“Mom, stop watching YouTube! I can’t play Fortnite.”
These days, we can download and stream just about anything. But when it comes to downloading games on the Xbox consoles, many users have complained about slow speeds. Many of these problems are caused by problems with the router, the connection with the provider, system updates with bugs, or many downloads queued at once. You probably want to know how to make Xbox games download faster.
If you are going through these problems, don’t worry! Many players have gone through these problems, even me! So, today we will show you how to make Xbox games download faster using some simple tricks. Read on to learn them.
Close all of your games and apps
For whatever reason, the Xbox refuses to download games at a decent speed when you are playing another game. So the quickest and easiest way to improve your Xbox download speed is to close any of the applications. This includes games.
Yes, it stinks that a modern console will not let you play a game and download at a decent speed simultaneously. It’s quite silly, to be honest, especially since it also affects offline games. But the bottom line is that you will see your games download up to 20x faster when you close all games and apps. In fact, I have seen downloads go from under 10 Mbps to over 200 Mbps through this trick.
To close a game, follow these steps
- Go to the Xbox dashboard.
- Highlight the game or app that you want to close.
- Press the Menu button on your controller.
- Select Quit from the options.
That’s it! Now watch those download speeds increase exponentially.
Use a wired connection
If you see that the problems with download speeds persist, it may be due to the use of WiFi as a connection. In this case, it is recommended that you use a wired connection. Wired connections are faster, more stable, and more secure than WiFi. This will allow for better latency in the transmission of internet data when playing games on your Xbox. So if an ethernet cable is an option for your setup, we highly recommend it.
Make sure your router is properly configured for gaming
Make sure your router is properly configured for gaming. There are different configurable items that you can check if you are having poor performance when playing games on your Xbox. Some of them are:
- Update your router’s firmware to the latest version.
- Ensure that your Internet Connection Type is set to “Automatic Configuration – DHCP” and not “Manual Configuration” or another setting that might interfere with proper network communication.
- Check for any known issues related to Xbox Live multiplayer games on the Xbox consoles such as slow downloads or lag. These are usually caused by problems with your internet connection, but they may sometimes be due to other factors such as poor signal strength from the wireless access point (WAP) or interference from other devices using the same frequency bands (2.4GHz/5GHz).
Make sure your Xbox has the latest system update
Once you have the right system update, you’ll need to make sure that your console is up-to-date as well. To check for updates, open the Settings app on your Xbox and select System -> Console Info & Updates. If there are any updates available, they’ll be listed here; select each one and follow the prompts to install it.
Download games in bulk when you don’t use your console.
Do you still have a slow connection? Do not give up hope yet! There’s a simple workaround for a persistently slow connection if you have some patience.
Just use the time when no one else uses the internet (like early morning or late at night) to download all the games which are currently available from the Microsoft Store and then it will be ready for play whenever anyone wants it later on in the day or night.
We do not recommend that you just leave your Xbox console on overnight though as you may overheat the console. Instead, you should put it into Sleep Mode. Follow these steps:
- Press the Xbox button.
- Select Profile & system > Settings > General > Power options.
- Select the Sleep option.
Now whenever you turn off the console, it will put it into Sleep Mode. This will make sure that you are downloading game files without leaving the console in a full-power state. This will save lots of time later when trying out new titles because they’ll always be there ready whenever needed instead of waiting around while something downloads onto your system each time you want something new.
Conclusions
Each of these steps can help you improve your console’s internet connection and download speed. However, if you are persistently having internet problems, we recommend that you sign up for an internet plan that offers a faster connection speed. Alternatively, you can contact a professional technician who can figure out the exact cause of your slow connection.
