Ping is one of the most important factors in competitive gaming, whether CS2 or any other game. Goes without saying that ping can be a decisive factor in matches, and low ping enables you to have the smoothest gaming experience, and sometimes it might give you a little competitive edge.
What is Ping?
Ping is the metric that can indicate how fast your computer is communicating with the game server. The lower your ping, the faster your internet is conveying every bit of information from your computer to the game server and back.
Example
- Low ping (e.g., 10–50 ms) = fast communication = smoother gameplay.
- High ping (e.g., 100 ms or more) = delayed communication = lag, which can make games feel unresponsive.
How To Check Your Ping?
While there are a lot of factors that need to be factored in before accounting for ping. While several facets influence your experience, having an idea about the ping can largely help you figure out what exactly is causing the issue in the event of an unpleasant experience.
Make sure your developer console is enabled, then go on to type in net_graph 1 in said developer console.
What to Do if Your Ping Is High?
While many methods might help with the ping, these are the tried and tested methods that will likely fix your problem:
- Use Ethernet: Using your Ethernet cable will fix most issues related to ping spikes in Valorant (or any other game).
- Restart Router: Power off your router, wait for about 30 seconds to allow a full reset, then turn it back on. Once your connection is restored, relaunch Valorant and check for any improvements in latency.
- Background Apps: Check which processes are using your internet speed, and close any apps that you don’t require.
High ping has been one of the worst enemies of the gamer ever since the dawn of online gaming. Competitive games like CS2 require a low ping to get the optimal experience, as a good network connection can be the reason you win or lose duels.