Rocket League input buffer: STS or CSTS?

Keep Default if Rocket League feels consistent. Try STS, then CSTS, when uneven online play makes a comparison worthwhile, and return to your original choice if neither helps. These input buffer options change how the game manages queued inputs. The useful result is steadier play on your connection, rather than copying a preset simply because another player uses it.

Choose the amount of correction you want

Open Settings > Gameplay and find Input Buffer. STS means Sim Time Scaling: the server can ask your client to run slightly faster or slower to maintain a smooth input stream. CSTS means Continuous Sim Time Scaling, using a continuous feedback loop for more aggressive adjustment. Default is the game's ordinary option. Treat STS as the first comparison and CSTS as a stronger alternative.

The buffer holds frames of your input queued at the server. A larger queue can bring more input lag and rubber-banding. More aggressive time scaling therefore changes the way delivery is managed; it is not a quality level to maximise. Keep the choice that feels more consistent across comparable matches. The underlying decision applies on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch; the detailed graphs below are PC-only.

Compare one setting at a time

Write down your starting option before changing it. Keep the same connection, region, playlist and other settings while comparing online matches, so the buffer is the deliberate change. Finish each match before making another adjustment. Look for repeated improvements in the interruptions that bothered you, rather than judging a preset by one successful aerial or a better score.

If STS makes the movement feel worse, restore your starting option through the same Gameplay menu. If it helps but interruptions remain, compare CSTS separately. Keep notes on when the problem appears and whether each option improves it. Repeat the comparison over another session before settling on a preference: changing servers between matches also changes the conditions, so one smooth match is a weak basis for a permanent choice.

Read the queue and connection separately on PC

On PC, go to Settings > Interface > Performance Graphs and select Network (Short) or Network (Long). IBuf shows queued input frames. IBuf Miss identifies an empty or overfull queue: negative values mean empty, positive values mean too many inputs. Watch those readings when the visible interruption happens, then compare them after changing the buffer option. Keep a screenshot of the relevant moment for support.

Read In Loss and Out Loss alongside that queue: they show dropped incoming and outgoing packets. Latency measures the round trip to the server. These readings describe different parts of the problem, so record the one that changes with the hitch. For a choppy picture, also compare Performance Summary and its FPS or frame-time readings. Low FPS can produce stuttering and input lag even while the network readings look steady.

Follow the symptom that remains

On consoles as well as PC, enable Settings > Interface > Connection Quality Indicators. Packet Loss means transferred data is being lost; Latency Variance means ping is unsteady; High Latency means a high ping. Server Health flags a server issue. Record the actual indicator instead of treating every interruption as a buffer fault. Use Epic's platform connection troubleshooting route when that warning keeps returning.

Keep Easy Anti-Cheat enabled for online comparisons on PC; it has been required since 28 April 2026. If the controller stops responding altogether, use the separate DualSense connection checks where applicable. The current known-issues list also flags some third-party controllers not being detected with EAC enabled. For persistent online interruptions, send support your platform, game version, region, match time, original buffer option and comparison results, plus PC graph captures where available.