What ping is good for gaming?
For most online games, under 50 ms is good and under 20 ms is excellent. Fast shooters and fighting games feel delay the most, and turn-based and strategy games the least. A steady ping matters as much as a low one.
Ping targets by game type
| Game type | Comfortable ping | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fast shooters | Under 50 ms, ideally under 30 ms | Aiming and hit detection react to every bit of delay. |
| Fighting games | Under 40 ms | Timing is tight. Some games hide part of the delay, but high or uneven ping still shows as jumps. |
| Racing and sports games | Under 60 ms | Other players can appear to jump when delay is high. |
| MOBAs and battle royale | Under 60 to 80 ms | Actions are slower, so a little delay is easier to live with. |
| MMOs and survival games | Under 100 ms | Playable at higher ping, though fast fights feel behind. |
| Turn-based, card and strategy | Under 150 ms or more | Hardly affected by ping. |
These are rule-of-thumb targets, not an official standard. Individual games differ, so treat them as a starting point.
Your ping in the game is not your ping here
Your game shows the ping to the game server you are connected to. A speed test shows the ping to a nearby test server. The speed test number is a good measure of your own connection, and the in-game number adds the distance to the game server. If the game number is much higher, choose a closer server region first.
A steady ping beats a low ping that jumps
An average ping of 30 ms with big spikes feels worse than a steady 50 ms. Spikes come from jitter, Wi-Fi interference, or bufferbloat when someone else uses the connection. Good targets are jitter under 15 ms and a bufferbloat grade of A or B.
Cloud gaming is different
Cloud gaming services run the game on a distant machine and stream video back to you. Every bit of delay then sits between your button press and what you see. Check the figures on your service's own page, and use a cable or a strong 5 GHz connection.
If your ping is too high
Start with how to lower your ping. The biggest wins are usually a cable, the nearest server region and pausing other downloads while you play.