What is ping in gaming? Reducing high ping

Ping is the time it takes for data to travel from your device to the game server and back. It’s measured in milliseconds (ms), with a lower ping giving you a faster connection and a higher ping leading to lag when you’re playing online.  

When you play an online game, every action you make is sent to the server of the game you’re playing. The server then processes this information and updates the game for everyone. The total time taken for this round trip is your ping.  

The lower the ping, the smoother and more responsive your gameplay will be. But if your ping is too high, there will be a delay between your action and when it happens in the game, which can make playing online difficult. 

Your ping is incredibly important when playing online because it affects how fast the game responds to your actions. When you play an online game, every move you make - like running, jumping, or shooting - has to be sent to the game server. If your ping is high, there is a delay, and your actions may take longer to appear in the game, making it harder to play properly. 

In fast-paced games like first-person shooters (FPS), racing games, or battle royales, even a small delay can make a big difference.  

A player with low ping can react faster than a player with high ping, which means they might shoot or move before their opponent even sees it happening. This can be frustrating and unfair for players with high ping, as their actions might not register in time, or they might get hit before they even see the enemy. 

High ping can also cause problems like "lag" or "rubberbanding," where a character moves back and forth unexpectedly. This can be frustrating because your movements may not happen as you expect. In some cases, high ping can even cause disconnections, kicking you out of the game completely. 

1. Slow broadband

If your internet speed is too low, the data between your device and the game server takes longer to travel, leading to lag. This is especially common if multiple people are using the same internet for activities like streaming videos or downloading large files. A poor internet plan with low bandwidth generally struggles to handle online gaming properly. 

Looking for an upgrade? Check out our gaming broadband deals to find a superfast broadband package that’ll keep your gaming experience nice and smooth.  

2. Distance from Game Server 

The farther you are from the game server, the longer it takes for data to travel to the server and back. If the server is located in another country or on the other side of your own country, your ping will be much higher compared to playing on a local server. Many games let you choose a server region, so picking one closer to you can help reduce ping. 

3. Network Congestion 

If too many devices are using your internet at the same time, your connection can become congested. This happens when other people in your home are streaming videos, downloading files, or even gaming at the same time.  

Your router can only handle so much traffic, and when it gets overloaded, it slows down all devices, causing high ping in your game. The only workaround the this is getting a broadband package with higher bandwidth that can handle multiple devices at once.  

4. WiFi Interference 

Using WiFi instead of a wired connection can also lead to high ping. WiFi signals can be weakened by walls, other electronic devices, or even interference from neighbors' networks, causing delays in sending and receiving game data. If you’re serious about gaming, a wired Ethernet connection is a much better choice and provides much lower ping than WiFi. 

5. Background Applications 

Other programs running on your computer or console might be hogging your bandwidth without you realising it, leading to higher ping. Applications like streaming services, cloud backups, or even Windows updates can take up bandwidth, slowing down your connection and increasing ping. 

High ping is always bad for online gaming because it causes delays between your actions and what happens in the game. When your ping is high, your movements, attacks, or commands take longer to register, making gameplay feel slow or unresponsive. This can be a nightmare in fast-paced games where quick reactions are the difference between winning and losing.  

For fast-paced competitive games like first-person shooters (FPS), fighting games, and battle royales a ping of 0–30ms is ideal. This ensures quick reactions, smooth gameplay, and almost no noticeable delay. A ping between 30–50ms is still good, but you may notice slight delays in intense situations. 

For online multiplayer games that are less dependent on reaction time, like role-playing games (RPGs), strategy games, or casual multiplayer games (likes Minecraft, World of Warcraft, or The Sims), a ping of 50–100ms is usually fine. You may experience some minor lag, but it won’t ruin your gameplay experience.  

If your ping is over 150ms, online gaming of any kind will become frustrating due to the lag, and at 200ms or higher, it’ll be unplayable.  

To find out more about makes a good ping, check out our article on a what a good ping for gaming is, featuring Ian Garstang, Gaming content creator at GamingDebugged. 

If you're curious about your ping, you can measure your speed using our helpful broadband speed test.  

Our tool can test your ping along with other factors that can impact your gaming experience, like download speed, latency and jitter. It works by mimicking your online activities and testing how long it takes. If your ping is higher than 100ms, you may want to look into ways to improve your connection.  

If you have tried everything and are still experiencing high ping when you’re gaming, it may be time to upgrade your broadband. With one of our superfast fibre broadband packages, you’ll be able to enjoy smoother, lag-free gameplay when you’re online.  

If you’re unsure what you need, check out all of our gaming broadband deals and enter your postcode to see what’s available in your area.