In the fast-paced world of online gaming, having the best computer in the world won’t save you if your “Ping” is bad.1 You might have a high-end graphics card and a lightning-fast processor, but if your connection to the game server is slow, you will find yourself “lagging” behind everyone else.2+1
In simple, human English, Ping is the measure of how fast your game communicates with the internet.3 It is the digital “heartbeat” of your gaming session.
1. What Exactly is Ping?
Imagine you are playing a game and you click your mouse to fire a weapon.4
- Your computer sends a message to the game’s server: “Hey, I just shot!”5
- The server processes that and sends a message back: “Got it!6 You hit the target.”
The time it takes for that message to make the round trip is your Ping.7 It is measured in milliseconds (ms).
- 1,000ms = 1 second. * If your ping is 100ms, it takes one-tenth of a second for the server to hear you and talk back. That sounds fast, but in a game where every split second counts, it can feel like a lifetime.
2. Low Ping vs. High Ping: What’s the Difference?
When gamers talk about their connection, they usually use these two terms:
Low Ping (The “Good” Ping)
Anything under 50ms is generally considered “Low Ping.”8
In this range, your game feels responsive. When you move your character, they move instantly. When you see an enemy, they are actually where they appear to be on your screen. Professional competitive players aim for the “Holy Grail” of ping: under 20ms.9+1
High Ping (The “Lag” Zone)
Anything over 100ms is considered “High Ping.”10
At this level, you start to notice Lag. You might click a button and see your character wait half a second before reacting.11 If your ping goes over 200ms, the game becomes almost unplayable.12 You might see people “teleporting” around the map or find yourself dying before you even see the person who shot you.13+3
3. Why Does Ping Matter More Than “Internet Speed”?
A common mistake is thinking that having “Fast Internet” (like 500 Mbps) means you will have “Low Ping.”
- Internet Speed (Bandwidth) is like the width of a highway.14 It determines how much data can fit through at once (great for downloading big games).
- Ping (Latency) is like the speed limit on that highway.15 It determines how fast a single car can get from Point A to Point B.
You can have a massive 10-lane highway, but if the cars are only allowed to move at 5 miles per hour, your game will still lag. For gaming, a “skinny” highway with a very high speed limit is much better than a giant slow one.
4. What Causes High Ping?
Several factors can slow down your digital “heartbeat”:16
- Physical Distance: If you live in New York and the game server is in London, your data has to travel across the Atlantic Ocean. Even at the speed of light, that takes time.
- Your Connection Type: * Fiber Optic: The gold standard. Data travels as light through glass.17
- Cable/DSL: Good, but uses older copper wires.
- Satellite: The worst for gaming. Your signal has to go to space and back, often resulting in 600ms+ ping.
- Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet: Wi-Fi signals can be blocked by walls or interfered with by microwaves and other devices.18 Plugging in a physical Ethernet cable is the #1 way to lower ping.19+1
- Background Hogs: if someone in your house is streaming 4K Netflix or downloading a huge file, it creates a “traffic jam” on your connection.20
5. What is a “Good” Ping for Your Favorite Genre?
Different games have different requirements. A slow-paced strategy game is much more forgiving than a fast-paced shooter.
| Genre | Ideal Ping | Impact of High Ping |
| FPS (Valorant, CS2, CoD) | 10–30ms | Very High. Even a 50ms delay can make you miss your shots. |
| MOBA (League, Dota 2) | 20–60ms | High. Delays make it hard to time your abilities. |
| MMO (WoW, FFXIV) | 50–120ms | Low. You can play these comfortably with slightly higher ping. |
| Turn-Based (Hearthstone) | Up to 250ms | Minimal. Since you take turns, a small delay doesn’t matter. |
6. Jitter and Packet Loss: The Silent Killers
Sometimes your ping is low, but the game still feels terrible. This is usually caused by two other things:
- Jitter: This is when your ping is unstable. One second it’s 30ms, the next it’s 150ms. This inconsistency makes the game feel “choppy.”
- Packet Loss: This is when pieces of your data get lost on the way to the server.21 If the message “I moved left” gets lost, the server thinks you are still standing still. This causes Rubberbanding, where your character snaps back to where they were a second ago.22+1
7. How to Lower Your Ping in 2025
If you are struggling with lag, try these steps in order:
- Use an Ethernet Cable: Stop using Wi-Fi.23 A $10 cable is the best gaming upgrade you can buy.
- Select the Right Server: In the game settings, always pick the region closest to you (e.g., “US East” if you live in New York).24
- Close Background Apps: Turn off Chrome, YouTube, and any downloads before you start your match.25
- Restart Your Router: Sometimes routers get “tired” and their memory gets full.26 Unplugging it for 30 seconds can clear the “cobwebs.”
- Check for “Bloatware”: Some “Gaming Laptops” come with software that claims to “boost” your internet but actually makes your ping worse. Try turning those off.
Final Thoughts
Ping is the hidden language of online gaming. While you can’t control how far away the game servers are, you can control how your house connects to them. By switching to a wired connection and picking local servers, you can ensure that your skills—not your internet—determine whether you win or lose.27
Would you like me to show you how to run a “Ping Test” on your computer right now to see if your connection is ready for competitive gaming?
