Apex Legends Lag Fix: 11 methods

Apex Legends is one of the most famous battle royale games. Though the servers have performed well since launch, establishing a solid playing connection can be tricky. It’s not unusual to experience lag, jitters, and rubber banding when playing or respawning.

Respawn, the company behind the game, is working on solutions, but they can’t fix everything in one go. Especially when you consider they also have to create new content, too. For now, players have to come up with their own workarounds – here are our top Apex Legends lag fixes.

Best VPN for Apex Legends: shortlist

1. NordVPN

   The best VPN for Apex Legends
   9.8
2. Surfshark VPN

   Apex VPN with unlimited connections
   9.5
3. PrivateVPN

   Affordable VPN for Apex Legends
   8.7

Top 3 VPNs to fix Apex Legends lag

VPNs solve one of the biggest issues most players face today – bandwidth throttling. If you tend to engage in data-intensive activities, like online gaming, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) purposefully slow down your speeds. Why? To avoid congestion on their network. It isn’t fair to your average user, but it happens.

Our chosen providers shield you from ISP throttling and potential DDoS Attacks with the essential VPN features. We're talking about AES-256 encryption, IP & DNS leak protection, and a kill switch. They also include sizable server fleets and the latest tunneling protocols that ensure excellent performance no matter where you're connecting to.

1. NordVPN – the best VPN for Apex Legends

NordVPN is the most effective VPN to fix Apex Legends lag. It comes with high-quality features, leading speeds in the industry due to the NordLynx tunneling protocol, and a massive network of 7100+ servers in 118+ countries. Plus, you can get a dedicated IP only you can use in the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, or France.

Coming at $3.39/month, all NordVPN subscriptions include 10 simultaneous connections, protection against DDoS & bandwidth throttling, and 24/7 live chat support. Interested? Take advantage of the 7-day free trial, available via the Google Play Store. Once signed up, you can use the trial version on any device.

For a deeper investigation of NordVPN, read our NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark VPN – Apex VPN with unlimited connections

Another great choice for fixing Apex lag is Surfshark VPN. Here, the next-gen WireGuard protocol ensures wicked-fast speeds while the numerous features guarantee ultimate security & privacy. Once connected to any of the 3200+ RAM-only servers in 100+ countries, you’ll never experience rubber banding again.

The cheapest Surfshark subscription starts at $2.19/month. You’re getting an adware & malware blocker, MultiHop for double the encryption, censorship bypassing features, and plenty of other perks. Take the free 7-day trial out for a spin before committing by downloading it from the Google Play or Apple App store.

For a deeper investigation of Surfshark VPN, read our Surfshark VPN review.

3. PrivateVPN – affordable VPN for Apex Legends

Those looking for an all-rounder VPN suitable for more than just Apex should try PrivateVPN. It offers excellent compatibility, a robust feature set, and great performance due to OpenVPN and High Quality Network (HQN). While the fleet is moderate – 200+ servers in 63+ countries – it’s very efficient, making high latency a thing of the past.

PrivateVPN costs as low as $2.00/month, supports torrenting in all locations and offers streaming-optimized servers to boot. Want to try it on Apex Legends? Grab the 7-day free trial from the official website and enjoy lag-free gaming on PC and mobile.

For a deeper investigation of PrivateVPN, read our PrivateVPN review.

Top 11 Apex Legends lag fixes

There are quite a few ways to reduce or fix Apex Legends lagging issues. Many factors affect game performance, and we’ve tried to cover all potential solutions. Hopefully, one of them will help you.

1. Check Apex Legends server status
2. Meet minimum system requirements
3. Reduce the impact of other devices
4. Stop background downloads & unnecessary processes
5. Ensure your system and Apex Legends are up to date
6. Reconfigure game settings
7. Configure Apex Legends to High Performance
8. Disable Game DVR
9. Disable full-screen optimizations
10. Change the server region in Apex Legends
11. Reinstall Apex Legends or your OS

Of course, always check if the issue doesn't lie with your ISP. If you're getting slower speeds than what was promised, you're probably getting throttled. That's why we recommend utilizing VPNs for online games just in case.

1. Check Apex Legends server status

First and foremost, make sure the fault lies on your end. Apex Legends servers are known for downtime problems (thanks to the massive playerbase), so if several are down, others might be trying to pick up the slack. Hence, all this crazy lag.

Websites like Apex Legends Status and Downdetector can be used to, well, check the status of the servers. It’s also worth heading to Respawn’s social media pages as they inform users of any severe outages. If it’s a broader issue, you’re probably better off sitting this one out until things get fixed.

2. Meet minimum system requirements

If your PC does not meet the minimum or recommended system requirements for Apex Legends, you may experience lag. If you have met the requirements and are still experiencing lag, it may be due to outdated system software or drivers. To improve performance, make sure to install all available system updates.m-requirements

Tweaking in-game settings might also lessen the load on your system and make everything smoother. We’ll talk about what you can change to diminish Apex Legends lag on PC a bit later.

3. Reduce the impact of other devices

Other devices, like phones and tablets, could be sapping the potency of your internet connection. Especially if you’re running any data-hungry processes on them. This is the opposite of what we want, that is, for your router to prioritize only your PC while you’re gaming.

Disconnect all unused devices from your network, and you should see an improvement in ping. Establish a clean slate and reboot Apex Legends just in case as well.

4. Stop background downloads & unnecessary processes

Multiple simultaneous processes cause a significant data drain affecting any online gameplay, not just Apex Legends. The biggest culprits are, of course, torrent clients and active downloads. Close uTorrent, qBittorrent, or any other software you use for file-sharing via Task Manager to ensure they’re not secretly running in the background.

Other contributing factors are music and video streaming services, VoIP platforms like Discord, background Windows processes, etc. Browsers like Chrome are notorious for being incredibly data-hungry, especially if multiple tabs are open. So, you should avoid running them whilst diving into Apex Legends if you want lag-free gameplay.

5. Ensure your system and Apex Legends are up to date

This tip is only for PC, where the frame rate and performance problems run riot. It means getting the latest Windows updates, including graphics and network drivers.

For general Windows updates, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Windows logo on the taskbar and go to Settings
2. Select Updates & Security and then Windows Update
3. Press on Check for Updates and download them if there are any
4. You can also select View optional updates and then Driver updates to see if any drivers need a little refresher

As for graphics and networks drivers, follow these steps:

1. Type in Device Manager in the search box on the taskbar, and open it
2. Find your graphics card in the list under Display adaptors, right-click it, and select Update driver
3. Then press on Search automatically for drivers, and the system will look for the appropriate updates
4. Alternatively, you could manually install the latest graphics card drivers by looking them up on the manufacturer’s website
5. Repeat the same process with your network drivers, which you will find under Network adapters on the list

The same goes for the game itself. If Apex Legends works without the latest patch, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be downloading anything until it doesn’t. Always keep the game up to date, as even the most minor fixes could alleviate the biggest problems.

In other cases, corrupt game files are to blame for all the performance issues. Most launchers, like Steam, have the option to verify the integrity of your game files and fix them if need be. It won’t hurt you to check them.

6. Reconfigure game settings

Running everything on High can be detrimental to gameplay, too, so you’ll need to make some visual sacrifices. Start by going to Settings and navigating to the Video tab. Do a couple of things here.

Change the setting to Low on these:

• Sun Shadow Coverage
• Sun Shadow Detail
• Spot Shadow Detail
• Model Detail
• Effects Detail
• Impact Marks
• Ragdolls

Then disable these settings:

• V-Sync
• Ambient Occlusion Quality
• Volumetric Lighting
• Dynamic Spot Shadows

Besides these, gunning for higher framerates also causes the system to consume more resources, resulting in stuttering. We recommend capping FPS at 60 by following the steps below:

1. Open the Origin launcher and navigate to My Game Library
2. Find Apex Legends, right-click it, and select Game Properties
3. Uncheck the Enable Origin In Game for Apex Legends box and press Save
4. Then select Advanced Launch Options and type +fps_max 60 into the box next to Command line arguments. Click Save.
5. Restart the Origin launcher and Apex Legends

7. Configure Apex Legends to High Performance

Windows has the option to allocate more system resources to prioritized software. And doing so for Apex Legends might give you a slight performance boost. Just don’t expect a big improvement if your hardware doesn’t meet the general requirements.

1. Type in Graphics settings in the search box on the taskbar, and open it
2. Under Choose an app to set preference, select Classic app and click Browse
3. Navigate to the folder where the Apex Legends.exe is located and choose it. In most cases, it can be found in C:Program Files (x86)Origin Games.
4. Apex Legends will now be listed under the Graphics settings. Select it and press Options.
5. Pick High performance and then Save
6. Reboot your PC and launch Apex Legends

8. Disable Game DVR

DVR is enabled automatically on Windows. Usually, it is harmless, but it might cause compatibility issues with some games. Here’s how to disable it for those using Windows 10 build 14393 or earlier:

1. Search for the Xbox app on the taskbar and open it
2. Log in to your Microsoft account if prompted
3. Open the Settings (gear icon at the bottom), then click on the Game DVR tab, and toggle it Off
4. Restart your computer and launch Apex Legends.

For Windows builds later than 14393:

1. Press the Windows key + I on your keyboard
2. In Settings, choose Gaming and then click Game DVR on the left
3. Turn off Record in the background while I’m playing a game
4. Restart your computer and launch Apex Legends.

9. Disable Fullscreen optimizations

Fullscreen Optimizations allows Windows to optimize the performance of games running in full-screen mode. Ironically, this feature might be throwing a wrench into the works. Disable it by following the instructions below:

1. Navigate to the folder where Apex Legends game files are located
2. Find the Apex Legends.exe file, right-click it, and select Properties
3. Click on the Compatibility tab, check the box next to Disable full-screen optimizations, and press Apply
4. Save the changes and reboot your PC
5. Launch the game to see if that fixed your lag issues

10. Change the server region in Apex Legends

Depending on your location, Apex Legends might connect you to a server farther away than the one in another country next to you. Naturally, this increases connection latency. Luckily, there’s a hidden method for choosing whichever server you want from the Apex Legends title menu.

On Windows:

1. Launch Apex Legends and wait one minute
2. Click Accessibility Settings
3. Close the window and click on a new main menu option Data Center
4. Choose your desired server and start playing!

On PlayStation and Xbox:

1. Launch Apex Legends and wait two minutes
2. Click Accessibility Settings
3. Close the window and press R3
4. Choose your desired server and start playing!

11. Reinstall Apex Legends or your OS

This is the last resort, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Each update you download and install can cause irregularities in the game folder. Therefore, doing a clean install might be the right choice.

If you still experience lag issues, it’s worth checking whether other games and services are lacking in performance. Everything else is stuttering, too? It might be time to reinstall your OS, especially if you did it years ago.

Apex Legends rubber banding

Another notorious issue that keeps plaguing players of Apex Legends is rubber banding. It happens because of high latency, and it causes the character to teleport back to their previous position, essentially rooting you in one place. Not exactly what you want in a fast-paced, action-packed battle royale where perfect timing and mobility are crucial.

So, how to stop rubber banding in Apex? Here are some steps that will hopefully resolve the issue:

• Close all background applications. These may be eating up your bandwidth, so open Task Manager and close any open browsers, Discord, music application, etc.
• Tweak Discord settings. If you’re dead set on running Discord in the background, at least disable the “Enable Quality of Service High Packet Priority” and “Hardware Acceleration.” These are known for sometimes causing performance issues in games.
• Switch from Wi-Fi to Ethernet. Wireless networks naturally have higher latency due to unstable Wi-Fi signal strength, external interference, and lesser general speeds because of the connection's nature. Ethernet is built to utilize the maximum speed of your internet, which results in low latency, thus almost no lag or rubber banding.
• Switch from 5GHz to 2.4Ghz. If there is an option, Wi-Fi users should try disabling 5GHz on their wireless network and leaving everything at 2.4GHz. Some Reddit users reported that this instantly fixed Apex rubber banding for them.
• Reinstall the game. A few players have noted that uninstalling and reinstalling the Apex after a reboot has fixed their rubber banding issues.

How to fix lag in Apex Legends Mobile

Apex Legends Mobile, released on May 17th, 2022, is no stranger to constant lag issues either. There are ways to solve the problem, as with console and PC versions. You can try:

• Changing in-game settings. Disable Dynamic Shadows, Anti-aliasing, and Character Halo. Then turn on Adaptive Smoothening, adjust image quality to Smooth, and set Framerate Control to High.
• Closing all background apps. Other games, browsers, music apps, Youtube, messengers, etc., eat up data and device RAM, causing performance issues if they run while you’re playing. Close all of them.
• Cleaning the App Cache. Clearing storage of unnecessary files will free up space and optimize your device for smoother gameplay.
• Disabling Battery Saver. While this mode helps extend your phone’s battery life, it hinders everything that tends to eat it up, for example, online games. Turning it off in the settings should noticeably improve Apex Legends.
• Deleting unused apps. You need to have at least 4GB of free storage for game processing. Thus, if you have applications you haven’t touched in a while, erasing them will be for the best.
• Updating & reinstalling the game. Always keep Apex Legends up to date, as newer patches tend to fix at least some issues. Going for a fresh start sometimes clears up lag as well.
• Performing a Factory Reset. Worst case scenario, restore your phone to its original state. Just keep in mind that it also deletes all data stored on the device, so make sure you have backups of your most important files.

How to fix Apex Legends Mobile high ping in 4 steps

1. Subscribe to a mobile-compatible VPN. NordVPN offers streamlined, user-friendly applications for Android and iOS devices.
2. Download the VPN app from the Google Play or Apple App Store
3. Connect to a server that is closest to you
4. Open Apex Legends Mobile and enjoy smooth gameplay!

Get the best VPN for Apex Mobile

Choosing the best VPN for Apex Legends

Why should Apex Legends players use a VPN

There are plenty of reasons why a player like you should consider getting the best VPN for Apex Legends. It can range from ISP throttling to choosing a server that’s unavailable otherwise. Below are all the reasons to get an Apex Legends VPN.

ISP throttling

As we’ve mentioned earlier, your ISP may be throttling your bandwidth to reduce the load on their network while considerably increasing your ping in the process. This often happens without the ISP informing their clients.

This throttling problem affects not only gamers. People report experiencing reduced speeds while torrenting and streaming as well. All because the ISP wants to save bandwidth without investing in their infrastructure.

A VPN encrypts your traffic so the ISP cannot detect what you are doing online, resulting in the best available performance. It’s also great from a security standpoint because a VPN also changes your IP address, hiding you from third-party snooping.

Changing your Apex Legends server

By default, Apex Legends chooses your server according to geographic location. For example, it usually merges the EU with Russia. While there’s a hidden way to select your desired server (see tip #10 above), that doesn’t mean your ping will be as low as it can be.

With a VPN, you can connect to a server in the US or elsewhere and play with the locals. What’s more, the chances are the route from the VPN server might be shorter than the one Apex Legends offers, resulting in lower latency.

One can use the same method to access streaming platforms and other geo-blocked resources unavailable in your country. Most premium VPNs have thousands of servers in dozens of countries, so finding what you like won’t be hard.

Protection against DDoS attacks

Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks, or DDoS for short, are one of the major issues for the gaming industry. While top players usually become targets, you can also experience this if someone with the right tools decides they want you to lose instantly.

These attacks disrupt the gaming process by sending numerous requests to your IP address. When the system becomes unable to process all of those requests in time, your connection to the Apex Legends server will shut down. As long as the attack continues, you may be unable to get back online.

The majority of Apex Legends streamers also use a VPN. By encrypting your traffic and hiding the IP address, a VPN leaves no easy option to enact a DDoS attack on you.

Check out our best VPN for gaming list for a selection of VPNs that may help you avoid ISP bandwidth throttling while simultaneously securing your traffic.

Do you have a better solution for one of these issues? Do you think we missed some other problem related to the Apex Legends lag? Tell us in the comments section below!

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Best VPN for Apex Legends
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FAQ

Why are the Apex servers so laggy?

Apex Legends might be lagging due to several reasons, like overcrowded servers, ISP throttling, poor internet connection, inadequate hardware, etc. Switching servers and upgrading your internet and PC usually fixes the problem. As for ISP throttling, you’ll need to use a VPN to evade it.

Why is my Apex lag spiking?

Apex Legends lag spikes are usually caused by network connection issues. Other times it’s because you’re connecting to a game server that’s too far away from you. Try switching to another server and reboot your router alongside the game.

How to fix Apex Legends lag on PS4?

Unfortunately, that’s a pretty common problem for PS4 players around the world. Here’s what you can try to fix the Apex Legends lag:

Make sure nobody else is connected to your Wi-Fi

Update Apex Legends and your PS4

Use an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi

Choose a server with low latency. Read more.

Call your PS4 customer support

Get a VPN and set up SmartDNS on your PS4

The last one might help because a reliable VPN can optimize the routing, effectively decreasing ping.

How do I reduce lag in Apex Legends on Xbox One?

Xbox One players have been reporting Apex Legends lag issues for quite some time now. Here’s what you can do to fix Apex Legends lag:

Disconnect unnecessary devices from your Wi-Fi

Update Apex Legends and your Xbox One

Connect the console to the internet via Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi

Change the Apex Legends server to one with low latency. Learn more about it here.

Contact Xbox One customer support

Download a VPN and set up SmartDNS on your Xbox One

VPNs help optimize routing, which tends to lead to low latency, hence better ping.

How do I reduce input lag in Apex Legends?

Apex Legends input lag is mostly related to Steam and your monitor's refresh rate. Here's what you should try:

Open Steam Library

Choose Apex Legends

Click Manage (a cogwheel icon)

In Properties, pick Set launch options

Enter +fps_max and add your monitor's refresh rate, i.e., 60 or 144

Now the command should look like +fps_max60

What is a good ping for gaming?

While that depends on the game itself, anything below 20 ms is usually considered excellent. If yours is higher, don’t worry too much. On average, most gamers play with a 50-100 ms ping. Finally, anything above 150 ms is a bad ping.

Can I reduce ping in Apex Legends by using a VPN?

Yes, using a VPN helps reduce ping in Apex Legends, especially if your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is throttling you. We advise utilizing the fastest VPNs with the latest tunneling protocols for this, as they ensure low latency in all locations.

How to fix Apex Legends FPS drop issue?

You can fix the Apex Legends FPS drop issue by trying several things. First, update your graphics card drivers and lower the in-game video settings. Then, close all unnecessary programs that might be using up too many computer resources.