How to fix Fallout 76 lag without much effort?

The Fallout franchise is one of the best open-world games we have seen in this generation. These games have kept players entertained for extended periods. Players are always engaged in trying to survive in the post-apocalyptic world where resources are scare. This franchise is produced by Bethesda, and if there is a conversation about the creators of top RPG open-world games, they are among the top of the list. They are known to be the producers of titles such as Elder Scrolls: Skyrim and Fallout: New Vegas, which have kept gamers entertained for the longest periods of time.

Today, we are going to be talking about Fallout 76, which is one of the latest projects of Bethesda

This game is only a few weeks old but has received lots of bad reviews due to lag and performance issues. This may be due to the fact that it is a mainstream game and gamers are expecting more from the producers.

Fallout 76 focuses more on online gaming, and players were excited to get something new and finally experience the game with their friends. To their greatest surprise, the game is not what the developers said it would be. It has lots of bugs and performance issues. This makes the game almost unplayable. Some people even asked for a refund of their money. Since we both know that the money will not be refunded, we will be showing you how to fix the situation and make the game playable.

Fixing the Fallout 76 Fps lag

Fallout 76 is not the first game to encounter this kind of issues. Many other games have been in the same situation, and that has been resolved. That is why we searched the internet for solutions which had worked for other games and applied them in this case. The results of this experiment were astonishing. Many users reported that they had seen an increase in performance and FPSafter using these solutions.

Lag within video games can be related to the following categories: Ping, frames per second, and computer hardware.

So, we are going to start by checking your computer’s hardware. Every game has its minimum specs required to run it. If your system does not meet those requirements, you will experience lag issues. You will need to check your computer if it meets the recommended requirements for Fallout 76. Check that below:

Fallout 76 Recommended Requirements

• CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 3.6 GHz / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X 3.5 GHz
• RAM: 8GB
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 970 4GB / AMD R9 290X 4GB
• HDD: 60GB

If your computer meets these requirements and you are still experiencing the lag issues, then it is time to consider other possibilities.

Table of Contents

1. Decrease your game’s resolution
2.     Switch from fullscreen to windowed mode
3.     Repair your Registry files
4.     Make sure that your graphics cards are updated
5.     Change Power management mode to Prefer maximum performance (Nvidia users)
6.     Disable shader cache (Nvidia users)
7.     Set the game to high priority in the Task Manager
8. Turn off visual effects to increase PC performance
9. Connect your laptop to power

Solution 1. Decrease your game’s resolution

This step can significantly improve your lag and FPS situation, especially if your computer meets the minimum requirements but not the recommended ones. You can do this from the in-game settings. Launch the game and select Display from the menu. Now, try to decrease the Preset and resolution settings. Also, change the other settings to either Medium or Low. Restart the game and check if the FPS has improved.

Solution 2. Switch from fullscreen to windowed mode

This can also be done in the Display settings of the game. All you need to do is launch the game and go to Display settings. There, you will see windowed mode; switch to it. This will also help you with the FPS.

Solution 3. Repair your Registry

The Windows Registry is the store for many system files and settings. If it is corrupted, you will experience a lot of issues with your computer. Fallout 76 lagging will be among the least of your worries. That is why we advise you to fix your Registry files. To do this, you can search on the internet to find the Registry file which will fix your Fallout 76 lag issues. Before making these changes, you will need to back up your Registry. This is because any errors while editing it can result in irreversible damage to your operating system. To perform a Registry backup, use the following steps:

• Press the Windows logo key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
• Input regedit in the search area and press Enter. This will open the Registry Editor.
• Right-click on Computer and select Export.
• In the next dialog box, choose a location and save the file. It is saved as a .reg file.
• Any time you need to use it, you can just go to the same location and run it.
• Now, you can make changes to your Registry without worries.

Solution 4. Make sure your graphics card is updated

One of the main reasons why you can experience lag in Fallout 76 or any other game is due to missing, corrupt, or outdated drivers. The display driver mediates the communication between the graphics device and the operating system. If there is a breach in this communication, your games will not function well, and you will start experiencing lags and decrease in FPS. That is why we recommend that you update all your drivers. We are going to show you how to do that:

Method 1. Download and install Auslogics Driver Updater

This tool is one of the best when it comes to updating your drivers. You update all the drivers on your system effortlessly. It will check your computer for missing or outdated drivers and download and install the latest manufacturer-recommended version. Using this method, you do not need to know any extra information about the device whose driver you want to update. This tool does all the job for you.

Method 2. Download the display drivers from the manufacturer’s website

This is another legit way to get your drivers. They can be found in the support section of the website. The downside to this method is that you will need to know the exact name and version of the device whose driver you want to update. This is because downloading a wrong driver can cause the device to further malfunction. Popular manufacturers like Nvidia, AMD, and Intel have created clients to help users download their drivers with much ease. You just have to install one on your computer, and it will update your drivers automatically.

Method 3. Update the driver from Device Manager

Device Manager is a system tool that manages all the devices which are installed on your computer. You can also update your drivers from there, and here is how to do it:

• Right-click on the Start or Home button and select Device Manager from the context menu.
• In the Device Manager window, double-click on Display adapters to expand it. There, you will see the graphics device which is installed on your computer. You may also notice a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark next to it indicating that the driver is out of date.
• Right-click on the graphics device and select Update driver.
• In the next window, select the option which prompts you to download and install the driver from the Internet.
• Windows will now download the best driver for your device and install it.
• Once you are done, restart your computer and launch your game.

Solution 5. Change Power management mode to Prefer maximum performance (Nvidia users)

• Right-click on your desktop and select Nvidia Control Panel.
• In the next box, click on Manage 3D settings in the left panel.
• Now, go down and select Power management mode, then choose Prefer maximum performance from the drop-down menu.

Solution 6. Disable shader cache (Nvidia users)

Here, you need to go to 3D settings in Nvidia control panel and disable the shadow cache. This will significantly improve the performance of your game and the FPS.

Solution 7. Set the game to high priority in the Task Manager

Your computer has ways to set the processor time between all the processes that are running. If a process has high priority, it will get more processor time than others with lower priority. In this case, we aim to set Fallout 76 to high priority. To do this, use the following steps:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
• Go to the Processes tab and click on the Fallout 76 process running and set its priority to high.
• This is not a permanent change because every time you restart your computer, the priority will reset to its original state.

Solution 8. Turn off visual effects to increase PC performance

• Click on the Start menu and input Control Panel in the search box.
• Now, select Control Panel from the list of options.
• Click on System and Security, then select System.
• Here, select Settings under Performance and choose Adjust for best performance.
• Click Apply and OK to confirm the changes you have made.

Solution 9. Connect your laptop to power

You must have noticed that when your computer is not connected to power, its performance decreases. This could be the reason why you are experiencing lag issues. To fix them, you will need to plug your computer to power.

Fallout 76 ping-related issues

Here, you will learn how to enhance your computer’s connectivity and online performance. Ping issues can also cause lag when you are playing Fallout 76. These are some of the methods to boost your computer’s performance.

Table of Content

1. Use a wired connection
2. Disable background apps
3. Decrease the number of people that are connected to your network
4. Disable your antivirus
5. Check VPN settings
6. Enable UPnP

Solution 1. Use a wired connection

This is what we always advice to our reader. Using a Wi-Fi connection can greatly influence the FPS and performance of your game. It does not matter how good your Internet speed is, you will always have performance issues when playing online. That is why we recommend that you use a wired connection, which is more stable and reliable. Once you switch to a wired connection, you will see how smooth your game will become.

Solution 2. Disable background apps

Background apps can be a very significant contributing factor to why you are experiencing FPS issues and lag. These apps run in the background and drain your computer’s resources. Most often, users do not know that these apps are running. To fix this problem, you will need to go to Task Manager and disable them. Here is how to do it:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
• Go to the Processes tab and disable any apps which you are not using.

Solution 3. Decrease the number of people that are connected to your network

The number of devices connected to your network can greatly influence its performance. The fewer people are connected, the better the performance. You should try disconnecting some of the devices connected to your network and check its performance. Also, if you are using Wi-Fi, you can move closer to the router.

Solution 4. Disable your antivirus

Sometimes, your antivirus may be blocking the  certain files of your game from starting. This can cause the FPS and performance of your game to decrease. In this case, you will need to disable your antivirus. If this does not work, then you will have to change your antivirus. We recommend that you download and install Auslogics Anti-Malware. This tool will protect you from incoming viruses and will not interfere with your games. You will be able to browse the internet in a safe environment.

Solution 5. Check VPN settings

VPNs have been noted for significantly decreasing your connection speed. This will affect the FPS and performance of the game, especially when you are playing online. That is why we recommend that you disable any VPN which you are using.  

Here is to disable the VPN in Windows 10: navigate to the right bottom part of the screen and click the Notifications button. Look for the VPN tile from among the list of options and click it. This will take you to the Settings page where you can disable VPN.

Solution 6. Enable UPnP

• Click on the Start or Home button and input control panel in the search box. Now, select Control Panel from the list of results to open it.
• In the Control Panel page, click Network and Internet
• Next, click Network and Sharing Center.
• Click the Change advanced sharing settings in the left side of the window.
• In the next window, select Turn on network discovery and click Save changes to confirm the changes you have made.

Pro tip: If your computer is having performance and lag issues, we recommend you to download and install Auslogics BoostSpeed. This tool will disable all the background apps and delete junk files from your system.

We hope that the article has shown you how to troubleshoot performance issues in Fallout 76. Share it with others who need such info.

We appreciate your ideas and comments, and we are ready to answer all your questions regarding this topic.