Low Latency Gaming? Reality of End-to-End Latency

The Truth About End-to-End Latency in Competitive Gaming

Let’s cut through the hype: sub-10ms total latency is a pipe dream for almost every gamer. While esports pros and hardware marketers love throwing around ultra-low numbers, the reality is far more nuanced. Here’s what matters—and what’s realistically achievable.

Where Does Latency Come From?

End-to-end delay is the sum of multiple factors, and most setups can’t break below 20ms, let alone 10ms. Here’s why:

1. Display Latency (1–5ms, but often higher)

"1ms" monitors are misleading—that’s usually gray-to-gray (GTG) under ideal conditions. Real-world pixel response can be 3–5ms, and input lag adds another 1–5ms.

Even 360Hz displays don’t guarantee <5ms total due to processing overhead.

2. Input Lag (1–5ms, sometimes worse)

Wired 1000Hz mice/keyboards can hit 1–2ms, but wireless (even with "low-latency" tech) often adds 2–5ms.

Controllers? Forget it. Bluetooth alone introduces 5–15ms+ before the game even registers the input.

3. Network Latency (5–50ms, often 20–40ms)

"5ms ping" is a fantasy unless you live next to the server. Real-world wired connections are 10–30ms, and Wi-Fi adds 10–50ms+ with spikes.

Online play means unavoidable delay—physics (distance to servers) and internet routing can’t be cheated.

4. Render Latency (5–20ms, depends on FPS)

At 240 FPS, each frame takes ~4ms—but GPU scheduling, driver overhead, and game engines add more.

"Reflex" and "Anti-Lag" help, but don’t eliminate render queue delays.

What’s Possible?

• Local play (LAN) with top-tier gear: 12–18ms (rare, pro setups only).
• Good online setup (wired, high-end PC): 20–39ms (realistic for competitive players).
• Average gamer (decent PC, Wi-Fi, 144Hz): 40–60ms+ (most people fall here).

Numbers Game in Gaming Tech Misses the Real Point

Instead of obsessing over sub-10ms (which almost nobody gets), optimize where it counts:

1. Wired peripherals (cut input lag).
2. Ethernet, not Wi-Fi (reduce network jitter).
3. Higher FPS + lower settings (faster rendering).
4. Monitor with actual low input lag (check reviews, not marketing).

The Bottom Line

Sub-20ms is elite-tier. Sub-40ms is competitive. Above 60ms? You’re at a real disadvantage. Stop worrying about unattainable numbers—focus on consistent, reliable latency that you can improve.

read more: Improving network latency >>

What About Human Reaction Time?

Here’s the kicker: Even if you achieve "perfect" sub-20ms latency, the average human reaction time is around 120–250ms for visual stimuli, and only elite gamers dip (sometimes) below 100ms. So why does shaving off milliseconds even matter? Because latency stacks.

• If your system adds 50ms delay, and your reaction is 150ms, the enemy (with 20ms delay + 120ms reaction) still shoots first.
• In fast-twitch games (like Valorant or Counter-Strike), 10ms can decide peekers’ advantage, recoil control, and flick shots.

Reactions of over 120ms are a bottleneck, but lower system latency gives you more time to process and act.

1ms vs. 5ms Displays: Does Panel Response Time Matter?

Myth: "A 1ms label means your monitor has zero delay."

Fact: Marketing "1ms" is often achieved with unrealistic overdrive settings that cause inverse ghosting. Real-world pixel response is slower, and input lag stacks on top.

Reality Check: OLEDs claim 0.1ms GtG, but input lag often adds 2–5ms. TN panels still dominate for pro play because they deliver true 1ms GtG without artifacting.

Key Detail:

• Panel response ≠ input lag – Even with 1ms GtG, processing delays add 2–5ms.
• TN vs. IPS/OLED tradeoff – TN wins for speed, IPS/OLED for image quality.

Wireless vs. Wired: Can Sub-1ms Input Devices Compete?

Myth: "Premium wireless is just as fast as wired."

Fact: Wireless tech has caught up in lab conditions, but real-world RF interference introduces latency spikes.

Data: Logitech Lightspeed (1–2ms) vs. wired (0.5–1ms). RF interference can spike wireless to 5ms+.

Key Detail:

• Consistency matters – Wired guarantees <1ms; wireless risks spikes.
• Battery impact – Low battery increases wireless latency by 1–3ms.

144Hz vs. 360Hz Diminishing Returns Beyond 240Hz

Myth: "360Hz gives you a huge advantage over 240Hz."

Fact: The jump from 240Hz to 360Hz saves just ~1.4ms per frame, while CPU/GPU bottlenecks often negate gains.

Latency Gain: 144Hz → 240Hz cuts ~2.8ms; 240Hz → 360Hz saves just ~1.4ms. CPU/GPU bottlenecks often negate gains.

Key Detail:

• Diminishing returns – 240Hz is the "sweet spot" for most competitive players.
• Frame time stability – Pushing 360Hz often causes stutter if your system can’t maintain it.

NVIDIA Reflex & AMD Anti-Lag: Worth the Hype?

Myth: "Reflex/Anti-Lag eliminate all render latency."

Fact: They reduce GPU-bound delays by 10–20ms but add driver complexity and can hurt smoothness at low FPS.

Testing: Reflex can cut render queue latency by 10–20ms, but only if GPU-bound. No free lunch—adds driver complexity.

Key Detail:

• Best for GPU-bound scenarios – Useless if you’re CPU-limited.
• Potential tradeoffs – Some games exhibit higher stutter when enabled.

Is Your ‘Gaming Router’ Actually Hurting Latency?

Myth: "Gaming routers guarantee lower ping."

Fact: Many add bufferbloat via bloated QoS features, while a simple wired setup often performs better.

Bufferbloat: Even "gaming" QoS can add 10–50ms under load. Simple wired setups often outperform.

Key Detail:

• SQM (Smart Queue Management) is key – Eliminates bufferbloat better than "gaming" QoS.
• Ethernet > Wi-Fi – Always. Even the best router can’t fix wireless instability.

About ‘0ms’ Motion Blur Reduction Tech (DyAc, ULMB)

Myth: "Strobing backlights have no downside."

Fact: They reduce blur but add 1–3ms input lag and crush brightness.

Trade-off: Strobing cuts motion blur but can add 1–3ms input lag. Useless for competitive play.

Key Detail:

• Best for single-player – Improves clarity but hurts responsiveness.
• Brightness penalty – Often halves screen brightness, making it impractical for well-lit rooms.

Why 99% of Gamers Can’t Achieve Sub-15ms Click-to-Photon

Myth: "Elite setups can hit single-digit latency."

Fact: Even with perfect hardware, network and OS delays push most systems over 20ms.

Breakdown: Even with 240Hz + Reflex + wired peripherals, network (15–30ms) and OS scheduling (1–3ms) ruin the dream.

Key Detail:

• Network is the bottleneck – No hardware can fix distance to servers.
• Pro setups hit ~15ms – But only in LAN-like conditions.

Does PCIe 4.0/5.0 Reduce Latency? (Spoiler: Barely)

Myth: "PCIe 5.0 makes games feel faster."

Fact: The real-world latency difference vs. PCIe 3.0 is <0.1ms—negligible for gaming.

Benchmarks: PCIe 3.0 vs. 5.0 shows <0.1ms difference in game latency. Storage and RAM matter more.

Key Detail:

• Only helps with storage – Faster NVMe drives reduce load times, not input lag.
• GPU bandwidth saturation – Even a RTX 4090 doesn’t max out PCIe 4.0.

Fiber Internet Scam: Why Ping Matters More Than Bandwidth

Myth: "Fiber always means lower ping."

Fact: Fiber’s 1ms latency only helps if the server is within ~500km; peering quality matters more.

Reality: Fiber’s 1ms vs. cable’s 5–10ms only helps if the game server is within 500km. Peering is king.

Key Detail:

• Distance is physics – No tech can beat light-speed delays.
• Peering > bandwidth – A well-routed cable connection often beats fiber with bad peering.

Overclocking for Latency: RAM Timings vs. CPU Clock Speed

Myth: "Tighter RAM timings give huge FPS boosts."

Fact: Optimized timings might save 0.5ms, while unstable OCs cause packet loss.

Testing: Tightening tCL from 16 to 14 may save 0.5ms, but unstable OCs can cause packet loss.

Key Detail:

• CPU clocks matter more – 5GHz vs. 4GHz can cut 1–2ms in CPU-bound games.
• Stability > min-maxing – Crashing mid-match costs more than 1ms of latency.

Path Tracing to Game Servers: Diagnosing Hidden Latency Spikes

Myth: "Low ping means your connection is optimal."

Fact: Your ping is an average—hidden routing issues can cause sporadic spikes even with a "good" ping.

How to Analyze Your Path to the Server

Tools like WinMTR, PingPlotter, or traceroute reveal where delays happen between you and the game server. Here’s what to look for:

1. Bad Peering (ISP Handoff Delays)

• If a hop shows sudden latency jumps (e.g., 30ms → 150ms), your ISP might be routing traffic through a congested exchange point.
• Example: A US player connecting to EU servers via a detour through Asia due to cheap peering agreements.

1. Throttling (Artificial Congestion)

• Consistent packet loss or high jitter at a specific hop suggests throttling (common with ISPs deprioritizing gaming traffic).
• Fix: Use a VPN to bypass throttled routes (if the VPN’s path is cleaner).

1. Rerouting to Distant Regions

• If your traffic passes through unexpected cities/countries, your ISP is using inefficient routing.
• Example: A German player’s data going through London before reaching a Frankfurt server.

What to Do About It?

• Complain to your ISP – Provide traceroute logs showing the bottleneck.
• Use a gaming VPN – Services like ExitLag or WTFast can force better routes.
• Switch ISPs – Some providers (e.g., Tier 1 ISPs like Deutsche Telekom or NTT) have better peering.

Pro Tip: Run tests during peak hours—routing issues often worsen under load.

Game Design Latency Compensation – For Game Developers

Myth: "Online games respond instantly to player input."

Reality: Every multiplayer game simulates instant response, using time-tested techniques to hide latency and smooth out inconsistencies. PubNub’s real-time messaging infrastructure can help power these techniques reliably, but it’s not magic. Here's a breakdown of modern approaches to latency compensation, and how PubNub supports them.

Client-Side Prediction & Real-Time State Sync

Challenge: Waiting for server acknowledgment introduces input delay and visual jitter.

Approach: Clients predict user actions locally, immediately updating visuals. A server (or relay) validates and synchronizes actual state asynchronously.

Where PubNub Fits:

• PubNub’s global edge infrastructure delivers sub-100ms message propagation at scale.
• Its publish/subscribe model ensures rapid broadcast of authoritative state updates.
• Built-in message ordering and stream continuity help keep all players synchronized, reducing "rubberbanding" or erratic corrections.

Use Case: Fast-paced battle royale or racing games leverage local prediction combined with global state sync to ensure player positions stay consistent across regions.

Lag Compensation: Server-Side Rewind

Challenge: Players with variable ping must still experience fair hit registration and collision logic.

Approach: The server "rewinds" to the state as seen by the shooter and retroactively verifies hits.

Where PubNub Fits:

• PubNub accelerates the transmission of input and position data, allowing near-real-time awareness for rewind logic.
• While PubNub doesn’t provide the rewind algorithm itself, its fast delivery reduces buffer windows needed for accurate snapshots.

Use Case: Mobile shooters and casual PvP games use PubNub to synchronize real-time inputs, power hit detection metadata streams, and manage presence during high-churn sessions.

Rollback Netcode & Persistent Connections

Challenge: Precision-based games (e.g., fighting or rhythm games) require frame-perfect responsiveness.

Approach: Inputs are predicted and rendered immediately; incorrect guesses are rolled back and corrected using historical data.

Where PubNub Fits:

• Persistent connections via PubNub’s real-time SDKs reduce reconnection overhead and handshake delays during rollback corrections.
• Built-in presence and occupancy tracking help maintain session consistency even under volatile network conditions.

Use Case: PvP games in the blockchain space rely on PubNub to push real-time match updates (e.g., wallet-based moves) while maintaining responsive rollback behavior.

Authority Models: Dedicated Server vs. Peer Hosting

Authoritative Server Model:

• PubNub doesn’t replace full-featured game engines or physics servers.
• It can support real-time game services like matchmaking, live events, chat, presence, and telemetry without provisioning game servers.

Peer-to-Peer Hosting:

• PubNub can serve as a signaling and relay layer for NAT traversal, especially in lightweight or indie games.
• Its message routing and state replication can complement WebRTC-based peer channels or act as fallback.

Hybrid Approach: Titles like Fall Guys separate gameplay simulation (dedicated server) from real-time event streams and player interactions (handled through PubNub-like channels).

Why PubNub Is Valuable in Latency-Sensitive Game Systems

• Global Delivery in ~100ms: Lower latency than DIY WebSocket deployments across regions, without infrastructure maintenance.
• Presence & State Tracking: Avoids ghost players or orphaned sessions via built-in user state and occupancy APIs.
• High Fan-Out: Broadcast game state to thousands or millions of users with low latency and consistent ordering guarantees.

Example Analogy: PubNub doesn’t run Pokémon GO—but its architecture is similar to the systems used to coordinate real-time multiplayer events like raid battles or arena syncs.

Final Takeaway

Modern game netcode depends on a spectrum of techniques to mask latency and maintain fairness. PubNub tips the scales by:

• It helps minimize prediction errors by speeding up state replication.
• It supports fairer lag compensation with globally distributed edge routing.
• It reduces P2P friction through lightweight relay and signaling infrastructure.
• For developers architecting real-time multiplayer systems, PubNub is a proven, scalable building block—especially for the connective tissue between clients and game logic.