[Smash Bros. SP] How to identify and deal with slow online games | Aiming for comfortable play – Game Strategy Summary

This article is a translation of the following Japanese article:

Original: 【スマブラSP】オンラインがラグい試合の見分け方と対処法｜快適プレイを目指す

When playing the Nintendo Switch version of “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” online, you may not be able to play comfortably due to unexpected lag or delay.
Especially during battles, input delays and stuttering in character movements are problems that plague both beginners and advanced players, as they have a direct impact on winning or losing.

In this article,

Types of rugs and how to tell them apart
Case caused by line or settings
Easy solutions

We will explain based on the latest information and community information such as

. (altema.jp)

Author: “Lag is an unavoidable problem in online games in general, but it can be significantly reduced if you understand the mechanism.”

1. How online delay works in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Smash Bros. SP uses the **P2P method (direct communication between players)** for online battles.
Therefore,

The other party’s line status
My line speed
NAT type and Wi-Fi congestion status

may cause lag or stutter. (game8.jp)

Common phenomena in online matches are as follows:

Input delay (lag input): It takes time for the character to react after pressing the button
Character’s movements are stuttering (stuttering): Movements are not smooth, jumps and attacks are interrupted
Teleport phenomenon (skip): The opponent appears to have teleported

Author: “If the lag is bad, you may not be able to win no matter how much you improve your technique, so it is important to isolate the cause.”

2. How to identify rugs

Online lag can be identified by playing behavior and environment.

(1) Check if it happens only for you or the other person

If the other party’s line appears choppy → the other party’s line
If only your character is delayed → Process your own line or Switch itself

(2) In which mode is it likely to occur

More likely to occur in modes with many players such as Super Brawl
VIP matches and ranked matches tend to have stable connections

(3) Ping (communication speed) confirmation

Switch does not have a dedicated ping display, but you can measure the delay value of your home line using the Wi-Fi router’s management screen or smartphone app.
As a guide, anything within 20-50ms is comfortable, and anything over 100ms is likely to cause lag.

3. Main causes of lag and how to deal with it

(1) Return speed and communication environment

Use wired LAN: More stable than Wi-Fi
5GHz band than 2.4GHz: If the distance is short, 5GHz will be faster
Reducing the number of devices connected at the same time: Increased latency when watching and downloading videos at the same time

Author: “If wired connection is possible, just improving this will greatly reduce the perceived lag.”

(2) NAT type/router settings

NAT types are divided into “A/B/C” etc.In case of C, connection stability is low
To change the NAT type to A/B, turn on UPnP and open the port

(3) Effects of Switch itself and software

App runs in background → stutters due to processing load
Reboot regularly → Clear cache and temporary data

(4) Characteristics of online matching

Matching with a geographically distant partner → Delay occurs
If you increase your “World Combat Power”, you will be matched with strong players of the same level → The connection is often stable

Author: “There are some lags that can’t be avoided, but if you try to improve your comfort level, your winning rate will change dramatically.”

4. Recommended settings for comfortable play

Frame rate priority: Reduce load with Switch image quality settings
Screen settings: Delay may be reduced in mobile mode than in TV mode
Online mode selection: Friend matches and VIP matches may be more stable than ranked matches

Summary

Smash Bros. SP online lag is

Physical factors of lines and routers
Factors due to NAT type/connection method
Software/main unit processing load
Distance and number of matching partners

Multiple elements such as

are involved.

Author: “While it is difficult to eliminate lag completely, the experience will change dramatically just by adjusting the line and connection environment.The first step to improving your winning rate is to create an environment that allows you to operate comfortably, without being swayed by numbers or winning rates.”

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