Steam is hailed as one of the most popular gaming platforms with millions of active users worldwide. Along with easy access to all the popular titles, you can also play them right away. Nowadays, downloads take longer than usual, given most of the AAA titles require up to 100 GB of storage.
This is where gamers need to heavily rely upon download speed just to get their hands on a title. But, sometimes even with a better connection downloading games can take almost forever. For the most part, these problems arise due to in-app issues or a poor connection on the server side. That is why, in this article, we are going to share all the troubleshooting steps you can take on how to make Steam download faster.
How to Make Steam Download Faster
1. Check Your Internet Connection
Prior to troubleshooting the Steam client, make sure that your internet connection is not slowing down your download speed in the first place. You can check any speed test website to ensure that you are getting the required Download and Upload Speed from your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
In case you are getting a slower download speed than usual, make sure to switch back to the wired connection. If you are still getting a slower speed, you can reach out to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). If your internet is working as intended, now it’s time to deep dive into Steam.
2. Terminate Unnecessary Processes
There are several instances where several applications and services would end up taking additional resources on your PC. Terminating such processes would make room for your RAM and CPU, offering the processing output required for downloading games on Steam. Follow the steps mentioned below to terminate unnecessary processes on Windows:
Step 1: Press ‘Ctrl + Shift + Esc’ simultaneously to bring up the Task Manager.
Step 2: Right-click on the process you want to terminate and click on ‘End Task’. Make sure to close all the browsers and other programs that would affect your download speed.
Step 3: From the bottom of the ‘Task Manager’ click on ‘Open Resource Monitor.’ Head over to the Network tab to check if something else is hogging your download speed.
Step 4: If you find such processes, right-click on it to select ‘End Process Tree’. Make sure to wait for a few moments until the process is removed from the list.
3. Prioritize Your Steam Downloads
You can also make use of the Task Manager to provide maximum download speed to Steam. Here’s how you can do it:
Step 1: Once Steam is up and running, open up the ‘Task Manager’.
Step 2: From the list of processes, make sure to find the Steam Client and right-click on it to select ‘Go to’.
Step 3: Head over to the ‘Details window’ and right-click on ‘SteamService.exe’ to set its priority to High. While it won’t increase the download speed, but would prioritize Steam over other processes.
4. Disable Windows’ Metered Connection
If you are working on limited bandwidth, Windows offers a metered connection. While it can help you to save data, it often puts a cap on the availability of the bandwidth. As a result, a metered connection often slows down your download speed on Steam. To disable Windows’ metered connection, follow the steps mentioned below:
Step 1: Right-click on the Windows Start button and go to Settings.
Step 2: From the left side panel, go to Network & Internet.
Step 3: Click on Wi-Fi and go to Wi-Fi connection.
Step 4: Toggle off the Metered connection to disable it.
5. Change Your Download Region and Bandwidth Limit
Steam actually uses your location to Download games. So based on your region, your download speed can greatly vary. Not to mention, there are even instances where Steam would detect the wrong area. That is why, to ensure optimal results, make sure to choose your nearest location. Here’s how you can change location on Steam:
Step 1: Open the Steam app, and from the top-left corner, click on Steam and go to Settings.
Step 2: Now, head over to the ‘Downloads’ section.
Step 3: From the dropdown menu, click on ‘Download Region’ and choose the Region closest to you.
Step 4: Make sure to untick the box, ‘Limit bandwidth to’, to remove any restrictions on the download speed.
There are several instances where the area closest to you might not be the most suitable option. This is often due to high traffic within the region. Hence, make sure to change the region accordingly.
6. Clear Out Download Cache on Steam
Similar to other applications, Steam also keeps the temporary data within the download cache. Getting clogged up over time can significantly affect Steam’s performance, restricting the app from performing properly. Hence, clearing out the cache can help you to speed up the download.
Step 1: Launch the Steam app on your PC.
Step 2: Click on the Steam tab from the top-left corner and go to Settings.
Step 3: Select Downloads from the left sidebar.
Step 4: From the right-hand panel, click on ‘Clear Download Cache’.
Step 5: Relaunch Steam, once you have deleted the cache file.
7. Disable Download throttling
The Steam app actually throttles the download, in order to ensure the highest quality stream. In other words, you would experience good performance at the expense of download speed. To disable download throttling, follow the steps mentioned below:
Step 1: Launch the Steam app on your PC.
Step 2: Click on the Steam tab from the top-left corner and go to Settings.
Step 3: Select Downloads from the left sidebar.
Step 4: Uncheck the box, ‘Throttle downloads while streaming’.
8. Disable Your VPN Connection
Using a VPN while downloading games can bring down the overall speed. Make sure to disable the VPN prior to accessing the Steam Client on your PC. Check whether it can help to download your games faster.
Also Read: The Best VPN Service You Can Use
9. Disable Your Windows Firewall
Your Windows Firewall can also interfere with the download speed. Try disabling them to download games.
Step 1: Select ‘Windows Defender Firewall’ from the Start menu.
Step 2: Select ‘Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off’.
Step 3: Confirm your choice by clicking on, ‘Turn off Windows Defender Firewall’ and hit Enter.
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Make Your Games Download Faster
So there you have it, some of the best troubleshooting steps you can take to speed up your downloads on Steam. In case the problem still persists, make sure to check your computer, as the underlying issue would lie within the network. For starters, you can check your network connection to ensure that it’s running as intended.
