PSA: Use A Wired Connection When Playing Smash Bros. Ultimate Online

C.) Not at all

evil villain laugh

No.

I am a very casual player so do not see much point in buying additional hardware. I would rather play locally anyway. Mario Kart never works online. I would be very upset if I got more hardware and it still didn't work.

Someday I'll get a wired adapter, when I get my TV in a room where I can run an internet cable to it (probs next year). But at the moment, there's no way I can get a cable to where it is. Though, I almost never have lag so I'm not too worried about it. Usually I play in portable mode right next to the router anyways.

I use a LAN connection on my Switch, and Smash still lags sometimes. Hopefully the netcode improves a bit, but I’m not counting on it.

Some of use dont have a switch, alot have a switch lite.

My switch dock already has a wired connection. If you have the option, wired ethernet is always the better option.

@Moistnado you must have horrible internet service. Mariokart, as do all games on NSO for me, work great.

@TimboSlice it is fibre. Streams netflix in HD with no issues, works perfectly on Ps4 to do all online gaming, never been slow or cut out on anything other than Nintendo online, and Mario Kart is unplayable, always kicks me off. Monster Hunter on switch works fine though. I'm no technician but I doubt it is my internet.

@Moistnado that’s odd. Maybe your actual speed isn’t enough. Never had issues with Mario Kart or any other game. I guess it depends on the other players.

Heh, even if I had one I couldn't use it. My dorm has strict rules in place that say we can't plug in to the ethernet. Wifi only.

Thank you Captain Obvious, I'd like a full refund for these crap controllers. Next thing you'll probably tell us to play locally since the online is still a mess 😆

@Moistnado that’s super weird then!
If it were a problem beyond you, however, it would be more of a known thing..
Maybe your system is a lemon for some reason? Ever try someone else’s switch at your home? Or your switch somewhere else?

I can even play fine on Starbucks wifi!

@Snatcher valid point. I suppose you could have an adapter dongle, and stand by the wall in your house lol.

I bought it to play in handheld mode. I have a dock with an Ethernet but only really dock it for downloads and some play sessions.

@TimboSlice my friends also say it doesn't work in their houses. It may be because we live in Hong Kong. I think it is because they use p2p instead of dedicated servers.

@Moistnado it sounds like you have a default firewall on your router blocking ports.

Or maybe HK themselves are port blocking as part of the Chinese firewall

@Moistnado ooooohhhhhhhh. That’s a whole different kettle of fish then! Best of luck.

Thanks for the heads up. When I checked a couple months ago, these were out of stock.

If Sakurai buys me the adapter and rewires my house, then we're on.

@Snatcher I can guarantee you that the majority of Switches out there are the standard model, not the Lite.

Or better yet:

Get. Better. Servers. Upgrade them, Nintendo, you foolish imbeciles.

@Moistnado LMAO

Well maybe if Nintendo bothered to put an Ethernet port on the dock more people would. That said the Switch has been the worst console I've ever used for online gaming and even with WiFi shouldn't be having any problems

Please, I've not done wired online gaming since the Sega Dreamcast!

Anyway, my online Smash games are fine 95% of the time and with Splatoon, Mario Kart, Tetris and Warface it's more like 99.9%

The most laggy game for me is probably Ultra Street Fighter 2 but even with that most of the matches run fine.

Also do wired when docked of course.
Purchased a usb 3.0 adapter and plug it into the usb socket inside the dock.
Got a very good third party one.

@doctorhino there is no great firewall of China in Hong Kong. I think it is p2p connecting with random places, over great distances instead of a dedicated server.

@Snatcher You can use an USB-C lan adapter with the Switch lite.

@sanderev oh ok less to be angry about thanks.

@Moistnado sadly it looks as though that is changing some months back, though gradually. See https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/08/china-great-firewall-descends-hong-kong-internet-users

Wireless never beats wired so there you go...

@Moistnado I'm in mainland for work and quite a number of the internet providers have NAT type D, which means only downloading games works, online is a bust!

The only advice and can offer is either contact the internet provider to ask them to change the NAT to type A or B, or switch (excuse the pun) providers to one that works for some of your friends.

*Edit: I forgot to say, I did get it working in China by changing providers, so there is definitely hope for you and your Mario Kart

I don’t play smash at all option is missing from the vote!

Not everyone has wired access so they should just invest in proper servers like a proper company would

@Moistnado For Mario Kart not running online wirelessly there must be really something horribly wrong with your internet connection. You need to check it out.

@Moistnado
Is it FTTH or FTTC? What sort of latency are you getting? Online gaming is not about bandwidth but latency.

Maybe Nintendo should have included a ethernet port in the dock then instead of being cheap asses as per usual

Add a LAN port to switch pro please.

Sakurai should ask Nintendo for a proper dock since they're asking a hefty price for it.
Not blame his consumers...wtf!

@Lord Noooobooodyyy caaaaressss

It is a joke that the console did not have a wired lan port from day one but I guess they got good money from people like myself buying a lan adapter asap.

I guess I'll take a break from Smash online for now, then, as I've gotten very used to playing it in handheld mode at this point, and I don't recall ever using a LAN adapter in my life. I've been struggling in Elite Smash for a very long time anyway, so it's probably a good idea to wrap things up.

Can’t remember the last time I played online 🤔 i can’t remember the last time I did any online gaming. I do enjoy the nes/SNES games though

In other words:

'Hey our online gaming infrastructure is 15 years behind everyone else despite charging actual money for it, pay a bit more to get something not completely awful (unless you have a Switch Lite then tough luck)'

Oh Nintendo.

To be honest I've not had any internet issue with the games I've played though I haven't played any Nintendo 1st party games online.

I can't use lan, because my Internet router is on the other end of my house. Or, I AM A SONIC MAIN

Had no issues playing this wirelessly.

I use wifi because my internet is really good and I like never lag.

I gave up on Smash online years ago. It never worked for me, wired or not.

I have to play by myself when I Smash :/

Seriously, take out some of the annoying stage hazards and this game would a lot more playable online with much less processing and more focus on the actual fighters.

Smash is the only games I've played online on the Switch that has issues. Everything else works fine over wifi. Fix your game instead of insisting consumers shell out extra money for an adapter and only play on the dock.

Hell, sometimes Smash has issues with LOCAL multiplayer, for whatever reason.

I've given up on playing Smash online because the experience is horrible. I'm using wired but being on wireless itself isn't a problem. You cannot force people to buy a LAN adapter but you can improve the matchmaking. Give us the option to only match people from specific regions (Europe, USA, Japan, etc.) and show the connection to your opponents beforehand so you can choose to decline the match beforehand if the connection is bad.

Here is something that could be added to an improved Switch (which idiots refer to as "Pro"): an Ethernet port on the dock so we can enjoy the best connection without paying for more hardware on top of an overpriced dock.

I play off my neighbors wifi. Seems to work great. However it does disconnect sometimes.

The only time I play Smash online is with a friend who lives a mile away. And honestly it works great. Whenever I play with a stranger online, then it can get pretty laggy. But not unplayable.

Too bad Nintendo couldn't find a way to squeeze an Ethernet port into that big mostly empty piece of plastic dock they charge $80 for.

Sakurai should tell them if he is going to work on the next SSB game then the next Nintendo console needs an ethernet port.

My son plays a lot of SSBU online. The main reason we have NO. Since we moved the adapter form the Switch dock to his Chromebook so he can remote learn he tried to play a few times and gave up. Waiting for Prime day next week to buy another adapter for his Chromebook. I'm afraid to try a different adapter on the Switch, we're using the one from the Wii that's a decade old, b/c several of them on Amazon don't seem to work on the Switch.

LOL! He even indirectly admits the wireless card sucks in the Switch!

Isn't this really old news?

Nothing worse than gearing up for a fun battle and ending up with a lag-buffed Ganondorf, Donkey Kong, or Incineroar using wifi.

Do everyone a favor and use a wired connection online. If you have to play wifi, then stick to private arenas with your friends.

To those blaming Nintendo's online service: yes, the netcode in Smash stinks. Yes, there's a little lag even if you play wired. But wifi increases the lag even with a perfect connection, regardless of the game you're playing, the company that made it, or the netcode behind it.

The online experience in Smash has issues, but don't make it worse by playing over wifi.

Both ways depending if I'm playing docked or handheld. But I usually play single player tbh.

Now they come out and say it. I don't have an ethernet port near my Switch, so I play wireless (my house has pretty good Wi-Fi).

Last time I played Smash online with a friend, I was playing as Min Min (my friends like to main heavy fighters such as Bowser and Ganondorf), and I almost had him beat. But then a lag spike suddenly turned the tide of battle against me, and I ended up losing the match.

I'm still salty about it to this day.

I'm not running a cable all the way from my router to my switch, people can deal with my lag

That's not specific to Smash, wired is always better than wireless.

Use a wired connection, period.

@123akis Mmm, probably would be nice. But considering I'm moving shortly, I think I'll pass on this. Thanks on the info anyways!

@ozwally this guardian article is nonsensical clickbait, with no relationship with real life. I live in hong kong, and can confirm that nothing happened.

does the lan imrpove game dl speeds

@123akis Nah

@Moistnado very possible since there will be few places with a great ping to HK themselves. Was confused how far the government has gone but glad to hear you are unrestricted

Too many hoops to jump through just to enjoy something.

No thanks.

Build better hardware.
Build a better game.

Seriously. It's 2020 and Nintendo still acts as though online multiplayer isn't that important.

Rarely play Smash Bros. online and when I do play, it's usually wireless and mainly with my friend. Though wired is possible given the router is in the same room as my Switch and I sometimes used a wired connection on my PC to download larger games on Steam. All I need is the adapter if I need to ever get one.

@Anguspuss On PC, I find bigger games download from Steam quicker on wired than a wireless connection, if that's anything to go by. Can't try on Switch since I don't have the adapter. Also, Internet service speed does play into this.

@Sunsy that is because most wireless adapters have a speed limit of realistically 130 mb for wireless N. Wireless G is only 54 mb (in perfect conditions). Both are shared with all devices connected to the wireless. Wired has either a 100 mb or 1 gb rate for each wire depending on quality of wire/adapter.

Wired will almost always be better. And those with 150+ mb internet connections only using wireless are generally paying for a ton of unused bandwidth.

All I got to say is; Nintendo you gotta have a antenna with extended range in the next revision. The speed of data it transfers is greatly nerfed when the range is so limited.

Uh huh. Yeah. We actually have amazing internet at our place, and if Nintendo/Sakurai really cared enough, they'd either implement rollback netcode, or include the thing in Smash bundles, but they've done neither, so... :/

i bought two ethernet adapter just to play smash but neither didn't connect
anybody have a solution?

I never play smash online. I have it, but haven't touched the game even in a long time. Too many games. My multiplayer games are Splatoon 2 (runs just fine wireless), Mariokart (same), Mario 35 now (runs great)....I was playing some Dragon Ball FighterZ but it just takes forever. It was ok lag-wise, if I recall. I ended up getting it on PC because it's so much goddamn faster. Even my PC's wired connection blips out sometimes, so while I've considered going wired for my Switch, I don't care enough to yet, especially not for Smash lol. Even though Smash is awesome, I'm just not playing it atm. Plus I'm distracted with Among Us and Sea of Thieves.

I think even the Wii U's Smash wireless was a bit better than the Switch's. Anyone else with that experience? Wii just sucked.

I got an old Wii LAN Adapter (also works with the Switch) from Goodwill before the pandemic started and it's made ALL the difference: I've had fewer dropped games in Smash due to connectivity issues; YouTube video quality stays consistent; among other benefits. It was worth the investment for me.

@Moistnado I. Glad to hear that, was worried that China had started to integrate HK further, I’ve been to HK several times and thoroughly enjoy the place just as it is

Tip for all: if you have gigabit internet, use a USB 3.0 based adapter. USB 2.0 adapters can only do, I think 480 Mbit?

@sandman89
Like me, i don't care about online Gaming.

The problem with this is how the vast majority of people won't be playing it over LAN even if you are. I experienced this issue when trying to play Street Fighter V on my PS4 over a LAN connection, while I had a great connection I was still getting tons of lag because nobody else seemed to be.

@Azuris Yeah I feel like online gaming is a big deal to a particular kind of gamer, which I don't seem to be. It's just not that appealing to me, I would much rather just play a game at my own pace. I guess if you are big in that competitive scene it's a big deal but I have never been the type of person who could get into that and take it seriously. To me the appeal of playing video games has always been relaxing and doing my own thing.

@JayJ
Yep, exactly what i'm thinking.
Started playing Monster Hunter World with the Brother of my Girlfriend and his friends, but i had to stop because their pacing was to fast, couldn't enjoy the Hunt.
The only Game i had Fun for a longer Time was World of Warcraft because you play together and not against, but with puting something going on in every corner and making instances more a rush, i've lost the interest.

Nintendo should've added a ethernet port to the dock and headphone jacks to the pro controller and joycon grip

I don't play Smash online mainly because satellite internet just isn't optimal. Can't even load the online portion. That being said it's still alright for Pokemon raids and Animal Crossing.

At current there's no feasible way to run a wire from the router in the hall and round to where the Switch, and my other systems, are currently without creating a huge mess for the family.

Wireless it shall have to remain for now.

d) You don't play Smash at all because the joycons are too fragile!

I don't do online Smash.

Generally I play it with friends at get-togethers. Which means I haven't really played Smash since last February.

Buy a Nintendo online subscription!

Also, buy this adapter, because we can't do our jobs properly and have contempt for our customers.

Enjoy!

I've had my LAN adaptor ever since the Wii. It's been really nice to be able to reuse it with the Wii U and then the Switch.

Or maybe have a port on the Switch dock for LAN so people don’t have to pay extra for an adapter. Not everyone can afford to buy an adapter for every console, Nintendo.

@OctoAori20 : Nintendo can't afford better servers! They only have 26 million NSO subscribers! (or so they keep boasting)

@leon_s_k
This is the one I have, seems to work well enough. Tho I honestly don't play a lot of docked switch. I got it cause it was the one I kept seeing recommended when I researched for one.
https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-Network-Ethernet-Supports-Nintendo/dp/B00MYTSN18/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=nintendo+switch+ethernet&qid=1601879348&sprefix=nintendo+switch+eth&sr=8-4

@rjejr This is the one I have, seems to work well enough. Tho I honestly don't play a lot of docked switch. I got it cause it was the one I kept seeing recommended when I researched for one.
https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-Network-Ethernet-Supports-Nintendo/dp/B00MYTSN18/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=nintendo+switch+ethernet&qid=1601879348&sprefix=nintendo+switch+eth&sr=8-4

rofl ....what a joke, this happens only with nintendo games(!) but even with lan adapter, mario maker 2 and smash is unplayable. other games with DEDICATED SERVERS like dead by daylight or warframe, have NO problems at all, even with wifi.

the problem is not the connection type, its nintendo's crappy net-code

it might also be a region problem, but since i've bought mario maker 2 (europe - austria) - i was NEVER be able to find a lag free game. and the lag i encounter - freeze for 1 sec every 2 secs .... so unplayable in online mode ;/

the only nintendo games which are playable online with almost no lag : mario kart, tetris 99 and mario 35
every other nintendo game is a unplayable mess .... other games, like i said, like DBD, warframe, fortnite, rocketleague and many others have absolutely no problems at all ... (even with wifi connection)

@Clyde_Radcliffe 100% agree with this, I've never had any issues whatsoever with Splatoon, Smash or Rocket League - Ultra SF however is a laggy mess online

@TriLink
thanks
i wish i could buy from amazon

@Moistnado

It could only be your internet that is the problem. Mariokart 8 and Splatoon 2 works just fine playing online, both wireless and via ethern. Sure, karts lag-jumps around some times, but so does Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty games on my PS4

@leon_s_k have you looked for the official nintendo one?
https://store.nintendo.com/wired-internet-lan-adapter-nintendo-switch.html

It's more expensive and only usb 2.0 but might be easier to get a hold of. I've seen others mentioned to work but idk if you would be able to get a hold of them.

@Darknyht Cool. Guess I learned something new about connection differences. Thanks for that.

@123akis Well, as I said, my house has pretty good Wi-Fi to begin with, and right now, my Switch is only a few meters away from our router. The issue I have is with Nintendo's online servers.

I would play wired, if Nintendo would catch up to the rest of the industry. Add a ethernet port to your docks Nintendo. It's not 1999 anymore!

I think what Sakurai failed to realize when he recommended a wired Ethernet connection for Smash Bros Ultimate Online is many, many, many, many gamers cannot setup a wired Ethernet connection in their homes! It is excessively difficult if not impossible for many of them to do it due to the way they setup their home Internet network architecture (and the way the home is built by architectural design) especially if those gamers are in the United States of America.

Many homes are setup and specifically designed for wireless Internet over 802.11N, 802.11AC and now Wi-FI 6. The reason for this is because home owners don't want to run excessive Ethernet cabling through walls, ceilings, attics, basements and the like and in some homes because of the way they were architecturally designed running wired Ethernet to key rooms (living room, TV room, bedrooms) is absolutely impossible!

Nintendo and Sakurai did NOT take any of that into account when they made that recommendation for wired Ethernet when the game was announced in 2018. Wired Ethernet for any game console is a difficult to implement luxury more than it is an easy to implement requirement. Many homes in the USA unless they are specifically designed for it just cannot do it because it's either too much of a time-consuming hassle or it's outright impossible to implement because of the architectural design of the property. Out!

@RareAir23 Even purchasing [Edit: Good] Mesh routers can improve the experience as the device far away won't be shouting all the time at the router making it harder on other devices to talk to it.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/02/the-ars-technica-semi-scientific-guide-to-wi-fi-access-point-placement/ is a great place to start to get a better understanding of how wireless works and what you can do to improve your experience.

EDIT: But wired will always be king. It is a pain in the backside, but running a dedicated cable to your gaming spot of choice will always result in a better experience.

@Snatcher get a usb to usb c adapter?.. just a suggestion, no ill will

@TriLink
no unfortunately the ***** that i'm living doesn't have the hori model

Real talk. Which adapter is worth getting? I've seen some bad reviews about the hori's adapter.

Actually, use a wired connection when playing online on anything (other than portable devices). Far to many people lag because they often have a console upstairs on the 3rd floor, while the wireless router is down on the 1st floor.

@RareAir23 Sir, there are other, easier, ways to hook up wired ethernet. If you have a router, then you'll have 4 ethernet ports in the back of it. Even current models of service provider modems do double duty as wi-fi routers (I have a 2 year old box from Spectrum, for example). Run a cable from the router to the game console. Hopefully it's in the same room as the router. If it's in a different room entirely, just run it. Hide the cable or not, your choice. You could use cable runners if you got the extra cash or staple the cable run to the corners of your ceiling or along base boards, go around door frames if needed, and paint over it to hide it. If you have carpet even better, just tuck it under where the carpet meets the wall. In-wall ethernet is too expensive to deal with if it wasn't put in there at the time the house/apartment was built/remodeled. The majority of the homes out there were built before in-wall ethernet really became a standard thing.

I live in an apartment in a city. I have ethernet cables from my router in the living room going down my hallway to 2 bedrooms where each bedroom has an ethernet switch (relatively cheap to get, about $25-$30 for 5 ports) which splits the ethernet to computers and game consoles in those rooms. I made it work on a budget, and I don't really care how it looks. We just taped it down so we don't trip over it. Serious gamers...find a way.

@TriLink Thanks for the link. I ordered a USB-C one for my wife's Mac laptop, she's working from home, and we're going to move the one currently on her laptop to the Chromebook - we checked to make sure that it worked on Sunday - and move the one from the Chromebook back onto the Switch b/c I know it works on the Switch. No point messing with a new one on the Switch.

Once my wife goes back into the office and my son back to school we're going to have all types of useless adapters laying around all over the house. 😂

@status-204 tbh, I don’t think it’d make a big difference. I play a lot of online games and the only ones with lag are Nintendo P2P games... and only when paired with certain opponents. My Switch dock is only a couple feet from the wifi anyways. And I’ve tried wired connections with my laptop anyways and there’s no noticeable difference. I have pretty good internet. And I’d rather my limited money go into that pretty good internet than an adapter.

If the Switch had an Ethernet input built in, I’d try it. But I play online games with my PS4 all the time on wifi and don’t get lag.

So yeah. Ultimately, the P2P matches will only be as good as the worst player’s connection. For people with already better wifi, an adapter is a waste of money.