ping

Definition

Ping is the round-trip latency in milliseconds between a player's client and the game server. Lower ping means the server hears player inputs sooner. Most competitive games target sub-50 ms; competitive shooters become unplayable above 80-100 ms. Ping is distinct from frame time, packet loss, and jitter, although gamers often use "laggy" as a catch-all.

Example

"My ping spiked to 200 — I keep dying around corners." Server lag means the player's screen lags behind the server-authoritative game state.

Related terms

• latency
• lag
• tick rate
• packet loss