[2024 Tips] How to Fix Lag and Stuttering in Dead by Daylight

Dead by daylight has been out for quite some time now, and yet many players are still complaining about the lag and stuttering issue. If you happen to be one of them, you’ve hit the right spot. Here we’ve put together some working fixes for your lag in dBd, try them out before you enter the fog.

Make sure it’s “high ping” lag

Many gamers are confused about the word “lag”. In general, there’re 2 types of lag: one is graphics-related, referring to a slideshow gaming experience; and another is a network issue, which allows the game characters to teleport.

This article seeks to fix the “teleporting” lag in Dead by Daylight.

Try these fixes

You might not need to try them all. Simply work your way down until you find the one that gives you luck.

1. Use a wire connection
2. Restart your network
3. Change your DNS servers
4. Update your network driver
5. Disable Cross-Play
6. Close bandwidth-hogging programs
7. Install all Windows updates
8. Change your region with a VPN

Fix 1: Use a wire connection

When it comes to online gaming, every aficionado will tell you NOT to use WIFI. Surely WIFI is convenient, but at the cost of stability. Channel conflict, bad reception, and not to mention the 30Mbps speed cap at the 2.4 Ghz frequency. If possible, a shift to a wire connection will absolutely reduce your game lag dramatically.

If you’re already on an Ethernet connection, or gaming via WIFI is your only option for now, you can take a look at the next trick.

Fix 2: Restart your network

One of the quickest solutions to network problems is to reboot your network. While easy as it may seem, you’d be surprised how often the “turn it off and turn it back on again” trick works.

Here’s a simple guide for that:

1. On the back of your modem and router, unplug the power cords.
   
2. Wait at least 60 seconds, then plug them back in. Make sure the indicators are back to their normal state.
3. Open your browser and check your Internet. Once you’re back online, launch Dead by Daylight and test the gameplay.

If restarting your network doesn’t help your case, simply move on to the next fix.

Fix 3: Change your DNS servers

A DNS server is basically a phone book of the Internet. It is the translator between your target domains and their IP addresses. Usually we’re using DNS servers developed by our providers. Using the popular and widely-acknowledged DNS servers shortens the resolution time and increases accuracy.

You can follow these steps to change your DNS servers:

1. At the bottom right corner of your screen, click the computer icon and select Network & Internet settings.
   
2. Under the Advanced network settings section, select Change adapter options.
   
3. Right-click your Ethernet adapter (or Wi-Fi, depending on your current connection) and select Properties.
   
4. Double-click Internet Protocol Version 4(TCP/IPv4) to view its properties.
   
5. Select Use the following DNS server addresses:. For Preferred DNS server, type 8.8.8.8; and for Alternate DNS server, type 8.8.4.4. Click OK to save the changes.
   
   8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 are the most popular DNS servers by Google.
6. For the changes to take effect, next you need to flush the DNS cache. On your taskbar, type cmd in the search box. Select Run as administrator.
   
7. In the pop-up window, type in ipconfig /flushdns. Press Enter.
   

Now you can launch Dead by Daylight and check if the lag reappears.

If this fix doesn’t give you luck, you can take a look at the next one.

Fix 4: Update your network driver

One common cause of the lag issue is that you’re using a faulty or outdated network driver. You should always keep your network driver up to date so as to avoid network problems. If you don’t remember when was the last time you check for driver updates, definitely do it now.

You can update your network driver manually, by visiting the motherboard manufacturer’s website, locating your model and finding the latest correct driver installer. But if you’re not comfortable playing with device drivers, we recommend using Driver Easy. It’s a tool that detects, downloads and installs any driver updates your computer needs.

1. Download and install Driver Easy.
2. Run Driver Easy, then click Scan Now. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
   
3. Click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system.
   (This requires the Pro version – you’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All. If you don’t want to pay for the Pro version, you can still download and install all the drivers you need with the free version; you just have to download them one at a time, and manually install them, the normal Windows way.)
   

Once you’ve updated your network driver, restart your computer and test the gameplay in Dead by Daylight.

If the issue remains, try the next fix below.

Fix 5: Disable Cross-Play

In August 2020, Dead by Daylight rolled out a new feature called Cross-Play. It allows players on different platforms to participate in the same game. While this may make the game more interesting, you should know that your in-game connection is also determined by your peers. You will expect a lag spike/high ping issue if your peers don’t have a good connection as you do. To avoid this from happening, you can try disabling Cross-Play in Dead by Daylight and see how it goes.

If this method doesn’t work for you, simply continue to the next one.

Fix 6: Close bandwidth-hogging programs

In some cases, you will experience high latency when you have some large programs sneaking in the background. So before entering the fog, you should check if you’re running programs that might require lots of traffic, such as Chrome, OneDrive, Discord or Windows Update. Or you can try closing all unnecessary software before launching the game.

Fix 7: Install all Windows updates

Windows system updates include bug fixes that could address compatibility issues. It also improves the overall stability, making it a possible solution to your dBd lag issue.

And here’s quick guide to update your system:

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and I (the i key) at the same time to open the Windows Settings app. Click Update & Security.
   
2. Click Check for updates. It’ll take a while (up to an hour) for Windows to download and install available updates.
   

Once completed, perform a reboot and check if Dead by Daylight lags again.

If the latest system updates can’t stop the lag, you can take a look at the next fix.

Fix 8: Change your region with a VPN

In some cases, the lag is a regional issue. That is, you’re connected to laggy server, or your connection to the server is too bad for smooth gaming. Either way, you can try to solve the problem by using a VPN.

VPNs take care of your local network configuration so that you can focus on your game. You can even test servers in other countries. But also note that you should not use free VPNs as they’re after your personal data. A premium VPN plan guarantees a stable and secure connection.

And here’re some VPN services we recommended:

• NordVPN
• Surfshark VPN
• CyberGhost VPN

So these are the fixes to your Dead by Daylight lag issue. Hopefully, you’ve stopped the lag and can go back to your hide-and-seek in the fog. Once again, if you have any questions or ideas, drop a comment and we’ll get back to you.