Latency: What is Latency in Online Games?
In online gaming, especially in fast-paced titles like “League of Legends”, “Valorant”, and “CS2”, latency—commonly known as “ping”—plays a huge role.
What Is Latency and Why Does It Matter in Online Games?
It measures how long it takes for information to go from your device to the game server and back. This delay can have a big impact on how smooth your gameplay feels, particularly in games that demand quick reactions and perfect timing.
How Do You Measure Latency?
Latency is recorded in milliseconds (ms). The lower the number, the faster your connection is to the game server. Most gamers aim for a ping between 20 and 50 ms for the best experience. Once it goes over 100 ms, you’ll probably start to notice lag, which can really throw off your game.
What Affects Latency?
A few things can increase latency. One of the biggest factors is how far you are from the game’s server—the greater the distance, the longer it takes for data to travel. Other common issues include how busy your internet connection is, how stable and fast your internet provider is, and even how well your gaming device performs.
Say you’ve got a bunch of devices streaming or downloading at once on your network—that can clog up your bandwidth and cause higher ping.
Why Does Latency Make a Difference?
In competitive games like “LoL”, “Valorant”, and “CS2”, even small delays can affect your performance. High latency might cause a noticeable delay between your input and what actually happens on screen. That split-second lag can make aiming or executing plays a lot harder.
Sometimes you’ll even run into “rubberbanding”, where your character suddenly snaps back to an earlier spot, which usually means your connection is out of sync with the server.
What Can You Do to Lower Latency?
There are a few easy ways to improve your latency. Using a wired Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi can make a big difference. It also helps to play on servers that are physically closer to where you live and to limit other online activity—like streaming or downloading—while you game.
If you’re serious about online gaming, keeping your latency low is one of the best things you can do to stay competitive and enjoy a smoother experience.
