What Is Ping in Gaming? Why It Matters and How to Fix It
One moment you’re crushing it with friends and rivals, the next your voice chat cuts out, enemies start teleporting, and your perfectly lined-up shots miss by a mile.
That’s high ping, and it can ruin your game fast. The good news is it doesn’t always have to be that way.
In this guide, we’ll explain what ping means in gaming, how it affects your gameplay, what causes ping spikes, and what you can do to lower it.
What Is Ping in Gaming?
Ping in gaming is the time it takes for your device to send data to the game server and get a response. It’s measured in milliseconds (ms).
Every time you move, shoot, or open a door, your action travels across the internet to the server and back. This round trip is referred to as your ping. The higher your ping, the worse your lag will be, resulting in actions taking longer to register in the game.
Most games display your ping as a number on the HUD or as signal bars.
You might also see terms like latency and jitter. Latency refers to the time it takes for data to travel from your device to the server and back, which is what ping measures. Jitter is the variation in that delay; in other words, how much your ping bounces up and down. Unstable ping that jumps around can be just as bad as high ping.
ℹ️ Expert Tip: Most games let you see ping in real time, but not all label it clearly. Look in the settings, HUD options, or network stats screen. If it appears to be missing, try enabling the net graph or performance overlay. This number can explain a lot when things start to feel “off” mid-game.
What Is a Good Ping for Gaming?
There’s no single number that defines “good ping” – it depends on the game and how competitive you are.
In fast-paced shooters or fighting games, even 50 ms can feel sluggish. But for slower-paced games like MMOs, strategy titles, or creative modes in Minecraft, a bit of delay usually won’t ruin the experience.
Still, lower ping is almost always better.
You can use this table to quickly determine whether you have good ping:
| Ping (ms) | Performance | Good for | Also Playable for |
| <20 ms | 🟢 Excellent | Competitive FPS (Valorant, CS2) | All other genres |
| 20–50 ms | 🟡 Good | Battle Royale, RTS | Casual shooters, Co-op games |
| 50–100 ms | 🟠 Playable | MMOs, Co-op games | Turn-based, PvE, Mobile |
| >100 ms | 🔴 Risky | None (lag is disruptive) | Turn-based, Mobile, Casual games |
Why Is My Ping So High?
Even with a powerful internet plan, you can still get high ping for a number of reasons:
- Weak Wi-Fi signal: If you’re on Wi-Fi, the further you are from the router, the weaker your signal. Every wall, door, and bit of furniture in the way is an obstacle your Wi-Fi signal must get through on its way to your computer and back.
- Distant servers: The further away the game server is from you, the higher your ping will be. This is just physics, and there’s not a lot you can do about it unless you can find a server that’s closer to you.
- External network issues: These include overcrowded networks on the route between your gaming device and the game server and bad signal routing caused by a misconfigured server.
- Background activity: If you overwork your CPU with too many power-hungry apps, you can slow down the processing of your game’s internet traffic and cause higher ping.
- Home network congestion: If you have a bunch of downloads going on in the background, or three other people streaming their favorite shows on their devices, you’ll get slower gaming performance.
- ISP throttling: To preserve bandwidth, some ISPs intentionally throttle (slow down) internet traffic to specific games or all the games they can think of. And some of them will do it if you just happen to use the internet a lot.
The good news is most of this is (easily) fixable. Read on to find out how to get lower ping.
How to Lower Your Ping: 12 Easy Solutions
You can often fix high ping with just a few smart tweaks. Here’s how to reduce ping and get the most out of your connection:
1. Use a Wired Connection
Wi-Fi has gotten very good lately, but it still has the problem that it’s always had: wireless signals just aren’t as stable or fast as what you can get with a cable. You’ll be amazed at the performance upgrade you get if you connect your PC or console to your modem/router via an Ethernet cable: it can cut ping in half compared to wireless.
2. Close Background Bandwidth Hogs
Your connection might be fast, but it’s still limited, and anything running in the background can quietly chew into your bandwidth. Pause game updates, streaming apps, and cloud backups while gaming.
You can use Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (macOS) to spot and shut down hidden bandwidth offenders. Also, check the Startup tab (Windows) or System Settings > Login Items (macOS) to prevent some of these from launching automatically next time.
3. Choose a Nearby Server
Distance matters a lot. Connecting to a server physically close to you cuts the travel time for data. Some games automatically match you to a far-off server. If your game lets you switch lobbies or regions, pick the closest available; this one simple switch often drops ping significantly.
4. Configure QoS on Your Router
If the router supports it, enabling Quality of Service (QoS) settings can be a game-changer. This lets your router prioritize gaming traffic over other types like streaming or downloads. It means your game gets the first slice of bandwidth, and it may help lower ping on your PS4, PS5, Xbox, and PC.
Look for QoS options in your router’s settings and assign your device or specific ports as “high priority.”
5. Flush Your DNS Cache
Over time, your device stores the addresses of websites and game servers you’ve connected to. This speeds things up, but the data can become outdated or corrupted. That’s when weird connection issues can start.
Flushing your DNS cache clears out that old data, forcing your system to fetch fresh info. It’s a quick fix that can help reduce lag, connection drops, and even high ping in some cases.
- On Windows: Open Command Prompt and type ipconfig /flushdns, then press Enter.
- On macOS: Open Terminal and type sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder, then press Enter.
- On Linux: Open Terminal and type sudo systemd-resolve –flush-caches, then press Enter.
- On consoles: Power off the console completely, unplug it for 2–3 minutes, then plug it back in and turn it on.
- On smartphones: Restart your phone, or reset network settings from the system settings menu.
6. Use a VPN
In some cases, a VPN can actually lower your ping, especially if your internet service provider (ISP) is routing your traffic inefficiently.
By connecting to a VPN server that’s closer to the game server, your data may take a shorter or more direct route, bypassing network congestion or detours added by your ISP. Some VPNs even optimize these routes automatically.
A VPN can also help avoid ISP throttling, which can be common with gaming traffic. Since VPNs encrypt your data, your ISP can’t see what services you’re using, which makes selective throttling harder. That means you may experience more stable speeds and fewer lag spikes during peak hours. However, depending on your ISP’s setup, it might still be able to throttle your whole connection for heavy usage, so keep that in mind.
Not all VPNs will lower your ping, and some can even make it worse. To actually see a benefit, you need a VPN with high-speed servers, low-latency routing, and server locations near your game’s servers.
🎮 Private Internet Access is a great VPN for gaming with high-speed, low-latency servers spread across 90+ countries, ideal for finding the fastest route to your game’s servers. Its powerful encryption helps you bypass ISP throttling for smoother, more stable gameplay. You can even set up PIA on your router, so all your devices (including gaming consoles) stay protected and optimized. That means low ping, less lag, and secure gaming across your entire network.
7. Restart Your Routers and Devices
Network gear builds up “clutter” over time. Cached data, stale routes, and minor bugs can lead to weird hiccups and high ping.
To fix this, you can restart your router, modem, and device before gaming sessions to clear memory and reset connections. This often fixes invisible routing inefficiencies, causing ping spikes.
8. Keep Your Firmware and Drivers Updated
Outdated firmware and drivers are often overlooked but can cause connectivity issues and random latency spikes. Check your router’s admin panel for firmware updates, and install the latest version if it’s available.
Likewise, make sure your PC, console, or network adapter drivers are fully up to date. These updates often include performance tweaks or bug fixes that directly affect online performance.
9. Upgrade Your Gaming Hardware
If your CPU, GPU, or console is outdated, it may struggle to process online gameplay fast enough. Even with a solid internet connection, lag can creep in if your device can’t keep up. If you’ve optimized everything else and still experience delays, upgrading your hardware could make a noticeable difference, especially in fast-paced or competitive games.
10. Upgrade Your Router or Modem
Your internet plan may be fast, but if your router or modem is outdated, it might be holding everything back. Older models often lack support for modern Wi-Fi standards, efficient traffic management, or essential features like QoS.
Upgrading to a newer model can dramatically improve signal strength, reduce latency, and provide better stability, especially if you live in a crowded or large household.
11. Contact Your ISP
If none of the above helps, the problem may be on the provider’s end. Ask if there are known issues or maintenance in your area; sometimes your report can prompt a fix.
12. Upgrade Your Internet Plan (If You Can)
Speed isn’t everything, but if your plan is truly outdated or doesn’t meet the demands of modern gaming and streaming, it may be time to upgrade. Faster plans often come bundled with improved infrastructure and better latency characteristics.
Talk to your ISP about latency-focused upgrades, not just speed, and see if fiber or low-latency plans are available in your area.
Does Port Forwarding Reduce Ping?
Not really. Port forwarding doesn’t make your connection faster or lower your ping. It just tells your router to send specific incoming traffic (like from a game server) directly to your device. This can reduce connection overhead, prevent packet filtering, and result in smoother connections to game servers.
In a nutshell, port forwarding helps with stability, not speed. If you’re struggling to join lobbies or stay connected, it’s worth a shot. But if your goal is to reduce ping, focus on your network setup, server location, or VPN routing instead.
FAQ
Ping is the round-trip time (in milliseconds, or “ms”) it takes for your action (like firing a shot) to travel from your device to the game server and back. It’s a key measure of responsiveness: the lower your ping, the quicker your in-game reactions feel.
Competitive gaming thrives on low latency. Pro-level FPS or battle‑royale players aim for ping under 20–30 ms, where actions feel instant and smooth. For most competitive play, anything under 50 ms is solid. Pings above 100 ms can noticeably hurt your performance, causing delays or “rubberbanding.”
To reduce ping over Wi‑Fi, you can move closer to your router to minimize the number of obstacles, like walls or electronic interference, and shut down any unnecessary apps in the background. If that doesn’t help, you can try any of the tips for reducing your ping we recommend here.
Yes, a VPN can help lower your ping if your ISP is throttling your connection or using an inefficient route to the game server. A VPN is super useful if you don’t have either issue, as it can get you access to local games and stop an in-game enemy from DDoS-ing you. That said, the VPN’s encryption can introduce some overhead and reduce your speed.
There are plenty of things you can try to lower your ping before you get to the part about upgrading your internet plan. You can use a wired connection, close all bandwidth-hungry apps, switch to a closer gaming server, and use a VPN if your ISP throttles your speeds.
To reduce your ping on a PC, start with these basic steps: connect via an Ethernet cable instead of Wi‑Fi and close background apps like cloud syncs or streams to free up bandwidth. Next, update your network drivers and router firmware; outdated software can introduce lag. Finally, you can try to flush your DNS cache to clear any temporary network issues.
Try placing your router in a central spot so your signal reaches you more clearly. Use the 5 GHz band if your device supports it, and switch to a less crowded Wi-Fi channel. Cut down on connected devices and background apps, and turn off any power-saving modes that might slow things down. A quick router restart before gaming can also help keep things smooth.
To reduce ping on Xbox, start by using a wired Ethernet connection whenever possible; it’s far more stable and reliable than Wi‑Fi. If wired isn’t an option, position your console close to the router, and enable QoS in your router’s advanced settings to prioritize your Xbox’s connection.