lag

Definition

Lag is the colloquial catch-all term for any noticeable delay or inconsistency in a multiplayer game. Lag can be caused by high ping, packet loss, low frame rate, server tick rate problems, or background bandwidth competition. Players often misattribute frame-rate stutters as "lag" when they are actually local performance issues, not network problems.

Example

"The lobby is laggy tonight" — players are experiencing some combination of high ping, packet loss, or low frame rate.

Related terms

• ping
• latency
• packet loss
• tick rate