Ping is the time it takes for data to travel from your device to a server and back, measured in milliseconds (ms). In gaming, it tells you how long it takes for your actions — a shot, a jump, an ability — to reach the game server and for the server's response to reach you. Lower is better: 20 ms feels instant, while 150 ms feels sluggish.
How ping works
Every time you press a key in an online game, your client sends a small packet of data to the game server. The server processes it and sends updates back. Ping is the round trip:
your PC → home router → your ISP → internet backbone → game server → back again
Each step adds a little delay. The total is your ping.
The classic way to measure it is the ping command, which sends a small test packet (an ICMP echo request) and times the reply. Games usually measure ping with their own packets, which is why the number in your game can differ from a command-line test.
What adds to your ping
| Source | How much it adds | Can you fix it? |
|---|---|---|
| Distance to the server | ~1 ms per 100 km of cable, round trip | Choose a closer server |
| Your ISP's route | Varies — detours can add a lot | Booster, or change ISP |
| Wi-Fi | A little on average, big spikes | Use Ethernet |
| Router queues (bufferbloat) | Up to hundreds of ms under load | SQM on the router |
| Server processing | Usually small | No |
Distance sets the floor. Everything else is overhead you can often reduce. See how to reduce ping for the fixes.
Ping vs latency
Latency is the general word for delay. It's often measured one way. Ping usually means round-trip time (RTT): the time there and back. In gaming, people use the two words interchangeably, and game overlays label the same number "ping", "latency" or "RTT".
Ping vs bandwidth
This is the most common confusion:
- Bandwidth (Mbps) — how much data can flow per second. It matters for downloads and streaming.
- Ping (ms) — how long one packet takes to make the trip. It matters for games.
Games use very little bandwidth — usually well under 1 Mbps — but they're extremely sensitive to delay. That's why a 1 Gbps plan can still give you 100 ms ping in your favourite game.
What is a good ping?
| Ping | Rating |
|---|---|
| under 20 ms | Excellent |
| 20–50 ms | Good |
| 50–100 ms | Fair |
| 100–150 ms | Poor |
| 150+ ms | Bad for real-time games |
Different genres tolerate different values. Full table: what is a good ping for gaming.
Why ping matters in games
The server is the referee. When two players shoot at the same moment, the server decides who was first, based on when their actions arrived. With high ping, your actions arrive late, so you lose more close duels, get hit after reaching cover and see enemies a moment after they see you.
Ping, jitter and packet loss
Ping is only one of three numbers that decide how a game feels:
- Ping — how long the trip takes.
- Jitter — how much ping varies.
- Packet loss — how many packets never arrive.
A steady 60 ms often feels better than a ping that jumps between 20 and 100 ms with packet loss.
How to check your ping
- In game: use the network overlay. For example, Valorant's Network Round Trip Time or Fortnite's Net Debug Stats.
- On Windows: open Command Prompt and run
ping 1.1.1.1 -t. - On macOS: open Terminal and run
ping 1.1.1.1.
If your ping is higher than it should be, start with why is my ping so high.
