Ping is the time it takes for your computer to send a signal to the Valorant server and get a response. The higher the ping, the more lag you’ll experience. In Valorant, even a split-second delay can ruin your shot, mess up your movement, or cost you a round. Valorant high ping usually happens due to bad routing, unstable internet, background apps using bandwidth, or connecting to the wrong server. To fix it, you need to eliminate anything slowing down your connection.
Valorant tries to auto-select the best server for your location, but it doesn’t always get it right. Go into your game settings, click on the “Play” button, then check your server selection. Pick the one with the lowest ping manually. Don’t let the game decide. This one step alone can drop your ping by 30-50ms if you’re getting routed to the wrong region.
Wi-Fi might be convenient, but it’s not reliable for competitive games. Walls, distance, and interference from other devices can spike your ping in Valorant. If you’re serious about improving performance, plug in an Ethernet cable. A wired connection offers lower latency, fewer random disconnects, and a stable connection that gives you an edge in every match.
If you’re running other apps while playing—especially ones that use the internet—your ping is going to suffer. Streaming music, watching videos, downloading files, or even syncing cloud storage can cause Valorant high ping. Before you launch the game, shut down anything unnecessary. Freeing up bandwidth can instantly lower your ping and smooth out your gameplay.
Your PC runs dozens of processes at once. Some of them compete with Valorant for resources. You can fix this by opening Task Manager, finding Valorant under the “Details” tab, right-clicking it, and setting the priority to “High.” This tells your system to allocate more power and attention to the game, which can help reduce ping and improve responsiveness.
Windows updates can silently download in the background and wreck your connection while you're mid-game. Go to your Windows Update settings and pause updates before launching Valorant. You don’t want an update stealing bandwidth or restarting your PC during a match. This is a quick win when looking at how to lower ping in Valorant.
Over time, your router’s memory can fill up or get bogged down with temporary issues. Restarting it clears these out and can reset your connection to a faster, more stable path. Unplug it for 10 seconds, then plug it back in. If you haven’t done this in weeks (or months), this simple action could knock 10–20ms off your ping.
Sometimes, your connection just isn’t strong enough to support low latency gaming. If you're sharing your internet with a household of streamers, downloaders, or Zoom callers, that adds up fast. Talk to your ISP and see if there’s a faster or more stable plan available. Don’t focus just on download speed—check for lower latency and better upload speeds too.
Your DNS (Domain Name System) translates website names into IP addresses. Some DNS servers are faster than others. Changing from your ISP’s default to something like Google DNS (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1) can result in quicker server connections. This is one of the lesser-known tricks when figuring out how to lower ping in Valorant, but it works.
The more devices using your network, the more traffic your router has to manage. If your phone is updating apps, your smart TV is streaming 4K Netflix, and your sibling is downloading a massive game patch, you’re going to feel the effects in Valorant. High ping will follow. When you’re gaming, disconnect devices you don’t need, or schedule heavy network use for when you’re offline.
High ping in Valorant is a nightmare, but you can fix it. With the right changes, you can lower your ping and stay competitive in every gunfight. Start with what’s free—changing server regions, closing apps, and switching to Ethernet. Then look into upgrades like a better internet plan or a faster router if needed. Whether you're climbing ranked or playing for fun, staying ahead starts with a stable, low-latency connection. Remember, when it comes to Valorant high ping, doing nothing means giving your opponents the advantage. Don’t let lag hold you back.