What’s a good ping speed for gaming and how to test it

Ping requirements vary from game to game. Some games may be unplayable at pings above 200ms. You should always strive for the lowest possible ping that your environment can provide. That said, there’s a general range that can help determine the strength of your speed. Keep in mind that every additional 50ms can be a disadvantage.
 

• Less than 20ms - Great: This is optimal for gaming. Visuals are crisp and actions are quick. You should not experience any lags or glitches during gameplay.
  
  
• 20ms - 50ms - Good: This is the most common range for gamers. You should still experience smooth and responsive gameplay.
  
  
• 50ms - 100ms - Fair: This is the average range for gamers who are connecting to international servers. You may experience occasional lag depending on the game and your settings.
  
  
• 100ms - 300ms - Poor: Lags and delays are common but do not completely disrupt gameplay. You’re likely to encounter dips in performance and in-game responsiveness.
  
  
• More than 300ms - Unplayable: There is noticeable lag, long delays in response, inconsistent movements and lost shots. Ping in this range will likely be more frustrating than rewarding.

• First-person-shooter (FPS) and racing games: Since timing is vital in FPS and racing games, you should aim for a ping of less than 50ms to stay competitive with other players.
  
  
• Massively multiplayer online (MMO) games: MMO games are one of the only genres where ping can be a little higher without the game becoming unplayable. Some of these games can even be playable up to 250ms or higher. That said, those looking to engage in real time player vs. player (PvP) scenarios should aim for a ping less than 150ms.
  
  
• Real-time strategy (RTS) games: While RTS games are playable just under 200ms, ideally, you should aim for less than 150ms for the best gaming experience without response issues.

If you’re wondering how to conduct a gaming ping test, there are two easy options:
 

• Checking in game: Most online games, especially FPS games, allow you to check the ping directly in game. Go to the game settings and look for an option like “display performance stats” or “display network options.” Note: the wording may vary game to game. This in game ping test will give you the most accurate measure of network performance for the specific game and server you are playing on.
  
  
• Internet ping test: Checking your ping on the internet is another easy option. To conduct the ping test online simply go to one of the many online ping testing sites and hit start. The tool will find servers proximate to you and give you averaging you can expect with playing online games.