Request from users to test flipper lag

[Roz1281]

So I've been experiencing (In Epic and Steam versions) a strange phenomenon. If a ball is rolling down the flipper at a decent speed, and I try to flip at the VERY end of the flipper, there will be a significant delay (sound and visual), resulting in a comically bad miss.

I was wondering if some of you all could test for me, and post your settings regardless.

My system is running the game locked at 120 with raytracing off, and everything runs beautifully except this issue. I've recently switched to borderless window, rather than fullscreen, since it's giving me much more responsive inputs overall.

ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4/ac
EVGA SuperNOVA 650 GT, 80 Plus Gold 650W
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 @ 3.6GHZ
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO V2
16GB(2x8GB) Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200
WD Black SN750 NVMe M.2 2280 500GB PCI-Express 3.0
Crucial MX500 1TB SATA
GeForce RTX 3060 Twin Edge OC

If you try this, give it a handful of tries, and watch and listen to the flipper as you flip with the ball rolled to the very tip of it. It never happens if i catch the ball, then release flipper, since it's rolling too slowly.

I appreciate any time you guys and gals spend testing this. I'm eager to know if it happens to anyone else, as generally everything runs great on my system, but i know unreal 4 is notorious for things like latency and shader compilation stutter etc.

I'm going to do some more testing on my XBox , as I believe it happens there also. Though that version is laggy in general when it comes to inputs.

Update 4/24/23: I've switched to the Nintendo Switch pro controller, where previously I was using the XBox series gamepad. Both over bluetooth. I'm getting less random flipper lags with the NSW controller and keyboard the last couple days. I will try the XBox pad again soon.

Also of note, my first 7 hours or so, the tables were playing really fast, like godzilla was challenging with the speed of the ball. Today when i played, that and sorc's lair felt like they were in slow-motion. However, when comparing to the xbox version, it seems the slower pace is correct. I'm not talking performance, as I'm maxed out at 60 or 120, depending which i want. Not sure what was going on before. It reminded me of a thread where a user said the Thor table was in slow-motion, and I wonder if they had experienced the same fast pace before, and thought it strange.

I'm on latest graphics drivers also, and have reset the control panel settings. I then changed low latency to ultra, globally. Even with vsync at default in-driver, i'm getting fairly responsive flippers today. I'll do more testing once the switch controller charges, and I will swap to XBox and try that again also. Keyboard feels OK. Also I had reset my PFX settings, and am playing at 60 currently, with AA off (don't like the blurriness).

Update 7/5/23: Just a quick post to say that the recent patch seems to have solved the input lag for me. I've tried native 1920x1080 at 120 and it's great. Also currently playing with DLSS Balanced and RT on, and it's still responsive, even with the added input latency caused by DLSS and RT. Way better than before. I've tried keyboard and my 8bitdo XBox pad so far. Going to try the official Microsoft series controller next.

With the DLSS on (and other AA turned off), it gives me a nice soft image that kinda reminds me of the XBox 360 PFX1 (in a good way).

Appreciate the patch and hopefully this thread and all users input helped. I'd be curious to know what was wrong and how it was tackled, maybe in a future youtube episode.

[pyide_maybe]

So far, switching Xbox One controller from Bluetooth to wired over USB has had the biggest impact. Overall input delay improvement is barely perceptible to me, but the random flipper lags that can drain a ball appear to be completely gone now. Still have to test some more but it's a pretty major improvement.

I've never had issues with delays like this in my other Bluetooth controllers in fighting games, and every single frame matters there. Pretty wild. Slight annoyance to be tethered but oh well.

*after some more play it's still lagging at random, but not nearly as severe. Don't feel like it will cause me to lose balls like before, but still frustrating since it messes with precision shots.

[Hinph]

Publicado originalmente por Ryan Cook:

Publicado originalmente por Emig5m:

Ha! I just tried this game on the PS5 and holy moly is the flipper lag bad!!

Yep, and before anyone tells you that it's your TV, or your controller go ahead and try Pinball FX3, it's perfect no lag, so it's most definetly not the TV or wireless controller.

If it was you wouldn't be able to tell any differences like you can between games.

It’s a really strange issue. It’s clearly not about specs since it doesn’t happen on the Steam Deck at all, yet it was happening on my much more powerful desktop until I switched from Bluetooth to a controller adapter… but then like you say, that isn’t an issue in FX3 or other pinball games, so it can’t just be a controller issue either! Quite baffling, but Zen better figure it out because it can kill the enjoyment of a pinball game.

[Realspawny]

Interesting. I had the same experience. After switching from keyboard to wired controller the input lag is gone for me. Is it possible that it has something to do whilst playing on a laptop? Because i installed Pinball FX on my Desktop Computer to cross check, and the input lag is not present on my Desktop System when playing with keyboard.

[Emig5m]

Publicado originalmente por Ryan Cook:

Publicado originalmente por Emig5m:

Ha! I just tried this game on the PS5 and holy moly is the flipper lag bad!!

Yep, and before anyone tells you that it's your TV, or your controller go ahead and try Pinball FX3, it's perfect no lag, so it's most definetly not the TV or wireless controller.

If it was you wouldn't be able to tell any differences like you can between games.

Yea, definitely not my TV, it's a LG C2 Oled with perfect pixel response time and everything else plays great! And yea... FX3 plays so much better (and looks better to me as well). That's why I don't understand what the point of this iteration is? For a worse experience? Only difference that I notice. :/ I wish they would also put the HDR brightness adjustments like Forbidden West on the PS5 has (Brightness, Highlights, and Shadows).

[Ryan Cook]

Publicado originalmente por Emig5m:

Publicado originalmente por Ryan Cook:

Yep, and before anyone tells you that it's your TV, or your controller go ahead and try Pinball FX3, it's perfect no lag, so it's most definetly not the TV or wireless controller.

If it was you wouldn't be able to tell any differences like you can between games.

Yea, definitely not my TV, it's a LG C2 Oled with perfect pixel response time and everything else plays great! And yea... FX3 plays so much better (and looks better to me as well). That's why I don't understand what the point of this iteration is? For a worse experience? Only difference that I notice. :/ I wish they would also put the HDR brightness adjustments like Forbidden West on the PS5 has (Brightness, Highlights, and Shadows).

Yeah, i use a basic old TV from 2015 or around that time without any gaming modes or whatever and i can tell between Pinball FX and Pinball FX3, which would mean the delay is more than my TV's delay of 16ms or whatever its response time is, but im not sure my TV's response time spec or for any TV, but the input delay is at least more than that, but it seems to be some setting, or some combination of settings, and the consoles suffered from this too.

[Lord Squeak]

I was having issues disabling the v-sync and limiting the frame rate. ingame or profile manager just didn't behave.
Nvidia control panel did seem to work though. (but that's not a great place for changing these settings.)

I haven't played much, but so far there is definitely an input delay compared to fx3. Not sure if it's my settings or the game though,,, hard to tell when I can't even be sure the settings are taking effect. Soooo... anyway.

[Roz1281]

Update 4/24/23: I've switched to the Nintendo Switch pro controller, where previously I was using the XBox series gamepad. Both over bluetooth. I'm getting less random flipper lags with the NSW controller and keyboard the last couple days. I will try the XBox pad again soon.

Also of note, my first 7 hours or so, the tables were playing really fast, like godzilla was challenging with the speed of the ball. Today when i played, that and sorc's lair felt like they were in slow-motion. However, when comparing to the xbox version, it seems the slower pace is correct. I'm not talking performance, as I'm maxed out at 60 or 120, depending which i want. Not sure what was going on before. It reminded me of a thread where a user said the Thor table was in slow-motion, and I wonder if they had experienced the same fast pace before, and thought it strange.

I'm on latest graphics drivers also, and have reset the control panel settings. I then re-changed low latency to ultra, globally. Even with vsync at default in-driver, i'm getting fairly responsive flippers today. I'll do more testing once the switch controller charges, and I will swap to XBox pad and try that again also. Keyboard feels OK. Also I had reset my PFX settings, and am playing at 60 currently, with AA off (don't like the blurriness).

[e_boulanger]

I had a lot of input lag when I used my XBox controller with Bluetooth. Now, I am playing wired, and the lag disappear.

I play on a laptop with:

XBox Controller wired on USC-C port
i7-10870H - 16 GB Ram
Nvidia 3070 (laptop) with 8GB VRam
External screen at 1920x1080 60hz
Medium graphic settings
Vsync on

[QLIQ]

Publicado originalmente por metalhead:

Try setting vertical sync off in nvidia control panel...this solved the issue for me.
In game i have sync on and unlimited frame rate-dont see any tearing or artifacts.
Also there is no lag anymore...

Thats a good tip. Usually if you change these settings in Nvidia control they will overwrite any application settings so having sync on ingame should not have an effect.

So these settings would be optimal for latency:

-Fullscreen (Win 11 should fix this but better safe to use it)
-unlimted fps
-forced no v-sync
-Wired controller/keyboard

[JLou56BZH]

Publicado originalmente por QLIQ:

Publicado originalmente por metalhead:

Try setting vertical sync off in nvidia control panel...this solved the issue for me.
In game i have sync on and unlimited frame rate-dont see any tearing or artifacts.
Also there is no lag anymore...

Thats a good tip. Usually if you change these settings in Nvidia control they will overwrite any application settings so having sync on ingame should not have an effect.

So these settings would be optimal for latency:

-Fullscreen (Win 11 should fix this but better safe to use it)
-unlimted fps
-forced no v-sync
-Wired controller/keyboard

You're wrong. You can override setting for one application you want in NVIDIA control pannel. You can make profile in NVIDIA that look at your game process.

[che_guewara]

flipper lag is horrible at the current state. Tried Wireless Xbox-Controller, PS5 Controller and Switch Pro Controller. Wired the lag reduces but still unplayable for me....
I'm on a 12900k +3080ti

*Edit Cabinet Mode btw

[Emig5m]

Publicado originalmente por che_guewara:

flipper lag is horrible at the current state. Tried Wireless Xbox-Controller, PS5 Controller and Switch Pro Controller. Wired the lag reduces but still unplayable for me....
I'm on a 12900k +3080ti

*Edit Cabinet Mode btw

I'm telling you guys, you think the PC has input lag just try the PS5 version...I dare ya! :D

[Roz1281]

i believe it, Xbox has super audio lag for me

[Ryan Cook]

Publicado originalmente por Emig5m:

Publicado originalmente por che_guewara:

flipper lag is horrible at the current state. Tried Wireless Xbox-Controller, PS5 Controller and Switch Pro Controller. Wired the lag reduces but still unplayable for me....
I'm on a 12900k +3080ti

*Edit Cabinet Mode btw

I'm telling you guys, you think the PC has input lag just try the PS5 version...I dare ya! :D

Yeah, same on Xbox Series X but that was fixed, if you look in the Xbox reviews the developers responded too and said it is now fixed and I can confirm it is perfectly fixed at 60FPS with Ray Tracing on Xbox, however the rating score on xbox is permanently damaged at 2 out of 5 rating score lol, should have been fixed before release.

It seems the delay is still on PC under certain circumstances, like if you run at 60FPS, and they definetly must not have got around to fixing the PS5 version yet if you are noticing it.

I seem to be okay at 120Hz 120FPS on my PC, but 60FPS must be somehow causing problems because that's what the consoles use.

[Lord Squeak]

Well , with the help of A-Jay I got my input delays sorted.
As far as I can tell, the game is very confused about which v-sync setting it will apply, and other settings as well btw.
Anyway,