13 Reasons and Fixes for Input Delay in Xbox and TV Monitor

Input Delay occurs when a physical input by the user takes way too long to get registered on the TV Screen. When the TV Screen is indulging in high-quality Image Processing Physical input from the player or the user takes more than a few milliseconds to register.

Reason 1: Set Your TV to Game Mode

TV is not set to Game Mode. Playing games on a TV without switching on the Game Mode is not ideal for a smooth game-play.

Solution: You can set your TV to Game Mode by checking the setting option. This is an effective way of reducing input delay as Game Modes have lower input latency and also make your TV or monitor more responsive.

Reason 2: Doesn’t Support Higher Responsiveness

Lack of Proper research can ultimately lead to you buying a TV or monitor that has high Input latency. Such TV models can further lead to delayed responses, lagging performances, and other issues while playing games.

Solution: Being a buyer, you have to do extensive research before buying a TV. Make sure that the features of the product match your expectations. There are several TV that has high input latency because they are manufactured for streaming rather than playing the game.

Reason 3: Falty Xbox Controllers

Reason: fault of the Xbox controllers. In addition to stick drift, button issues, etc. input lag has become one of the major issues. The issues can vary according to the Controller Model that you are using currently.

Solution 1: Quick Fixes

Some quick fixes are listed below:

Use your Xbox Controller to go to the settings on the screen of your connected device.
Then go over to the Devices and connections (under the System tab)
Select the Accessories tab.

Note:

Make sure there are no updates available
Make sure you are connected to the device.
Make sure no one else is signed into your controller.

If you have made sure that the above settings are fine then go to the general tab
Select the Tv and Display options.
Hover to the advanced section
Click on video modes
If you notice the 12 Hz and 24Hz options, make sure that both the checkboxes are checked.

Solution 2: Setup DLA in Xbox

DLA also known as Dynamic Latency Input, is a system which is recently developed by Microsoft developers. It is specially built to reduce latency issues in the Xbox Series X controllers.

As the new controller models with DLA in them, transmits the data before the game asks for it, this reduces the latency to quite an extent.

Solution 3: Restart Your Network

Start with refreshing your network. It is a quick and easy fix but if it doesn’t solve the issue then:

Go to Xbox Network Settings
Select Go offline.
Disconnect for a short while.
After some time reconnect the device to check if the issue has been resolved.

Reason 4: Abort Background Apps

Sometimes delay in response can be due to the consumption of computational resources by background apps. In easier language, the input delay in your Xbox is directly proportional to the amount of background activity.

Solution: To fix this issue, you have to disable all the unnecessary background apps. Follow the steps:

Go to your Home Screen.
Drag the cursor on the apps you want to shut down.
Press menu.
Click on the Quit option.

Reason 5: Wired Vs Wireless Controllers

Wired controllers are usually multiple times faster and have better latency performance when compared with wireless controllers.

Latency is seen most in Bluetooth controllers followed by the wireless dongle and least in wired controllers. So, when you’re using a Bluetooth controller after using a wired controller, you definitely feel more latency.

Latency also increases as the range of wireless connectivity increases.

Solution: Quick fixes:

Try to stick in the range usually not more than 8 to 10 feet.
Whenever possible, choose a wired controller.
Dongle 2.4GHz is also a better option over Bluetooth.

Reason 6: System Updates Missing

Each new update is meant to fix bugs and security updates. All updates have typically optimized the performance, but failing to update the controller system will result in a number of issues, including input latency.

Solutions: To fix this issue follow the steps:

Check for any pending firmware updates for your current controller.
If an update is available then update your controller immediately.

Reason 7: Low Controller Battery

If most of the above reasons fail to fix the issues then you might have ignored the battery life of the controller.

Solution: Follow the steps to fix this issue:

Check the conditions of your controller batteries frequently.
If required, try new batteries.

Reason 8: Wi-Fi Issues

If you still can not find any possible reasons behind input latency then it can be due to Wi-Fi issues. Poor Wi-Fi connections can be because:

Your data package is of lower bandwidth.
Issues with your router.
Low internet speed.
Interference in the bandwidth due to the presence of several devices using similar bandwidth.
Issues in wireless or wired systems.

Solution: There is a test that you can refer to check your internet speed. Follow the steps to verify your internet speed:

Click the Xbox button to open the Guide section.
Select Profile &System.
Click the Settings option.
Click General from the settings section.
Click the Network Settings option.
Select Test Network Speed and Statistics.

Once you have verified that there is low internet speed you can refer to the given solutions:

Change your internet package.
You should get an upgrade to your internet package.
You can even try restarting your Router for an even better Internet Connection.
Try reducing the number of devices that are fighting over the bandwidth as they can slow things down.
If none of the above work out then try using a wired connection instead of a wireless one. Check if it is making any difference.

Reasons 9: Lower Refresh Rate on your TV

A lower refresh rate TV can contribute to higher input delay in your Xbox.

Solution:

The more the refresh rate less the input delay. For instance, a television set with a 120 Hz refresh rate will easily outperform a television set with a 60Hz or even lower refresh rate.

So, while making the purchase you should keep the features of your television model in mind.

Reasons 10: Low-Grade HDMI Cables

One of the major factors that latency is HDMI Cables. There are several ways in which you can face Input Latency while using an HDMI Cable, such as:

Using older versions of HDMI Cables instead of the new versions. For instance, it is well known that HDMI 2.1 offers around 8.3ms latency improvement over HDMI 2.0. Because HDMI 2.1 transfers data much faster and hence reduces input latency.
Accidental swapping of the cables can also cause input latency issues.
Damages to the HDMI cables include bent pins, frayed cables, or other wear and tear.
If your HDMI cable is passing through any other device before reaching the TV such as a capture card, then this can easily cause input latency.

Solutions: Try these fixes:

HDMI Cable 2.1 is the only standard cable that comes with your Xbox series X. So make sure that you haven’t swapped older cables.
Make sure there is no wear and tear to the HDMI Cable. If so, try to buy a new one instead of repairing it.
While using HDMI Cable always make sure that no other high-powered cable or device is in contact with the cable on the way to the TV, as even the slightest touch can induce latency.

Reason 11: Reduced Frame Rate

Many features such as noise reduction, HDR, and other features that consume CPU can cause frame drops and latency. You can find most of the settings in the “Setting Menu.”

However, every other model will have different names for this feature like Noise Reduction, NR Reduction and etc. These features alter the signals between your console’s video output and your TV Screen, which ultimately causes delay.

Solution: Follow the steps to fix this issue:

You have to locate this feature on your Television settings menu.
Once located, search for the option to disable them.
However, if you frequently used these features, try to toggle them off and then again launch the game to check for latency. Do, this for every feature in the menu.

Reason 12: Turn off Motion Enhancements

You might not have noticed but maybe one of the motion enhancements options may be turned on. Different brands of TVs have different names for them under the TV Display Settings, like, Clarity, Motion, Clear Motion, or Motion Soothing.

The soothing feature basically gives the screen image a better appearance. However, it is noticed that just turning on this feature can instantly make the TV set suffer an input lag of around 80ms.

Solution: One of the easiest ways is to turn it off. As this feature hampers your efficiency in controlling the game, you should disable it with zero second thoughts.

Reasons 13: VVR Support

Do you have VRR? Are you using it while playing games? If your answer is NO! then you are missing a golden opportunity. If you have a brand new, high-tech model which provides you with Game-Specific Settings then you should try out VRR Feature.

Solution: VRR also known as Variable Refresh Rate is highly recommended while playing games. This feature limits screen-tearing while game-play and hence keeps your TV and Console on the same page. If your high-end TV displays options like VRR, Free Sync, G-Sync, and other similar features automatically when it detects a gaming console then try using such features. Such TV Sets may even activate Game-Specific settings while gameplay. If your TV doesn’t have such settings then you can locate them in the TV’s Display or System Settings.

[Note: you may notice negligible improvements in performance after enabling VRR. At last, wandering around the settings and going for every possible combination can find your ideal match while gameplay.]

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