Boost Your Valorant Gaming with These Tips for Better Ping

Are you an avid Valorant player looking to improve your gameplay experience?

One key factor that can greatly impact your performance is your ping.

We explain what ping is in Valorant, why low ping is important, and the factors that can affect your ping while playing.

Discover how to check your ping, improve it, and what to do if your ping is still high to optimize your gaming experience.

What is Ping in Valorant?

The term Ping is an exclusive technical network-specific term which is an important aspect of an online game’s performance and player interaction experience. Ping in Valorant was formally defined by the game’s developers as the amount of time it takes for a network packet to leave your computer, go to a server, and come back to your computer. Simply put, ping measures the time that it takes for data to be sent from your computer to the server and back.

Ping is an important technical element used in network design to estimate the performance of a network and the reliability of those connections. In terms of online gaming, ping is a user-friendly way to gauge the performance of the overall network connection. But the terms Ping time or latency are the official terms used instead of ping. Ping refers to the process that measures latency and returns the user feedback.

Ping is measured in Milliseconds (ms). The lower the ping in ms, the better and smoother the response. Higher ping times can cause a game to feel sluggish, a player’s movements to be non-responsive, and actions to take longer to register. Ping times of 30ms or less are typically optimal if possible. Most players can comfortably play with ping up to 70ms without a significant change in gameplay, while >100ms is regarded as poor.

Ping times and a player’s experience are influenced by a variety of factors such as the internet provider, computer specifications, and how far away there is from the place where the network data is being processed.

Why is Low Ping Important in Valorant?

Low Ping is important in Valorant because Ping – the speed of a data packet traveling between the device and the server, affects everything from hit registration to lag time for you to physically dodge bullets and destroy enemy agents. Ping is the biggest determining factor in Valorant’s lag, and changes in the amount of lag estranging your PC and Valorant’s servers are indicated by changes in your ping. Your PING is the speed at which communications with Valorant servers happen. If your speed is low, these communications happen quickly and only require that data packets flow to the proper address.

If your PING is high, data packets are getting lost, connections are being backed up and rerouting between unnecessary locations are occurring that slow communication and introduce jitter and lag into the equation. When only a small number of people in the game are experiencing high lag, this re-routing of connections will cause more problems to them than to their low-lagging counterparts. This is the answer to the aspect of low ping in Valorant that causes the game to be affected. When your PING skyrockets, you may end up very quickly losing numerous gunfights, which brings down your kill/death ratio and also your win rate.

This is why low PING is important to the basics of victory in Valorant. According to a November 2020 survey by Valve of the CS:GO gaming population, 84% of players have pings in the range of 30-100ms. This is close to the desired standard that is below 100ms for best performance in fast games like Valorant.

Factors Affecting Ping in Valorant

The following are the factors that affect the ping in Valorant and one’s internet connection speed.

• 1. Distance from server location: The distance between the League of Legends server the player is connected to and geographical location affects their ping value. The farther the distance and the greater the difference in time zones, the higher the ping.
• 2. Bandwidth constraints: The bandwidth provided by the player’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) to the player’s area or even individual building can affect the ping rate, among other things.
• 3. Software alterations: Browsers and other applications can impact ping speeds. Typically, other applications that consume bandwidth via the internet are the main culprits. This includes torrents, streaming sites, and download managers.
• 4. Hardware alterations: Whether the PCs hardware is capable of processing the game efficiently is another determinant of ping. Up to date and secure software, as well as routine hard drive cleanups, are also important.
• 5. Overusing the network: Multiple connections taking place simultaneously can result in poor network performance.
• 6. Network connection problems: If a player is connected to Wi-Fi, the ping rate will be higher. It is strongly advised that the player utilize an Ethernet cable. Players who are forced to utilize wireless connectivity are advised to make sure that nothing is obstructing the network’s signal.
• 7. League of Legends settings changes and updates: If the player’s settings have been updated, they may notice changes in ping. Riot Games, the creator of Valorant, periodically performs server checks and updates to improve players connectivity during gameplay.

Internet Connection

When your internet connection is slow, the number of milliseconds it takes for data to travel from your device to the Valorant server and back increases, leading to a higher Ping. To remedy a bad internet connection, connect to a different Wi-Fi, switch to an Ethernet connection, upgrade to a faster internet plan, temporarily disconnect devices from the network, reduce the number of programs running on the device, hard reboot your network, disable Windows Auto-Tuning (a feature designed to improve the search for your Ethernet connection), or update, reconnect, or replace network device hardware such as your Wi-Fi router.

Server Location

Server location and distance from the player also play a key factor in determining lag/ping. The closer the server location is physically to the player, the faster the transmission rate will be, improving the ping. Riot Games, for example, offers 20 game servers for Valorant, and most of these servers are located in the US. This makes it challenging for players from Europe, India, and Southeast Asia to find a local server to connect to for better ping.

If you are from one of these regions, you may want to use a gaming VPN Service to fool the Riot game client into believing you are using a local IP address, which should get you access to one of their respective local game servers. You can check your ping to Riot servers by typing ping logins[region].auth.riotgames.com into the Command Prompt and pressing Enter. For example, in Central Europe, I would type ping logins.euromiddleeast.logins.pvp.net to find my expected ping to their login server and compare it with how I am actually doing in the game.

Network Congestion

Network congestion is a temporary condition affecting users of the same ISP in a specific area. When various users try to use the internet at the same time, it can flood the network capacity and slow everyone’s speeds down. When it happens to game servers, it can raise the average ping of that server. In this scenario the problem is typically with the ISP and there is usually little someone can do to fix it aside from waiting until the congestion settles down on its own.

If the congestion lasts for an extended period of time, the best course of action would be to contact your ISP and inform them of the problem. Users can check if there is network congestion in their area by using an online portal like currentlydown.com or even by simply asking their neighbors if they are experiencing a similar problem with slow internet speeds. Check the internet speeds of devices using the same IP address (this can be found in your router’s settings). If they are significantly slower than usual, network congestion is a likely cause for latency increases while using an internet-connected application like Valorant.

How to Check Your Ping in Valorant?

To check your ping in Valorant, press F1 on your keyboard to open the performance menu. Scroll down to find the information on your Ping. The Ping is displayed in milliseconds (ms) and a lower number is better as it means a faster connection. Because Valorant is highly reliant on a low-ping connection, the game should be closed while running the following tests.

While there is a basic in-game tool available to check network information such as ping, it is advisable to use the instructions detailed in the How to Check Your Ping? section of this article.

How to Improve Your Ping in Valorant?

Your ping in Valorant can be improved by changing the virtual private network (VPN), adding some programs to the Windows firewall, connecting to a server closer to your physical location, and using an ethernet cable connection.

Valorant fps tips are done differently depending on whether you play on a computer, console, or cell phone. If you use a computer, you can make sure you have a stable Wi-Fi signal by enabling the QoS feature on your router to prioritize your computer. Then, you can try connecting via an ethernet cable for the most stable connection. If this does not work, you can make sure that only the necessary programs are running by stopping some from running in the background, manually limit your bandwidth, and try different servers. You should then try using a more stable VPN or connect without one.

On a console like the Playstation, you can set up a DNS (Domain Name System) allowing you to access the server near you quickly. After changing the DNS on a Playstation, if the ping hasn’t improved, you can try setting up a VPN.

Use an Ethernet Cable

Updating from wireless to an Ethernet cable (CAT5, CAT5e, or CAT6) can provide better stability, lower latency, and faster upload and download speeds. Copper wires inside the cable transmit the data, and these wires provide low signal loss with a sewn and copper tungsten jacket around them that provides resistance to external interference. This results in faster and more stable data transmission.

Ethernet cables do have a limit on how long they can be, however, and if they are too long the benefits will not be as prominent. LANs can even be physically faster than standard Wi-Fi networks, depending on location and personal bandwidth needs. An article by Telecom Crafters recommends upgrading connection to Ethernet to lower network latency and recommends this especially for users who have already optimized their wireless settings but are still not able to lower their Valorant ping.

For more information on setting up Ethernet, view software reviewer Cat Ellis’s simplistic guide to getting the most out of CAT5, CAT5e, and CAT6 patch cables.

Close Background Programs

You have limited bandwidth, and having unnecessary programs running is wasting it. If you have too many devices sharing the connection, the ping is slowed by having to share that limited data rate.

Operating systems such as Windows and macOS allow you to see what processes and background programs are running. You should close any you do not need. One effective strategy is to put the computer on airplane mode (temporarily turn off the WIFI).

Optimize In-game Settings

Reducing character models to low quality is recommended to get more FPS in the game and improve your Valorant ping by clearing up bandwidth. Matching the usage of your monitor with your in-game resolution is another useful setting change to increase your FPS and minimize internet usage. Valorant’s article on optimizing your network’s understanding has some of the recommended settings for reducing lag, choosing your network buffering management model, and optimizing bandwidth.

Connect to a Server Closer to Your Location

Servers that are geographically closer to the user’s location will generally provide better ping. Here are the instructions for choosing the preferred server in Valorant so that you can assess different options and make an informed decision.

Check connection to other servers. To evaluate the performance of different Valorant’s servers and see how they might impact your favor, Riot suggests comparing your performance on different servers. To do this follow these steps in-game.

• Go to the larger Green Play Button at the top of the menu.
• Select Custom Game.
• Choose which Server you need to connect to using the All maps option to see the server locations.
• Choose which Mascar map to play on your server of choice, and if needed, select the server region with which to compare your ping and packet loss.

Check with speedtest. Conduct a speedtest without using Riot Games’ network to see what impact physical distance between your location and different servers has on your Valorant ping. You can ask your internet service provider which of their global DDOS-protected locations you are closest to.

Find out the average ping range coming from the respective Riot Gamers’ data centers. For example, the average ping for the closest servers to me of St. Louis is 40 ms, Seattle is 100 ms, San Jose is 150 ms, LA is 120 ms, Chicago is 50 ms, Dallas 70 ms, Newark 60 ms, Atlanta 70 ms, and Miami is 80 ms.

Servers average ping of US East (NA E), West (NA West), South (NA South), and Central (NA Central) can help highlight the problem Western and Eastern players in the country can encounter.

Select server as per your region preference to get the best performance.

Use a Gaming VPN

A gaming VPN might actually increase the latency of your network (what is the difference between VPN and Proxy?). In cases where if unintentionally crossed different data centers, in particular when connected using wireless devices, performance might degrade. However, VPNs provide some advantages. They can help with reliable end-to-end privacy and encryption, getting around traffic management and data throttling, and improving access to international gaming servers. They can protect against DDoS attacks, while ensuring that your IP address remains hidden to prevent hackers, switch crypto-currencies, and operate the Dark or Deep Web.

What is a Good Ping for Valorant?

A ping of 29 milliseconds is good for Valorant, and according to Flatvurm, framerates between 144-240 fps give a competitive advantage. Framerates above 240 fps are less noticeable, but it’s always great to have higher framerates, Peter Baker adds.

However, network quality is the biggest driver of ping quality. Because of how the ping metric works, higher pings do not mean a poorer experience. With a ping in the 60-80 ms range you will start to notice movement lag in your game. Optimize your network for gaming and try different server locations to see which pings are best.

What to Do if Your Ping is Still High?

If your Ping is still high after trying these 11 tips for lowering ping in Valorant (or other games, for that matter), then switching servers in Valorant or having a chat with Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is the next step. A high Ping that consistently stays high is not normal and generally suggests there is a network issue.

Contact Your Internet Service Provider

According to Qualcomm, your ping is determined by several factors. Provider routing efficiency, network congestion, Wi-Fi signal quality, and local geographic location to server farm data centers are some variables that determine ping. Contacting ISP customer service can provide assistance with identifying reasons for high ping, or they may be able to make network adjustments that improve latency values. Many times they need physical access to the server, so adjustments are done remotely. In other cases, a modem reboot might be needed.

After the call, conducting a Speedtest frequently can determine if conditions improve.

Many factors on the player’s side also determine internet performance. Be sure to identify if the cause of ping is with the ISP or the user side.

Report Server Issues to Riot Games

According to technical information from Riot Games, Valorant uses a variety of server providers for their data centers, including Akamai, LINX, Level3, Steamsys, Teleglobo, Tenet, TWT and Voxility. They use providers to fit their requirements for balancing required capacity, minimizing latency, consumer experience, and cost of operation. When players consistently experience network issues, they can file a request with Riot Games to have their service provider checked for potential issues. If a sufficient number of players experience such problems in a particular area, the company will upgrade for additional capacity which should improve your network results.

Consider Upgrading Your Internet Plan

Your internet plan will massively affect your Ping in Valorant. This is especially true if you play at times of high internet use during the day when your internet provider might be forced to send out higher-latency signals.

The original Ping signal from your computer to the server is a crucial element in determining overall game ping so you need to be sure this starting ping is as low as you can manage. The quality of your internet plan can have a big effect on this starting ping as newer generations of internet have generally faster connections. This means that older internet connections which provide lower download and upload speeds will generate higher latency. CNET recommends a minimum download and upload speed of 3mbps but the ideal is likely to be at around 30mbps or more. For this reason, it is essential that you consider upgrading your internet plan if your current plan is old, ADSL (or asymmetric digital subscriber line – slower than newer VDSL lines which are capable of much higher speeds), or simply very slow.

Conclusion

Getting better ping in Valorant can generally be accomplished through the following steps. Changing the region in which you connect to Valorant (when combining it with a VPN), finding a better ISP or cell service provider, upgrading your networking hardware, selecting a wired connection, using an ethernet powerline adapter or Wi-Fi extender, disconnecting devices from the network, closing background apps and data-consuming tabs, securing the network from snoopers or capacity leechers, upgrading to a stronger network, updating router and OS software constantly, setting up QoS for optimal data transfer, or using a gaming VPN to enhance signal strength.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ping and why is it important in Valorant?

Ping is a measurement of how long it takes for data to be sent from your device to the game server and back. In Valorant, a low ping is important because it means you are experiencing less delay and have a more responsive connection to the game server. This can give you a competitive advantage in fast-paced gameplay.

How can I check my ping in Valorant?

To check your ping in Valorant, simply open the game and press the ‘Esc’ key on your keyboard to bring up the settings menu. From there, click on the ‘Video’ tab and you will see your current ping displayed in the top right corner of the screen.

What is considered a good ping in Valorant?

In general, a ping of 50ms or less is considered good in Valorant. However, it is always ideal to have the lowest ping possible, ideally less than 30ms, for a smooth and responsive gameplay experience.

How can I improve my ping in Valorant?

One way to improve your ping in Valorant is to connect to a server that is physically closer to your location. You can do this by changing your region in the game settings. Additionally, make sure to close any unnecessary programs or downloads that may be using up your bandwidth.

What can cause high ping in Valorant?

High ping in Valorant can be caused by a variety of factors such as a slow internet connection, network congestion, or even server issues. It is important to troubleshoot any potential issues on your end, such as closing background programs or resetting your router, before seeking assistance from your internet service provider.

Is there a way to reduce ping spikes in Valorant?

Yes, there are several steps you can take to reduce ping spikes in Valorant. These include using a wired internet connection instead of Wi-Fi, disabling any background downloads, and optimizing your in-game graphics settings. You can also try using ways to lower high ping in Valorant to improve your connection stability and potentially reduce ping spikes.