The DayZ lagging issue on Steam can be caused by different factors. It could be due to a game bug, outdated drivers, corrupted game files, internet connection, or even hardware compatibility issues. To fix this you will need to perform several troubleshooting steps.

DayZ is a survival video game created and published by Bohemia Interactive for the Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 platforms. The game places you in an open world environment where you must learn to survive by hunting, crafting, building, health preservation, and resource management. Up to 60 other players are present in the map which you will have to cooperate with or kill. This is aside from the zombie population which you have to avoid.

How to Fix Lag Spikes in DayZ

One of the issues that you might encounter when playing DayZ is the sudden lag that occurs randomly. A lag is usually defined as the delay between the action of the players and the reaction of the game server. This places you at a disadvantage in combat situations as your character won’t be able to react on time and can be an incredibly frustrating experience.

Here’s what you can do to fix the DayZ lag spikes issue.

Solution 1: Make sure your PC meets the necessary hardware requirements to play DayZ

Your computer hardware plays a big part in the lag issues you are experiencing with DayZ. If you are playing the game on an underpowered computer then chances are you will be experiencing various issues with the game. Bohemia Interactive has listed the minimum as well as recommended system requirements needed in order to have a good gaming experience. Make sure your computer meets at least the minimum system requirements.

Minimum system requirements:

• OS: Windows 7/8.1 64-bit
• Processor: Intel Core i5-4430
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 or AMD R9 270X
• DirectX: Version 11
• Storage: 16 GB available space
• Sound Card: DirectX compatible
• Additional Notes: Internet connection

Recommended system requirements:

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Processor: Intel Core i5-6600K or AMD R5 1600X
• Memory: 12 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD RX 580
• DirectX: Version 11
• Storage: 25 GB available space
• Sound Card: DirectX compatible
• Additional Notes: Internet connection

Solution 2: Check your internet connection

Since DayZ is an online game the next thing you will want to do is to check your internet connection. If your internet connection has a high ping, or if the internet speed is slow then this can affect the system performance of the game which results in game lags, FPS issues, or even freezing problems.

You should try to check the status of your connection by using some of the popular online speed test sites such as speedtest.net.

Wait for the results to show then take note of your ping, download and upload speeds.

A ping result of 50-100ms then this is still an acceptable range. Anything higher than this will cause the game to lag.

Your download and upload speeds should match what you are subscribing for from your internet service provider. Double check the data you got from the speed test and compare this with your subscription package.

If there are issues with your internet connection then you can do the usual network troubleshooting steps.

• Turn off your computer.
• Unplug your Modem and Router from the power source.
• Wait for a minute then plug your modem and router back into the power source.
• Wait until the lights turn back on.
• Turn on your computer.
• Reconnect your computer to the internet.

If this does not fix your internet problem then you should contact your ISP regarding this matter.

Solution 3: Update graphics drivers

One factor that can cause a game to lag is an outdated graphics driver. You need to make sure that your graphics card has the latest drivers installed as this will come with several performance enhancements as well as fixes to bugs that can make your DayZ game run better.

Update graphics driver manually

• Right click on the Start button.
• Click on Device Manager.
• Click the arrow before Display adapters.
• Right click on the selected graphics card then choose Update driver.
• Select Search automatically for drivers.

You can also update the graphics drivers using the Nvidia GeForce Experience app if you have an Nvidia card or the Radeon Software if you are using a Radeon card.

If your computer has two video cards, dedicated GPU which could be a high performance Nvidia processor and an integrated GPU that’s built-in to the CPU then always make sure to choose the dedicated GPU to handle the game. Nvidia users can switch to their preferred GPU from the Nvidia control panel.

• Open the NVIDIA control panel.
• Navigate to 3D settings > Manage 3D settings.
• Open the Program settings tab and select your game from the dropdown menu.
• Select Preferred graphics processor for this program from the second dropdown menu. Your NVIDIA GPU should appear as “High-performance NVIDIA processor”
• Save your changes.

If new drivers have been installed you will have to restart your computer then launch DayZ. Try to check if the lag issue still occurs.

Solution 4: Update your Windows operating system

The lag issue will usually occur if your Windows operating system is not updated. An older update version will not have the necessary components needed by the game to run properly. Try checking if a new update to Windows is available then update it accordingly.

Manually download Windows updates

• Right click the Start button.
• Click Settings.
• Click Windows Update section found on the bottom left side of the new window that appears.
• Click Check for updates.
• If new updates are found then click on the Install now button.

After the new updates have been installed you will have to restart your computer. Launch DayZ then check if the lagging issue still occurs.

Solution 5: Install the most recent patch for DayZ

You should make sure that you are running the latest patch of DayZ since this will usually have performance enhancements as well as bug fixes that could address the DayZ lag issue.

Getting the latest patch

• Launch Steam and sign in with your account details.
• Click on game Library option and right-click on DayZ from the left tab.
• Select Properties from the list and then click on the Updates tab.
• Make sure that the Always Keep this game up to date Option is selected under the Auto Updates option.

Once the game is updated try checking if you still experience the DayZ lag problem.

Solution 6: Check if your antivirus is causing the DayZ lag issue

You will usually experience lag spikes on your PC games if the antivirus program is constantly checking the game files for any threats to the system. You can check if this is the culprit by disabling the antivirus software of your computer then try to launch DayZ and play it. If the game does not lag, freeze, crash, or have decreased framerates with the antivirus software disabled then you will need to add DayZ to its exception list.

Disable the Windows antivirus software

• Click the Start button.
• Click on Settings.
• Click on Update & Security.
• Click on Windows Security.
• Click on Virus & threat protection.
• Click on Manage settings.
• Turn off the Real time protection switch.

Adding DayZ to the exception list of antivirus software

• Click the Start button.
• Click on Settings.
• Click on Update & Security.
• Click on Windows Security.
• Click on Virus & threat protection.
• Click on Manage settings.
• Click Add or remove exclusions.
• Click Add an exclusion.
• Click Folder.
• Find the folder location of DayZ and select it.

Solution 7: Try running DayZ as an administrator

There’s a possibility that the game is lagging because it does not have the necessary permission to access certain Windows components. You should try running the game as an administrator then check if the problem still occurs.

Run as administrator

• Right click on the DayZ game from its installation folder.
• Select Properties.
• Click on the Compatibility tab.
• Make sure to place a check mark on the Run this program as an administrator box.
• Click on Apply then Ok.

Try playing DayZ and check if the lag issue still occurs.

Solution 8: Verify the integrity of game files

There’s a possibility that the problem is caused by a corrupted game cache, wrong configuration files, or missing game files. To fix this you will have to verify the integrity of DayZ using the Steam client. The client will ay check for any file errors and automatically download the replacement files if errors are found.

Verifying integrity of the files

• Open the Steam client.
• Click on your Steam Library.
• Find DayZ then right click it then click on Properties.
• On the new window that appears click on Local Files tab.
• Click Verify integrity of game files…

Once the game files have been fixed try to play the game and check if it still lags.

Solution 9: Reinstall the game

If you are still experiencing the DayZ lagging issue at this point the you need to uninstall the game and reinstall it.

Uninstalling the game

• Go to the Steam Library tab.
• Right click on DayZ then click on Manage then uninstall.
• Click on Uninstall again to uninstall the game.

Installing the game

• Go to the Library tab.
• Right click on DayZ then click on install.
• Click next to proceed with the installation.

With the game newly installed, try to play DayZ and check if the lag issue still occurs.

Feel free to visit our YouTube channel for additional troubleshooting guides on various devices.