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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11The Input Buffer is a Rocket League setting that controls how client input is queued on the server. It is a network-delivery setting, not a control-sensitivity option, so it does not make your car or your button presses more precise on its own. A higher buffer value can add input lag, rubber-banding and latency, which is why the setting is best understood as a trade-off between smooth input delivery and delay.
What the Input Buffer measures
Epic Games’ Rocket League Support page defines the setting in one sentence: “The Input Buffer indicates the number of frames of client input that the server currently has queued.” In other words, the number reflects how many frames of your inputs are waiting on the server at a given moment. It is a live state of the connection, not a score of your mechanical skill and not a rating of your controller.
Because the value describes server-side queuing, it changes with your connection conditions. Epic’s support guidance warns that higher values may increase input lag, rubber-banding and latency. The setting therefore affects how consistently your inputs are processed over the network; it does not change the speed of your internet connection.
Why a buffer exists at all
Psyonix Lead Gameplay Engineer Jared Cone explained the underlying design in a GDC presentation from 2018. The client sends input for each physics frame, but those inputs do not arrive at a constant rate over the network. The server therefore buffers client input so it does not have to pause and wait for every individual input before simulating.
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The cost is delay. Cone’s slides frame the engineering problem as avoiding two extremes. If the buffer is empty, the physics simulation can run on the previous input, which produces a visible mismatch. If the buffer is too large, every input waits longer before it takes effect. His slide summarises the second case as “Try to avoid large buffer (adds latency)”. Epic’s setting exposes that same balance to players in the form of Default, STS and CSTS.
This is why the phrase “precision and timing” needs a qualification. The buffer can make input delivery more continuous on an unstable connection, but it cannot shorten the time your inputs need to travel to the server, and it does not sharpen aiming or flick accuracy.
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Where to find the setting
In Rocket League, open Settings, then select Gameplay. The Input Buffer option is listed there, with the Default, STS and CSTS choices. Epic’s support article does not describe a separate console path for the setting, so check the Gameplay tab on your platform if the labels look different.
Default, STS and CSTS compared
Epic lists three options. The table summarises what the official support material and the patch notes say about each one.
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| Option | What Epic describes | When Epic suggests testing it |
|---|---|---|
| Default | Rocket League’s default setting. | Your standard setting, and the one to return to if an alternative does not help. |
| STS (Sim Time Scaling) | The server can instruct the client to subtly speed up or slow down so the input stream stays smooth. | Connectivity problems such as spotty Wi-Fi, according to Epic’s v1.58 patch notes from February 19, 2019. |
| CSTS (Continuous Sim Time Scaling) | A more aggressive version of STS that uses a continuous feedback loop to determine game speed. | The same connectivity problems as STS, with the same return-to-Default fallback. |
Default
Default is the standard behaviour. Epic does not describe it as tuned for any particular connection type, so it is the baseline against which the other two options should be judged.
STS
STS adds a small amount of time adjustment on the client, so the game can run slightly faster or slower to keep the input stream steady. Epic presents it as one of its newer latency-mitigation strategies. The effect is smoothing of input delivery, not a reduction in the underlying ping.
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CSTS
CSTS is the more aggressive of the two. Instead of a simple adjustment, it uses a continuous feedback loop to set game speed. Epic’s material does not say how much more effective it is than STS, and it does not establish that it suits any specific connection better.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A practical troubleshooting order
Epic’s patch-note guidance is a troubleshooting experiment rather than a permanent recommendation. Use it this way:
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- Note the symptom you are trying to fix, such as input that stutters or cars that snap position during online matches.
- Open Settings → Gameplay and select STS.
- Play several online matches under the same conditions that caused the problem. Compare the symptom to your earlier sessions.
- If the issue is unchanged or worse, try CSTS under the same conditions.
- If neither option improves things, return to Default. Epic’s guidance is to switch back if there is no improvement.
The sources do not establish a universal best setting, a single ideal buffer value for all players, or evidence that changing the option lowers your underlying ping. Treat any change as something to verify in your own matches.
Monitoring the buffer on PC
PC players can watch the input buffer in real time. Open Settings → Interface and enable Network Graphs. Epic’s support article specifically describes this monitoring workflow for PC, so do not assume the same on-screen metric is available on consoles.
Use the graph during the same match type where you noticed the problem. A value that climbs and stays high is a sign that the queue is building up, which is the situation Epic’s warning describes. A value that stays low and steady suggests the buffer is not the cause of the issue you are seeing.
Other latency factors, kept separate
The Input Buffer is not the only latency-related setting. Rocket League’s Known Issues page, last updated October 6, 2026, includes a historical fixed-issues entry stating that players should experience reduced input latency with VSync turned off. That is a graphics consideration rather than an explanation of the Input Buffer, and it does not change how the buffer works. Test it separately if you are troubleshooting input delay.
Sources and how current they are
- Current definition and menu location: Epic Games’ Rocket League Support article, checked October 2026. Epic does not name an individual author, so attribute its statements to Rocket League Support.
- Engineering explanation: Jared Cone’s GDC presentation from 2018, which is older and describes the technical reasoning rather than the current menu.
- Option guidance: Epic’s v1.58 patch notes dated February 19, 2019, which describe STS and CSTS as newer latency-mitigation strategies and advise the try-then-revert approach.
No named statistic measuring how the setting affects player results was identified. The networking diagrams in the GDC material illustrate the concept and are not a recommendation for any particular buffer size.
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