Slow connection & lag

An unstable or slow connection can ruin the gaming experience. This article aims to help you understand, diagnose, and resolve connection issues that may arise on Hytale.

Understanding Hytale’s network connection

Hytale uses a modern and efficient network protocol called QUIC, which runs on UDP to ensure fast and reliable data exchange. It is designed to minimize latency and improve stability, even on less performant networks. The developers are actively working on optimizing this system, notably by integrating congestion control algorithms like BBR, which perform better than older algorithms (like Cubic) on “lossy” networks (Wi-Fi, mobile networks) by reducing delays. However, several factors can affect your experience:

• Your internet connection: Speed (download and upload) and stability of your service provider.
• Your local network: Your router configuration, firewall, and how your computer connects to the internet.
• Game and server settings: View distance or the status of a specific server.

Common symptoms of a bad connection

You might encounter the following issues:

• Slow world loading: Blocks and environments appear with a delay, or the world doesn’t load at all.
• Unexpected disconnections: The game closes or you are sent back to the main menu without apparent reason.
• High latency (lag): Your actions take time to register, or the game seems to freeze intermittently.
• Connection failures: Unable to join a friend or a server.

Diagnosing your problem

Before looking for solutions, let’s identify the source of the problem.

• Check your general internet connection: Run an online speed test to check your download and upload speeds. For multiplayer, Hytale recommends a minimum of 2 Mbps for a view distance of 192 blocks, and up to 10 Mbps for 480 blocks. Even a 1 Mbps ADSL connection can offer a playable experience at low view distance.
• Ensure no one else on your network is saturating bandwidth (4K streaming, large downloads).
• Analyze your local configuration: Wi-Fi or cable? If possible, connect your computer directly to your router via an Ethernet cable. Wi-Fi is more prone to interference and packet loss.
• Your router: Your router settings may prevent Hytale from establishing a direct connection.
• Your firewall and antivirus: They can block game communications.
• Consider the server type:
  • Singleplayer world with friends (local hosting): If you host a singleplayer world and invite friends, your computer manages both the game client and the server. This is more demanding in terms of resources (CPU, RAM, and network). The share code to invite friends contains information about your IP address; share it only with trusted people.
  • Dedicated server (professionally hosted): These servers are optimized for performance and stability. Connection issues are often linked to your own internet connection.

Troubleshooting solutions

Here are the steps to follow to attempt to resolve your connection issues.

Basic checks

• Restart the game and your router: This is often the simplest and most effective solution.
• Update your network and graphics drivers: Outdated drivers can cause instability.
• Check game logs: If Hytale crashes or disconnects, log files may contain useful error messages. You can find them in %APPDATA%\Hytale\UserData\logs on Windows.

Local network configuration

• Firewall and antivirus: Ensure Hytale is allowed to communicate through your Windows or Linux firewall. The game uses the UDP protocol (port 5520 by default).
  • Add Hytale as an exception in your antivirus software, or temporarily disable it to test if the problem persists.
• UPnP and port forwarding: Hytale tries to use UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) to automatically configure your router. Check that UPnP is enabled in your router settings.
  • If UPnP doesn’t work (for example, if your router doesn’t support it, or if you are behind a “Double NAT” or “CGNAT” from your ISP), you may need to perform a manual port forwarding. Forward the UDP port (5520 by default) to your machine’s local IP address.
  • If you are behind a CGNAT (sharing a public IP with other customers of your ISP), standard port forwarding will not work. Consider the alternative solutions below.
• IPv6 connectivity: If your ISP supports IPv6 and your friend does too, a direct connection can be established, bypassing many NAT-related issues.

Game and server settings

• View distance: This is the parameter with the most impact on performance and bandwidth consumption. If you have a slow connection or difficulties loading the world, reduce your view distance. Hytale is designed for an optimal experience at 384 blocks, but a lower setting (e.g., 192 blocks) can greatly improve fluidity on limited connections.
• Game and server updates: Client and server versions must be compatible (currently, they must match exactly). Ensure your game and the server you are trying to connect to are up to date. Updates also bring stability and performance fixes.
• Authentication issues: “Invalid token” errors can occur if your system clock is out of sync or if your session has become invalid. Ensure your computer’s time is correct. The game now switches to offline mode if authentication fails, preventing you from getting stuck.

Alternative connectivity solutions

If direct methods fail, other options are available to you:

• Ask a friend to host the game: If your local network is the source of the problem, your friend might have a more favorable configuration to host a singleplayer world. You can even swap your world save files for this.
• Use a Peer-to-Peer VPN like Tailscale: Tailscale (or similar tools) creates a secure VPN tunnel between your devices and your friends’, bypassing most NAT and firewall issues. Hytale automatically detects Tailscale addresses and includes them in the share code.
• Hosting on a dedicated server: For a stable and high-performance multiplayer experience, especially with multiple friends or a persistent world, a dedicated server is the best solution. Hosting providers take care of all network configuration and guarantee 24/7 availability.

The developers’ commitment

The Hytale teams continue to optimize the game to make it accessible to everyone. Significant improvements have already been made to connection management and world loading. They are also working on future features like protocol tolerance (allowing slight client/server version differences) and “NAT Hole Punching” to further facilitate direct connections between players. The game’s interaction system is also designed to better handle server latency spikes.