Battlefield 6 on PC requires Secure Boot, something meant to help ward off cheaters. For many, this is already enabled and thus a non-issue as they attempt to play the beta. For others, it may mean taking a trip into BIOS menus they’re unaccustomed to seeing but ultimately something that can be resolved in a matter of minutes. For others still, the process of enabling Secure Boot is turning out to be a much bigger problem.
Secure Boot is often enabled by default on newer PCs, but that’s not always the case. Many people may have never even heard of it before, but with a great deal of interest in the newly launched Battlefield 6 beta, many people are hearing the term for the first time–and perhaps having to figure out what acronyms like BIOS and UEFI refer to, and how to deal with the possibility that the drive Windows is installed on uses MBR instead of GPT.
Depending on your specific motherboard, the specific steps for turning Secure Boot on can be different, but it involves restarting your computer, accessing a menu before Windows begins to boot up, and making some tweaks. However, messing around with your BIOS can go awry, and indeed, some players have found they now simply boot into a black screen, temporarily preventing them from using their computer entirely.
A number of accounts like this have been shared on Reddit, and anecdotally, GameSpot staff have heard directly from friends encountering just these sort of issues. The ultimate solution can involve having to remove the CMOS battery from the motherboard, flashing it, and relying on the board’s integrated HDMI output, rather than a video card, in order to even get back into the BIOS menus.
It’s unlikely EA plans to make changes to the Secure Boot requirement, even if it doesn’t seem to be entirely keeping cheaters at bay. That could mean an even wider swath of players encounter Secure Boot players as the open beta expands to more players this weekend and the full version of Battlefield 6 launches in October. Activision has also revealed that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will require Secure Boot, and it’s unlikely to be the last game to call for it. If you like playing multiplayer games on PC, you may just have to hope Secure Boot is already enabled or that you’re among those fortunate enough to not encounter any problems in turning it on.
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