Online gaming has evolved substantially. Nowadays, players play against people from all around the world, and competitive gaming and broadcasting are major sources of income for many gamers.
For gamers, having a robust, dependable internet connection and minimal latency is more crucial than ever because competitiveness, fun, and maybe financial gain are at stake.
The delay as data moves from your computer or console to a game server and back is known as latency or ping. It refers to the time it takes for your actions to be shown on the screen and is the technical name for lag. At some time, almost every gamer has encountered high latency. It is frequently sufficiently bothersome to cut off the gaming session. The good news is that there are a few ways to lower latency and maintain snappy gaming. Let’s examine a few of the best techniques. The good news is that there are a few ways to lower latency and maintain snappy gaming. Let’s examine a few of the best techniques.
What Causes High Latency?
Numerous reasons can contribute to high latency. Slow upload or download speeds from your internet service may make it difficult for your network to handle the needs of your game. The kind of connection your Wi-Fi employs is equally crucial. Responsive gameplay requires a high-speed broadband connection.
Other factors, such as your hardware, the location of the gaming server, and your geographic location can also increase latency.
Moreover, network interference may result in lags. This occurs when the connection between your game console and other adjacent devices that are also using your Wi-Fi is disrupted.
Try these suggestions if you think interference is harming your network:
- Relocate your gadgets and router to a different place.
- Switch the Wi-Fi channel settings on your network from the 2.4 GHz frequency to the 5 GHz band. This can be done under the advanced settings of your Wi-Fi network.
- The ideal remedy? If at all possible, use an Ethernet cable to connect your gaming device to your router rather than the Wi-Fi network.
Why is Ping important for online gaming?
Ping is crucial in fast-paced games. The time it takes for a request from your network to reach and return from the server is known as your ping time (or latency, expressed in milliseconds).
Imagine your character in the game and an object that they can interact with. Your latency is the amount of time it takes for your character to respond to a button you click to interact with an object.
What makes this significant? Ping times between players can decide who wins and who loses in competitive online multiplayer games. However, your ping won’t have as much of an impact on your overall gaming experience in slower-paced games.
What is considered a good ping for gaming?
In milliseconds (ms), latency is the time it takes for data to move between servers. Lower latency is therefore preferable. By running a ping test, you may check how your network connection stacks up to these latency thresholds.
- 0–20 ms: Excellent
- 20–50 ms: Excellent
- 50–100 ms: Alright
- Between 100 and 300 ms: 300 or more impoverished: Unable to facilitate gameplay
How can you improve latency in online games?
Find a reliable Internet service provider and fast internet:
Choosing a reputable ISP with a solid reputation for dependable high-speed internet and a plan quick enough to meet the demands of your game and other household devices is the first step in reducing latency.
Close programs, which take a lot of bandwidth:
Other devices or programs that are using the same network at a time may consume more bandwidth from your device, resulting in high ping in-game. Therefore it is highly recommended to disconnect any unnecessary devices from your network and close any application that eats up a lot of your PCS bandwidth.
If you have a lot of members connected to the same network that also may result in high ping rates; hence, it is recommended to upgrade your internet plan that is capable of handling higher bandwidth.
Upgrade Your Hardware:
Sometimes your internet speed is enough, but your old hardware is wasting it. Make that your modem and router are compatible with high-speed internet and are up-to-date. A gaming router upgrade may also come with capabilities that provide priority to gaming traffic.
Connect an Ethernet cable to your device:
It is highly recommended to move from Wi-Fi to a wired Ethernet connection for a more dependable and steady Internet connection. For gaming and other high-bandwidth activities, Ethernet cables provide a direct connection to the router, resulting in quicker speeds, lower latency, and no chance of wireless interference.
If a cable connection isn’t an option, you may still maximize your Wi-Fi network by moving to the 5GHz band, which is less crowded and offers faster speeds. Additionally, you may reduce interference and enhance overall connectivity by placing your gaming device as close to the router as you can.
Stay close to your router:
Placing your computer or game console in the same room as your router is the best alternative if you are unable to use a wired connection. Compared to having your console on the other side of your house, this will help to strengthen your signal and should lower latency.
As an alternative, you can improve your connection by using a Wi-Fi extender or changing your router’s frequency from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz.
