Naughty Dog is doing a little experimentation with The Last of Us’ multiplayer this weekend, with a tweak to lower the maximum ping allowed to the host in matchmaking from 200ms to 100ms starting early this afternoon (pacific time).
Eric Monacelli of Naughty Dog noted how “latency remains a major issue in the game,” and while they don’t have a catch-all solution, “the best all-around solution is to get into a match with other players that you have a fast connection to.” Since it can be difficult to find people with a fast connection, Naughty Dog has tested many different networking configurations, but have realized the best data comes from real-world testing.
So, once it goes from 200ms to 100ms later today, here’s what you can expect:
- Under the new matchmaking criteria, all players must have a 100ms ping or better to the host.
- A good ping at the start of a match does not guarantee a good ping throughout the match – especially if your internet connection is in use by other people/devices.
- Players behind a closed NAT may have (but not necessarily) a higher latency to other players in the match because their network traffic will always be routed through the host, whereas normally much of this traffic will be peer to peer.
- To check your NAT type, go to Settings –> Network Settings –> Settings and Connection Status List –> Scroll down to NAT Type. Type 3 is closed, Type 2 is moderate, Type 1 is open.
And here’s what Naughty Dog needs your feedback on, which you can relay in this thread:
- Do you encounter high-latency situations as often as before?
- Are the high-latency situations you encounter as severe as before?
- Does it take you longer to find a match?
- Are there times when you can never find a match when previously at the same time and day of the week you have been able to?
Are you going to hop on The Last of Us’ multiplayer this weekend? Let us know in the comments below.
