Experiencing low FPS, lag spikes, or stuttering while playing Hollow Knight: Silksong can ruin your immersion in Team Cherry’s beautifully crafted world. Whether your frame rate drops during combat, the environment stutters when loading new areas, or animations feel delayed — performance issues can be incredibly frustrating.
These problems are often caused by outdated graphics drivers, incorrect settings, system resource limits, or background software interference.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through step-by-step solutions to boost FPS, eliminate lag, and ensure smooth, consistent gameplay in Silksong.
⚙️ Common Causes of Low FPS & Lag
Here are the most common reasons why Hollow Knight: Silksong might run poorly on your PC:
- Outdated or improperly configured GPU drivers
- High graphics settings on lower-end hardware
- V-Sync or frame cap issues
- Background applications consuming CPU or RAM
- Outdated DirectX or Visual C++ redistributables
- Disk or shader cache buildup
- System not running in high-performance mode
🛠️ Fix 1: Update Your Graphics Drivers
The first and most important step to improve FPS is updating your GPU drivers.
Steps:
- Press Windows + X → Device Manager.
- Expand Display Adapters.
- Right-click your GPU → Update driver → Search automatically for drivers.
Or download directly from official sources:
✅ Result: Installs optimized driver updates for better performance and stability.
🛠️ Fix 2: Lower Graphics Settings
Even though Silksong isn’t extremely demanding, certain effects or resolutions can reduce FPS.
Steps:
- Open the game’s Settings → Video/Graphics tab.
- Reduce these key settings:
- Resolution: Set to native display resolution or 1080p.
- V-Sync: Disable if you notice input lag.
- Anti-Aliasing: Set to Low or Off.
- Shadows: Lower to Medium or Low.
- Frame Cap: Set to Unlimited if available.
✅ Result: Reduces GPU load and provides smoother gameplay on mid-range systems.
🛠️ Fix 3: Enable High-Performance Mode in Windows
Windows sometimes limits performance to save power. Switching to high-performance mode gives your system full CPU and GPU potential.
Steps:
- Press Windows + I → System → Power & Battery → Power Mode.
- Select Best Performance or High Performance.
- Restart your PC.
✅ Result: Prioritizes speed and responsiveness over power efficiency.
🛠️ Fix 4: Close Background Apps
Background tasks can consume CPU, RAM, or GPU resources, causing lag or stutters.
Steps:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Go to the Processes tab.
- Right-click apps like Discord, Chrome, OBS, or MSI Afterburner → End Task.
- Reopen the game and test performance.
✅ Result: Frees up system resources for the game to run smoothly.
🛠️ Fix 5: Disable Overlays and Background Recording
Overlays (like Discord, Steam, or GeForce Experience) often cause FPS drops or micro-stutters.
Steps:
- Steam Overlay:
- Go to Steam → Settings → In-Game → Disable Steam Overlay.
- Discord Overlay:
- Open Discord → Settings → Game Overlay → Turn off Overlay.
- GeForce Experience:
- Open GeForce Experience → Settings → Disable In-Game Overlay.
- Xbox Game Bar:
- Press Windows + G → Settings → Turn Off Background Recording.
✅ Result: Reduces unnecessary processes and GPU interruptions.
🛠️ Fix 6: Update DirectX and Visual C++ Redistributables
Outdated or missing system libraries can limit performance.
Steps:
- Download and install the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer.
- Install the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (2015–2022) for both x86 and x64.
- Restart your PC afterward.
✅ Result: Restores core components required for optimal performance.
🛠️ Fix 7: Clear Shader Cache
Over time, the shader cache can get corrupted, causing lag or stuttering when loading new areas.
Steps:
- Press Windows + R, type
%localappdata%, and press Enter. - Navigate to your GPU manufacturer’s folder (e.g., NVIDIA or AMD).
- Delete or clear the ShaderCache folder.
- Restart your PC and relaunch the game.
✅ Result: Forces the game to rebuild shaders, improving stability and performance.
🛠️ Fix 8: Verify Integrity of Game Files
If certain game files are missing or damaged, performance can suffer.
Steps (Steam):
- Open Steam Library.
- Right-click Hollow Knight: Silksong → Properties → Installed Files.
- Click Verify Integrity of Game Files.
✅ Result: Repairs broken or missing assets that cause performance issues.
💡 Additional Optimization Tips
- Install the game on an SSD for faster loading and reduced stutter.
- Disable Windows Game Mode and Fullscreen Optimizations (right-click
.exe→ Properties → Compatibility). - Ensure your DirectX version is 12 or higher (check via
dxdiag). - Update Windows regularly for better driver and performance compatibility.
- Set NVIDIA/AMD Control Panel to use Maximum Performance mode.
❓ FAQs
Q1: Why is Hollow Knight: Silksong lagging on my PC?
A: Most likely due to outdated drivers, high graphics settings, or background tasks consuming resources.
Q2: Does Silksong need a strong GPU?
A: No, it’s lightweight, but performance may drop if your system lacks updated drivers or runs on integrated graphics.
Q3: How can I fix micro-stuttering?
A: Disable V-Sync, clear shader cache, and turn off background overlays.
Q4: Will using an SSD improve performance?
A: Yes — it won’t increase FPS but will reduce loading times and stutters significantly.
🎯 Conclusion
If you’re facing low FPS, lag, or stuttering in Hollow Knight: Silksong, the problem usually lies in graphics driver issues, power settings, or resource conflicts.
By following the steps above — updating drivers, adjusting settings, disabling overlays, and optimizing your PC — you can achieve smoother, more stable gameplay and fully enjoy Silksong’s atmospheric world at its best. 🌙
