than C: and new installar or 18.x installer don’t let install in other drive than Programs(x86). So that’s really crap for Epic. Lot of games running fine in my PCs (both with 1050ti) an now a bad update won’t let you play any game that runs fine after. Hope the fix it. ---
**Author:** ![Reppuken](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Reppuken](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Reppuken)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 3:33pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/45 "2025-12-22T15:33:03Z")
Sadly, Epic updated the launcher requirements and now requires at least an i3 or FX to run. ---
**Author:** ![GerekMDRus](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@GerekMDRus](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/GerekMDRus)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2025, 2:15pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/46 "2025-12-25T14:15:32Z")
A new version of the launcher has been released. Has anyone tried it? Does it work? ---
**Author:** ![floyd\_eg](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@floyd\_eg](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/floyd_eg)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 4:40pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/47 "2025-12-30T16:40:41Z")
I have just updated from 18 to 19.1.4 (last version) and it is still not solved. As I said before, I have no hopes about Epic solving this issue because they silently modified the minimum system requirements to have their backs covered against possible claims. They do not care about their users, this is not Steam. They do not have the technical knowledge and/or the human resources to solve this kind of “minor” issues. Just compare this terrible launcher with Steam launcher, this one seems developed by internship students. ---
**Author:** ![rubyVillian](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@rubyVillian](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/rubyVillian)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 8:32pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/48 "2025-12-30T20:32:48Z")
I’m in the same boat. Using an older Xeon processor. I can play most modern games just fine. Can’t imagine why the launcher needs SSE 4.2. ---
**Author:** ![AnimatisBUR](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@AnimatisBUR](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/AnimatisBUR)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 3:54pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/49 "2026-01-01T15:54:16Z")
Amazing new year’s gift from epic! Have an old Core 2 Quad q9400 (SSE 4.1). No games any more! Thank you very much! LOL ---
**Author:** ![Ispolinskiy](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Ispolinskiy](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Ispolinskiy)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 6:41pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/50 "2026-01-01T18:41:36Z")
Unfortunately, even installing the old version 18, with 127.0.0.1 [update.epicgames.com](http://update.epicgames.com) added to the hosts folder, didn’t help. The app says “Oh! There’s a program update!” and there’s no way to bypass it. Why the hell does a regular launcher need SSE4.2? Why don’t Steam, God forbid, Uplay, and EA App need it? I wanted to redownload Kingdom Come Deliverance and play it again, but the “wonderful” update I didn’t ask for broke everything. What should I do? Start pirating Epic Games? I have an old 2008 Mac Pro with two Xeon E5462 CPUs that handle most games just fine. ---
**Author:** ![floyd\_eg](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@floyd\_eg](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/floyd_eg)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 2:04am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/51 "2026-01-06T02:04:16Z")
You have to search for 18.10.0 installer, the exact name of the file you need is: **epic-games-launcher-18-10-0.msi** Epic does not provide this installer anymore so you have to risk your system security downloading it from a third party. That installer does not auto update the launcher to v19. More than a month ago I created a petition on this forum requesting an official link to an installer that does not auto update: > [@\[REQUEST\] Official v18 custom installer that does not auto update to v19](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/request-official-v18-custom-installer-that-does-not-auto-update-to-v19/2680521): > > Epic Games silently modified the minimum system requirements for the launcher without notice and just after [this issue was reported](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526), so the bug published on that thread will never be solved. The new minimum system requirements are: Processor: Intel Core i3 / AMD FX So, the users with a processor not compatible with the latest version need a v18 manual installer that does not auto update to v19 like it does the one provided by support [here](https://www.epicgames.com/help/en-US/technical-support-c-202300000001619/general-support-c-202300000001672/can-t-install-the-epic-games-launcher-on-windows-7-windows-8-or-32-bit-windows-a202300000021375) That installer auto updates to v19 during the insta… I still got no official response from Epic. ---
**Author:** ![rubyVillian](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@rubyVillian](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/rubyVillian)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 1:48am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/52 "2026-01-07T01:48:10Z")
I thought I had found the solution. Light bulb moment. Use the GoG Galaxy Launcher. The GoG Launcher has Epic Game Integration. Sadly, when you click install on the game in the GoG Launcher it just launches the EPIC Launcher ☹ ---
**Author:** ![egba91](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@egba91](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/egba91)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2026, 10:24pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/53 "2026-01-09T22:24:15Z")
I’ve pretty much lost hope that we’ll ever get a proper solution to this. What feels really wrong is that you can buy a game from their store, a game that runs perfectly fine on your PC, and then suddenly lose access to the content you own because Epic Games decides that your hardware is no longer “good enough”. The excuse is always the same “they need to improve stability and ensure everything runs smoothly as the launcher and its features continue to evolve”. Honestly, I don’t care if the launcher looks fancy or has new features. I just want to keep playing the games I already paid for. Asking for an official launcher version that does not require SSE 4.2 shouldn’t be a big deal. This has already been done before for Windows 7 users. So clearly, providing alternative builds or legacy support is possible. So yeah, goodbye Epic. Thanks for nothing. By the way, Hell Let Loose is currently 66% off , on a store that actually care about its users. ---
**Author:** ![Colosso\_Hyrule](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Colosso\_Hyrule](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Colosso_Hyrule)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 2:13am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/54 "2026-01-10T02:13:56Z")
i found a solution on this reddit post and worked for me [https://www.reddit.com/r/pchelp/comments/1pu6cq1/i\_fixed\_the\_epic\_games\_launcher\_not\_opening/](https://www.reddit.com/r/pchelp/comments/1pu6cq1/i_fixed_the_epic_games_launcher_not_opening/) ---
**Author:** ![floyd\_eg](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@floyd\_eg](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/floyd_eg)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 9:36pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/55 "2026-01-10T21:36:10Z")
That solution was already posted here on November 18th (message number 25 of this thread) : > [@Epic Games Launcher version 19.0.0 does not start on Core 2 Duo CPUs due to lack of SSE4.2 support.](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/25): > > hello all same problem here, with launcher 19.0 i cant do nothing for 14 Days. i have AMD Phenom II X6 1100T and i have only SSE4A and not SSE4.2 I install after many problems launcher 18.8.1 and all is good in moment. i lost any installed games, but ok now is this so Hope we becom quickly an better update from support. ---
**Author:** ![egba91](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@egba91](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/egba91)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2026, 3:02am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/56 "2026-01-11T03:02:52Z")
Thank you very much!! On that Reddit post, some people talk about the Heroic Launcher. It was also mentioned earlier in this thread, but I thought it only applied to Linux users. I just tried Heroic + Epic on Windows 10 and it works perfectly! I hope this solution stays around for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![rubyVillian](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@rubyVillian](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/rubyVillian)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2026, 7:57pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/57 "2026-01-11T19:57:48Z")
> [@egba91](#): > > Heroic Heroic Launcher works beautifully. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![SirElysium](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@SirElysium](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/SirElysium)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 4:25am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/58 "2026-01-12T04:25:10Z")
Tim Sweeney is a clown, that is all. ---
**Author:** ![Petezzzz](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Petezzzz](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Petezzzz)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 11:36am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/59 "2026-02-12T11:36:25Z")
Yes it does. Heroic is truly heroic. Updated and playing Elite Dangerous once again. I wonder if it will launch Unreal Tournament 4? ---
**Author:** ![Death2Order](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Death2Order](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Death2Order)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 11:47am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/60 "2026-02-16T11:47:54Z")
@floyd_eg What is wrong with my Posting, that you keep quoting it? ---
**Author:** ![KundunPRO5421](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/kundunpro5421/32/1168632_2.png) [@KundunPRO5421](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/KundunPRO5421)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2026, 10:55pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/61 "2026-04-15T22:55:59Z")
Same here, not starting for me, idk why the launcher needs sse 4.2, only the games can be afected with the requierements, but the launcher? get outta here. ---
**Author:** ![LuisADLCZ](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@LuisADLCZ](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/LuisADLCZ)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 3:43am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526/62 "2026-05-12T03:43:55Z")
HEROIC IS THE WAY TO GO. Thank you SO MUCH for mentioning this alternative in this forum. I didn’t even know this existed. I have a Phenom II X6 1055T, and I love it. This is my “TV PC”. Whenever I want to play some heavy titles, I have a “gamer PC” for that; but why the hell wouldn’t I be allowed to play some light casual titles (like Tharsis, AmongUs, or Solitarica) on my TV-PC?!?! OUTRAGEOUS. Heroic Games Launcher works on Windows (10 or 11). MacOS and Linux. My TV-PC is still running Windows 10 (and I’ll probably move to Linux before suffering Windows 11), and Heroic Games Launcher IS EVEN BETTER than the Epic crap of a launcher. I was even able to ‘import’ my already installed games, so even when running them from Heroic, I didn’t lose my progress, save files, etc. Installing and using Heroic is even easier than the Epic launcher. It’s a beautiful thing. [Previous page](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526.md?page=2) [Next page](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/epic-games-launcher-version-19-0-0-does-not-start-on-core-2-duo-cpus-due-to-lack-of-sse4-2-support/2672526.md?page=4)