ARK: Survival Evolved is an overall demanding game. Fixing Lag, FPS Drops, Stuttering and Crashing become ever so important to enjoy the new DLCs that the game releases. This game is proof, that if the community is supportive and it enjoys the content, the number of years becomes just a “number”. ARK: Survival Evolved has once again, proved its mettle with free DLC expansions and content, the latest one being Crystal Isles.
But to enjoy it to the fullest, we need to omit any laggy issues, crashes, stutters or FPS drops in the game. We aim to achieve that in this guide. Also if you want to know how to run the game smoothly, check out our guide to the best/optimum graphics settings for ARK: Survival Evolved.
Fix Lag, FPS Drops, Stuttering, and Crashing in ARK: Survival Evolved
Make sure you meet the minimum system requirements
Minimum system requirements for ARK: Survival Evolved
OS: 64-bit Windows 10/7
CPU: AMD FX-8350 or Intel i5-3570
RAM: 6 GB
GPU: AMD Radeon HD 7970 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 680 2 GB
DX 11
Space: 75 GB
Recommended system requirements for ARK: Survival Evolved
OS: 64-bit Windows 10/7
CPU: AMD Ryzen™ 5 2600 or Intel i7-4770
RAM: 16 GB
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 590 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
DX 12
Space: 75 GB
Update the Direct X Version
Go to the official Microsoft DirectX download page and download (Update) the latest Direct X version: link. Choose language. Now click on the download button.
Steam launch option Tweaks
- Open Steam client.
- Highlight ARK: Survival Evolved in the Library.
- Right-click > open Properties.
- General tab > open Set Launch Options…
- Type following line -USEALLAVAILABLECORES -nomansky -lowmemory -high
- Save and run the game.
NOTE: This is for old PC users specifically. IF you face any issues in graphics, revert back to original.
For Epic Games Properties, exclude the “-nomansky” command line and try the rest. If it causes any issues or does not work, simply remove the command line and revert to the original.
Changing the DirectX Version
- Open Steam client.
- Highlight ARK: Survival Evolved in the Library.
- Right-click > open Properties.
- General tab > open Set Launch Options…
- Type next line -USEALLAVAILABLECORES -sm4 -d3d10
- The game will run in DirectX 10 mode.
NOTE: This is for old PC users specifically. IF you face any issues in graphics, revert back to original.
For Epic Games, you can try the same from Properties
Verify ARK: Survival Evolved on Steam
Go to your Steam Library. Highlight ARK: Survival Evolved in the Library. Right-click > open Properties. Click on the Local Files tab. Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files. Wait for the process to complete and start the game.
Verify ARK: Survival Evolved on Epic Games
Open Epic Games Launcher. Click on Library. Select the three dots (…) below ARK: Survival Evolved. Click on Verify. Wait for the process to complete and start the game.
Installing Visual C++ to fix ARK: Survival Evolved not launching
Install Visual C++has also fixed some launching issues with the game. Make sure you install all the given files.
- Redistributable 2013 (both x64 and x86)
- 2015-19 (also x64 and x86)
- Here is the official link from Microsoft
Note that these settings are for general troubleshooting purposes. For Network-specific issues or lags let us know if you need any specific help and we will try to update you. We will also update this article if we find out more about troubleshooting the game.
Otherwise, these along with the Best settings for ARK: Survival Evolved should run the game without any FPS Drops, Stutters, Lags, or Crashes. We are open to queries, suggestions, or general issues in the comment section below.
Last Updated on October 25, 2022
A computer science graduate by qualification, Zoid loves to keep himself updated with the latest gaming content related to PC, Android, and other platforms as well. Likes to keep his diet and health in check from time to time!