As of this writing, Apex Legends is suffering from disconnections. Respawn had observed that there are three times more than the usual rate of disconnection errors. The developer promises to fix this instability soon.
Apex Legends allow players to change servers; this is necessary when a particular server is having a problem or your friends might have a better connection with some other servers. When the time comes that your connection seems to be unstable, and you have already applied the tweaks to improve performance, maybe your current server is not for you. Changing your server might be the better decision you make.
Ping vs. Packet Loss
Before changing your servers, you must first familiarize yourself with the terms, Ping and Packet Loss. These terms are very important to every game with online play, it is not unique to Apex Legends alone.
Ping can be described as the reaction time of a network connection over the Internet. It is the measurement of how quickly the servers respond to requests. The lower the number, the better the ping; as much as possible, play on servers with double-digit Ping. In Apex Legends, a Ping above 150 is unplayable, since the game is extremely mobile and reaction time is very important – below 75 Ping is the ideal.
Packet Loss, on the other hand, is a phenomenon where “packets” of information are lost their way into the server. Even though you have a fast (read: low) Ping, some of the information may fail to reach the servers, hence, there would be “skips” in your gameplay. Packet loss occurs when one or more of these packets fail to reach their intended destination. Packet loss causes network interruption, delayed output, and even the complete loss of network connectivity for players. Packet Loss % in Apex Legends must be 0. While the game is perfectly playable with double digits packet loss %, one digit to 0 should be your aim.
How to Change Servers in Apex Legends on Last Generation Consoles (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One)
For the last generation of video game consoles, you just have to follow the steps below:
1.) Once entering the title screen and while the game is loading, press in R3 (the Right Analog Stick of your controller, whether Xbox or PlayStation)
2.) Choose among the Data Centers provided
3.) Select a different server
How to Change Servers in Apex Legends on PC
1.) Launch Apex Legends
2.) When it reaches the title screen, just tap on Tab, the default key for the Data Center page
3.) Choose among the Data Centers provided
As you can see, it is not complicated to change servers. If a problem persists in your game where lags and spikes occur, try to use a wired connection or at least 5Ghz WiFi just to eliminate the possibility of home network problems. The reason for poor connection might be because of the time of the day you are playing when the members of your household are watching streaming services or playing other games. If none of these situations do apply to your problem, notify your internet connection provider as this may be a problem in your connection.
