4 Ways to Fix Slow Download Speed in Epic Games Launcher on Windows 11

Quick Tips

• The download speed in Epic Games Launcher may be affected by network configurations, including the DNS settings
• A faulty or outdated network driver may also be the cause, in which case you should update them
• Epic Games Launcher also has a throttling feature, which might have been enabled by mistake, leading to lower download speeds

Basic Fixes:

• Check the Epic Server Status: Epic Games Launcher also relies on multiple servers to operate, and It’s possible that a server might be out of order or undergoing maintenance. You can check the same in status.epicgames.com.
• Try Using Different DNS Servers: A slow DNS server can also play spoilsportb when you are downloading games from the Epic Games Launcher. If you use the DNS servers hosted by your ISP, try using different public DNS servers to improve the download speed.
• Check Background Apps: If you’re experiencing slow download speeds even when all the servers are running as expected, try closing the background apps that might be hogging up your internet bandwidth.

Method 1: Disable VPN and Proxy Servers

VPN and proxy servers can slow things down by introducing unnecessary latency on your network. If you’re experiencing slow download speeds in Epic Games Launcher, try turning the VPN and proxy servers off to hasten things up. Here’s how you can do that on Windows 11.

Step 1: Open the VPN client on your PC and check if it’s disconnected. If it’s not, click on the Disconnect option. 

Meanwhile, if you’ve configured your VPN manually, disable the VPN toggle in the Action Center. Once that’s done, move on to the next steps to ensure you’re not connected to a proxy server.

Step 2: Press the Windows + I keys on your keyboard to open the Settings app. Now, navigate to Network & internet > Proxy from the right pane.

Step 3: Under Proxy settings, ensure that the ‘Use a proxy server’ is off. Meanwhile, if the proxy server is turned on, the Set up button will say Edit, click on it and move on to the next step.

Step 4: When an Edit proxy server dialog appears, click the ‘Use a proxy server’ toggle to turn it off. Then, click on the Save button.

Method 2: Ensure Download Throttling Is Disabled Inside Epic Games Launcher

Epic Games Launcher offers a download throttling feature to let you restrict the download speed of games. That helps when you share the network bandwidth for other essential tasks. Hence, If you want to download your games as quickly as possible, you must ensure that this toggle is turned off.

Step 1: Launch Epic Games Launcher and click on the Profile icon located in the upper-right corner.

Step 2: Click on Settings from the menu that appears. Once in, scroll down and ensure that the Throttle Downloads option is disabled. If it’s enabled, click on the checkbox beside it to disable download throttling.

Method 3: Update or Reinstall the Network Drivers

Often, obsolete or corrupt network drivers on your PC can cause unusual network issues, including slow download speeds on Windows 11. Hence, updating or reinstalling the Network drivers on your computer is a good idea to ensure a stable network connection.

Step 1: Right-click on the Start button and select Device Manager from the list. Once inside, look for the Network adapters entry and double-click to expand it.

Step 2: Under Network adapters, right-click on your PC’s Wireless adapter (Qualcomm Atheros in our case) and select Update driver.

If you have a wired connection, you will need to update your PC’s Ethernet or LAN adapter (Realtek PCIe GbE Family in this case).

Step 3: On the Update Drivers window, click on ‘Search automatically for drivers.’ Let it search and install the latest network drivers compatible with your PC.

If you see a message stating that your computer has the best drivers installed, you can scan for drivers through the Windows Update. Otherwise, click on the Close button in the bottom-right corner and proceed with the next step.

Step 4: If you can’t find any new network drivers, right-click on the network adapter and click on Uninstall device. Click Uninstall on the next Dialog box. Restart your PC once done.

After your PC restarts, Windows 11 will automatically search for the relevant network drivers and install them on your PC.

Method 4: Reinstall Epic Games Launcher

If none of the solutions work, wait for a few hours and recheck the download speeds to ensure that it wasn’t caused due to issues on your ISP’s end. If that doesn’t help, the only solution that remains is to remove Epic Games Launcher and reinstall it. Here’s how you can do that on your PC:

Note: Uninstalling Epic Games Launcher from your PC will also remove all your games, their downloadable content (DLCs), and save files. You may want to learn how to backup and restore your games in Epic Games Launcher before proceeding further.

Step 1: Bring up Settings by pressing the Windows + I keys. Next, click on the Apps option in the left sidebar.

Step 2: On the Apps page, click on the option that says Installed apps from the right pane. Type Epic Games Launcher in the search box at the top.

Step 3: Now, click the horizontal three dots menu next to the Epic Games Launcher result as shown below and then, select Uninstall.

Step 4: Once done, download the Epic installer on your PC. After the download completes, click on the EpicInstaller.msi file, choose your preferred install location, and follow the on-screen instructions to install the Epic Games Launcher on your PC.

Next, launch it as you used to, and use your login credentials to access your profile.