You may not even realise that you are in need of a Valorant ping fix. But if you find yourself in the heat of battle, and always a split-second too slow on the draw, or screaming in frustration because the game isn't responding to your inputs as fast as you'd like? Well, that may be indicative of a ping issue.
If you have a ping problem, we have a ping panacea to help you. With these tips, you'll be ensuring that you level the playing field and give yourself the best chance of coming out on top.
How to Fix High Ping In Valorant
If you suspect that ping may be an issue in your Valorant gameplay, then here are our top suggestions for reducing it:
- Start with a simple game restart. Reloading the game may help it run more smoothly.
- Check for any outstanding updates to the game, or to your operating system.
- Make sure your internet connection is working properly. You can run a speed test using a site such as Measurement Lab. If there are unexpected issues with your internet speed, try restarting your router. A hard reset will clear the cache on your router, which may speed things up. Alternatively, you may need to consider upgrading your internet plan.
- Also in relation to your router, make sure it is fully updated. Locate it in an open space, ideally elevated, to optimise the signal.
- If possible, use a wired connection rather than WiFi.
- Minimise the number of devices that are jostling for bandwidth. The more apps and programs on the go, the worse your ping can be.
- The same principle applies to minimising the number of programs you have running in the background, whatever device you are playing on. You can also give Valorant High Priority on Task Manager, which will allocate more resources to the game.
- If you are using a VPN, consider switching it off, to see if connecting to a server closer to home improves performance.
Read More: Valorant Low Client FPS: How To Fix The Low Client FPS Error In Valorant
What Causes Valorant Ping?
There are numerous reasons for high ping to be happening to you. The most common are as follows:
- The quality of your internet connection. If you have a weak signal, or slow upload and download speeds, these can increase your ping.
- Are you on WiFi? If so, this will almost always lead to higher ping than if you are using a wired Ethernet connection. Also think about where your router is placed, and whether it is fully updated.
- How far away from the server are you? If you are using a server that's in a distant country, the data has further to travel, and this can increase ping.
- Do you have an active firewall? One side-effect of a firewall is that it will check all the packets of data that are being sent to your device. So this can slow down the speed at which you receive that data.
- Finally, how much traffic is there on your network? If you have multiple devices and apps competing for bandwidth, this is likely to increase latency.
What Is Ping?
Of course, you might be wondering why any of this matters. So let's explain.
Every time you play a game, it relies on you sending a command to the game, and the game responding to that command. Ping is the amount of time it takes for you to send that command, and then the game to carry out that command. It is also known as latency.
The higher your ping, the longer it takes for the message you send to be acted upon. While in many cases this won't particularly matter, there are plenty of cases where it really does. In a game such as Valorant, where quick reactions can make the difference between life and death, high ping can be critical. In gaming, the lower your ping, the less lag time there is.
If you have high ping, it can eventually lead to an issue known as lag. And lag is where there is a noticeable delay between your input command and the response in the game. This causes problems such as stuttering, freezing and in extreme cases, the game can even crash. And in a multiplayer game, if your issues start impacting other players, it can sometimes lead to you being disconnected from the server.
Read More: How To Fix Valorant Black Screen On Startup Error
If you think ping might be a problem, then try the Valorant ping fix suggestions we outlined earlier. If it was a problem, then you should see an improvement in responsiveness from the game. And if you don't see any difference? Well, it's possible you just need a bit more practice.
How To Test Your Ping on Valorant
If you suspect that your ping may be higher than desirable, it is possible to test it. Just follow these steps:
- Open your browser.
- Search for Valorant Ping Test. Or alternatively, click here.
- Click on Start Ping Test.
- Wait for the results.
This will tell you what your ping is like, and give you an indication of how much it may be affecting your gameplay.