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Steam and Epic Games Launcher both let you limit download bandwidth and schedule updates. Epic also documents download priority controls and an option for installs during gameplay. Windows Delivery Optimization can limit bandwidth for its own automatic updates, while EA’s reviewed help pages explain slow-download troubleshooting but do not document an EA app speed cap. None of these sources establishes which launcher is universally fastest.
What a download-speed limit does—and does not do
A bandwidth cap reserves some network capacity for other activities, such as video calls, browsing, or gaming on another device. The trade-off is that the capped download may take longer. Removing a cap can help only when that cap was restricting the download; it cannot guarantee faster service if another part of the connection or computer is the bottleneck.
Keep units in mind when comparing a launcher’s speed display with your internet plan. Steam explains that a byte contains eight bits, so a speed shown in megabytes per second (MB/s) is not directly comparable to a plan stated in megabits per second (Mb/s). For example, 8 Mb/s equals 1 MB/s before accounting for other factors. This is unit conversion, not a promise about the speed a particular download will reach. Steam Support explains the conversion and download troubleshooting.
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| Client or setting | Speed limit | Scheduling and priority | Scope and caveats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | Yes; under Settings > Downloads. | Automatic updates can be scheduled; per-game update choices are available. Downloads can be tracked and reordered in the Download Manager. | Steam’s limit is a client download setting. The support guidance also recommends checking the download region when troubleshooting slow downloads. |
| Epic Games Launcher | Yes; under Download Manager > Download Settings > Download Speed. Epic documents limits for fresh installs and updates. | Automatic updates can be scheduled, and titles can be prioritized or reordered. | The Download Manager includes a toggle for whether installs can run during gameplay. Removing a limit is a troubleshooting step, not a guaranteed speed boost. |
| Windows Delivery Optimization | Yes; Microsoft documents absolute and percentage bandwidth limits. | Not established as a game-launcher queue or priority control by the cited Windows page. | Limits apply to Delivery Optimization automatic update downloads, not manually initiated downloads such as a manually started Windows or Store download. |
| EA app | No user-facing speed cap is documented in the EA guidance reviewed here. | Not established by the EA guidance reviewed here. | EA’s guidance focuses on troubleshooting slow downloads and managing background activity; this does not prove that no limiter exists in every app version. |
Steam’s settings and update choices are described in its Downloads settings guidance. Epic’s operational instructions are in its Download Manager support page. Microsoft’s Delivery Optimization documentation covers Windows 10 and Windows 11; Microsoft notes that Windows 10 support ended October 14, 2025.
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How to limit Steam download speed or manage updates
- Open Steam > Settings > Downloads.
- Select a bandwidth limit. Steam says the limit is shown in the Download Manager and in an update dialog when launching a game.
- To manage when a game updates, use its automatic-update choices, such as keeping it updated, updating only when launched, or prioritizing it for automatic updates. Use the Downloads settings to set a time window for automatic updates; you can override the schedule to download immediately.
- Use the Download Manager to track downloads, reorder the queue, and manage schedules.
If a Steam download seems slow, first check whether a limit is enabled and whether you are comparing bits with bytes. Steam also recommends checking the download region and trying a nearby region if downloads are slower than expected. That is a troubleshooting option, not a guarantee that changing regions will improve a particular connection. See Steam’s connection-to-content-servers guidance.
How to set or remove an Epic Games Launcher speed limit
- Open the Epic Games Launcher’s Download Manager.
- Open Download Settings and adjust Download Speed to set a limit.
- Use the manager’s scheduling, priority, and queue-order controls to decide when downloads run and which title goes first. Its gameplay setting controls whether installs can run while you play.
Epic’s slow-download troubleshooting recommends unchecking Limit Download Speeds and restarting the launcher. Do this if you are diagnosing a slow download and want to test whether the cap is the constraint. If you enabled the cap to preserve bandwidth for other activities, removing it may make downloads use more of the available connection and disrupt those activities. Epic’s troubleshooting steps are here.
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What Windows Delivery Optimization limits—and what it does not
Delivery Optimization has absolute and percentage bandwidth limits for its automatic update downloads. Microsoft explicitly says those limits do not apply to manually initiated downloads, including a download manually started in Windows or the Store. It is therefore not a universal control for every Xbox, Microsoft Store, or third-party game download. Use the launcher’s own setting when one is available; do not assume an operating-system limit governs all game traffic.
What to try when a download is slow or disrupts play
If the download is slower than expected
- Check whether a client bandwidth limit is enabled. In Epic, the documented diagnostic is to turn off Limit Download Speeds and restart the launcher.
- Compare like units: internet plans commonly use Mb/s, while a launcher may show MB/s. Eight bits make one byte.
- In Steam, check the selected download region; trying a nearby region is a troubleshooting step, not a promised fix.
- Look for competing network activity. Epic notes that streaming and downloads can compete for bandwidth, including when another device on the same network is streaming.
- For EA app downloads, EA recommends clearing the app cache, closing background programs, disconnecting unused network devices temporarily, trying a wired connection, and checking firewall or antivirus access. EA also warns that download-management programs and other background activity can affect downloads or gameplay. EA app cache guidance and EA connection troubleshooting provide its documented steps.
If you want to play without saturating the connection
- Set a cap in Steam or Epic rather than assuming maximum download speed is always preferable.
- Schedule updates for a quieter time where the client supports scheduling.
- In Epic, review the option that controls installs during gameplay and the Download Manager’s queue priority.
- Remember that a download or stream on a different device can still compete for the same internet connection. Epic explains how streaming and downloads can affect multiplayer play.
Can you tell which launcher is fastest?
Not from these settings pages. A launcher’s displayed speed at one moment is not a controlled comparison: server selection, network conditions, other traffic, and local processing can all affect the result. Steam explicitly includes download-region and content-server troubleshooting; Epic and EA describe competing traffic or background-app issues. A fair speed test would need matched network conditions, servers, game files, storage, and client settings. The official material cited here documents controls and troubleshooting, not a benchmark ranking.
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The comparison here is limited to Steam, Epic Games Launcher, Windows Delivery Optimization, and the EA guidance cited above. It does not establish current controls for Battle.net, Ubisoft Connect, or every other PC launcher.
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