Anyone else getting playback lag in Premiere Pro 25.3?

Yes, I also have the playback issue.

I am using Intel Ultra 265k, RTX4080, 64GB RAM, and Gen 5 NVMe SSD's.

The playback issue occurs even on a powerful machine with Premier Pro v25.3 (Build 84).

My footage is only 1080p AVC1 45.1Mbps with Constant/Progressive 30fps. 

I troubleshot GPU pipeline and ran the same footage through CapCut without issue. Seems I'll need to reinstall an older version of Premiere.

I tried every solution and playback keeps lagging.

My laptop is MacBook Pro 13-inch M3 Max 65GB Ram macOS Sequoia 15.5
I'm working on a full online course - footage shot on Blackmagic Ursa - and it is 4K used to work on Premiere on the older versions smoothly. But now, I tried to switch from version 25.3 to 25.1 and it is the same thing. I'm considering reverting to 24 or maybe 23 I don't know. But this issue needs to be resolved.

Very informative post, thanks for making it.

Hi @ChampagneandToasts , out of curiosity; which versions did you try?

Having the exact same issue. Feels impossible to edit. I've trie pther versions too but nothing is helping

Hi Ian,

Thanks again for your help. I’ve just sent you a private message containing the ZIP folder with both project files (v22.2 and v25.3) and the matching Canon R6 footage.

Let me know if you need anything else or if you’d like me to include a screen recording as well.

Are those files mts, by chance? There are issues with Canon mts files across the forum. Needing at this time to go back one update of Pr.

I just tested the same clip again and can now confirm with 100 percent certainty that the exact same footage plays back smoothly in Premiere Pro 22.2 at 1/2 playback quality with no issues at all. Playback at Full resolution in Source Window also no issues noted?!

Footage details:

Type/Codec: MP4 (H.264)
Resolution: 3840 x 2160
Frame Rate: 59.94 fps

Codec: MP4 H.264 4:2:0 

Source: Canon R6 UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) footage shot 59.94p (NTSC)

What really surprises me is that Premiere Pro 2025 (v25.3) is giving me worse performance with the exact same files. Playback starts fine, then quickly breaks down into stuttering, even at lower preview resolutions. This simply does not happen in 22.2.

It’s not so much that I absolutely need version 25.3, but what really frustrates me is that I can’t pinpoint the root cause of this playback issue. I’ve tested everything I could think of: different drives, cache resets, GPU settings, project rebuilds, and footage comparisons.

I’ve tried to isolate every variable, and yet the performance difference between 22.2 and 25.3 remains consistent. The fact that 22.2 plays back the same footage flawlessly makes it even harder to ignore. I don’t mind switching back if needed, but not knowing why it breaks in 25.3 is what bothers me most.. 

I have seen multiple reports from other users confirming similar performance issues in Premiere Pro 2025. It raises questions about how the expanded feature set and increased application footprint may be introducing overhead that affects playback efficiency, especially on mid-range or older systems. While some users with high-spec setups report no issues, others are experiencing a clear drop in stability and responsiveness compared to version 22.2. It is striking that version 25.3 nearly doubles the install size of 22.2, yet under certain conditions fails to maintain the same level of timeline performance and runtime stability.. 

I’m considering having a custom-built PC assembled locally and I’m currently researching key components. Do you have any recommendations for graphics cards, or general specs?

By @FOediting

Take a look here:

https://www.pugetsystems.com/solutions/video-editing-workstations/adobe-premiere-pro/hardware-recommendations/