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How to Fix High Ping, Packet Loss, and Lag in THE FINALS

Use THE FINALS’ warning icons to distinguish ping and packet loss from server or client lag, then check region, party matchmaking, connection stability, and platform-specific settings.
WorldTHE FINALS Length4 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Start by checking THE FINALS’ in-game warning icons and the match’s Preferred Region. Then test the connection: try Ethernet, pause downloads and streams, restart your router and game, and avoid VPNs or proxies. If the warning points to server performance—or everyone in the match is lagging—the problem may be outside your control. If the warning points to client performance, troubleshoot frame rate and system load instead of treating it as a ping problem.

First, identify what kind of lag you have

Lag can describe several different problems. In THE FINALS, the warning icons help distinguish a connection issue from server or client performance. Open the detailed in-game performance overlay if you need more information about the warning or symptoms. Embark’s warning-icon guide explains the distinctions.

What you notice Likely cause What to check first
Inputs and visual updates arrive late; movement feels delayed High latency, commonly called ping Preferred Region, party region, VPN or proxy use, and competing network traffic
Rubber-banding, teleporting, missed inputs, or events appearing late Packet loss: game data is not reliably reaching the client or server Try Ethernet, restart the router, and pause heavy network use
Intermittent spikes or uneven movement despite a seemingly acceptable average ping Jitter: latency is fluctuating Stabilize the connection, reduce Wi-Fi interference, or test Ethernet
Several players appear affected at once, or the server-performance warning appears Possible server performance or desynchronization issue Try another match or wait; your own network settings may not fix it
Low frame rate, stutter, or brief hitches, especially with a client-performance warning Client performance, such as system load or shader compilation Check the performance overlay and reduce load on the PC or console

Shader compilation or loading can cause a rendering hitch; by itself, that is not proof of high ping. Likewise, server processing trouble can cause lag or desynchronization even when your connection and PC are stable.

Work through these checks in order

  1. Read the warning icon. During the match, note whether it indicates latency, packet loss, jitter, server performance, or client performance. That distinction determines which fixes are relevant.
  2. Check the matchmaking region. In the current game UI, find the Region or Preferred Region setting and choose the region appropriate to your location. Embark’s high-ping guide gives the path Settings → General → Region → Preferred Region; its warning-icon guide refers to Settings → Gameplay → Region. Labels or paths may differ by platform or interface version, so use the region control shown in your current version of the game.
  3. Compare solo and party matchmaking. If lag appears only when grouped, check the party leader’s location and whether the party is being matched into a different region. Embark says, “The party leader’s location determines the matchmaking region for the entire party.” Try solo matchmaking or a party led by someone in your region to see whether the symptom changes.
  4. Test a wired connection. If you are on Wi-Fi, connect the PC or console to the router by Ethernet if feasible, then compare matches. A strong Wi-Fi signal can still have latency spikes or packet loss. A cable is a useful test for Wi-Fi instability, but it cannot fix a distant matchmaking region, ISP routing, or a server-side problem.
  5. Reduce network competition. Pause downloads, streaming, large uploads, cloud backups, and other bandwidth-heavy activity on your network. Close apps that use the connection, avoid VPNs or proxies for the test, and restart the game before queueing again.
  6. Restart the router. Power-cycle it, allow the connection to return fully, then test another match. This can help with a temporary connection problem but is not a guaranteed ping reduction.
  7. Check whether the problem is match-wide. If the server-performance warning appears or multiple players seem to lag simultaneously, try a different match or wait briefly. Embark notes that server performance is outside a player’s control.
  8. If the issue is stuttering, investigate client performance. Use the detailed performance overlay, close resource-intensive programs, update graphics drivers, or lower graphics settings as appropriate. A client-performance warning or frame drops point away from a pure network-ping diagnosis.

Additional checks for PC

For a persistent connection issue on PC, Embark’s PC connection troubleshooting guide recommends a stable connection, Ethernet where possible, avoiding VPNs or proxies, and ensuring Windows is up to date. It also lists Windows Network Troubleshooter and, as optional troubleshooting steps, changing public DNS or running these commands in Command Prompt before restarting the PC:

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These are connection-troubleshooting options, not guaranteed ways to lower ping. The guide also includes a Windows 10 peer-to-peer update-sharing step; follow its current instructions if that setting applies to your Windows installation.

Additional checks for PlayStation and Xbox

  1. Check platform service status. Verify that PlayStation Network or Xbox Network is operating normally.
  2. Fully restart the console. Close the game, power off the console rather than leaving it in rest or sleep mode, and unplug it for 30 seconds before reconnecting and starting it again.
  3. Restart the router and test Ethernet. Embark’s console guidance says to unplug the router for 30 seconds, wait for service to return, and use a wired connection if possible.
  4. Check NAT in the console’s network settings. Embark recommends Open NAT on Xbox and Type 1 or Type 2 on PlayStation. Strict NAT on Xbox or Type 3 on PlayStation may cause matchmaking, joining, disconnect, or voice-chat problems. If NAT is strict, Embark suggests enabling UPnP, restarting the router, or contacting your ISP.
  5. Reduce other network activity and update the game. Pause downloads, 4K streams, large uploads, cloud backups, and heavy use by other devices; make sure THE FINALS is updated.

See Embark’s PlayStation and Xbox connection troubleshooting guide for its console-specific steps.

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When to contact Embark Support

If the problem continues after the relevant checks, contact Embark Support and include the platform, country or region, approximate time of the issue, whether you were playing solo or in a party, warning icons, and any error messages. For a PC issue, include your operating system; for a console connection issue, specify the platform and country or region.

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