How to Fix XCOM 2 FPS Drop, Lag, and Stuttering Issues

XCOM 2 suddenly stutters and FPS drops? Well, who will not be annoyed if you’re in the mid-game and you experience this issue? While the developer of XCOM 2 has been properly optimizing the game, it seems that your PC is having some performance issues with the game. Worry not, as we will guide you to fix these problems in XCOM 2.

To fix the XCOM 2 lag, sudden FPS drop, and stuttering, feel free to try all the recommended steps below.

Update Graphics Driver

Updating your graphics driver should always be your go-to option when your concern is XCOM 2 FPS issues. Sometimes, you forget to update your drivers manually, resulting in your PC being outdated. Well, no wonder why you’re experiencing these FPS problems in XCOM 2.

According to the official driver release notes from AMD and Nvidia, both of these popular graphics card manufacturers provide optimal support for XCOM 2. If you’re not sure if you have the latest driver, you can download it manually or simply use Driver Booster to automatically download and install the correct GPU driver for your PC.

Step 1: Download and install Driver Booster

Step 2: Run Driver Booster and click the “Scan” button. The Driver Booster will then scan and detect any driver-related problems.

Step 3: Click the “Update Now” button to automatically download and install the correct drivers for your computer.

Step 4: Restart your PC for the update changes to take effect.

Step 5: Start XCOM 2 and check if these crashing issues have been solved.

If the XCOM 2 crashing problem persists, proceed to the next step.

Use Game Booster

If you have installed and used Driver Booster, then you can take advantage of its amazing feature: Game Boost. This feature will surely boost your overall FPS while playing XCOM 2.

For a better gaming experience, Driver Booster’s Game Boost feature will temporarily stop all unnecessary applications and services running in the background. If you want some applications to be active while Game Boost is enabled, you have the option to configure the feature.

Disable Steam Overlay

If you have the Steam Overlay enabled and the frame rate suddenly drops while playing XCOM 2, you can try disabling the Steam Overlay for XCOM 2. Here’s how you can disable the Steam Overlay:

1. Open Steam and go to Library
2. Right click on XCOM 2 and click Properties
3. Uncheck the Enable Steam Overlay while in-game in the GENERAL tab

Re-launch XCOM 2 to see if you achieve a better FPS.

Set XCOM 2 to High Priority

This method will allow your system to prioritize and allocate more resources for XCOM 2. Using this method usually increases the performance of XCOM 2, resulting in a better framerate.

To set XCOM 2 to high priority:

1. Open XCOM 2
2. While in-game, open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc key at the same time.
3. Go to the Details tab and find the main process of XCOM 2.
4. Right-click XCOM 2 and hover your mouse to Set Priority then choose High.

Restart XCOM 2 to see if there’s an FPS improvement.

Adjust XCOM 2 Graphics Settings

Apart from the recommended methods above, you can also try adjusting the XCOM 2 graphics in the settings section of the game. Feel free to experiment with the graphics options inside XCOM 2.