Fix Skull and Bones Stuttering, Lags, or Freezing on PC, Xbox, and PS5

It seems that exploring the open-world co-op pirate action RPG has become quite popular in the last couple of years. The Skull and Bones title is no exception due to its scaled nature where players can get into engaging naval battles and craft a wide range of unique ships. Meanwhile, the overall gaming controls and visual treatment are worth noting. But somehow the game is having some bugs or issues that we can’t deny. Recently, a lot of players have started reporting about the Skull and Bones stuttering, lags, or freezing issues on all platforms.

As an unfortunate player, you may also experience a lot of bugs and stability issues because the Skull & Bones title is newly launched. However, in-game performance issues like stutters or lags can be problematic at times when you’re in close combat encounters. Such performance issues can hinder the overall gaming enjoyment and ruin the efforts too. Luckily, the in-game lags or stutters are common these days and can be easily addressed via some workarounds. Whereas Ubisoft is known for its quick bug fixes for years so you don’t have to worry about it.

Fix Skull and Bones Stuttering, Lags, or Freezing on PC, Xbox, and PS5

In case, the game lags a lot and consistently then there might be some reasons which can cause degraded performance during gameplay sessions. For example; an outdated game patch version, corrupted game files, conflicts with the graphics settings, incompatible system requirements, outdated graphics drivers, lack of the system admin permission, machine overheating, any pending system software updates, conflicts with the third-party programs, issues with the third-party overlay apps, CPU or GPU overclocking, insufficient system resources, etc.

Fortunately, here we’ve mentioned with you some potential workarounds that should come in handy. Ensure to follow all troubleshooting methods until the problem has been fixed. So, without further ado, let’s jump into it.

1. Power Cycle Your PC or Console

First of all, you’ll need to perform a power cycle method on your PC or gaming console which will refresh any kind of temporary system glitches most of the time. You can check the steps below to do the power cycle.

• Press and hold the Power button until your PC/Console turns off.
• Then disconnect the power adapter from the outlet.
• Now, wait for around 10 minutes then reconnect the power adapter.
• Once done, press the Power button again to boot the device again.

2. Check for Skull and Bones Updates

The second thing you can check is the game updates by following the steps below to ensure there is no issue with the outdated game patch version.

For Ubisoft Connect:

• Open Ubisoft Connect on the PC.
• Log in to your Ubisoft account.
• Click on the Menu icon > Go to Settings.
• Now, click on Downloads from the left pane.
• Turn On the Enable automatic game updates checkbox.

For Epic Games Launcher:

• Open the Epic Games Launcher.
• Go to Library > Click on the three dots of Skull and Bones.
• Enable the Auto Update option.

For PlayStation:

• Go to the Home screen on the PlayStation console.
• Navigate to Games > Select Skull and Bones.
• Press the Options button on your controller.
• Select Check for Update from the drop-down menu.

For Xbox:

• Go to the Xbox Dashboard menu.
• Navigate to My Games and Apps.
• Select Manage > Go to Updates.
• Check for the Skull and Bones update.
• If available, press the A button on the controller to start it.

3. Scan and Repair the Game Files

Another thing you can do is scan and repair the installed game files on the PC by following the steps below. The chances are high that somehow your game files become corrupted or missing & troubling you with the gaming performance.

For Ubisoft Connect:

• Open Ubisoft Connect on the PC.
• Log in to the valid Ubisoft account.
• Click on Games > Click on Skull and Bones.
• Select Properties in the menu.
• Under Local Files, click on Verify Files.
• If prompted, click on Repair.
• Wait for the process to be completed.
• Once done, restart the PC, and run the game.

For Epic Games Launcher:

• Open the Epic Games Launcher.
• Go to the Library.
• Click on the three dots of Skull and Bones.
• Go to Manage > Click on Verify files.
• Wait for it to complete and then relaunch the game.

4. Update the Graphics Driver

Well, another method you can try is to update the graphics driver version on your computer to avoid an outdated or corrupted GPU driver. Sometimes conflicts with the graphics driver eventually trigger game performance issues that we can’t deny.

Recommended Update:

• Open the Start menu > Search and open Device Manager.
• Double-click on Display Adapters.
• Right-click on the dedicated graphics card that you use.

• Select Update Driver > Click on Search automatically for drivers.
• If an update is available, the latest driver will be installed automatically.
• Once done, restart the system to apply changes.

Manual Update:

In case, you don’t get any pending updates, visit the official website of the respective manufacturer for the graphics card model. Download the latest graphics driver on the PC and run the installer to get it installed. Once done, reboot the PC. You can jump to the link below to do so:

• Nvidia GPU
• AMD GPU
• Intel GPU

5. Allow the Game to Run With Admin Access

You might also need to run the game application manually with the system admin access to avoid potential issues with the program startup. You should follow the steps below to run your game application with the system admin privilege. To do this:

• Right-click on the Skull and Bones (exe) on your PC.
• Click on Properties > Go to the Compatibility tab.

• Enable the Run this program as an administrator checkbox.
• Click on Apply and select OK to save changes.

6. Check for the PC Specs Compatibility

Another thing you can do is to check for the system requirements of Skull and Bones to ensure that your PC configuration is capable of running this game properly. Any kind of conflict with the software or hardware can eventually trouble you with lags and stutters. Here we’ve shared with you the minimum requirements below so that you can cross-check the tech specs of your desktop or laptop.

• OS: Windows 10
• CPU: Intel i7 4790 AMD Ryzen5 1600
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB or AMD RX 570 8GB
• RAM: 8 GB Dual Channel
• Storage: 65 GB SSD

7. Install Pending System Updates

It’s always recommended to check for available system updates on your respective gaming device. Updating the software will help in reducing multiple system glitches, bugs, instability issues, etc. It also improves overall performance and adds new features or security measures. So, check the steps below to search for available system updates and install the same.

For PC:

• Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
• Click on Windows Update.
• Select Check for updates.
• If a feature update is available, select Download and Install.
• Wait until the software update is complete.
• Once done, restart your computer to apply changes.

For Xbox Series X|S:

For PS5:

• Head over to the PlayStation home screen.
• Choose Settings > Go to System.
• Select System Software > Choose System Software Update and Settings.
• Turn On the Download Update Files Automatically option.
• Enable the Install Update Files Automatically option.
• Once done, restart the console to change effects.

8. Avoid the Overheating Issue

You can try avoiding the overheating issues for the PC or Console if you haven’t rebooted the device for a couple of hours. Make sure to allow the proper air ventilation so that the gaming device can easily go through airflow. Otherwise, you can also use proper fans or air conditioning in the room to reduce overheating.

9. Use the Best Graphics Settings for 60+ FPS

You might also need to reduce the Skull and Bones graphics settings manually depending on your low-end or mid-end PC specifications. By adjusting the graphics options, you will be able to achieve better framerates quite consistently. Head over to the game settings and use the following options.

• Window Mode: Fullscreen Borderless
• Aspect Ratio: Native
• Resolution: Native resolution of the monitor
• VSync: Off
• Field of View: 100%
• FPS Limit: Off
• Graphics Quality: Custom
• Adaptive Quality: Off
• Shadows: Medium
• Upscaling Type: TAA
  • Upscaling Mode: Balanced
• Environment Details: Medium
• Clutter: Medium
• Water: High
• Screen Space Reflection: Off
• Volumetric Clouds: Medium
• Ambient Occlusion: Off
• Depth of Field: Off
• Motion Blur: Off
• Ray-Traced Global Illumination: Off

10. End Unnecessary Background Processes

It’s also suggested to close background running processes on the computer by following the steps below. Ensure to manually close all the unwanted third-party tasks that are running in the background to improve the overall system performance. This workaround will help in allowing the system to increase resources so that the game can run properly.

• Press the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys to open Task Manager.
• Go to Processes > Click on the unnecessary tasks (third-party) in the list.
• Click on End Task to close it.
• Close tasks one by one > Once done, reboot the system.

11. Delete the Game Saved Data

Sometimes your game’s saved data might be missing or outdated and needs to be deleted manually from the console. It’ll eventually help in creating new saved game data on the system whenever you relaunch the title. So, follow the steps below to check for the same.

Please Note: It’s recommended to take a backup of the saved data or download it to avoid losing your progress in the game.

For PlayStation 5:

• Go to Settings on your PlayStation 5 console.
• Choose Saved Data and Game/App Settings.
• Select Saved Data (PS5).
• Head over to Console Storage.
• Go to Delete > Select Skull and Bones.
• Press the Delete option at the bottom right side.
• Wait for some time to delete the saved game data.
• Restart your console and check for the error again.

For Xbox Series X|S:

• Press the Xbox button on the controller to open the guide.
• Select My games & apps > Select See all.
• Highlight Games > Press the Menu button of Skull and Bones.
• Choose Manage game and add-ons.
• Select Saved data.
• Select Delete All to remove all saved data on your console.
  • You can also choose the profile that you want to delete.
• Choose Delete from Console or select Delete Everywhere.
• Once done, reboot the PS5 console to check for game crashes.

12. Turn Off Third-Party Overlays

The chances are high that third-party overlay applications are running in the background whenever you play the game and these overlay apps are consuming higher system resources. It may affect the gaming performance most of the time. So, you should turn off overlay apps manually by following the steps below.

For Nvidia GeForce Experience:

• Open the Nvidia GeForce Experience app.
• Click on Options (gear icon) from the top right side.
• Turn Off the In-Game Overlay option.
• Run the Skull and Bones to check for the issue.
• If the problem persists, skip to the next overlay.

Disable Discord Overlay:

• Launch the Discord app.
• Click on the gear icon at the bottom.
• Select Overlay under App Settings.
• Turn On the Enable in-game overlay.
• Click on the Games tab > Select Skull and Bones.
• Turn Off the Enable in-game overlay option.
• Make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.

Disable Xbox Game Bar:

• Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
• Click on Gaming > Go to Game Bar.
• Turn Off the Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using the Game bar option.

Additionally, some other overlay apps can cause trouble for you such as MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB software, etc. You should turn them off as well.

13. Disable CPU or GPU Overclocking

It’s also worth recommending disabling the CPU or GPU overclocking feature from your PC to the default factory state which will help in fixing the performance issues. Though overclocking can increase performance, sometimes it can affect in-game performances and cause higher CPU or GPU usage. Try using overclocking software like MSI Afterburner.

14. Check for Enough System Resources

You should check for enough system resources on your respective gaming device manually as well as the storage space to ensure the game can run smoothly. Sometimes the low storage space or the low system resources can cause multiple issues with the game performance. For instance; if you’re using a PC then head over to Task Manager and check for resource consumption via Processes to optimize accordingly.

15. Reinstall Skull and Bones

If none of the workarounds come in handy then ensure to uninstall and reinstall the Skull and Bones game on your respective platform. Any kind of installation issues with the game can also trigger crashes in most cases.

For Ubisoft Connect PC:

• Open Ubisoft Connect PC.
• Go to the Games tab.
• Right-click on Skull and Bones that you want to uninstall.
• Select Uninstall.
• Once done, open the client > Go to the Games tab again.
• Select the Skull and Bones game you want to reinstall.
• Click on Download.
• Wait for the game to be installed.
• Finally, run the game to check for crashes.

For Epic Games Launcher:

• Open the Epic Games Launcher > Click on Library.
• Click on the three-dot icon next to Skull and Bones.
• Click on Uninstall > Wait for the game to be deleted.
• Once done, reboot the PC to apply changes.
• Finally, open the Epic Games Launcher, and try to reinstall the game again.

For PlayStation:

• Go to the Skull and Bones game in the Games Menu.
• Highlight the game > Press the Options button on your controller.
• Select Delete from the menu.
• Confirm it and the game will be uninstalled.
• Once done, reboot the console.
• Finally, reinstall the game from the store.

For Xbox:

• Press the Xbox button to open the guide.
• Select My Games & Apps > Hit See All.
• Choose Games > Highlight Skull and Bones you want to uninstall.
• Press the Menu button > Select Uninstall.
• Then follow the on-screen prompts.
• Once done, go to My Games & Apps.
• Go to See All.
• Select Full Library to reinstall the game.
• Finally, run the game to check for potential issues.

16. Contact Ubisoft Support

As a last resort, you can try contacting Ubisoft Support regarding the specific issue to get better support. It’s also suggested to submit a support ticket for the same to get further assistance.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.