In this article we will outline the most common causes of a game latency or ‘lag’ and how you can go about troubleshooting them:
Internet Connection Speed
One of the most common reasons is due to a poor internet connection speed.
Online gaming usually requires a minimum connection speed of 3Mbps of download speed and at least 1Mbps of upload speed. Of course, this will vary depending on the type of game that you are playing.
You can check your internet speed, by following the steps below:
- Go to a speed test website such as https://www.speedtest.net/
- Ensure that all other internet browsers are closed and no other devices are connected when you are doing the internet speed test
- Click ‘Go’
- It will take a moment to check all the results
From the results, you can determine for yourself if the issue lies with your internet connection or not.
What causes a lag in my game?
Another possible cause of latency or ‘lag’ in the game could be caused by a poor Ping response.
A ‘Ping’ refers to the amount of time it takes for your computer to send and receive data to the closest internet server. The lower the number the better your Ping results will be, and the less lag you will experience in-game.
How to improve Ping in your games
Use an Ethernet connection
Attach your computer to the internet modem using an internet cable, as this will provide the fastest connection available.
If you are using Wi-Fi, make sure you are as close to the router as possible, to get a better signal.
Close background apps and programs
To free up processing power on your computer, make sure to close all other unnecessary apps and programs while playing the game to give you the best gaming experience.
Optimise the game settings
If you have a poor internet connection, it is best to lower the graphics resolution to suit your current setup.
Lower graphics settings will help to improve.
Why does the game lag?
Another reason that your game may lag is due to your antivirus or firewall settings which are not set up correctly. If this is the case, your antivirus software will be constantly checking the data received from an online game so it's important to ‘Whitelist’ the games that you are playing.