Tim Mocan
Updated on: December 9, 2024
Fact-checked by Kate Davidson
Despite not being a demanding game, many players (me included) still struggle with Roblox lag. I often start seeing lag after playing a game for more than 30–60 minutes, or sometimes when I join a game. On some occasions, I even experience lag inside the Roblox app or when I access the main settings menu.
Luckily, I found a few solutions that get rid of lag in Roblox. I looked up tips on Reddit, Quora, and Roblox community forums, and I tested them to see which ones actually make a difference. In addition, I discuss the reasons that Roblox can be laggy.
I also recommend using a VPN like ExpressVPN when playing Roblox if you suspect that your internet service provider (ISP) is throttling your speeds. The VPN will hide your Roblox traffic, so your ISP won’t be able to throttle it. On top of that, a VPN can provide strong security and privacy for playing Roblox. Editors’ Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
How to Fix Roblox Lag in 2024: 14 Tried & Tested Methods
The tips I mention in this section are mostly Windows-specific, and most of them were tested by me on my Windows device (and I can confirm they work to a certain extent). That said, many of the tips covered here can also be used on other platforms, like macOS, mobile, or gaming consoles.
1. Restart Roblox or Your Device
Roblox’s app might be experiencing issues, so simply restarting it could solve any lag you might be experiencing. I tried it out a few times when dealing with noticeable lag, and it got rid of it on 2 occasions, which is pretty good.
If that doesn’t work, I recommend restarting your device. This is especially true if you’ve been keeping it turned on for a long period, or if you’ve been putting it in sleep mode instead of shutting it down. Keeping your device powered on for long periods of time or putting it in sleep mode rather than shutting down regularly can cause issues with system processes, and also put a strain on your device’s memory. In turn, this could cause lag when playing games like Roblox.
2. Reinstall Roblox
If Roblox encountered errors or minor issues during the installation process, this could cause it to run poorly. That, in turn, could cause in-game lag. So just uninstall Roblox and reinstall it to see if that solves the problem.
After reinstalling it, make sure to also restart your device. This would reset all background and app processes (including Roblox processes), which could make the game run more smoothly.
3. Try Running Roblox in Administrator Mode
When you run an app in administrator mode, you’re essentially allowing it to access more of your system’s resources and telling your system to prioritize running the app over other processes. To open Roblox in administrator mode, simply right click the app icon, select the More submenu, and click Run as administrator.
I didn’t personally notice any differences on my end when doing this, but I have seen other users on Reddit claim that running the game in administrator mode fixed their lag issues.
4. Lower Graphical Settings
If your hardware isn’t powerful, you could experience graphics lag. This causes visuals that are choppy or stuttering. The easiest way to fix this is to just lower the game’s graphical settings.
To do this, just join any Roblox game, then hit Esc to access the menu. Next, access the Settings tab, scroll down to Graphics Mode, and set it to Manual. After that, just lower the Graphics Quality option until you stop experiencing lag. For the best results, I also recommend setting the Reduce Motion option to On.
5. Update Your Graphics Driver
An outdated graphics driver could cause issues that result in graphics lag while playing Roblox. To fix this, just run your graphics card application, and look for the update option.
If that’s not possible, you can use the Device Manager instead. Open it by looking it up in the Start menu, then locate the Display adapters option and click on it. This will open a dropdown menu — just double-click your graphics card, click the Driver tab at the top, and then select Update Driver.
6. Set Roblox to High-Performance Graphics Mode
On Windows, you can actually change graphical power preferences for specific apps. Allowing a game to use the highest performance option will put more strain on your graphics card and increase power consumption, but it will also boost the game’s performance. When I used this method, there was a noticeable decrease in lag.
Here’s how to do this on Windows 10 and Windows 11:
- Windows 10. Type “graphics settings” in the Start menu and click on it. Scroll down until you see Graphics performance preference and look for Roblox — if you can’t find it, click Browse to find it. Once you see Roblox, select it, click Options, choose High performance, and click Save.
- Windows 11. Open the Settings app, and go to System > Display > Graphics. If you can’t find Roblox on the list, click Browse to find and add it. After that, select Roblox, click Options, and pick High performance.
I also recommend enabling the Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling option. This could also improve performance, though I haven’t personally noticed anything different with this setting enabled. You can find this option on the main graphics settings page on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
7. Tweak Your Power Plan Settings
Windows comes with different power plans that impact device performance. If you’re using a plan that’s meant to save energy or balance power consumption, you might experience loss of performance, which could cause graphics lag in games like Roblox.
The solution to this is to pick a high-performance power plan. When I switched to one, there were noticeable improvements while playing Roblox.
Here’s how to change your power plan on both Windows 10 and Windows 11:
- Windows 10. Open the Start menu and head to Settings > System > Power & sleep > Additional power settings. Then, select the High performance option.
- Windows 11. Run the Start menu, and go to Settings > System > Power & battery. Look for Power mode, and pick the high-performance one.
8. Disable System Visual Effects
Windows has visual effects settings that allow you to customize how your display behaves: for example, adding animations to the taskbar, animating windows when you minimize and maximize them, or adding drop shadows to desktop icon labels.
While those effects look nice, they also strain your device’s hardware. And if the hardware isn’t powerful enough, it could cause graphics lag when you play Roblox. So make sure to either tone down the visual effects or remove them completely. Windows might not look pretty without them, but I can confirm that disabling them completely significantly reduced some of the graphics lag I was experiencing.
The process is the same for both Windows 10 and Windows 11. Just open the Start menu, type “performance” in the search field, and click Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows. This will open a new window — on the Visual Effects tab, click Adjust for best performance, then hit OK. If you’d like to leave some visual effects enabled, just tick the boxes next to the options you want to keep.
9. Don’t Leave Apps Running in the Background
If you have apps running in the background, they’ll eat up your device’s memory. In turn, that could negatively impact Roblox’s performance, causing graphics lag. If you have web-connected apps running in the background, they could put a strain on your bandwidth, causing noticeable slowdowns and lag while playing Roblox.
So make sure to turn off any apps you’re not actually using while playing Roblox. For example, you shouldn’t leave web browsers, torrenting apps, or other gaming clients or online games running.
10. Troubleshoot Internet Issues
Unstable internet connections or slow internet speeds will cause Roblox lag. Here are some things you can try to fix this:
- Restart your router. Your router might be experiencing connectivity issues or memory leaks that cause Roblox lag. Try restarting it to see if that solves the issue.
- Use a wired connection. If you’re playing Roblox using Wi-Fi, the strength of the Wi-Fi signal will affect your Roblox speeds — if it’s too weak, you’ll experience lag. Try connecting your device with an ethernet cable to the router to eliminate all signal issues.
- Change networks. The network you’re connected to might be experiencing issues — for example, if you’re playing Roblox on your phone while connected to an airport or coffee shop’s Wi-Fi. Try switching to a different network, like your mobile data for example, to see if that helps.
- Disconnect other devices from the network. If you have multiple devices connected to your network and using the internet, that could slow down your speeds while playing Roblox on your main device. Disconnect any devices you’re not using to see if that helps.
11. Try a VPN
A VPN is an online app that encrypts your internet traffic and hides your IP address. This means nobody can monitor your web traffic, and nobody can see your real location either.
Now, I can’t guarantee that a VPN will reduce lag while playing Roblox 100% of the time. It will only be noticeable if your ISP is throttling your bandwidth — basically, if they’re intentionally slowing down your Roblox speeds during peak network hours, like on weeknights or over the weekend. In that case, a VPN could reduce lag since it encrypts your traffic, so your ISP can’t see your Roblox traffic and selectively throttle it.
If you’d like to try a VPN, I personally recommend going with ExpressVPN since it’s the best gaming VPN on the market. It maintains super-fast speeds, it has servers in 105 countries, and it has super-intuitive apps for all desktop and mobile devices. Also, it backs all plans with a 30-day refund, so you can test it with Roblox risk-free.
12. Contact Roblox’s Support Team
If none of the above tips work, I recommend reaching out to Roblox’s support team for help. You can do so via this link. Just choose the device type, pick the Technical Support help category, then the Specific Experience Issue option, and finally describe the lag issues you’ve been experiencing. Hopefully, Roblox’s team will be able to provide you with a solution.
13. Upgrade Your Internet Connection
Unfortunately, if your internet connection is too slow, there’s not much you can do to get rid of Roblox lag other than to upgrade your internet speeds. For reference, Roblox’s minimum internet connection speeds range from 32 Mbps to 64 Mbps. See if it’s possible to upgrade your internet speeds with your current ISP — otherwise, you might have to consider switching to a different one.
14. Upgrade Your Hardware
If you’re experiencing graphics lag because your device’s hardware isn’t powerful enough, you’ll need to eventually upgrade it. Now, this shouldn’t break the bank, as Roblox’s minimum system requirements are really decent — it only requires a graphics card that supports DirectX 10 or higher, a processor with a clock speed of 1.6 Ghz or better, and at least 1 GB of RAM.
In case you want to make an upgrade and save money on the processor by buying an older model, make sure to pick an Intel processor. Roblox says it experiences issues with some older AMD processor models.
I personally think that almost anyone’s devices would be able to meet Roblox’s system requirements. That said, if you only have 2–4 GB of RAM, I recommend installing more (you should have at least 8–10 GB of RAM). Keep in mind that other system and third-party apps use up your RAM, so the more you have, the smoother Roblox is likely to run.
Why Is Roblox So Laggy?
- Slow internet connection. Roblox requires a minimum of 32 Mbps to run well. If your internet connection is slower than that, you’re guaranteed to experience lag while playing Roblox.
- Connectivity issues. Network or router issues, weak Wi-Fi signals, or congested networks could cause you to experience lag while playing Roblox.
- Bandwidth throttling. If your ISP is throttling your Roblox speeds, it will cause lag when you’re playing the game. To solve this, just use a VPN (like ExpressVPN) to hide your Roblox traffic.
- Weak hardware. If your processor or graphics card are outdated, or if you don’t have enough RAM, you’ll likely experience graphics lag when playing Roblox.
- Software interference. Things like web-connected apps running in the background, apps running resource-intensive activities (like antivirus scans), or outdated graphics card drivers could cause Roblox lag.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes Roblox lag?
There are tons of factors that cause Roblox lag and influence your in-game speeds. The most common ones are slow internet speeds, connectivity issues, weak hardware, software issues, and bandwidth throttling. To fix Roblox lag, just follow the tips mentioned here.
What’s the best way to fix Roblox lag?
There are many things you can do to get rid of lag while playing Roblox. The list includes things like restarting Roblox or your device, lowering graphical settings, turning off apps that are running in the background, using a VPN, and updating your graphics driver.
Can a VPN fix Roblox lag?
Yes, but only if your ISP is throttling your bandwidth (intentionally slowing down your Roblox speeds). In that case, a VPN can hide your Roblox traffic, so your ISP can’t throttle it. If you’d like to try a VPN with Roblox, I recommend ExpressVPN since it’s super-fast, it has servers in 105 countries, and it’s extremely easy to use.
Should I play Roblox over Wi-Fi or ethernet?
I personally recommend playing it over a wired connection. This way, a weak Wi-Fi signal wouldn’t slow down your Roblox speeds and cause lag. If hooking up your device to the router isn’t an option, try moving it as close to the router as possible — this would provide a strong Wi-Fi signal.
