Once Human can become laggy due to several common factors, primarily related to your computer's hardware, software configurations, and how resources are managed while running the game.
Common Causes of Lag in Once Human
Lag in games like Once Human often stems from your system struggling to keep up with the demands of the game. Here are the primary reasons you might be experiencing performance issues:
1. Outdated Drivers
One of the most frequent culprits for game lag is outdated graphics card and network drivers. These drivers are essential software components that allow your operating system to communicate effectively with your hardware. If they are not up-to-date, they can lead to:
- Performance Bottlenecks: Older drivers may not be optimized for the latest game engines or operating system updates, causing your hardware to perform below its potential.
- Compatibility Issues: Newer games often rely on features or optimizations only available in recent driver versions, leading to stuttering or low frame rates if your drivers are old.
- Network Instability: Outdated network drivers can affect your internet connection's stability and speed, contributing to latency-related lag in online games.
Solution:
- Update Graphics Drivers: Visit the official website of your graphics card manufacturer (e.g., NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) and download the latest drivers for your specific model.
- Update Network Drivers: Similarly, check your motherboard manufacturer's website or the website of your dedicated network card producer for the latest network adapter drivers.
- Regular Checks: Make it a habit to check for driver updates periodically.
2. High Graphics Settings
Running Once Human with graphics settings that exceed your PC's capabilities is a significant cause of lag. While higher settings offer a more visually immersive experience, they demand substantial processing power from your CPU and GPU. If your system can't render the game at these settings smoothly, you'll encounter low frame rates, stuttering, and general unresponsiveness.
Solution:
- Lower In-Game Settings: Access the game's graphics options and try reducing settings such as:
- Resolution: Lowering the display resolution can significantly improve performance.
- Texture Quality: Reduce the quality of textures.
- Shadows: Shadows are often very demanding; try lowering their quality or disabling them.
- Anti-aliasing: This smooths jagged edges but can be resource-intensive.
- View Distance: Shorter view distances mean less for your PC to render.
- Match PC Specifications: Understand your PC's hardware limits. If you have an entry-level or older graphics card, you'll need to use lower settings compared to someone with a high-end gaming rig.
3. Background Applications
Other applications running on your PC can consume valuable resources, leading to lag in Once Human. Every program open, from web browsers with multiple tabs to streaming services, antivirus software, or other games, competes for your system's:
- CPU (Central Processing Unit): The "brain" of your computer.
- RAM (Random Access Memory): Used for short-term data storage.
- GPU (Graphics Processing Unit): Handles rendering graphics.
- Network Bandwidth: Especially crucial for online games.
When these resources are stretched thin, Once Human won't receive enough to run optimally.
Solution:
- Close Unnecessary Programs: Before launching Once Human, close any applications you don't need, including web browsers, background downloads, streaming apps, and chat clients.
- Task Manager: Use
Ctrl + Shift + Esc(Windows Task Manager) to check which applications are consuming the most resources under the "Processes" tab. End tasks for non-essential applications. - Startup Programs: Disable unnecessary programs from launching automatically with Windows. You can manage this in the Task Manager's "Startup" tab.
Quick Fixes & Optimization Tips
To further enhance your gaming experience in Once Human, consider these additional steps:
- Game Mode (Windows): Ensure Windows Game Mode is enabled. It optimizes your PC for gaming by prioritizing game processes.
- Power Plan: Set your power plan to "High Performance" in Windows Power Options.
- Disk Space: Ensure you have ample free disk space, especially on the drive where the game is installed. A full drive can slow down your system.
- Internet Connection: For online play, a stable, wired Ethernet connection is generally superior to Wi-Fi, offering lower latency and more consistent speeds.
- Verify Game Files: If issues persist, verifying the integrity of Once Human's game files through your game launcher (e.g., Steam) can fix corrupted or missing files.
By addressing these common causes and implementing the suggested solutions, you can significantly reduce lag and enjoy a smoother experience in Once Human.
