If you’ve purchased a shiny newPC gameon Steam, you’re no doubt in a hurry to get that game downloaded and installed so you’re able to get into the game. The biggest bummer you can encounter is Steam taking its sweet time downloading the game, forcing you to wait for an agonizingly long time watching the percentage slowly tick up. Steam is usually reliable for downloading games as fast asyour internet speedscan handle, but there are a few cases where it can slow to a crawl for seemingly no reason at all.
Rather than ruin your precious game time by spending half of it justdownloading the game, let’s find some solutions to get you playing ASAP. Even if you’re been using Steam for decades, there are a few tips and tricks you might not know about that can seriously boost your download speeds.
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1Check if there’s an issue with the servers
First thing you should try
The first thing to check if your Steam game downloads are slow is whether there’s an issue with Steam’s servers. Simply visitSteam Statusto see if the problem could be on Steam’s end. Also keep in mind that, even when running as intended, Steam might not download at yourmaximum broadband speed, as its own servers might not be capable of such fast speeds all the time if your internet is particularly speedy.
If Steam’s servers are encountering an issue, there’s unfortunately nothing you can do but wait for them to be resolved.
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Simple settings here might be holding you back
Another logical thing to do if you have issues with Steam download speeds is to check Steam’s download settings. Some simple settings here might be holding you back, but with a few quick changes, you can increase your download speed and reduce your misery.
To do this, follow these steps:
You may also choose to “Allow downloads during gameplay” and untick “Throttle downloads while streaming” if you don’t useSteam Remote Play. Tweaking these settings may help improve your Steam download speeds.
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The automatic one might not be the best
Under the same Steam download settings menu, you’ll also find that Steam has automatically selected your download region. Steam is a cloud-based service that will automatically select your download area, but this might not be the best one. Trying some of the others might help improve your download speed.
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A full cache can cause problems
Steam has a built-in cache to help with downloads. Although this tool can help with the download process sometimes it can also cause problems, so if you’re suffering from slow Steam downloads then it might be worth trying to clear this cache. To clear your Steam cache:
5Close other apps
Other programs might be throttling your speeds
Aside from Steam itself causing issues with downloads, there might be other things throttling your speeds. This could include other devices on your network and also apps on yourgaming PC. To check this, we’d recommend opening Task Manager.
Closing other game apps like Epic Games launcher, Ubisoft Connect, Origin, and more could improve your Steam download speeds because this will stop them from downloading in the background at the same time.
To close these, head over to yourtaskbarand click on theupward arrow next to the clock, look for these kinds of apps and others that might be hogging network bandwidth, thenright-click to close them.
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6Disable your VPN
If you have aVPNand other fixes on this list aren’t helping your slow Steam download speeds, you could try temporarily disabling your VPN to see if your game downloads improve. VPNs often limit download speeds to accommodate more users and data traffic through their servers. If you disable your VPN, this potential bottleneck can be lifted and your download speed could increase.
If you have aVPN servicerunning while downloading games, you might also find that the wrong download region has been automatically selected, which is another thing that could be throttling your download speed and another reason to try disabling your VPN.
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7Fix network issues on Windows
There could be issues with your network or internet connection on Windows rather than just on Steam, so it’s a good idea to eliminate any potential Windows network problems, too. The following are steps to resolve issues on Windows 11.
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Q: Why is my download speed still slow?
Of course, it might not just be your Steam download speeds that are problematic. It could be that your download speed in general is slow. This can be down to all sorts of things, including thequality of your routerand the strength of the signal, other people using up bandwidth in the home or other apps on your own machine chewing through data. Here are some things to try to fix slow download speeds in general:
Q: Why do my Steam downloads start fast and then slow down?
This can happen due to dynamic adjustments in Steam’s network usage, fluctuations in internet connectivity, or ISP throttling. To troubleshoot, restart your modem/router, try downloading at a different time of day, or change your Steam download region to see if a more consistent download speed can be achieved.
Q: How can I monitor my Steam download speed and progress?
Steam provides a built-in download monitor. To access it, go to theSteam client, click onViewin the upper left corner, selectDownloads, and you’ll see your current download speed and progress. This tool also allows you to manage your downloads, pausing and resuming as needed to manage bandwidth usage effectively.
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