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Input latency inconsistency from day to day/hour to hour.

Anonymous
2022-08-02T17:54:21+00:00

Hi,

I wanna start off by saying that i'm not sure this is the right sub-group to post this question. If you have any suggestion where to look or ask for answers let me know please.

I have been playing a game called Rocket League for 6 years straight basically every week for at least 2 days a week if not more. I got around 8k hours now.

After the first year I noticed some variation in the amount of latency from day to day and sometimes even from hour to hour, with the higher latency being the "norm".

Then I searched for some answers and I also noticed there were a lot of posts regarding this issue for the same game and even for others. So there were a few post with temp fixes scattered around YouTube/Reddit and a bunch of other places like the support system of Rocket League itself and other forums. They recognized this issue since it's first appearance/mention to them a few years back (around when I started/was good enough to recognize it was happening).

It's fair to say I have been hating playing the game because of this issue and been searching for answers ever since. I was hoping someone here might be able to help me with this and find out what's going on.

I have far above the recommended specs and at some points a was suspicious of it being a system wide issue (which I still am). Moving the mouse across the desktop has a different feeling at different times. I don't have high quality equipment to measure any of this, but it's so blatant to me.

If anyone knows anything, please let me know. I have tried almost everything to reduce system latency but no optimisations have gotten rid of this weird latency variance/inconsistency that is almost 2-3x worse on some days/hours and for others it feels exactly how it's supposed to feel like, with the latter being far less common.

If you want some more info regarding the problem/attempted fixes (which I have all also done in the past) check out this summary "Techhenzy"

made: https://techhenzy.com/hcb-investigation/
more info: https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=6835

Like I said, I have done multiple clean installs, of windows/drivers changing relevant settings in Nvidia. Nothing seems to stick.

In the community it has been dubbed the Heavy Car Bug (HCB for short.)

The thing is: not everyone has this problem. Some people get it out of the blue. Most people try upgrading the system entirely or even moving without any succes.

Some do get rid of it by moving, but it doesn't always seem to be the case. I have also moved 4 times in the last 5 years which didn't have a different result. I live in the Netherlands and would say that we have very decent internet and ping latency.

Some are very doubt full this problem exists. I see why anyone would be at least skeptic. but the amount of people complaining about the exact same issue's is astounding. Again i'm very doubtful this is some mass hysteria occurrence because of dealing with it for the time that I have. Simply changing any setting within windows or the game may or may not fix it for some time, but it always comes back.

I'm wondering if anyone knows anything at all regarding similar issue's. I have been scouring the web for years, to no avail!

for reference ill post another thread of multiple people corroborating the story and telling their tails for anyone that needs/wants a picture: https://www.reddit.com/r/RocketLeague/comments/ttzo6v/heavy\_car\_bug\_hcb\_please\_help\_me\_2022/

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Performance and system failures

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-03-01T04:50:27+00:00

    Daaaang, we made it all the way to the MS forums eh boys. If these guys can't fix it i dont think no one can.

    Think it might be time to hang up the gloves. We had a good run. Let's try not to be too savage with the MS reps though, they have no clue **** HCB is lmfao.

    3 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2022-08-03T09:53:32+00:00

    I hadn't before, but I would like to explain why I'm doubtful of that.

    I started my pc, moved my mouse across the desktop, noticed it wasn't as snappy as it can be from years of reference.

    Started up RL and to no surprise it was a bit delayed, without hopping into a server. (We have something called Freeplay, which doesn't connect you to a server and should be offline play (can also use this if not connected to a network.)) Closed Rocket League.

    So in this case I downloaded WTFast a network accelerator. Thought it would give me a free trial, but it seems that was just bait.

    The application told me it wasn't optimizing anything because the free trial had run out, but it was learning from my network in case I decided to buy.

    I started up RL and it felt a bit better (could be do to anything) So hopped online played a few games to let it record some stats. Nothing noticeable popped up so I just closed RL and the application (WTFast). Restarted RL again, hopped into Freeplay and this time it felt great, way faster than just 1 min ago, and way faster than the first time I started it up today. This can happen with literally any adjustment to my pc or game.

    I just closed RL and my expectation is if I try to run it again it will still feel fast till at some point (after a few hours maybe or maybe a few days) it will get worse again for some unexplained reason.

    Testing: opened op RL went into Freeplay and yup just like I expected still the same as the last time I started it.

    Also this always transitions into online play. Whenever I do connect to a server.

    This is a great example of how something changing (un)related can completely change the whole game within minutes

    this all happend in a span of 25 min. Over the years I have found a bunch of things that might change it just like it did now. I basically have a whole list of things that I can use whenever it's there. Because some of the changes may work on some days but not others and sometimes the other ones do. This all is always temporarily.

    Like changing some NVidia setting, or replugging my keyboard, mouse, controller, changing some settings in windows or changing some setting within the game itself, reseating my ram, yesterday I updated my bios to an Beta version and that did it. It can and will be literally anything that changes the game.

    It's ridiculous how much it changes the whole feeling of the game.

    Any idea's?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2022-08-04T06:02:56+00:00

    Thanks for the reply.

    I don't think you really understand what I have posted in the messages.

    It seems like you totally missed the point even after reiterating things I have said.

    Thanks for your input, I'll ask somewhere else.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2022-08-04T05:41:49+00:00

    Hi

    Thanks for your reply.

    If you find that it is faster than before after switching the accelerator, it means that your problem may be more related to the network. Because your network environment has changed after starting the accelerator, and your DNS or other network settings have been changed, resulting in faster games.

    What you call unplugging memory, updating BIOS, and setting up graphics cards are global settings based on windows. Changing them will make great changes, because these settings are fundamental to system operation.

    So my suggestion is that you can use the network accelerator regularly, or restart your router regularly? Maybe these factors are the reasons why you slow down again after a long time.

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  5. Anonymous
    2022-08-03T05:29:25+00:00

    Hi

    Welcome to Microsoft community.

    From your description, I think your problem lies more in network latency.

    Have you tried to use the network and gaming accelerator to see if the latency will change?

    Best regards

    Derrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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