The rise of online gaming has proved that having a stable Internet connection is vital to an excellent gaming experience. However, since fast Internet isn’t available in every part of the world, not all gamers experience the best of online multiplayer games. This is where ExitLag comes in. If you’re not familiar with this premium service, we explain what it is, and how it’ll improve your online gaming experience.
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What Is ExitLag?
ExitLag is advertised as a virtual private network (VPN) for online gaming. Its intended function is to optimize your Internet connection, making it more stable and decreasing your ping.
The software achieves this by allowing you to connect to game servers through its own routes and servers. This will lead to an improvement over the route used by your internet service provider (ISP).
ExitLag is currently only available for Windows, and its monthly subscription price is $6.50.
Why Use ExitLag?
ExitLag sounds like a nice-to-have feature, but should you really use it when playing your online games? Let’s take a look at some of its standout features.
Lag and Packet Loss Reduction
ExitLag works by mapping multiple routes to your game’s server to calculate and deliver data packets through the most efficient route. Owing to its “Multipath Connection” technology, the service can ensure that if a route becomes too congested, it will automatically switch to a less obstructed one.
Data sent through these superior routes has low latency and little to no packet loss. This means games should load and update as close to real time as possible on your end.
Essentially, gamers living in places where the Internet connection isn’t reliable should feel the effects of ExitLag the most in comparison with online players living in areas with good Internet infrastructure. On the other hand, players with fast Internet connections may also be plagued by lag if they try and connect to game servers that are really far from them.
FPS Boost
ExitLag also includes a feature called “FPS Boost.” It’s intended to increase your in-game FPS to make the game feel and look smoother. In gaming, FPS is just as important as a stable Internet connection. It would be best if you had both of them at optimal levels to enjoy or at least have a fair advantage in competitive games.
Here’s how to turn on the FPS Boost feature:
- Click “Tools” in the top menu in ExitLag.
- Go to the “FPS Boost” tab and toggle the options based on your preferences. If you’re not sure what these options mean, they all have a short description that shows when you hover over the question mark icon to their right.
Worldwide Servers
In addition, ExitLag claims it has access to a worldwide server network spread across various continents to optimize most connections between players and game servers.
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How to Take Advantage of ExitLag in Online Games
Before jumping in, make sure ExitLag supports your games. Go to this page to search for your game to see if you can use ExitLag with it. If it’s there, proceed to the next step:
- Download and install ExitLag from the official website and create an account. This is a paid service, so you can take advantage of its three-day trial to decide whether it’s worth purchasing a subscription. Otherwise, you can uninstall the software after the trial expires.
- After installation and a system restart, log in with your account.
- Click “Yes” on the first prompt.
- Search for the online game you want to use with ExitLag and click on it.
- From the “Game region” drop-down menu on the right side of the display, we recommend that you pick “Automatic (Recommended)” to allow the software to select the best server for your connection.
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- If you picked “Automatic (Recommended),” your next step is to click on the red “Apply Routes” button at the bottom of the app’s interface.
- If you picked a specific server location, your next step is to click on “Optimize” to analyze the routes for your selected server.
- After the optimization is finished, click on “Update” to get the latest information on your server of choice. Do note that “Estimated ping” may vary after updating.
- Once you’re satisfied with the estimated ping from your routes of choice, click on “Apply Routes.”
- When connected successfully, you should see your selected or automatically selected server on the “Connected” list under your game.
- Inside your game, connect to the same server listed on ExitLag to enjoy less lag and lower ping on that specific server. In our example of Valorant, you would need to go to the “Play” tab at the very top.
- Click the three green horizontal bars at the top right of your player card.
- Select the same region ExitLag is connected to, then queue.
- If you want to try other servers, select them from the drop-down and click on “Apply Routes.” Make sure to match the server listed on ExitLag with the server you’re queuing inside your game.
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Free Alternative: PingEnhancer
PingEnhancer is a small Windows-based program that will help reduce your game’s server latency by increasing the frequency of TCP packets sent to game servers. This program works for all kinds of online games and is free to use. You can download PingEnhancer from this forum.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I have to launch my game before setting up ExitLag?
No. The software will still work even if you launch it before your game or vice versa. However, you first have to make sure to enable ExitLag inside the interface by clicking on the toggle at the top left.
You can even switch servers on ExitLag while inside a game. You’ll notice the server changes if you check your in-game ping and packet loss, which are usual metrics that show in online games.
2. Can ExitLag cause my game to lag?
Yes, it’s possible, especially if the software automatically connects you or you choose to connect to a server far away from your current location. To get rid of delays, toggle ExitLag off or select a different server. It’s advised to play on servers closest to your location, as doing so provides the optimal connection.
In other cases, the cause of your game lag may not be your Internet connection. Instead, it could be that your computer’s components don’t have enough power to handle the game you’re trying to play. The solution is to lower your game’s in-game video settings and tweak your GPU’s software settings.
Both AMD and NVIDIA have anti-lag features you can easily turn on in their software.
3. Does it work like other non-gaming VPN software?
No. Unlike your usual VPN software, ExitLag only acts as your virtual network when connecting to game servers. It doesn’t mask your real network when browsing the web or doing other non-gaming tasks on your computer.
If you’re looking for a VPN software that lets you connect to different servers outside of games, use NordVPN or other similar software.
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