Video game ping and lag reduction

Ping is what? Many gamers will say it's the biggest annoyance to their gameplay. It's because a high ping is the most common cause of video game lag.

A ping indicates how fast a signal is sent from your computer and returned to it. In terms of gaming, it refers to the time it takes for a game to recognize your performance. When playing Zelda, you want to know right away if Link killed his enemies, not wait for your computer to register that they crossed paths.

The majority of recreational online gamers rely on their own devices to troubleshoot their problems, while pro gamers can avoid high pings at all costs, sometimes by upgrading to the latest and greatest hardware. Therefore, consider this your ultimate guide on how to lower ping and, ultimately, reduce lag in video games.

What affects ping?

Ping is primarily affected by Internet connection speed. This is crucial for online gamers. Also, how much data a network is juggling and how many users are on that network at the same time can affect how fast it is.

Think of ping as playing fetch with a dog in a non-gaming context. The dog will take longer to retrieve the stick if it is thrown farther and the terrain is rough. Lag is the amount of time we wait for our thrown stick to return in milliseconds - ping is measured in milliseconds.

So, when gamers scratch their heads and ask, “Why do I lag?”.””lag?”.””lag?”.”” The answer is usually high ping. Reduce ping to reduce lag.

Is there a way to lower my ping? By optimizing your internet connection, you can lower your ping. In essence, you can improve the connection between your computer and the gaming servers.

Why is my ping so high and is lower ping better?

Having a low ping will reduce lag, so a low ping is better. The gameplay will also be smoother with a low ping. High ping, on the other hand, results in longer lag times. As the connection becomes slower, the ping increases.

A ping measures the time it takes for a device to fetch data from another server. The lower your ping, the faster you can play.

Many of the reasons why your ping is high can be corrected by you. Here are some examples:

• Tracking routers, their locations, and whether their firmware has been updated
• PCs and whether or not they are outdated, unoptimized for gaming, or if they need to be cleaned
• Make sure your router or modem's cache is full
• The number of devices your network can support
• Over-optimized settings in a game
• Your device's background applications and programs
• You will receive auto-updates during gameplay

You might also be wondering “Well, what is a good ping?” Realistically, anything below 100 ms is playable, but everyday gamers could strive for a ping of 50 ms or lower. Professional gamers, on the other hand, might want a ping around 20 ms or lower. 

You can run a ping test on most computers, though how to do so differs across manufacturers. Some online ping tests also exist. To simplify, an internet speed test can also provide context to your ping rate.

At the end of the day, if your game is performing just fine, you probably don’t need to worry about your ping. But if your game is lagging, lowering ping is crucial to level up your gaming performance. It’s also very doable, beginning with a few troubleshooting steps. 

3 steps to improve ping and internet speed

What are some ways to reduce ping? It all begins with optimizing the speed of your internet connection, as this is what affects pings most often. As tempting as it may be, you might want to wait to make changes to your game settings until after you've improved your home's network. It will help you determine whether your high ping is caused by your network connection or if you have a problem with your gaming setup.

Step 1: Conduct computer maintenance

You can speed up your computer and improve how clearly it can communicate with a gaming router by running through a computer maintenance checklist. Because our computers are not receiving proper ventilation, even dust that accumulates over time can cause overheating.

Do your ethernet cables need to be updated? Cat 3 to 8 cables are the most common Ethernet cable categories. The higher the category, the faster the internet bandwidth and transmission speed. For gaming, most households have Cat 5 or Cat 6 ethernet cables, which can handle internet speeds of 1,000 Mbps or higher. However, outdated cables might not even be able to handle speeds higher than 100 Mbps.

Step 2: Revisit your router setup

In addition to our routers, which are the backbone of our internet connectivity, they deserve a little TLC as well. Here are some tips for router maintenance:

Clear your router's cache: A full internet cache slows our devices down. To give your device a clean slate, perform a hard reset on your router.

Your router should be placed in an open area: Objects and even walls can interfere with our wireless internet connections. Check whether your router is in an open space and perhaps move it to a higher spot since signals angle downward. Check your antennas as well.

Whenever you need to update your software or security, your router's firmware slows down. Make sure your router's firmware is up-to-date as well. 

Step 3: Run an internet speed test

After your devices are up to par, it's time to perform an internet speed test to find out whether it's really your connection that's slowing down your downloads. 

By typing "internet speed test" into Google, you can conduct an internet speed test. To gauge your download speed, click the "run speed test" button. If you have a low speed score - below 100 Mbps - this may be indicative of a problem with the internet.

Remember that internet speeds vary depending on how many users are connected to your network at the same time. Therefore, you may want to check your bandwidth throughout the day by running a few internet speed tests. If you want to see how the numbers change, you can also connect your computer directly to an ethernet cable

9 more tips to reduce lag and fix ping

We sometimes have to make sacrifices to improve our gaming experience, including switching off Wi-Fi altogether, disabling other devices from your network, and even lowering the quality of visuals.

Even though it may be tempting, you should not disable your gaming security software or VPN in order to achieve a faster connection. To reduce ping, consider the following suggestions, listed from the smallest sacrifice to the greatest.

1. Close background programs and applications

Many things compete for our computer's attention, programs and applications running being one of them.

With these closed, your device's focus is entirely on what's important: your game. By minimizing your internet bandwidth, you will also be able to reduce the amount of programs and applications using it. Spotify, Zoom, Netflix, and even Twitch are examples of programs you might want to close if you aren't live-streaming yourself.

2. Temporarily disable updates

You can keep on top of cybersecurity by enabling automatic updates for your software and applications. However, these updates can consume a lot of your computer's resources. You might therefore want to consider temporarily disabling your updates if you are experiencing lag in video games. Once you pause the game for the day, make sure to enable updates again.

3. Use an ethernet cord

Ethernet cords are similar to IVs. It's providing direct nourishment to your device - in the form of an internet connection - since it's plugged directly into it. Investing in a powerline adapter to connect to an ethernet cable away from your router might not be the most convenient way to lower ping, because your network cord might not be near your gaming setup.

Even so, ethernet cords often provide a more stable internet connection than Wi-Fi, which is being tugged and pulled by many users and devices. Whenever you're using Wi-Fi, make sure you're connected to a 5GHz network rather than 2.4GHz.

4. Remove other devices from your network

Our connected devices, too, compete for our Internet connection just as programs and applications do for our attention. With the rise of IoT, our routers have a lot to manage. Our smart TVs, computers, smartphones, smart watches, and even our wireless gaming headsets are all smart. Multiply that by how many people live under one roof, and your internet connection might be simply overloaded. You may want to consider unplugging these other devices or even your roommate who is always on TikTok if you encounter lag in your video game.

5. Check the game server’s ping

The server of the game you're playing may have a low ping if you're experiencing a high ping - this is not always the fault of you or your internet connection. For example, if you know the IP address of the game server, you can check it or you can visit sites such as Game Server Ping which list popular video games. Your ping could be high because of the high ping of the game server.

6. Select a gamer server closest to you

Physical proximity of the game server to your device is another consideration. Your ping will be higher if you are farther apart because it takes longer for the two devices to communicate. Imagine how fast you can communicate with someone sitting next to you compared to someone in another country. The good news is that some games allow you to choose which game servers your device communicates with. Whenever possible, pick the closest gamer server to your physical location if this is the case for your game.

7. Adjust your frame rate

The graphics in today's games are simply stunning. It takes your device more energy to compute the better the visuals - think HD versus standard. Your frame rate may need to be increased if you're experiencing high ping. It is important to note that the higher your frame rate, the better the animation in your game. In your game’s settings panel, try lowering the frame rate on your game and see if it improves your gameplay.

8. Upgrade your router

There is evidence that equipment deteriorates over time, including the router that supports our internet connection, which, in turn, affects lag in video games. Check the age of your router and consider upgrading it if the other troubleshooting steps and tips have not worked.

If you have a newer device, you will get the best range and signal strength for your wireless connection. Dedicated gamers might even want to consider investing in a gaming router that, as the name implies, is optimized for gaming. In some cases, the router will prioritize gaming traffic above other internet traffic through a Quality of Service feature.

9. Contact your internet service provider

Try calling in the professionals if you can't find a solution to the lag in your video game. To lower your ping and, therefore, reduce lag in video games, contact your internet service provider for advanced troubleshooting tips.

Lowering your ping will improve your online gaming performance

Despite the fact that people turn to video games for different reasons - some as a way to relax and others to compete - no gamer wants to experience lag, and every gamer wants to reduce it. By simply maintaining your devices, you can greatly improve your gaming experience. Let's lower our pings and rise on the leaderboards!