Interruptions are unlikable, aren’t they? High-stakes battle royale shooters such as Apex Legends offer insane fast-paced action. But for all its thrills in the land of Kings Canyon, there’s one adversary that no legend wants to face – packet loss, which can completely disrupt the gameplay. Now, what is packet loss in Apex Legends, how to check for it and fix the error as quickly as possible? Read more to find out, in today’s article.
What Does Packet Loss Mean on Apex Legends? How to Fix it
Often a stable and responsive connection can be the difference between victory and defeat. When transferring data in online gaming between the PC and the game server, information is broken down into small pieces known as packets. Packet loss occurs when some of these packets do not reach the intended destination. Ultimately, this failure results in gameplay issues such as lag spikes, rubberbanding, extreme lagging, or even connection timeouts, which can put you at a disadvantage over your opponents.
To check for packet loss, you can turn on the Performance Display in the game settings. This will show you the real-time packet loss, FPS, and ping. You can also see its percentage in the server select screen.
Quick Answer
To fix this issue in Apex Legends, switch the game to a different server and restart it. If it does not help, update the Network adapter drivers:
1. Open Device Manager and expand the Network adapters terminal.
2. Right-click on the appropriate adapter and select Update driver.
3. Choose Select automatically for drivers.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions and once done, Restart the PC.
What Causes Packet Loss in Apex Legends?
Before we could move further towards the solutions to fix this issue, let’s understand the potential reasons that could be causing it:
- Internet connectivity issues
- Regional server downtime
- Faulty or outdated hardware components
Now that we know the causes, it’s time to get rid of the interruptions. Follow the methods listed below.
Tip: Before proceeding, check and ensure that the hardware you’re trying to play the game on fulfills the minimum system requirements for Apex Legends.
Method 1: Basic Troubleshooting Methods
We’ll first start with some simple, easy-to-go solutions that can potentially resolve the issue in no time. Let’s get started!
Method 1.1: Restart Game, then PC
Many a time it’s a minor technical glitch that causes issues in the data transfer between the server and the PC. Restarting the game usually fixes this. If you still face issues, restart your PC.
Method 1.2: Wait for Server Uptime
Loss of data packets can also be because of server downtime issues in your region. So, you need to check if this is the cause of the lag in the game. All you have to do is launch the Apex Legends Status official website on the device. If there are any discrepancies, wait for a few hours and then launch the game again.
Method 1.3: Switch to a Different Game Server
Apex Legends has multiple servers globally in different regions. Overload and downtime issues are not always persistent throughout all the servers at the same time and there are chances that the one in your region might be facing it. Follow the steps to connect to a different server:
1. Launch Apex Legends and navigate to the main menu.
2. Press the Tab key to access the DATA CENTERS window.
3. Choose the one with the lowest Ping and Packet Loss %.
Now check if this fixed the issue.
Method 1.4: Remove Background Applications
Unused active background applications still consume system resources such as Network, RAM, and Memory. Ultimately, this can lead to lesser bandwidth for Apex Legends to run smoothly. Follow the steps to kill all background programs:
1. Open Task Manager and move to the Processes tab.
2. Identify the background app consuming high CPU or Network.
3. Select End task from the context option.
4. Once all unused background apps are killed, launch Apex Legends and check if there are any more interruptions in the game.
Method 2: Restore Stable Internet Connectivity
By now you already know that one of the major causes of data packet loss in Apex Legends is poor, weak, or unstable internet. You can resolve the issue by improving the speed and strength of the internet connection to the device. We have an article published on Slow Internet Connection? 10 Ways to Speed up your Internet! which you can follow.
Method 3: Update Network Drivers
Outdated network adapter drivers lead to slow and unreliable internet connection on the device. All you need is to simply update the drivers for them to work at their full potential and fix the issues caused due to poor network. You can refer to our guide on How to Update Network Adapter Drivers on Windows 11.
Method 4: Tweak Game Video Settings
Even though your hardware setup meets the minimum system requirements required to play the game, it might not be supportive enough for higher game settings. Being forced to run Apex Legends at max settings could lead to packet loss and thereby lags and stutters. Follow the steps to change the required settings for smoother gameplay:
1. Open Apex Legends and click on the Settings icon, followed by the Settings option.
2. Now Disable the following settings:
- V-Sync
- Ambient occlusion quality
- Volumetric lighting
- Dynamic spot shadows
3. Change the following settings to Low:
- Sun shadow coverage
- Sun shadow detail
- Model detail
- Effects detail
- Impact marks
- Ragdolls
4. Once done, exit the game and launch it again. Check if the issue has been fixed.
Method 5: Disable Full Screen Optimization
Windows Full Screen Optimization feature is designed to improve the performance and visual quality of the games when running in full-screen mode. However, as this can cause packet loss in Apex Legends, follow the steps to disable it and fix the issue:
1. Navigate to the Apex Legends executable file.
Usually, you can find it at this address: C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Apex\r5apex.exe.
2. Right-click on the file and select Properties from the context menu.
3. Move to the Compatibility tab and tick the checkbox next to Disable fullscreen optimizations.
4. Click on Apply, followed by OK to save the changes.
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Method 6: Reinstall Network Drivers
Despite a stable internet connection, you could still face connectivity issues on other devices due to outdated or corrupt network drivers. However, reinstalling it can help fix this. Follow the steps:
1. Open Device Manager and expand the Network Adapters tab.
2. Right-click on the appropriate network adapter and select Uninstall from the context menu.
3. Restart the PC and Windows will automatically reinstall the network adapter driver.
4. Launch Apex Legends to check if the packet loss issue is resolved.
Method 7: Allow Game through Windows Firewall
Data packet loss in Apex Legends can also be caused due to network traffic blocked by Windows Firewall. We do not suggest you disable the firewall as it might be riskier for your system security. Fortunately, you can add Apex Legends or EA as an exception. Follow the steps in our guide on Allow or Block Apps through the Windows Firewall.
Method 8: Use VPN
VPNs can help with connectivity issues as they bypass restrictions, overcome ISP throttling, and access to remote network even if you are on a different physical network. This can reduce the packet loss drastically. If you are looking for some suggestions, we have picked some of the Best free VPN options for you. Install and sign up for any service as preferred.
Method 9: Reinstall Apex Legends
As a last resort to get the data loss issue fixed, we suggest you uninstall and reinstall the game on the device. That would clear out corrupt or damaged game files, if any.
1. Open the Control Panel and under Programs, click on Uninstall a program.
2. Right-click on Apex Legends and select Uninstall from the context menu.
3. Launch the official Apex Legends website on any browser.
4. Hover the cursor over DOWNLOAD FOR FREE and select the appropriate platform to download and install.
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That is it! We hope our guide helped you fix the packet loss issue in Apex Legends. If you have any queries or suggestions for us, do let us know in the comments section. Stay connected to TechCult for solutions to more such game-related issues.
