I think I can say this on behalf of all gamers that lag is our biggest enemy, whether it’s a network lag(high ping/packet loss) or performance lag(fps drop, stuttering).
No matter whichever lag you’re facing, simply follow this write-up if you want to run Genshin Impact smoothly on your mobile/laptop.
Why is Genshin Impact So Laggy?
In simple words, lag is the time delay between player input and getting the appropriate reaction on the screen. But the word lag is widely used to indicate various performance issues. It can also mean gettings frame rate drops/stuttering while playing the game, which results in slower/choppy-looking gameplay.
Meanwhile, network lag generally refers to lower ping or packet loss. Rubber banding is another form of network/server lag where you move forward, but your character teleports back a few steps. You might also see enemies teleporting back and forth due to rubberbanding.
Different types of lag occur due to different reasons. Performance lag(low fps, inconsistent frame time) in Genshin Impact usually happens if you don’t have a powerful enough device to handle the game.
It can also happen when there are too many resource-hogging apps running in the background, or your device starts overheating. For laptop users who have an integrated and dedicated Nvidia/AMD GPU, you might be running the game on the weaker integrated GPU that can’t handle the game’s visuals. Hence the gameplay starts lagging.
On the other hand, network lag crops up in Genshin Impact when you have a poor internet connection, or your ISP is facing high ping/packet loss issues. The game constantly requires a stable internet connection, so any sort of disruption will cause a network lag.
If there are too many people connected to your WiFi network, you will most likely experience network lag in Genshin Impact.
In a nutshell, Genshin Impact lags on mobile/laptop due to weak hardware, device overheating, or too many apps running in the background. Additionally, you’ll get high ping lag when you have an unstable internet connection or an outdated/corrupted network driver.
How to Fix Network & Performance Lag in Genshin Impact
If the Genshin Impact starts to feel so laggy, you should restart your internet connection and reboot the game. While you’re at it, restart the network device and router, close all unnecessary background apps on your device, and ensure your device has the latest OS installed.
Furthermore, as we’ve discussed earlier, different types of Genshin Impact lag occur for different reasons. So to solve those lagging issues, we’ll have to follow different types of troubleshooting methods for different types of lag.
First, let’s see how you can fix the network lag in Genshin Impact:
How to Lower Ping/Reduce Network Lag in Genshin Impact
The network ping usually depends on your ISP and the game’s server, but it can often bog down due to various aspects from your end. Check whether Genshin Impact’s server is down or not.
In case the servers are up and running but you’re still experiencing network lag in Genshin Impact, here’s what you need to do.
1. Reboot your Router
The first thing you need to do when you start getting high ping in Genshin mobile/PC is reboot your router and the network device. Also, make sure there aren’t too many people connected to the same WiFi network that you’re using.
Disconnect other devices from the network & launch the game to see if the issue has been fixed. If not, switch to a wired network (connect your computer/laptop to your router with a LAN cable) and close all background downloads on your PC.
2. Ensure the WiFi Network is Providing Adequate Bandwidth
Run a network test and make sure you’re getting enough bandwidth & lower response time from your network when you face any network lag in an online-only game such as Genshin Impact. And if you’re using cellular data to run Genshin Impact, switch to a WiFi network.
Additionally, contact your ISP and let them know about the network issues.
3. Update Network Driver
If you’re experiencing network lags while playing the game on a laptop/PC, the network driver might be outdated or corrupted. To resolve this problem, consider updating the network adapter’s driver of your device.
Follow these steps to update the network driver:
- Right-click on the Windows icon and select Device Manager.
- Expand the Network adapters section.
- Select your network adapter and right-click on it.
- Choose Update driver > Search automatically for drivers.
Your computer will start downloading any available updates for the network adapter.
Now let’s switch to the hardware performance perspective. If the ping is low, but the game is feeling very sluggish/stuttery, here’s what you need to do to boost FPS in Genshin Impact:
How to Get Higher FPS in Genshin Impact
Since Genshin Impact is quite a hardware-demanding title, it’s not that surprising when your game starts lagging. In case your device’s configuration doesn’t meet the minimum system requirements of the game, you’re bound to get performance lags like fps drops or stuttering.
So make sure you have better hardware on your device than the game’s minimum requirement to get the best gaming experience.
But what can you do when you have a decent hardware configuration that meets the recommended requirement, but the game still lags a lot? In that case:
1. Turn Down Graphics Settings
Genshin Impact is a very resource-heavy game, especially at max settings. So, turning down a few visual options can boost the overall performance. Here’s how to do that:
- Launch Genshin Impact.
- Press Esc (for laptop/PC) or tap on the paimon’s icon and select the gears icon to go to Settings.
- Click on Graphics and lower the following settings from high to low: Shadow Quality, Visual Effects, Environment Details, Motion Blur, Crowd Density.
- Change the FPS from 30 to 60 or higher if available.
- Switch the Anti-Aliasing to FSR2.0 for PC.
- Restart the game.
This method is useful and applicable for both mobile and PC users.
2. Close Unnecessary Background Apps
Another probable cause for performance lag during gaming is too many resource-demanding apps running in the background. As Genshin Impact requires a lot of hardware resources, the game will start lagging if a resource-hogging app, say Chrome, is running in the background.
So exit from all programs before launching the game. Additionally, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager. Check which app is using the most resource, select it, and hit End task. But beware, don’t close any crucial system service.
3. Run Genshin Impact with High-Performance Graphics Processor
In many cases, there have been reports about Genshin Impact running on the integrated Intel/AMD GPU by default. These integrated GPUs aren’t powerful enough to give optimal performance for this game.
As a result, the game starts to lag despite your laptop/computer having powerful hardware. So make sure your game is running on the dedicated GPU. Here’s how:
For Nvidia GPU Users
- Right-click on an empty space from your desktop and select Nvidia Control Panel.
- Go to Manage 3D settings > Program Settings.
- Select Genshin Impact from the apps list and hit Add Selected Program.
- Expand the drop-down menu for Select the preferred graphics processor for this program: option.
- Select High-performance NVIDIA processor and hit Apply.
For AMD GPU Users
- Right-click on an empty space from the desktop and choose AMD Radeon Settings.
- Select Preferences and click on Radeon Additional Settings.
- Choose the Switchable Graphics Application Settings from the left side pane and select Add Application.
- Find and select GenshinImpact.exe and set it to High Performance.
- Hit Apply.
Now whenever you start the game, it will run via the dedicated graphics card adapter.
4. Update Graphics Card Driver
As a live service game, Genshin Impact gets frequently updated with content patches. If your graphics driver is quite outdated, there might be issues with compatibility with the newer version of the game. So I’d strongly suggest you update your graphics card driver.
Download the latest version of your GPU’s driver according to the brand of the GPU(Nvidia/AMD). Now run the setup file and follow the on-screen instruction to finish the updating process.
For an in-depth guide, check out our article on how to update graphics card driver.
5. Update Windows
Last but not least, having an updated OS ensures that there are no compatibility issues with current games/software.
Press Windows Key+I and select Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for Updates. Your computer will start downloading the latest Windows update if available.
If you’re still facing performance issues, uninstall the game+launcher completely, then reinstall it again. It would eliminate any corrupted game files and redownload them again. You can also check file integrity from the game’s settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make my Genshin Impact less laggy?
In case you’re experiencing some lags in Genshin Impact, try tweaking down some hardware-demanding graphics settings like texture & shadow quality, rendering resolution, etc. Also, make sure your WiFi network has adequate bandwidth.
How to fix fps drop in Genshin Impact mobile?
The most effective way to fix fps drops in Genshin mobile is to lower a few graphics settings and render resolution. Additionally, optimize your phone’s performance by uninstalling unnecessary apps and bloatware.
How to increase fps in Genshin Impact PC?
To boost fps on PC for Genshin Impact, end background tasks and update your graphics card driver. If you’re well versed with PC tech, you might also try overclocking the GPU and undervolting the laptop CPU to get the best gaming performance out of your device.
Wrapping it Up
A smooth game performance is a must in order to have a good gaming experience. Genshin Impact is that kind of game where any lag or stutter can ruin your perfect combo or even fail the mission.
Hopefully, this article has provided you with the definitive methods to enjoy a smoother gameplay experience.
May the Gacha force be with you!
