Why Is Your Xbox One Download Speed so Slow? Try These Fixes

The current generation of gaming consoles are powerful, with some fantastic games to play on them. But that means we unfortunately have to deal with larger file sizes and slower downloads before we ever get to jump into our favorite games. Now, that wouldn't be so bad – except sometimes, we end up dealing with some frustratingly slow speeds on Xbox One. Why are download speeds so slow on Xbox One? We've got some answers for you.

Sometimes, your slow speeds can be resolved by a simple restart. Other times, you may need to close down extraneous software running in the background on your system. While there's no way to know what the problem is without trying a few solutions first, we've got a variety of fixes you can try to get back up to speed. That way, you can at least say you made an effort, right? That's better than doing nothing! Sit back, relax, and let's get down with some troubleshooting. 

It may sound like a no-brainer, but you may want to do a quick restart if you're dealing with slow speeds. To do this, you need to press and hold the Xbox button on your controller until you see a menu pop up. Choose the Restart Console option, and then choose Restart again after you've done so. Your system will shut down, and them immediately boot up once more. Once it's back and operational, any downloads you had going before your restart will resume. This may resolve the issue. 

If restarting doesn't do anything, you can try to close down software on the system you aren't using to try and bump up your speed. Games and streaming apps can pause your background downloads, or slow them down further. Be sure to close down all of the programs you aren't using so as not to impede your download progress by going to your Xbox Home screen, choosing the program that's running, then pressing your Menu button on the controller. Choose Quit, and that should close down your app. 

If you close down extra apps that are running on your system, but you don't see an improvement in speed, don't panic – there's still something else you can try out, and it's very simple to do. 

If you've tried the aforementioned solutions and you still haven't seen an improvement in speed with your Xbox One downloads, you may want to step back and check your overall download speed. Run a speed test to see if you're getting the speeds you're supposed to by way of your ISP by checking SpeedTest.net. It's possible you may not be getting the speeds you're paying for from your provider, and that's the real culprit of your slow speeds. 

Alternatively, consider that some downloads are just massive. For instance, several can be comprised of multiple gigabytes – that's not a download size to sneeze at, especially those from the Call of Duty series. The key may be just sitting back and being patient. If you still can't reach a resolution, it may very well be time to contact Microsoft for some assistance.