| Action | Success chance | |--------|----------------| | Restart from checkpoint | Medium | | Reverse rotation + slow walk | High (works for most) | | Cap FPS to 60 (PC) | Very High | | Clear cache / verify files | Medium | | Restart level entirely | Guaranteed (but tedious) |
Observatory bug Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands a notorious softlock where a critical lever fails to spawn, preventing any further progress
. This typically happens if you die, reset, or quit the game while in the hallway immediately preceding the Observatory. Top Fix: Cap Your Framerate
The most effective fix for modern PCs is to limit the game's refresh rate. High frame rates (above 60 FPS) often break the game's physics and scripting, causing interactive objects like levers not to appear. Open the game's installation folder. GameSettings application. or manually limit your monitor's refresh rate to via your GPU control panel (NVIDIA/AMD). Save File Workarounds
If capping the FPS doesn't work, your current save may be permanently corrupted. You can try these methods to bypass the broken state:
If the orrery gears won’t turn or the cutscene doesn’t trigger, the game’s main thread is overwhelmed.
Note: You must redo this every time you launch the game. Use a tool like Bill2’s Process Manager to automate it. prince of persia the forgotten sands the observatory bug fix
If you have tried all of the above and the pressure plate remains dead:
Try the following solutions in order. Solution #2 resolves 85% of cases.
If you are on PC and the above fails:
Before you give up, run through this quick checklist:
The Observatory is the biggest hurdle in the game, but once you clear it, the rest of the adventure is relatively bug-free. Good luck, Prince
The Observatory bug in Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands | Action | Success chance | |--------|----------------| |
typically occurs when the lever used to rotate the astrolabe fails to spawn after the initial cutscene, effectively hard-locking your progress. This glitch is often triggered by dying or quitting the game in the hallway immediately preceding the Observatory. Primary Fixes
Cap the Framerate: The most common technical fix is to limit the game to 60 FPS or 60 Hz. High refresh rates can break the game's physics and trigger-based events like the spawning of this lever.
Download a Replacement Save: Since the bug often corrupts the auto-save, many players fix it by downloading a save file from someone who has already passed that section.
Installation: Replace your current save files in the Ubisoft folder (usually .../Ubisoft Game Launcher/savegames/[folder]/11).
Important: You must disable Cloud Saves in the Ubisoft Connect/Uplay settings before launching the game, or the launcher will overwrite the new file with your old, bugged one.
Rename Current Save (Temporary Fix): Some users report success by navigating to the save folder (e.g., C:\...\storage\SKIDROW\11) and renaming 4.save to 4.bak. Launch the game to see if the checkpoint resets properly. Troubleshooting Steps If the orrery gears won’t turn or the
The "Observatory Bug" in Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
is a notorious softlock where the lever or crank required to solve the astrolabe puzzle fails to spawn, preventing any further progress. This usually happens if you quit the game, die, or reset during the hallway sequence immediately preceding the observatory.
Because the game uses an aggressive auto-save system that overwrites your only save file, this bug can effectively end your playthrough unless specific workarounds are used. Proven Solutions & Workarounds Enhancing Prince of Persia - DOSBox Staging
The Observatory bug in Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
is a notorious, game-breaking glitch where a critical lever or pedestal needed to rotate the astrolabe fails to spawn. This typically occurs if you quit the game, die, or reset within the hallway immediately preceding the observatory, causing a permanent softlock on that save file. Primary Solutions
Any way to escape this Forgotten Sands death loop in observatory?
Sometimes enemies linger off-camera, preventing scripted events.
Clear every enemy in the area completely.
If the Prince won’t grab the wall during the rotating cylinder section: