Modern gaming has come a long way since the release of the original Nintendo or Atari. Individual gameplay on console systems has now evolved to multiplayer systems that bring gamers together virtually from all over the world. With today's online gaming, it's more important than ever to have a strong internet connection.
Whether you play first-person shooter (FPS) games, racing games or real-time strategy games, you need a fast internet connection to keep your gameplay seamless. If you've seen a delay between pressing a button and seeing the corresponding action in the game, then you may be experiencing latency issues. Latency refers to the average time it takes your gaming devices to send data to the corresponding server and then back to your device.
Keep reading to understand more about high vs. low latency, the causes of latency and tips for how to improve latency to create a better gaming experience.
Latency (also called "ping") is the more technical term for lag, which is when you experience response delays during gaming. High latency means more lag, which everyone knows makes gaming way less enjoyable. Low latency means less lag and smoother gameplay.
Generally, when you test your ping, an acceptable number is anywhere around 40 to 60 milliseconds (ms) or lower, while a speed of over 100 ms will usually mean a noticeable lag in gaming. Essentially, you want the latency from your gaming device to the internet server to be as close to 0 ms as possible, as this means it takes little to no time for one device to respond to another.
Ping range | Quality of ping | Effect on gaming experience |
---|---|---|
0 - 20 ms | Great | Lag or glitches during gameplay should be minimal; high-quality visuals |
20 - 50 ms | Good | Mostly smooth and responsive gaming experience |
50 - 100 ms | Fair | Most common range for gamers; may experience occasional lag, depending on game and device settings |
100 - 300 ms | Poor | Likely to experience many lags and delays while gaming |
300 ms or more | Not playable | Extensive delays in response; a noticeable lag that will create a poor-quality gaming experience |
There are several different reasons why you may have latency issues while gaming, including these:
Don't let lags keep you from gaming. If you've been experiencing high latency that's affecting your gameplay, then try these methods to help lower latency (improve your ping) and stay in the game.
Now you have some ideas for how to improve latency in order to get a better overall gaming experience. For more articles related to internet for gaming, check out the CenturyLink gaming internet hub or the list of links below.
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