diff --git a/include/fast/backends/gfx_dxgi.h b/include/fast/backends/gfx_dxgi.h
index fb720c0ca..2d959f2f8 100644
--- a/include/fast/backends/gfx_dxgi.h
+++ b/include/fast/backends/gfx_dxgi.h
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ class GfxWindowBackendDXGI final : public GfxWindowBackend {
     // These need to be public to be accessible in the window callback
     void CreateSwapChain(IUnknown* mDevice, std::function<void()>&& before_destroy_fn);
     void CreateFactoryAndDevice(bool debug, int d3d_version, class GfxRenderingAPIDX11* self,
-                                bool (*createFunc)(class GfxRenderingAPIDX11* self, IDXGIAdapter1* adapter,
-                                                   bool test_only));
+                                bool (*createFunc)(class GfxRenderingAPIDX11* self, bool SoftwareRenderer));
     void OnKeydown(WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam);
     void OnKeyup(WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam);
     void OnMouseButtonDown(int btn);
diff --git a/src/fast/backends/gfx_direct3d11.cpp b/src/fast/backends/gfx_direct3d11.cpp
index 1077d2a42..a84c949fb 100644
--- a/src/fast/backends/gfx_direct3d11.cpp
+++ b/src/fast/backends/gfx_direct3d11.cpp
@@ -97,26 +97,96 @@ void GfxRenderingAPIDX11::CreateDepthStencilObjects(uint32_t width, uint32_t hei
         ThrowIfFailed(mDevice->CreateShaderResourceView(texture.Get(), &srv_desc, srv));
     }
 }
-static bool CreateDeviceFunc(class GfxRenderingAPIDX11* self, IDXGIAdapter1* adapter, bool test_only) {
+static bool CreateDeviceFunc(class GfxRenderingAPIDX11* self, bool SoftwareRenderer) {
 #if DEBUG_D3D
     UINT device_creation_flags = D3D11_CREATE_DEVICE_DEBUG;
 #else
     UINT device_creation_flags = 0;
 #endif
-    D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL FeatureLevels[] = { D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_11_0, D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_10_1, D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_10_0 };
+    bool CreationFailed = false;
+    const char HardwareText[320] = "\nUsing software renderer. Performance issues are to be expected.\n\n"
+                                   "Please check your preferred GPU in Windows graphics or GPU driver settings and "
+                                   "make sure you have the correct GPU drivers installed.\n\n"
+                                   "You can also try to change the graphic backend of the port in its config file.\n"
+                                   "Window->Backend->Id\n"
+                                   "0 = DX11, 1 = OpenGL";
+    const char SoftwareText[33] = "\nUsing software renderer failed.";
+
+    if (SoftwareRenderer) {
+        SPDLOG_INFO("Using software renderer.");
+    }
+
+    HRESULT res = self->mDX11CreateDevice(
+        NULL, SoftwareRenderer ? D3D_DRIVER_TYPE_WARP : D3D_DRIVER_TYPE_HARDWARE, nullptr, device_creation_flags, NULL,
+        NULL, D3D11_SDK_VERSION, self->mDevice.GetAddressOf(), &self->mFeatureLevel, self->mContext.GetAddressOf());
+
+    // Get and log name of adapter
+    IDXGIDevice* DXGIDevice = nullptr;
+    IDXGIAdapter* Adapter = nullptr;
+    DXGI_ADAPTER_DESC adapterDesc;
+    std::wstring adapterName;
+    char adapterNameCStr[128] = "";
+    char error_message[512];
+    HRESULT res2;
+
+    res2 = self->mDevice->QueryInterface(__uuidof(IDXGIDevice), (void**)&DXGIDevice);
+    if (SUCCEEDED(res2)) {
+        res2 = DXGIDevice->GetAdapter(&Adapter);
+        if (SUCCEEDED(res2)) {
+            res2 = Adapter->GetDesc(&adapterDesc);
+            if (SUCCEEDED(res2)) {
+                adapterName = adapterDesc.Description;
+                wcstombs(adapterNameCStr, adapterName.c_str(), 128);
+            }
+            Adapter->Release();
+        }
+        DXGIDevice->Release();
+    }
+    SPDLOG_INFO("Using D3D adapter: {0}", adapterNameCStr);
+
+    if (FAILED(res)) {
+        CreationFailed = true;
+        SPDLOG_WARN("Failed to create a D3D device. HRESULT: 0x{0:08x}", res);
+        sprintf(error_message, "Failed to create a D3D device on %s\nHRESULT: 0x%08X%s", adapterNameCStr, res,
+                SoftwareRenderer ? SoftwareText : HardwareText);
+    }
 
-    HRESULT res = self->mDX11CreateDevice(adapter,
-                                          D3D_DRIVER_TYPE_UNKNOWN, // since we use a specific adapter
-                                          nullptr, device_creation_flags, FeatureLevels, ARRAYSIZE(FeatureLevels),
-                                          D3D11_SDK_VERSION, test_only ? nullptr : self->mDevice.GetAddressOf(),
-                                          &self->mFeatureLevel, test_only ? nullptr : self->mContext.GetAddressOf());
+    else if (self->mFeatureLevel < D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_10_0) {
+        CreationFailed = true;
+        SPDLOG_WARN("D3D adapter doesn't support D3D feature level 10_0 or greater.");
+        sprintf(error_message, "%s doesn't support D3D feature level 10_0 or greater.%s", adapterNameCStr,
+                SoftwareRenderer ? SoftwareText : HardwareText);
+    }
+
+    else if (self->mFeatureLevel < D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_10_1) {
+        SPDLOG_WARN("D3D adapter doesn't support D3D feature level 10_1 or greater. MSAA setting will be ignored.");
 
-    if (test_only) {
-        return SUCCEEDED(res);
     } else {
-        ThrowIfFailed(res, self->mWindowBackend->GetWindowHandle(), "Failed to create D3D11 device.");
-        return true;
+        // Check for Compute Shader support
+        if (self->mDevice != NULL) {
+            D3D11_FEATURE_DATA_D3D10_X_HARDWARE_OPTIONS features;
+            self->mDevice->CheckFeatureSupport(D3D11_FEATURE_D3D10_X_HARDWARE_OPTIONS, &features,
+                                               sizeof(D3D11_FEATURE_DATA_D3D10_X_HARDWARE_OPTIONS));
+            if (features.ComputeShaders_Plus_RawAndStructuredBuffers_Via_Shader_4_x == false) {
+                CreationFailed = true;
+                SPDLOG_WARN("D3D adapter doesn't support compute shaders.");
+                sprintf(error_message, "%s doesn't support compute shaders.%s", adapterNameCStr,
+                        SoftwareRenderer ? SoftwareText : HardwareText);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (CreationFailed) {
+        if (self->mContext) {
+            self->mContext->Release();
+        }
+        if (self->mDevice) {
+            self->mDevice->Release();
+        }
+        MessageBoxA(self->mWindowBackend->GetWindowHandle(), error_message, "Warning", MB_OK | MB_ICONWARNING);
+        return false;
     }
+    return true;
 };
 
 void GfxRenderingAPIDX11::Init() {
@@ -752,7 +822,7 @@ void GfxRenderingAPIDX11::UpdateFramebufferParameters(int fb_id, uint32_t width,
 
     width = ((width) > (1U) ? (width) : (1U));
     height = ((height) > (1U) ? (height) : (1U));
-    // We can't use MSAA the way we are using it on Feature Level 10.0 Hardware, so disable it altogether.
+    // We can't use MSAA the way we are using it on feature level 10_0 hardware, so disable it altogether.
     msaa_level = mFeatureLevel < D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_10_1 ? 1 : msaa_level;
     while (msaa_level > 1 && mMsaaNumQualityLevels[msaa_level - 1] == 0) {
         --msaa_level;
diff --git a/src/fast/backends/gfx_dxgi.cpp b/src/fast/backends/gfx_dxgi.cpp
index ac45102ba..7faaf1881 100644
--- a/src/fast/backends/gfx_dxgi.cpp
+++ b/src/fast/backends/gfx_dxgi.cpp
@@ -976,7 +976,7 @@ void GfxWindowBackendDXGI::SetMaxFrameLatency(int latency) {
 
 void GfxWindowBackendDXGI::CreateFactoryAndDevice(bool debug, int d3d_version, class GfxRenderingAPIDX11* self,
                                                   bool (*createFunc)(class GfxRenderingAPIDX11* self,
-                                                                     IDXGIAdapter1* adapter, bool test_only)) {
+                                                                     bool SoftwareRenderer)) {
     if (CreateDXGIFactory2 != nullptr) {
         ThrowIfFailed(CreateDXGIFactory2(debug ? DXGI_CREATE_FACTORY_DEBUG : 0, __uuidof(IDXGIFactory2), &mFactory));
     } else {
@@ -996,19 +996,14 @@ void GfxWindowBackendDXGI::CreateFactoryAndDevice(bool debug, int d3d_version, c
 
         mTearingSupport = SUCCEEDED(hr) && allowTearing;
     }
-
-    ComPtr<IDXGIAdapter1> adapter;
-    for (UINT i = 0; mFactory->EnumAdapters1(i, &adapter) != DXGI_ERROR_NOT_FOUND; i++) {
-        DXGI_ADAPTER_DESC1 desc;
-        adapter->GetDesc1(&desc);
-        if (desc.Flags & 2 /*DXGI_ADAPTER_FLAG_SOFTWARE*/) { // declaration missing in mingw headers
-            continue;
-        }
-        if (createFunc(self, adapter.Get(), true)) {
-            break;
-        }
+    // Try preferred hardware adapter and then try software adapter (WARP), if that fails.
+    // Maybe we can try a different renderer (like OpenGL) here first before software?
+    if (!createFunc(self, false) && !createFunc(self, true)) {
+        SPDLOG_CRITICAL("Creating D3D renderer failed. Exiting");
+        MessageBoxA(self->mWindowBackend->GetWindowHandle(), "Creating D3D renderer failed. Exiting", "Error",
+                    MB_OK | MB_ICONERROR);
+        throw;
     }
-    createFunc(self, adapter.Get(), false);
 }
 
 void GfxWindowBackendDXGI::CreateSwapChain(IUnknown* mDevice, std::function<void()>&& before_destroy_fn) {