7 Ways to Fix High Ping and Lagging Issues in Valorant

A computer engineer by degree, Varun has 7+ years of experience in the field of technology. After his stints at Beebom and MrPhone, Varun has been covering different facets of technology at Guiding Tech. Here, he contributes to Team GT by helping its readers make better purchases while also understanding the meaning of each feature. In his free time, you can find him sharing his excellent photography skills along with his Aces in Valorant over Twitter.

Why Is My Ping So High in Valorant

High ping in Valorant can be frustrating, but there are a few reasons behind it. One key factor is your distance from the game’s servers. The farther you are, the longer it takes for data to travel back and forth,resulting in higher ping.

Internet congestion can also play a role, especially during peak hours when many people use the same network.

If you’re on a wireless connection, interference or a weak signal might be causing delays in data transmission. Background downloads or streaming on the same network can eat up bandwidth and lead to higher ping as well.

Additionally, you might encounter high ping and lagging issues in Valorant if you have unoptimized network connections, limited bandwidth, improper DNS settings, or outdated network drivers.

Now that you know what might be causing the issue, let’s fix it.

Basic Fixes

Fix 1: Close Any Unnecessary Applications

Apps that use high bandwidth, such as streaming services, can contribute to high ping and latency spikes in Valorant. Before playing, close any unnecessary apps that you are not using. You can do that with the help of theWindows Task Manager.

Step 1: Press theCtrl + Shift + Esc keyson your keyboard to launch theWindows Task Manager.

Step 2: Inside the Task Manager window, check for any applications that might use the internet heavily in the background. Simplyright-clickon anunwanted applicationand click onEnd task.

Fix 2: Update Your Network Driver

It’s also possible that your internet in itself is fast enough. However, a faulty driver prevents you from using it to its best ability. Outdated network drivers can cause problems with your internet connection. To update your internet drivers, follow these steps:

Step 1:Right-clickon theStart buttonand selectDevice Manager.

Step 2: Inside the Device Manager window, click onNetwork Adaptersto expand it. You should now see the various network adapters connected to your system.Right-click on the adapteryou use for Internet connectivity, such as Ethernet or Wireless. Then selectUpdate driver.

Step 3: ChooseSearch automatically for drivers. Windows will now automatically search and update to the latest drivers.

Once the process is complete, reboot your PC and try to launch Valorant post that. Hopefully, your issue of Valorant lagging is now resolved.

Fix 3: Set Valorant to High Priority in Task Manager

Valorant can also be affected by other apps running in the background. To give Valorant a higher priority, you can set it to high priority in Task Manager.

Step 1: First up, ensure Valorant is running in the background. Then, press theCtrl + Shift + Esc keyson your keyboard to open Task Manager.

Step 2: Switch to theDetails optionfrom the sidebar. You should now get a list of all the various tasks running on your computer. Right-click onVALORANT-Win64-Shipping.exeand selectSet priority. Then, click onHigh.

This will allocate more system resources to the game, thus, reducing your ping.

Fix 4: Flush DNS Cache

The DNS cache stores the IP addresses of websites you have recently visited. If the DNS cache is corrupt, it can cause problems with your internet connection. You can try flushing the existing DNS cache to see if it reduces the ping and latency inside Valorant. Here’s how to do it:

Note: The command to flush the DNS cache remains similar onPowerShelland Command Prompt. So, you can follow the below steps on either.

Step 1:Right-clickon theStarticon and selectTerminal (Admin)from the list.

Step 2: SelectYeswhen the User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears. Now, inside the console, type the following command and pressEnter.

Once done, you should see a message that reads, ‘Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache’. Try playing Valorant now to see if you have a better ping.

Fix 5: Change the DNS Server

While your ISP usually provides the default DNS, you can try using a different DNS server. Changing to a faster DNS server can sometimes fix random ping spikes and lagging issues. Consider using Google DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1).

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keys to launch the Run dialog box. Once the Run window opens, typencpa.cpl, and press Enter.

Step 2: InNetwork Connections,right-clickon yourinternet connectionand selectProperties.

Step 3: Head over toNetworking > Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4). Then, click onProperties.

Step 4: Select ‘Use the following DNS server addresses.’ In the text fields next to the Preferred DNS Server and the Alternate DNS Server, enter1.1.1.1and1.0.0.1, respectively. Alternatively, you can also use8.8.8.8and8.8.4.4, respectively.

Step 5: Once done, click onOK.

Fix 6: Use Third-Party Tools

For better results, you can also try using third-party tools. For instance,ExitLagis a popular solution amongst gamers that can help with faster connection routes to game servers. Alternatively, users can also check out Cloudflare WARP, which is a free tool, and performs quite similar to ExitLag.

Cloudflare WARP is a VPN service that can optimize your connection for gaming. It can help reduce ping and latency in Valorant. WARP routes your traffic through Cloudflare’s network, which can improve your connection to the relevant servers.

Here’s how to set up and use WARP on your PC.

Step 1: DownloadCloudflare WARPand install it like any other software on your PC.

Step 2: Once the installation is done,launch WARPby clicking on its icon from the system tray.

Step 3: You should see a big toggle inside the WARP window.Enable the toggleto connect to Cloudflare’s WARP VPN.

Once you are connected to Cloudflare’s WARP, try launching Valorant and see if you get a better ping.

Fix 7: Turn Off Wi-Fi Scanning

If you use Wi-Fi, try turning off Wi-Fi scanning to see if it improves your ping and latency in Valorant. Wi-Fi scanning can sometimes cause problems with your internet connection. While Windows offers a native way to do that, it’s not as effective. Instead, you can use Command Prompt or PowerShell to disable Wi-Fi scanning.

Note: We have used PowerShell for demonstration.

Step 1:Right-click on the Start iconand selectTerminal (Admin)from the list. SelectYeswhen the User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears.

Step 2: Type the following command in the console and press Enter.

Step 3: You should now see various network settings. There should be a line stating, ‘Auto configuration logic is enabled on interface “Wireless Network Connection”.’ Here, ‘Wireless Network Connection’ is the name of your Wi-Fi connection. So, it can differ from user to user. Note down the name.

Step 4: Next, type the following command and pressEnter. Replace ‘Wireless Network Connection‘ with the connection name you noted earlier.

You should now get a response stating ‘Auto configuration has been disabled on interface “Wireless Network Connection”.’

And that’s it. Your Windows PC will stay connected to the Wi-Fi network you’re already on but will not search for wireless networks in the background.

Note: If you wish to enable Wi-Fi scanning later, enter the below command and press Enter.

FAQs

A good ping for Valorant is typically between 20 and 50 milliseconds (ms). This means that it takes 20 to 50 milliseconds for your actions in the game to register on the server.

Generally, a packet loss rate of 1 to 2.5 percent is acceptable. However, for some applications, such as online gaming, a packet loss rate of even 1 percent can be noticeable and cause problems.

In general, a VPN can increase ping because it adds an extra layer of encryption and routing to your internet traffic. However, in some cases, a VPN can lower ping if your ISP’s routing is inefficient or if you are connecting to a game server that is far away.

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Last updated on 26 June, 2024

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