Helldivers 2 Stuttering, Lags, or Freezing Constantly: How to FIX

Helldivers 2 Stuttering, Lags, or Freezing Constantly: “Helldivers 2, crafted by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, is a thrilling third-person shooter that debuted on February 8, 2024, for PlayStation 5 and Windows platforms.

However, some players have reported experiencing performance-related challenges while playing the PC version, including stuttering, freezing, and lag.

To mitigate these issues, it is essential to verify that your computer meets the game’s specified hardware requirements. Running the game at higher resolutions and frame rates necessitates robust hardware; failing to meet these requirements can result in common gameplay disruptions.

This guide provides straightforward troubleshooting steps aimed at enhancing your gaming experience in Helldivers 2. Players may encounter various performance problems, such as stuttering, lag, crashes, and frame drops, with the intensity of these issues differing between systems.

Effectively tackling these challenges is vital for achieving a smoother and more enjoyable gaming experience. This guide is designed to assist users in pinpointing and resolving the underlying causes of these performance setbacks.”

Check System Requirements

Review the system specifications for Helldivers 2 listed below to confirm that your computer setup aligns with the game’s requirements.

Minimum System Requirements:

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 10
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-4790K or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 470
  • Storage: 100 GB available space

Recommended System Requirements:

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 10
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
  • Memory: 16 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 6600XT
  • Storage: 100 GB available space
  • Additional Notes: SSD Recommended

Fix: Helldivers 2 Stuttering and Lags Badly

Experiencing lag or frame drops during gaming can stem from several issues. Factors like your computer’s hardware specifications, the game’s display resolution, the cap on frames per second (FPS), and even interference from third-party applications can all contribute to performance hiccups. To effectively address these problems, it’s advisable to test each potential solution individually until you identify what works for you.

One of the most immediate remedies is adjusting the graphics settings within the game. Lowering these settings can often lead to a significant improvement in performance, swiftly alleviating many issues.

If you find yourself dealing with lags or frame rate drops, consider various contributing elements, including the screen resolution, texture quality, shadow settings, frame rate limits, and the number of on-screen characters. By methodically adjusting these parameters based on your system’s capabilities and the game’s demands, you can often reduce performance issues, irrespective of your current FPS settings.

1. Use Launch Options

  • To begin, launch your Steam client and navigate to your Library.
  • Locate Helldivers 2 and right-click on it.
  • From the context menu, select ‘Properties.’ In the Properties window, head to the General tab, where you will see an option for Launch Options.
  • Here, you can input the following command: -fullscreen, which will ensure that the game starts in fullscreen mode.

2. Update Graphics Drivers

  • To access the Quick Access Menu, simply right-click on the Start Menu.
  • From the options presented, select Device Manager.
  • Next, locate the Display Adapters section and double-click on it to reveal the available devices.
  • Find your dedicated graphics card in the list and right-click on its name. From the context menu, opt for Update driver and then select the option to Search automatically for drivers.
  • If a newer version is available, it will be downloaded and installed automatically. After the installation is complete, it’s important to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

3. Run the game as an administrator

To avoid potential privilege issues and user account control prompts, it’s advisable to launch both the game executable file and the Steam client with administrative privileges.

  • Begin by locating the Helldivers 2 executable shortcut on your computer.
  • Right-click on the shortcut and choose ‘Properties’ from the context menu.
  • Next, navigate to the ‘Compatibility’ tab.
  • Here, ensure that the option for “Run this program as an administrator” is checked.
  • Finally, click ‘Apply’ and then ‘OK’ to confirm and save your settings.

4. Set High Priority in Task Manager

To ensure that your game runs smoothly, you can prioritize it in the Task Manager on your Windows system. Here’s how to do it:

  • 1. Right-click on the Start Menu and choose Task Manager from the list.
  • 2. Navigate to the Processes tab and locate the Helldivers 2 task.
  • 3. Right-click on the Helldivers 2 entry and select the option to Set Priority, then choose High.
  • 4. Close the Task Manager.

After completing these steps, launch Helldivers 2 and see if the performance has improved.

5. Verify the Integrity of Game Files

If you encounter problems such as corrupted or missing game files, you can easily diagnose the issue by following these steps:

  • 1. Open the Steam application and navigate to your Library.
  • 2. Locate Helldivers 2 in your list of installed games and right-click on it.
  • 3. From the context menu, select Properties, and then head over to the Local Files tab.
  • 4. Click on the option that says Verify Integrity of Game Files.
  • 5. Allow some time for the verification process to complete.
  • 6. After it finishes, it’s a good idea to restart your computer to ensure any changes take effect.

6. Change GPU Settings

It’s essential to verify the settings of your PC’s graphics card to ensure that any potential issues have been addressed. To confirm that everything is configured correctly, follow the guidelines outlined below.

**For Nvidia Users:

  • 1. Access the Nvidia Control Panel by right-clicking on your desktop.
  • 2. Select “Nvidia Control Panel” from the menu.
  • 3. Navigate to “Manage 3D Settings.”
  • 4. Under “Program Settings,” locate ‘Helldivers 2.’ If it doesn’t appear in the list, you can manually add it.
  • 5. Adjust the following settings:
  • – **Monitor Technology:** Set to G-Sync (if supported)
  • – **Maximum Pre-rendered Frames:** Set to 2
  • – **Threaded Optimization:** Enable this option
  • – **Power Management Mode:** Choose “Prefer Maximum Performance”
  • – **Texture Filtering – Quality:** Set to “Performance”

**For AMD Users:

Make sure to configure the following settings:

  • – **Monitor Technology:** Set to G-Sync (if available)
  • – **Maximum Pre-rendered Frames:** Set to 2
  • – **Threaded Optimization:** Enable this option
  • – **Power Management Mode:** Choose “Prefer Maximum Performance”
  • – **Texture Filtering – Quality:** Set to “Performance”

By ensuring these settings are correctly configured, you can enhance your gaming experience and resolve any graphic-related issues you may encounter.

7. Disable Fullscreen Optimizations

By default, Windows employs full-screen optimization and DPI settings for applications. To enhance your experience with Helldivers 2, consider disabling these features by following these steps:

  • 1. Navigate to the directory where Helldivers 2 is installed.
  • 2. Locate the Helldivers 2.exe file and right-click on it.
  • 3. From the context menu, select ‘Properties‘, then go to the ‘Compatibility’ tab.
  • 4. In this section, check the box labeled ‘Disable Full-Screen Optimizations’.
  • 5. Next, click on the ‘Change high DPI settings‘ button.
  • 6. In the new window, enable the option for ‘Override high DPI scaling behavior‘ and choose ‘Application’ from the drop-down menu.
  • 7. Finally, click ‘Apply‘, then ‘OK’ to confirm and save your changes.

This should help improve your gameplay experience.

8. Update Helldivers 2

To ensure your Helldivers 2 game is up-to-date, follow these straightforward instructions to check for and install the latest patch.

  • 1. Launch the Steam client and navigate to your Library.
  • 2. Select Helldivers 2 from the list on the left.
  • 3. The client will automatically search for any available updates. If an update is found, be sure to click on the Update button to initiate the installation.
  • 4. Keep in mind that the update process may require some time, and you may need to close the Steam client during this period.
  • 5. Once the installation is complete, restart your PC to apply the changes, then relaunch the game.

We hope you find this guide helpful! If you have any additional questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Helldivers 2 Low FPS Drops on PC and How to Increase Performance

Leave a Comment