Hollow Knight Low FPS or FPS Drops on PC and Boost Performance

Hollow Knight Low FPS or FPS Drops on PC and Boost Performance: How to FIX

by

Hollow Knight Low FPS or FPS Drops on PC and Boost Performance: Hollow Knight, the beautifully hand-drawn metroidvania by Team Cherry, is a beloved indie title praised for its art, music, and challenging gameplay.

While it is relatively lightweight compared to modern AAA games, some PC players still face issues with low FPS (frames per second) or FPS drops, especially during intense moments or transitions. This can cause frustrating stuttering, lag, and an overall subpar gameplay experience.

This guide dives deep into the common causes of FPS issues in Hollow Knight on PC and provides effective step-by-step solutions and optimization techniques to help you get smooth and stable performance. Whether your FPS is locked at low values or you encounter sudden drops, this article covers all the bases.

Understanding FPS and Why It Matters in Hollow Knight

FPS, or frames per second, measures how many images your game renders each second. Higher FPS means smoother gameplay; lower FPS results in choppiness and input lag. For Hollow Knight, a consistent 60 FPS is ideal to enjoy the fluidity of movement, combat, and animation.

Despite being a 2D game with relatively modest system requirements, Hollow Knight’s beautiful effects, particle systems, and certain complex scenes can cause your FPS to dip if your PC isn’t optimized properly or if system issues interfere.

Common Causes of Low FPS or FPS Drops in Hollow Knight

Before jumping to fixes, it’s useful to understand what commonly causes FPS issues:

  • Outdated or incompatible GPU drivers

  • Background applications consuming CPU or RAM

  • Too high graphics settings or resolution for your hardware

  • Mods causing performance drops

  • Corrupt game files or improper installation

  • Thermal throttling due to overheating hardware

  • Windows or hardware power settings limiting performance

  • V-Sync or frame limiting settings causing input lag or inconsistent FPS

  • Using an older CPU or integrated graphics struggling with particle-heavy scenes

  • Conflicts with third-party software like screen recorders or overlays

Knowing this helps you systematically troubleshoot.

Step-by-Step Fixes for Low FPS and FPS Drops in Hollow Knight

1. Update Your GPU Drivers

The most important first step for any performance issue is to update your graphics drivers:

Outdated or corrupted drivers often cause stuttering or low FPS.

2. Close Background Applications & Overlays

Many apps running in the background consume CPU, RAM, and GPU resources, causing FPS drops:

  • Close browsers, chat apps, streaming software, and antivirus scans during gameplay.

  • Disable overlays like Discord overlay, Steam overlay, GeForce Experience overlay, or MSI Afterburner OSD, which can interfere with performance.

  • Use Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) to identify and close high-resource processes.

3. Lower Graphics Settings and Resolution

Though Hollow Knight isn’t demanding, running at ultra-high resolutions or with all effects enabled may strain lower-end PCs.

  • Lower your screen resolution to 1080p or 720p if you’re on a low-end laptop or older PC.

  • Disable or reduce V-Sync, anti-aliasing, and post-processing effects if available.

  • Try running the game in windowed mode or borderless window instead of fullscreen, which can sometimes help with performance on some GPUs.

  • To adjust settings, edit the options.ini file in your save folder if the in-game options are limited.

4. Disable V-Sync and Frame Rate Limiters

V-Sync syncs FPS to your monitor’s refresh rate but can introduce input lag and uneven frame pacing. FPS limiters can also cap performance.

  • Open the options.ini file located here:
    C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\LocalLow\Team Cherry\Hollow Knight

  • Change or add these lines to disable V-Sync and FPS caps:

    vsync=false
    max_fps=0

  • Alternatively, disable V-Sync via your GPU’s control panel.

5. Verify Game Files (Steam)

Corrupt or missing game files can cause stuttering or FPS drops.

  • On Steam, right-click Hollow Knight → Properties → Local Files → Verify integrity of game files.

  • Steam will scan and fix broken files automatically.

6. Disable or Remove Mods

Mods can sometimes cause FPS drops if not optimized or conflicting.

  • Disable all mods and test performance in vanilla game.

  • If FPS improves, enable mods one-by-one to identify the culprit.

  • Popular mods like benchwarp or map mods are known to cause minor slowdowns.

7. Adjust Windows Power Settings

Power saving modes throttle CPU and GPU performance.

  • Open Control Panel → Power Options.

  • Set your power plan to High Performance or Ultimate Performance (Windows 10 Pro).

  • On laptops, plug into AC power and disable battery saver modes.

8. Monitor and Fix Overheating Issues

Overheating causes CPU/GPU to throttle down speed, dropping FPS.

  • Use software like HWMonitor, MSI Afterburner, or Speccy to monitor temperatures.

  • Clean dust from your PC fans and heatsinks.

  • Ensure good airflow and consider external cooling solutions for laptops.

  • If overheating persists, lower in-game settings to reduce load.

9. Adjust Compatibility & Run as Administrator

Sometimes Windows permission or compatibility modes cause hiccups.

  • Right-click Hollow Knight’s executable → Properties → Compatibility tab.

  • Check Run this program as administrator.

  • Try compatibility modes for Windows 7 or 8 if you have an older OS.

10. Use Game Mode and Graphics Settings in Windows 10/11

Windows 10/11 have features to boost game performance.

  • Open Settings → Gaming → Game Mode and enable it.

  • Under Graphics Settings, add Hollow Knight and set it to High Performance GPU.

11. Disable Full-Screen Optimization

Windows’ full-screen optimization can sometimes cause FPS stutter.

  • Right-click Hollow Knight executable → Properties → Compatibility tab.

  • Check Disable full-screen optimizations.

12. Consider Upgrading Hardware

If your PC is old or has integrated graphics, you may need to upgrade to achieve consistent 60 FPS, especially in large fights or areas with many particles.

  • A dedicated graphics card is highly recommended.

  • Ensure you have at least 8GB of RAM and a modern multi-core CPU.

Borderlands 4 Low FPS Drops on PC and Boost Performance: How to FIX

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Low FPS Drops on PC and Boost Performance: How to FIX

Bonus Tips to Boost Hollow Knight Performance

  • Limit background processes via Startup tab in Task Manager to keep system resources free.

  • Set Hollow Knight to high priority in Task Manager while running.

  • Use third-party tools like Razer Cortex or Wise Game Booster to optimize PC resources during gameplay.

  • Use SSD for faster game loading and asset streaming.

  • Keep your Windows OS updated.

FAQs About Hollow Knight Low FPS and Performance

Q1. Why is Hollow Knight lagging on my high-end PC?
A: Even powerful PCs can lag if drivers are outdated, background apps hog resources, or power settings throttle performance. Also, overlays or mods can cause problems. Follow the steps above to isolate and fix.

Q2. Can mods cause FPS drops?
A: Yes. Mods that add new graphics effects, warp mechanics, or UI changes can strain your system. Disable mods to see if FPS improves.

Q3. How do I edit Hollow Knight’s graphics options?
A: Most options can be adjusted in-game or by editing the options.ini file in your save folder %AppData%\LocalLow\Team Cherry\Hollow Knight.

Q4. Is it better to play in fullscreen or windowed mode?
A: It depends on your system. Some GPUs perform better in fullscreen, others in windowed. Try both modes to see which gives better FPS.

Q5. Does lowering resolution help?
A: Yes, lowering the resolution reduces GPU load, often improving FPS, especially on older hardware.

Q6. Will reinstalling the game help with FPS?
A: Sometimes. If game files are corrupted or mods have caused issues, reinstalling a clean version can fix performance problems.

Q7. How do I check if my CPU or GPU is bottlenecking Hollow Knight?
A: Use monitoring tools like MSI Afterburner to track CPU/GPU usage. If one component is maxed out during gameplay, it may be a bottleneck.

Q8. Can overheating cause FPS drops?
A: Absolutely. When hardware overheats, it throttles performance to cool down, causing FPS dips.

Q9. Should I use V-Sync in Hollow Knight?
A: V-Sync can prevent screen tearing but may introduce input lag or uneven FPS. Test with V-Sync on and off to see which you prefer.

Q10. Does Windows Game Mode really help?
A: Game Mode helps prioritize gaming resources but its effectiveness varies by system. It’s worth enabling to see if performance improves.

Conclusion

Hollow Knight should run smoothly on most PCs, but various issues—from outdated drivers to mods and background apps—can cause low FPS or drops. Following the steps outlined here will help you identify and fix these problems to enjoy a buttery-smooth Hollow Knight experience. Remember to always keep your system and drivers updated, limit background tasks, optimize game settings, and monitor your hardware for overheating. If you’ve tried everything and still experience FPS issues, consider reaching out to Team Cherry support or gaming forums for help.

Enjoy exploring Hallownest without lag or stutter!

Leave a Comment