Why Choosing A Wrong Server Can Make A Great Game Feel Poor Quality

For many of us, single-player experiences just don’t scratch that itch, so our bread and butter pertains to the expansive domain of online gaming. However, it’s imperative to understand that the quality of your multiplayer gaming sessions depends entirely on the server(s) you play on, and more often than not, players don’t realize that they’re using the wrong server, and therefore, limiting their gameplay. 

On that note, you might be playing a great, top-rated game, but this small mistake alone could make it seem as if the game has intrinsic issues, whereas the actual problem is something else. Follow along with the article as we explore the issue in-depth and talk about some of the best ways to mitigate it going forward. 

How High Latency And Other Factors Affect Your Gameplay

Latency and ping go hand in hand, but you might have heard about the latter more than the former. High latency or ping is a huge no-no for online playthroughs, right to the point where you’re better off switching to offline mode and playing the campaign instead if the game has one. 

Latency is determined by the server you select or what said game selects for you. Fast-paced multiplayer titles where reactions in milliseconds count rely heavily on low latency, so the farther a server is from you, the higher the chances of increased latency. That’s because data has to travel a higher distance in a far-away server as opposed to one that’s in close proximity. 

Moreover, a bad server can potentially result in poor matchmaking, which ultimately affects your gameplay experience. In regions where the player base is small and the peak hours vary for the time of the day, the queue times can increase, and the difference in skill level can be a huge bother, meaning that the game would become either too easy or too hard to put up with. 

Easy Solutions To Negate Delayed Inputs

You must have understood why choosing the right server matters substantially, but on some occasions, doing so can be difficult. Whenever that happens, know that you can rely on a capable VPN to switch your location and gain access to a wider range of server availability. 

However, it’s also understood that you simply need to manually select the right server for your session before jumping into online play, despite the fact that most modern-day multiplayer titles come with auto-matchmaking that determines the best server for you on its own. It never hurts to double-check, however. You would get lower latency, more responsive gameplay, and significantly better matchmaking quality that way. 

Conclusion

Slaving away on online games improving your skill level can mean nothing when your opponent is high latency, unstable connections, and delayed inputs. All that does is turn the best-designed titles into a horrific mess that leaves you scratching your head in despair and frustration. 

I highly recommend checking your server settings before stepping foot into a session, and making sure that you’re getting low ping from a server that’s nearest to you.