How to Reduce Ping in CS GO

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO) is one of the most competitive online first-person shooter games. So having a low ping is extremely important if you want to perform to the best of your ability.

When you have a higher ping number than normal, it will cause your character to lag significantly. 

Those who experience latency issues will have a much tougher time winning, no matter what online game mode they choose.

Lagging in CS GO can mean the difference between getting a kill or being killed, so having a high ping number is certainly something that you want to avoid.

If you have been experiencing lag problems, you might wonder how to fix things.

Also, check out how to reduce ping in Fortnite.

Below I’ve written a guide on latency issues and how to reduce ping in CS GO. Let’s jump in…

Ping Meaning and Definition

If you don’t understand what the term ping and latency means, then it’ll be good to have an explanation. So what is Ping? And what’s the difference between ping and latency?

Ping is a diagnostics utility that sends a signal (data packets) from one computer to another computer or server. Latency is the time (in milliseconds) it takes for the ping to return to the computer. So ping reports the round trip latency on a network.

Ping is a measurement of the game’s time (latency) to communicate with the server and then send that information back to you.

Every time you act in an online game, you’ll need the information to make that round trip. When you have a higher ping number, the trip will take longer than usual. 

Unlike other players, slight delays will make your game seem lagging behind. You might even find online games to be unplayable if your ping is high.

What is a normal ping number (latency in ms)?

The normal ping number will be somewhere between 10ms and 70ms. If your ping is higher than 70ms, you might wish to make some changes to try to bring it down.

Even if you have a latency of 50ms or 60ms, that will not be unusual. Most players are in that range, and you can play the game just fine if your ping falls within the acceptable range.

This isn’t something that only happens in CS GO. It’s an issue with all online games that you will want to try to solve.

Check out how to reduce ping in PUBG.

How to see Ping in CS GO

You can see your ping number in CS GO by clicking the gear icon in the left panel and then going to settings.

In the settings, you’ll need to enable the developer console. In the developer console, use these commands:

• Press the ~ key. This allows you to input commands.
• Type net_graph 1 and hit enter. This will show you ping information.
• You can get things back to normal by entering net_graph 0. 

How to reduce ping in CS GO

Fixing ping issues will involve trying different things to see if they help. There are multiple approaches that you can take.

Below I’ve compiled a list of the common culprits that are usually to blame for high ping latency.

You might need to combine the ideas below to help fix ping issues in CS GO.

That being said, I find some usually have more effect than others. So I’ve placed the most common causes that usually have the biggest effects when you fix these first.

1. Don’t download/stream stuff in the background

One of the biggest culprits to high ping times in CS GO is players (or other family members) either downloading or streaming stuff at the same time they’re trying to play the game.

Here are a few things to check:

• Are you downloading (or uploading) something in the background via a torrent or an ftp-client? If so, shut it down!
• Is Windows or an app automatically downloading an update in the background? Pause it!
• Is your family watching Netflix on the same network at the same time? Tell them to go outside and mow the lawn instead!

Downloading, sharing, or streaming stuff while playing CS GO is always bad if you want to have a low ping since you’ll use up precious bandwidth.

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2. Use a Wired Connection If Possible

If you’re playing CS GO on a PC or a video game console, you’ll have an easier time using a wired connection. Wi-Fi connections are going to have higher ping than wired connections.

A wired connection is a direct connection that makes the game experience better. Run an Ethernet cable from the cable modem or router to your gaming device of choice. 

Of course, this isn’t going to be an option for those who are playing the game on mobile devices. Regardless, it’s good to remember that using a wired connection is smart when it’s possible to do so.

This can make the gaming experience a lot easier overall. It might be the difference between high ping and acceptable ping. 

3. Close All Unnecessary Apps

Related to the advice above, closing unnecessary apps will help a lot to get the game to run well. This applies when you’re playing on either PC or mobile devices.

You want to run the CS GO app and strictly necessary apps.

Try to limit background tasks as much as possible to keep ping issues from being exacerbated. Some programs will take up too many resources and cause your computer or phone to run slowly.

Also, check if your device automatically downloads updates to the OS or apps in the background. Pause these if so!

Closing applications can help you to resolve such issues. It won’t take that long to do this overall. It might be wise to restrict which apps can run in the background on your mobile device.

Deleting apps, you don’t need can also help free up space. 

4. Change CS GO Servers

Changing which server you’re playing CS GO on might alleviate issues with ping. You could be playing on a server that is very congested at the moment.

The high traffic can lead to greater issues than usual regarding ping. A different server might perform better, and you’ll enjoy much better latency.

Here’s how to go about this…

Change the max ping under settings.

The easiest way is to set a max ping under settings. This will only show you servers that meet these criteria. Start with putting in a ping of less than 50ms and see what shows up.

If no one shows up, try putting in 75ms and then 100ms. For anything above this, you might want to play a different game (although I have occasionally played on servers with a ping of up to 150ms). 

5. Restart Your Router and Modem

Restarting your router and modem might help with minor issues with ping. If you haven’t restarted the modem or router in a very long time, it can cause issues.

Simply taking the time to restart the system every so often will be a good idea. It’s recommended to do this once per week on average. 

While you’re doing this, it’ll also be prudent to restart your PC if you’re playing on a PC. This will give you the best experience.

This might solve your connection issues and get things back to normal. It’s a simple fix that sometimes solves minor ping problems.

6. Check Your Router Settings and Firmware

Those who must use Wi-Fi when gaming online should check their router settings. Ensure that the settings are configured properly so that you will have a good experience (see things to check below).

Also, the router software (the firmware) might need to be updated.

Another thing to consider is whether your router is good enough for online gaming. Perhaps you’re using an older router, leading to significant ping issues. Either way, it’s worth checking into. 

It might be a good idea to buy a router that can handle online gaming.

Things to check:

• Ensure you’re using the 5GHz connection band instead of the 2.4GHz one. This will give you a much better bandwidth. However, the range is not as good, and I also find it less good if you have many concrete walls.
• If your router has an MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple Input, Multiple Output) setting available, make sure to toggle this on. This will make your router communicate with several connected devices simultaneously instead of each.
• Check if your router can prioritize specific computer or media situations. Look for an option called QoS (Quality of Service) and look under the options available. Good gaming routers can often prioritize game data packages over other things, improving ping.

7. Check for Game Cache Issues

There could be issues with the game cache, causing CS GO to play poorly.

You can fix these issues on your PC by logging into Steam and right-clicking CS GO in your library. You want to go to properties and then to local files. From there, you should be able to click on “verify integrity of game files.”

This will check the cache to see if there are any problems.

If something is amiss, instructions will pop up telling you what to do. You’ll be able to resolve things so that the game will run smoothly.

8. Update Drivers and Software

Sometimes your drivers will be out of date, and this can cause issues. Things might not run properly until you take the time to update the drivers.

Likewise, you want to keep all of your software up to date. Ensure that Windows is up to date and your phone’s operating system is up to date.

Check to see if all drivers are current or need to be updated. This can take some time, but it will ultimately pay off.

Simply updating the drivers can positively impact the PC’s performance when playing games online. This is easy enough to do, even if it initially seems annoying.

9. Get a Better Internet Provider

No matter what, your experience when playing online games will be limited based on what type of internet service you have.

You’ll want to pay for a high-speed internet connection. There are some less expensive plans out there that aren’t meant for online gaming. You might want to look into getting a better internet connection. 

You can run a speed test on your internet connection to determine the speed. If the speed is low, you might need to talk to your provider to see what is happening.

You might need to upgrade the plan or switch providers to enjoy an adequate connection speed. Either way, this is worth looking into before moving forward. 

Check out the best DNS servers for gaming.

10. Issues with Antivirus and Firewalls

It’s good to have antivirus software that you can count on. Likewise, it makes sense to use a firewall that protects you from malicious sites and other issues.

However, there are times when antivirus programs and firewalls will interfere with your gaming experience. It could be slowing things down and causing issues with high ping. 

This doesn’t mean you must delete the antivirus software and remove the firewall. Turning the antivirus software off and the firewall while you’re playing the game, might be good.

The security software could slow your speed down, and you can disable it for a time while you’re gaming. See if this works to improve your gaming experience.

11. Run Virus Scans

This one is related to the one just above. Running virus scans might reveal that you’re having problems with your PC or smartphone. It’s wise to have antivirus software that can protect your devices.

Sometimes, you might go to a website that will infect your phone or PC with malware or other nasty issues. This can slow down your device’s performance and make gaming much tougher. 

Doing regular virus scans will help you to protect your devices. Scan your computer and your phone to discover any issues.

You can then take the necessary steps to remove viruses or malware. It’ll improve your ping and overall game performance. 

12. PC Settings and Hardware Issues

Many things can cause latency issues. Your ping experience might have to do with the game settings. It might be more than your PC can handle if you’re trying to play the game with higher settings.

CS GO isn’t considered an intensive game by modern standards, but you might have an older PC. Lowering the quality settings might make the game run better for you while playing multiplayer games. 

Another thing to think about is whether you’re having hardware issues. Is there anything wrong with your PC or smartphone?

Do you need to upgrade it so that you can have a better time when gaming? Your issues might not be related to ping since they could be on the hardware side.

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In Closing

All sorts of things can go wrong when playing video games online. CS GO is a great game, but you need a decent ping number to have a good experience.

Ping numbers that are too high will lead to severe issues with lag. You’ll wind up losing simply because you’re lagging behind the others who are playing the game. 

Try the methods above to see if you can disappear from the ping issues. You might need to update some drivers and restart your modem and router. It could also be a problem with game cache files.

There are all sorts of issues that you will want to look into. Solving ping problems and returning to enjoying the game is possible. 

Sometimes it’ll require you to close all the applications on your PC or smartphone. You might also have to turn off antivirus protection or your firewall to prevent slowdown.

Do your best to use the information above; everything will play much better. These tips will work for CS GO and apply to other online games you might want to play.