Many of us have experienced lag when playing online games. You go to shoot a player or you try to pass the ball in a sports game, and there is a noticeable delay. In fast-paced games where every second counts, this delay can be the difference between winning and losing – there’s no greater frustration in gaming than having faster reactions than your opponent, but losing because of lag.
Just how do you eliminate lag? To answer this, you need to understand what lag is and what causes it. Lag is typically the result of high latency – the connection between your computer and game server is interrupted either as a result of internet connection issues, personal hardware issues, software issues, or server issues. Pinpointing the cause can help you to prevent lag. Below are just a few tips on how you can fight back against high latency.
Close background apps
Start by first considering which apps are running in the background. These apps could be guzzling extra resources and bandwidth, causing your game to lag. If you’re using a PC, check what else is running using Task Manager. Disable background activity for non-necessary apps that are running in the background. If you’ve only recently started experiencing major lag, consider the apps you’ve installed recently. Be wary of malware, which can often cause significant lag.
Upgrade your Wi-Fi plan.
Your Wi-Fi connection may be the cause of the high latency you’re experiencing. A strong bandwidth Wi-Fi connection may be required to handle many modern games. You should also consider the range – a Wi-Fi booster could help to extend the range of your router, if you are unable to play near your router. Upgrading a very old router may also help to improve speed and reduce lag.
Use an Ethernet cable.
Using an Ethernet cable can provide a more secure internet connection than Wi-Fi. Ethernet cables used to be the primary way in which people connected to the internet, but fell out of favour when Wi-Fi came along. A lot of modern pro gamers have now started using Ethernet cables again to give them the edge over other players. This does involve connecting your console to your router with a cable, which could be difficult if your router is on the other side of the house from your console; however, there are extra-long cables you can buy.
Look into server hosting.
In some games, it’s possible to host your own server to reduce latency. An example of a game where this has become popular is Minecraft – using server hosting, you can have full control over gameplay and mods, while also experiencing a lag-free gaming experience as a result of increased CPU and RAM. Take your time to look for the best Minecraft server hosting.
Adjust in-game settings
Finally, it’s worth considering your in-game settings. Lowering the graphics quality (including things like shadows, textures, and resolution) and disabling features like V-Sync can put less demand on your GPU and speed up the game. Of course, lowering the visual quality of the game can have its downsides, potentially preventing you from spotting certain details in some games, so weigh this up.
