Internet Speed for Gaming: Ping, PS5, Switch and Cloud Gaming

For gaming, ping, jitter and stability matter more than speed

The data an online match sends and receives is mostly small: your inputs and player positions. In Microsoft's documentation for game developers, the test condition for the minimum Xbox One requirement is 192 Kbps both down and up, with 75 ms of added latency (and 1% packet loss). That is 0.192 Mbps, orders of magnitude less than what a fiber connection delivers.

Another page in the same documentation (on QoS measurement) says that, as a quality indicator for game traffic, measuring latency alone is enough and a bandwidth (speed) test is usually unnecessary. It also notes that latency and bandwidth are strongly related. Even with hundreds of Mbps, if your ping is high, unstable, or packets are being dropped, you will lose gunfights or see characters teleport.

Source: Xbox network stress (Microsoft Learn). These are conditions for developers to test their games, not recommended values for players.

There are two exceptions. For downloads (system updates and patches) and cloud gaming (which streams video to you continuously), download speed matters directly.

Ping and speed guidelines by game genre

The table below applies the same thresholds this site uses to rate your results to different game genres. These are not official values from game companies; they are our general thresholds mapped onto each genre.

Jitter is the variation in ping. Even if your average ping is low, movement will stutter once jitter goes above 30 ms.

Official info for PS5, Switch, Xbox and PC, and how to read connection tests

PS5

You can check your connection under Settings > Network > Connection Status > Test Internet Connection (PlayStation official). The Remote Play guide says Remote Play may not work when the NAT type is Type 3. NAT type is a category that shows how easily your console can connect to other devices through your home router. The connection error guide recommends using a wired connection if possible (PS5 error CE-117722-0).

Nintendo Switch

Under System Settings > Internet > Test Connection, the console shows the connection name, SSID, global IP address, NAT type, download speed and upload speed (Nintendo official). NAT types run from A to F: A is the best for direct peer-to-peer (P2P) communication with other players, and F means P2P communication is not possible. Ping is not among the items shown, so you need to check ping another way. For wired LAN, the OLED model can connect through the LAN port on its included dock. The original Switch uses a separately sold wired LAN adapter, and Switch Lite uses a USB hub plus a wired LAN adapter (Wired internet connection).

Xbox and PC

For Xbox, the cloud gaming recommendation is in the table further below. For PC online games, network requirements differ from title to title. There is no common official value, so check each game's system requirements page. On every platform, the speed shown by the console's own test is simply "a measurement at that moment". It is not the ping to your opponents or to the game server.

Recommended speeds for cloud gaming and Remote Play

Cloud gaming and Remote Play stream video continuously, so this is where providers do publish speed recommendations.

Sources: GeForce NOW system requirements, Xbox Wire, PS Remote Play on mobile devices. Remote Play also uses the upload on the PS5's side. If you play away from home, check your home connection's upload speed too.

Quick reference: how long patch downloads take

Game downloads tend to be large. As an example, here is how long it takes to download 100 GB and 50 GB.

Formula: time (seconds) = size (GB) × 1,000 × 8 ÷ speed (Mbps). 100 GB is 800,000 Mb (megabits).

These are theoretical values, assuming a constant speed and a download server that can keep up. In practice it takes longer, depending on how busy the download server is and how fast the console's storage is.

The order to try when reducing lag

We recommend trying fixes in order of the biggest effect for the least money.

1. Switch to wired LAN: Wi-Fi fluctuates because of interference from microwaves and neighbors' networks. A cable is the most reliable way to lower jitter.
2. If you must use Wi-Fi, use the 5 GHz band and a Wi-Fi 6 router: This is for when a cable is not an option. Reduce the walls and distance between the console and the router.
3. Stop other traffic: Video streaming or large downloads on the same connection temporarily push your ping up.
4. Router QoS: On routers with QoS (traffic prioritization), you may be able to give your console's traffic priority.
5. Improve your NAT type: Check your router's UPnP setting (a feature that opens ports automatically).

Detailed steps are in How to Increase Internet Speed: 11 Fixes, Biggest Impact First.

Your connection type and NAT type

How your provider connects you to the internet can affect gaming in ways a speed test does not show. Some connection methods pass through equipment that gets congested in the evening, so ping may become unstable only at busy hours.

On the other hand, some providers share a single IPv4 address among several customers. In that case you may not be able to open ports, and your NAT type may not improve even with UPnP turned on. If you have trouble connecting to other players, ask your provider whether your plan is suitable for online gaming on a console.

Notes on measuring with this site

On Free Speed Test, the test automatically picks the location with the lowest ping, from our own server in Sapporo and public mirrors in 37 locations around the world.

• The ping shown is the value to the test server. It is not the same as your ping to a game server. For games played on servers in other regions, it will be higher still.
• Test with the same connection method as the device you play on (wired or Wi-Fi). Testing on a phone over Wi-Fi can give different values than a wired console.
• Compare a test during busy evening hours with one during the day to see how much congestion increases jitter.

How to read ping and jitter is explained in What Is a Good Ping? Jitter Explained and How to Lower Ping, and speed guidelines in What Is a Good Internet Speed? How to Read Speed Test Results.

FAQ

How much internet speed do I need for gaming?

The speed needed for the match itself is very small: Microsoft's minimum test condition is 192 Kbps both down and up. How smooth it feels depends on ping and jitter. For downloads, 30 Mbps or more falls in the range considered sufficient. For cloud gaming, meet each service's official values (roughly 15–45 Mbps).

What internet speed is good for a PS5?

For online matches, aim for ping under 50 ms (ideally under 20 ms) and jitter under 10 ms rather than a speed figure. For Remote Play, the official recommendation is 5 Mbps or more both down and up, and 15 Mbps or more for the highest resolution. If you want patches to download quickly, 100 Mbps or more shortens the wait.

What is a good ping for gaming?

Under 20 ms is very good, 20–50 ms is good, and 50 ms or more tends to put you at a disadvantage in player-versus-player games. The difference shows most in shooters and fighting games. Ping changes with the test server, so think of your ping to the game server separately.

Why do I lag in games when my speed test is fast?

Speed is "how much can be carried at once", while lag comes from "how long it takes to arrive" and how much that varies. When Wi-Fi interference or evening congestion increases jitter, games stutter even with good speed. Try switching to wired LAN first.

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