Rocket League has fascinated its gamers with the combination of soccer competition and rocket-powered vehicles since its release. This excitement, however, can be easily spoiled by one thing: packet loss. If you’re also suffering constant packet loss in Rocket League, don’t worry. Here we have fixes that are proven to be effective for you.
How to Fix Packet Loss in Rocket League
You may not need to try them all; just work your way down the list until you find the one that does the trick.
Method 1: Check for network connection
Method 2: Update your network driver
Method 3: Install all Windows updates
Method 5: Test and optimize your internet speed
Method 1: Check for network connection
Most of the time, packet loss can be automatically repaired if it is caused by a brief error on the server during a network congestion. But if you’re experiencing frequent packet loss, it’s most likely because you’re having a poor network connection. In this instance, you can improve your network connection by doing the following:
- Restart your modem & router. Simply unplug your modem and router for a minute to let them cool off and then plug them back to their power supply. Also don’t forget to make sure the indicators are back to their normal state. This simple and effective operation can refresh the RAM and renew the IP address for better network connectivity.
- A wired connection is always a preferable alternative in gaming for higher data transfer speeds and better network stability. So instead of using Wi-Fi, consider using a cable connection.
- Check that your internet and network connections are stable, fast, and functioning. Consider upgrading to a better gaming Wi-Fi and modem if you’re still utilizing an old router.
If this fix doesn’t work for you, try next to have your drivers updated!
Method 2: Update your network driver
Sometimes if you’re using an outdated or malfunctioning network driver, your network connection would be curbed, triggering high latency in your network and the packet loss issue. Therefore, keeping your network driver up to date is quite important.
Generally, there are two ways you can update your network driver: manually or automatically.
Option 1 – Download and install the network driver manually
To have your network driver updated, you need to go to the motherboard manufacturer’s website first, find the driver corresponding with your specific flavor of Windows version (for example, Windows 32 bit) and download it manually.
Once you’ve downloaded the correct network drivers for your system, double-click on the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.
Option 2 – Automatically update network drivers (recommended)
If you don’t have the time, patience or computer skills to update the network driver manually, Driver Easy can do it for you.
Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing. Driver Easy handles it all.
- Download and install Driver Easy.
- Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
- Click the Activate & Update button next to the flagged device to automatically download and install the correct version of this driver.
Or click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system (You’ll need the Pro version for this – when you select Update All, you’ll get a prompt to upgrade. If you’re not prepared to purchase the Pro version yet, Driver Easy provides a 7-day trial at no cost, granting access to all Pro features like fast downloads and easy installation. No charges will occur until after your 7-day trial period ends.) - Restart your PC for the new network driver to take effect.
Method 3: Install all Windows updates
Windows updates often come with patches to fix compatibility issues that might lead to packet loss in Rocket League. So in addition to keeping your network driver up-to-date, it’s also important to update your operating system to the latest version. Here we will show you how to do this on Windows 10 and Windows 11:
On Windows 10
- Type check for updates in the search box and then select it from the result that appears.
- Click Check for updates on the right section.
- Allow some time for the process to complete. After that, restart your PC.
On Windows 11
- Press the Windows + I keys to open Settings and thenclick Windows Update on the left section.
- Click Check for updates. Then Windows will automatically start downloading the updates if they are available.
- Click Restart now after the process is finished.
If this fix doesn’t help with your packet loss problem, try the last one below.
Method 4: Use a VPN
Packet loss can occur when the Internet speed is limited by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to relieve the network congestion during peak hours.
A fix to this situation is to use VPN (Virtual Private Network), a technology that can re-route your gaming data packets through a server with better traffic. Moreover, VPN can also encrypt your gaming data to protect your privacy and secure your Internet connection.
If you’re not sure which gaming VPN to use, here are some trustworthy options to consider:
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Method 5: Test and optimize your internet speed
Packet loss in Rocket League can often be traced back to insufficient bandwidth or heavy network usage. To ensure your connection is optimized for gaming, you can run a test on your internet speed to see if it’s up to standard and optimize it for smoother gaming:
Test Your Internet Speed
Visit an online speed testing website such as Speedtest.net to check your current upload and download speeds. Rocket League typically requires a minimum download speed of 1 Mbps and an upload speed of 512 Kbps for smooth gameplay. If your speeds are below these thresholds, it might be time to upgrade your internet plan.
Close Bandwidth-Heavy Applications
While playing Rocket League, make sure no other devices or applications on your network are consuming excessive bandwidth. Streaming videos, downloading files, or video conferencing can slow down your connection and cause packet loss.
Pause Background Updates
Disable or postpone automatic updates for software, operating systems, or games while you’re playing Rocket League. These updates can quietly consume a significant portion of your bandwidth.
There you have it! We hope that this post was helpful enough to fix your Rocket League packet loss issues. If you need more help, you can go to the Rocket League support page or contact your ISP.
If you have an idea or another fix that might work, please feel free to leave it in the comment below!