Fortnite lagging recently? Here’s a fix.

A new Fortnite update can mean several things: a whole new season, an annual event like Fortnightmares or Winterfest, or even new additions to the game’s map.

Unfortunately, this could also mean new bugs or issues.

After the last update, I found myself encountering a brand new bug that was causing the game to lag to the point of becoming unplayable. It would seem like it would strike at the most random times in a Battle Royale. It wasn’t an internet problem since my connection was working fine. It wasn’t a Bluetooth issue, as I ran into that with wireless controller bugs, so I bought a wired controller a long time ago and have barely had any issues since then.

However, this new bug that causes FPS (frames per second) to drop to ridiculously low levels at crucial points in the game, appears to be controller-related, even if you have a wired setup. It also appears that this issue may not be caused by Fortnite. The culprit seems to be Microsoft!

Regardless, judging by some reactions online, this is a bug that affects many Fortnite players. Here is the fix.

Fixed Fortnite dropping FPS issue

I found that quickly unplugging the controller and then plugging the USB-C cable back in would temporarily resolve the issue. However, a few minutes later the FPS would drop again. Additionally, unplugging your controller multiple times during a game isn’t an ideal solution when a rival team suddenly appears and you’re waiting for the controller to turn back on.

But then I came across a Reddit thread from a few weeks ago with a comment from user u/0slambam0 that completely resolved the issue for me and everyone else in the thread. Choosing to remove programs sometimes carries usage risks, so users should make their own decision before trying a workaround. However, if you want to try it, here’s how to do it.

1. First, go to your Windows search bar, type “Add or remove programs” and choose that option.

2. A new window will open with a list of programs installed on your PC under “Applications and features”. In the search bar, type “Microsoft GameInput”.

3. Some users will see a Microsoft GameInput listed. Others will see it listed twice. No matter how many files you see, click on them and then click Uninstall.

4. After uninstalling Microsoft GameInput, unplug your controller and plug it back in.

5. That’s it. The problem should be resolved. No more controller-related lag issues! No more lost images!

It appears to be strictly a Windows 10 issue. The latest Microsoft GameInput update that you need to uninstall to fix the issue appears to have been installed in September, so it could be an issue related to Microsoft’s efforts to get users to upgrade to Windows 11.

However, with around half of all PC users still using Windows 10, there are probably plenty of Fortnite games that deal with this problem, so here’s the solution until you finally give in and update your PC to the latest operating system.