Gamers Network

Why ping matters more than speed for online gaming

Speed was never the stat that mattered most in this fight. Ping is. And once you know what it actually does, you’ll never shop for internet the same way again.

September 18, 2026

Saidul Hoque, SEO & Content Specialist

Finding a good deal is an incredible feeling. But what feels even better is becoming the Voice of FOMO in your group chats. Right now, internet providers are deep in their own version of a Steam sale, undercutting each other on the first six months and bundling in a phone plan. And they all promise to make you the fastest player in the lobby.

The problem is, speed was never the stat that mattered most in this fight. Ping is. And once you know what it actually does, you’ll never shop for internet the same way again.

TL;DR

Speed is how much data you can move, and ping measures latency, which is how fast that data does a round trip to the server.

A fast plan can still lag if your latency is high or inconsistent.

Network quality matters more than plan tier. Peak-hour latency comes down to how congested your network gets, not just what speed you're paying for.

Confused about the difference between ping x latency x jitter? Learn more here: https://www.superloop.com/blog/how-important-is-your-latency-and-ping-rate-really/

The myth: Why gamers chase download speed

Leading with the easier sell

Bigger plan, bigger Mbps, bigger banner. It's an easy story to tell, and an easy one to believe, especially if you remember waiting three hours for a 700MB download back in the good old days.

Here’s why it doesn’t hold up

Paying more for a bigger plan to fix your gaming experience is like stacking more gear scores for a mechanic-heavy raid boss. You’ve got the wrong stat for the job.

Once you’re actually in a match, depending on the game you’re playing, it's basically sending and receiving packets of data dozens of times a second. Certain games might not use a lot of bandwidth, but gaming is rarely the only thing happening on your connection at a time, right? Multiple devices connected to your Wi-Fi, software updates happening in the background, and other people in your household so planning that extra headroom is crucial for smooth gaming sessions.

What ping actually controls in a game… and what it doesn’t

Ping is a test that measures latency, the time it takes for your shot, jump or spell to reach the game server for the response to make it back to your screen. g.

It directly controls how the game feels:

Hit registration: Low ping means what you see lines up with what the server sees.

Peekers advantage: The player with the lower ping to the server will win close engagements, just because their inputs arrive first.

Smoothness under pressure: Jitter measures multiple ping tests and shows how much difference there is between each ping test. You want to see minimal jitter because that would show that your connection is stable and reliable.

What does download speed control?

Download speed mostly affects how fast you download the game, patches and DCL, not how much itself plays out once you’re actually in the raid. That’s why a bigger pipe won’t necessarily make the round trip to the server any shorter. But faster download speeds will allow for your game session to run smoothly while the rest of the household, devices and people can also connect and consume bandwidth.

What does upload speed control?

Upload speed becomes more important if you’re streaming your gameplay. But! Very slow upload speeds might still cause lag, especially in fast multiplayer games where your position needs to sync quickly with the server.

Does a faster plan even lower your ping? What the numbers show

Not really…. That’s the part that trips a lot of people up. Upgrading from, say, 500 Mbps to 1000 Mbps will get your games and updates downloading faster. It won't, on its own, shave milliseconds off your ping.

So… what does ping show?

Ping is mostly a function of:

Distance to the server – Distance makes the game go slower.

Network congestion – How crowded your provider’s infrastructure gets during peak hours.

Routing quality – How directly your data travels, including direct peering and international transit links.

So what actually lowers your ping?

Here are a few things you can actually control to lower ping:

Your connection type – Switching from Wi-Fi to Ethernet removes a whole layer of interference and instability.

Your provider’s network quality – An internet provider with genuinely solid infrastructure will hold latency steady even during peak hours, not just on a good day.

Server selection – Connecting to the closest available game server keeps the physical distance, and the lag that comes with it, to a minimum.

What to actually look for when choosing a gaming plan

Speed still matters. It’s just not the whole story.

You’ll want to prioritise a reliable internet connection if you’re gaming.

Published, verifiable ping data – Make sure there are numbers you can check yourself.

Peak hour performance – Anyone can be fast at 3am, but not everyone can be fast on a Wednesday at 9pm.

Direct peering and international routing – Very important if you’re playing with mates in the US or Europe.

No CG-NAT headaches, or at least an easier opt-out or static IP option, so hosting games and P2P doesn’t become a fight with your modem.

Enough speed for your household, so someone else streaming I Will Find You doesn't turn your match into a slideshow.

The hard data: How Superloop's latency stacks up…

Peak hour latency is solid

We’re going to say it one more time to really ram it home, but ping is the actual number that matters for gaming.

According to the latest ACCC Broadband Performance Data June 2026 (ACCC Report 33), Superloop delivers an average peak-hour latency of 8.5ms, with 8.4ms during regular hours.

This gap, or rather lack of it, shows our connection is stable for competitive gaming.

Speed still shows up when you need it

Superloop was also awarded Australia's Fastest Fixed Network* by Ookla® Speedtest for 2025 and Q1–Q2 2026, posting a Speed Score of 67.72. Good to have if you want a faster download.

And…. it’s not a fluke

During peak hours, when everyone else is fighting for bandwidth, Superloop delivered 101% of advertised speeds.

Superloop was also awarded the 2026 TechRadar Australian PC Award for Best Gaming NBN, on a regular plan. Yes, not a special gamer plan.

This isn't a network that's fast on a good day; it holds up when it counts most.

Check your own ping

Not sure where you currently stand. Enough with the guessing.

Run a quick speed test to see your current ping, download and upload speeds. For gaming, having a low ping is crucial.

What is a good ping test?

Here's what your ping test results actually mean:

Under 20ms – ideal. The lower the better for competitive, fast-paced gaming.

Under 100ms – acceptable for most online activities, though you may notice some delay in faster-paced games.

Over 150ms – lag territory. Expect a noticeable delay between your actions and what happens on screen.

Level up your connection with Superloop

You already know that every millisecond counts, especially where the gap between 20ms and 50ms is the gap between winning the fight and watching your own dramatic downfall.

At Superloop, we believe that great internet isn’t a power-up; it’s the name of the game. Rather than charging extras for gamer features, we’ve got one solid network that’s great for absolutely everybody (cue Vanessa Amorosi).

We dare you to switch to a Superloop NBN plan. Then you’ll find out if you’re actually bad at this. Good luck.

FAQ

Anything under 20ms is ideal for competitive gaming, with 20–50ms still good but not ideal. Even better if under 10ms, like Superloop’s connection.

Between 50–100ms is playable but you'll likely notice some delay.

Once ping climbs past 100ms, expect real lag and in fast-paced games, that can mean missed shots and slow reactions at the worst moments.

Only indirectly. A faster download speed won't shorten the round trip your data takes to the game server… that's what ping measures.

Where a faster plan can help is in reducing congestion if multiple devices are competing for bandwidth. But for consistently low ping, network quality matters more than raw speed.

Gaming itself needs surprisingly little, often under 25 Mbps. A faster plan mainly helps everything else run alongside your game session.

Written by

Saidul Hoque

SEO & Content Specialist

With three years in the telco industry, I work to make sure Superloop customers find the right information at the right time, so they can get the best value and experience from their internet service.