Everyone loves the game to run smoothly when playing without any interruptions or anything making the system lag. ‘Ping’ surrounds network latency and how well the system is able to run depending on whether it is either high or low.
For example, if you have a higher ping then you are more likely to face many more problems when trying to play the game. However, if the ping is lower, then you won’t have to face as many issues.
Therefore, it is important to know these types of terms in gaming to make sure that you have a good network latency (see also ‘What Is Latency In Gaming?‘). You don’t want to be running into lots of problems when trying to play your game.
In this piece you will learn everything you need to know about ‘ping’ in game terms and it will hopefully help you understand how to avoid a high ping rate.
The Importance Of Ping In Gaming
It is very simple really because the ping determines the network latency between your computer and the game server. Therefore, it can affect how smooth the game will be able to be played.
You really want to avoid having problems with this because it can affect you being able to play all together.
What Is Ping And Lag
The actual term ping is used to describe the actual delay that you will be experiencing due to having a high level of ping. It is all about the server’s response to your inputs as a gamer and this also relates to the lag.
The lag is the time in which it takes for action for the game to actually reach the server and be registered.
Therefore, if the pings are higher, then the lag will be longer causing there to be quite a delay in some cases which can really affect the mood of play.
Ping Of A 1000
In simple terms, 1000ping is equivalent to a second delay. You need to have a strong network to be able to avoid having longer periods of time because you are unable to connect.
What you need is a lower amount of pings and a higher connection to make sure your game connects and registers quickly and you can then get on with the game instead of worrying about further lag.
Low Ping Needed?
Yes! You will need to have a lower ping to make sure there is a decreased period of lag. If you have a lower ping and a high network connection then you have the perfect combination.
However, if one of these isn’t working efficiently it can cause you problems.
Multi-playing
Playing in teams and against one another online has become a main part of gaming which is now known as online gaming.
Therefore, you need to make sure that to be able to play online and against other players, your network connection is strong meaning you will have low pings.
Obviously there is always going to be a short delay when connecting online but it should only be very short to make sure you have a maximized experience.
If you have a ping that is 100-250ms then it is barely playable and it will not be a good experience if you continue with that sort of lag.
However, if you have 15ms or less then that is considered as excellent and you will be able to play with great confidence.
The Importance Of Low Pings In Intense Gameplay
When it comes to higher level gameplay, it is very necessary to have low pings and great network connection because a lag can be the difference between winning or losing.
When you are playing in a high tier game you need to be winning to stay at the top!
When it comes to an Esports event then are most likely to use LAN events because then it is all about the individual players performance and not anything about the network connection.
You need to have a low ping especially for games which involve a great amount of movement, for example, when it comes to games that involve a great deal of shooting.
This will need to have low pings because if you have lags you might miss someone coming around the corner because everything happens so fast in these types of games.
Indicators Of A High Ping
There are several indicators of having a high ping such as stuttering during the game or characters teleporting.
Most games that are sensitive to pings will usually have an indicator to give you a good idea about how strong your connection is.
How To Lower The Pings When Gaming?
When it comes to lowering the pings so that your game can run smoothly, there are two factors that you will need to think about.
Number one is the amount of traffic that is running through your network at one time because this could be making your network connection weaker.
Number two is the space between you and your game server. It can sometimes be down to hardware problems but it can also be caused by your IPS.
Regional servers have been introduced for people that are playing on muli-player games online because they will need to connect to the one closest to you.
Therefore, depending on where you are in the world you will need to connect to the closest server you have in your country or area.
You also need to look at what type of network activity you have in your own household because this can also affect the flow of your game. If there is a lot of traffic in your home and there is a limited supply then it will prevent you from having a strong connection.
Conclusion
Hopefully you have been able to understand the importance of watching how many pings you have and making sure that it is as low as possible and your connection is as high as it can be.
My name is Ashley Newby and I want to put integrity back into esports and get the hype surrounding them paramount once more. During my teenage years, I happened to stumble across a Street Fighter tournament online and I was hooked.
From that day, I have kept up with and watched many tournaments including Valorant, Super Smash Bros, and League of Legends. I even got to compete in my first one earlier this year!
