So, you like extraction shooter games as well as games set on a medieval/fantasy theme. Well, what if we told you there is a game that is a combination of both? Brace yourselves, because Dark and Darker is out now (in early access). If that name sounds familiar, then you must have heard about the game before, when it was said to drop on Steam in early access. But due to “legal issues”, it is not available on Steam anymore, so you can head out to the Official Ironmace Store and download the BlackSmith launcher to get the game. Now, with that said, there have been multiple reports from players being hindered by the lagging and stuttering issues in Dark and Darker. Naturally, they want to know if there is any fix yet. If you are encountering the same issue, this is the guide you need to read.
As with any other game, lagging, stuttering, and such issues are common. Especially if they are freshly released, like Dark and Darker. Since the game is not available on Steam, where there is a dedicated section to discuss various issues and interact with players of the community, many have taken to Reddit to report the prevailing bugs in Dark and Darker. Well, the lagging and stuttering issue has been the most prominent one, which is why we have featured this guide to share details on how to fix it for good.
Dark and Darker Lagging & Stuttering Issue troubling players: Is there any fix yet
Now, right off the bat, as of writing this article, there is no official fix for this issue. Moreover, it does not look like the developers have addressed or acknowledged it either. So, that brings us to some potential workarounds that have been reported to work by many. So, consider trying the given workarounds one by one.
Reboot
The first workaround is obvious. You close the game, open your Task Manager, and see if there are any active processes related to the game. If you find any, close them. After this, just shut down your PC and leave it unplugged for a couple of minutes before you turn it back on. Now, launch the game and see if that did the trick for you.
In-game Video Settings
If you’re encountering stuttering issues in Dark and Darker despite having a high-end gaming PC and optimized settings, a potential solution could lie in adjusting the anti-aliasing and super-resolution settings of the game. Open Dark & Darker, navigate to Options > Display > AntiAliasing & Super Resolution, and consider switching from TSR to Off or selecting DLSS for Nvidia graphics cards and FXAA for AMD. This tweak has helped some players resolve the issue and achieve smoother gameplay. Also, while you are at it, try switching between fullscreen and windowed mode to see if that has any effect.
Add -dx11 command
On the Blacksmith launcher, find the Launch Options setting for Dark and Darker, and add the -dx11 command. We aren’t sure whether this will actually fix the issue, but it is still worth a shot.
Update GPU drivers
For a seamless gaming experience, it’s crucial to keep your GPU drivers up-to-date. If you encounter errors, a complete driver reinstallation might be necessary. Visit your Graphics Card manufacturer’s website, locate your model, download the latest drivers, and follow on-screen instructions for installation. After installing, reboot your PC, launch the game to check for improvements. To optimize performance, ensure the game runs on your dedicated GPU by typing “Graphics Settings” in the windows search menu, adding the game’s .exe file to the list, selecting “High Performance,” and saving the settings.
Antivirus
If you’ve got a third-party Antivirus tool running on your system, it might be causing issues by blocking game files. Try disabling the antivirus protection altogether and see if that helps. Similarly, with Windows Firewall, you can fix this by putting the game’s .exe file on the “exclusion” list, or disabling it altogether.
Reinstall
Finally, if none of the above-mentioned fixes work for you, the last option left is to completely uninstall the game and then reinstall it all over again. Hopefully, a fresh installation will deal with all of these issues in the game.
We are quite sure that the devs will fix this stuttering issue in Dark and Darker in a future update/patch, considering the game has been released in Early Access. However, that is just speculation at this point and should be taken with a grain of salt. Well, this is all the information we have to share on this topic. For more guides and tutorials on all the latest games, make sure to visit DigiStatement regularly. Read more: Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3) Halsin Not Appearing in Druid Grove Quest Bug: Is there any fix yet
