In gaming, ping is the delay in network connection. It is measured in milliseconds. A low ping is good. A high ping is bad. It is the time it takes for data to travel from your computer to the server and back. If your ping is 20ms, you are fast. If it is 200ms, you are lagging. Ping is the enemy of every online gamer.

Ping comes from sonar. A submarine sends a sound wave. It bounces off an object. The time it takes to return is the ping. The term moved to computing. It is now a standard measure of network speed. It is displayed in the corner of many games. Players watch it like a hawk.

Related terms

• Lag: the result of high ping.
• Latency: the technical term for delay.
• Packet loss: data that never arrives.
• Rubberbanding: character snaps back, a symptom.

Ping is a number. It is also a feeling. A low ping is smooth. A high ping is frustrating. It can mean the difference between a win and a loss. It is invisible. It is also inescapable. The number is a shadow. It follows you. You can only hope it stays low.