Nintendo Support

Issues with Latency While Playing Online (e.g. Characters Jump Around, Slow Response, Lag)

Description:

  • You are experiencing issues while playing online with others, such as characters jumping around or slow response from controls.

  • You are able to start online matches, but experience a high amount of disconnects after periods of slow response/latency.

Important:

While troubleshooting, test your connection after any changes are made to the Nintendo Switch console or network environment to determine if the change resolves your issue.

Additional Information:

Errors during the match-making process may be the result of the network environment, including the following possible causes:

  • The network NAT type is not optimal for creating a peer-to-peer connection with other users.

  • A large amount of latency is causing the match-making process to time-out.

What to Do:

Perform a connection test on the Nintendo Switch console, and take note of the following results:

  • NAT Type

  • Download Speed

  • Upload Speed

Download Speed

If your download speed is below 3 Mbps, it's possible your network speeds may causing you to time out during the connection process.

Use our troubleshooting to try and improve your network's download speed.

NAT Type

  • NAT Type A or B

NAT type A is preferred and generally indicates that your network environment works well for connecting with other players. NAT type B is compatible with most other NAT types as well.

  • NAT Type C , D or F

  1. Power cycle your home network.
    Restarting your network devices may resolve this issue if it is related to the devices being unresponsive.

  2. Try to improve your network NAT type.
    Use our troubleshooting to try and improve your network's NAT type. If this does not resolve your issue, continue with the following troubleshooting.

  3. If using a wireless internet connection move the Nintendo Switch console closer to the wireless router.
    If possible, place the Nintendo Switch within 10 to 15 feet of the wireless router to improve the signal strength during troubleshooting.

  4. It may be helpful to remove the Nintendo Switch console from the Nintendo Switch dock while troubleshooting, and then return the console when troubleshooting is complete.

  5. Move any metal objects or electronic devices away from your Nintendo Switch console and wireless router.
    Metal objects and electronic devices may interfere with wireless signals. If you have any of these, such as filing cabinets, speakers, power strips, glass, or cordless phones, next to your system or wireless router, move them away.

  6. If using a wired internet connection attempt to connect directly to your modem.
    Connecting directly to a modem, instead of the router, will bypass other networking devices and determine if these are resulting in the issue. After connecting directly to a modem, make sure you restart the device by removing the power cable for a minute. If using a Nintendo Switch dock without a built-in LAN port, a USB LAN adapter is required to establish a wired internet connection.

  7. If using a wired internet connection try a different ethernet cable.
    If a second ethernet cable works, this may indicate the ethernet cable originally used is damaged or no longer working.

Situation Not Resolved:

If you are still experiencing difficulty connecting with other players, this could indicate an issue related to the network of the player you are connecting with. If you only experience this issue when connecting a specific player, ask they try the same troubleshooting.

If this occurs when trying to connect with any player, it may still indicate an issue related to your network environment or the router being used.

If you would like to continue troubleshooting potential issues related to the router, contact the router's manufacturer for assistance with performing the following steps:

  • Updating the router's firmware

  • Resetting the router back to its factory default settings

If you continue to experience issues when connecting directly to the modem, you may also wish to contact your ISP regarding any potential issues, especially if you experience similar issues when connecting other devices online.

If you would like further assistance with the Nintendo Switch console, please contact us.