What Does Ping Mean in Games & How Does It Affect Online Gaming Performance

Even if you're not a professional gamer, a high ping is concerning and can prevent you from experiencing optimal online gaming performance. What is ping, you ask? For anyone who plays games online, ping is the amount of time it takes for a game to recognize your gameplay or the amount of time (latency/lag) it takes for information to travel from your computer to the game server and back. More than anything else, internet connection speed affects ping, and the need for speed is real for gamers. For example, when playing Final Fantasy, you don't want to worry about lag when on a mission or a battle.

It might seem less relevant because gaming and iGaming are two decidedly distinct industries, and for the most part iGaming players rely on RNG (random number generator) and luck. In many circumstances, slots and other games such as blackjack, casino hold 'em, roulette and other table games, and video poker, found in online casino in Australia and elsewhere, can also be affected by high ping. Platforms that offer tournaments, where time frames are observed and all points accumulated are recorded within the designated time, also benefit from lower ping.

In slot tournament play, the game's winners are those who place in the top tier of the leaderboard. If your ping is low, your spins could be adversely affected. Those who enjoy live dealer card games, such as those mentioned above, would also need help with lag. To reduce lag, ping needs to be reduced. How to lower ping? This can be accomplished by establishing a better connection between your computer and gaming servers.

We've established that lower ping is better than high ping because low ping equals less lag. And less lag means more fluid gameplay and the quicker your game can be played. Conversely, high ping means a longer lag. It also means your internet connection speed isn't the best.

There are several reasons why your ping may be high, and many of them can be corrected yourself. One of the most common reasons for high ping is an out-of-date router(s), its location, and whether or not its firmware is current. Other questions to ask yourself when trying to determine why you are experiencing lag during gameplay are:

• Is your computer optimized for gaming?
• Are the caches on your router or modem(s) full?
• How many devices is your network supporting?

You might also want to look at the number of applications and programs running in the background on your device and the auto-updates that take effect during your gameplay. Freeing up precious resources from power-hungry apps such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and location services will help ensure your games have the power they need.

What is good ping speed, you ask? While anything below 100 ms (milliseconds) is undoubtedly playable, most casual gamers are okay with a 50 ms or lower ping. Meanwhile, professional games may desire a ping around 20 ms or lower.

A ping test to determine your ping rate can be run on most computers, but keep in mind that doing so is different depending on the manufacturer. Some online ping tests are also available, and an internet speed test is simple and can also help determine your ping rate.

By GamesAndCasino