Best answer: There is currently a bug in the Xbox Series X|S firmware that prevents the download throttle from disengaging after quitting a game. However, there is a workaround to get downloads back up to full speed.
Those who have just received their Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S may notice that the system is downloading slowly. The system may be using only a fraction of the bandwidth available to it, which can be infuriating for those eager to try out the latest generation of console hardware.
Players who find their Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X is downloading slower than it should be can check below for some theories on why this may be happening. There are no definitive fixes yet, but there are a few things users can try to accelerate their download speeds.
Why is my Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X downloads slow?
There’s no cut and dry answer as to why the downloads on Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X are slow. We suffered from this issue during the review process for the hardware and tried multiple fixes to no avail. Before we get into what may be causing the problem, here’s a few common fixes that may alleviate the issue:
- Restarting the router and modem.
- Placing the Xbox Series X|S on a static IP and placing it in the DMZ.
- Pausing and resuming downloads.
- Switching from a wired to a wireless connection.
- Close any game or app that’s currently running.
It seems like the problem may be caused by the way the console handles downloads. When a player starts a game, the Xbox Series X|S throttles any current downloads so that data will be available for multiplayer. However, it seems like sometimes, even after quitting a game, the console doesn’t remove the throttle. This can lead to extremely slow downloads, even on high-speed connections.
The only solid solution we’ve found so far is to restart the system. This seems to fix the problem with slow downloads. If the issue crops up again, just restart the Xbox Series X|S console, and speeds should return to normal without fail.
