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How to reduce lag when you’re gaming in 10 easy steps
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Got lag when you’re gaming online? There’s plenty you can do to fix it. Here’s our guide to reducing lag when you’re gaming, with 10 easy steps to smoother gameplay when you’re online
By Virgin Media Edit
- Published
- 26 September 2025
Troubleshooting lag when you’re gaming
When you’re dealing with lag, your online games can feel slow, choppy, or unresponsive — and the same goes for video calls or even simple browsing. The tricky part is that lag isn’t always caused by the same thing. Issues like high ping, low download speeds, packet loss, or jitter can all create the same frustrating experience, and that’s why it’s important to understand what lag is so you can rule out other factors before blaming lag alone.
What is lag?
Lag is the delay between the action you take on your device and the moment it shows up on screen or reaches the server. It happens when the connection between the player's device and the game server is weak or unstable, meaning that when a player moves, shoots, or presses a button, there’s a delay in when it happens in-game.
Lag often tied to high latency or ping, but it can also happen when your internet connection is unstable or overloaded. The smoother and steadier your connection, the less lag you’ll notice – meaning faster reactions and a smoother gameplay when you’re gaming online.
If your lag is bad, the easiest way to figure out what’s causing it is by running a broadband speed test. This will show your download speed, upload speed, and latency, all of which can contribute to laggy gameplay.
What causes lag when you’re gaming?
Laggy online gameplay can be caused by loads of things. Lag can come from a few different issues with your internet connection, device, or even the game itself.
Here are the most common causes:
Latency is the time it takes for data to travel from your device to the game server and back. It’s measured in milliseconds (ms) and you’ll usually see it on your screen as ping. A low ping means quick responses, while a high ping makes everything feel delayed — like pressing a button and waiting a second before the action shows up on screen. High latency is usually caused by distance to the server, routing issues, or a poor internet connection.
Online games don’t use huge amounts of data, but they do need steady speeds to keep sending and receiving information in real time. If your download speed is low, your game may struggle to keep up with updates from the server. The same goes for if your upload speed is low too, as your inputs (like movements and commands) may not reach the server fast enough. This can result in stuttering, freezing, or sudden disconnections, and ultimately, laggy gameplay.
If you’re broadband isn’t fast enough for your gaming needs, it may be time for an upgrade. Check out all of our gaming broadband deals and enter your postcode to see what’s available where you are.
Packet loss happens when chunks of data traveling between your device and the server never arrive. Even losing a small percentage of packets can cause noticeable issues, like rubberbanding (snapping back to a previous position), disappearing shots or abilities, or sudden drops in quality for voice chat. Packet loss can be caused by a weak WiFi signal, faulty cables, or problems with your internet provider’s network.
Jitter is when the time it takes for data to travel isn’t consistent. Instead of arriving in a steady stream, packets reach the server at uneven intervals. This makes your connection unstable, leading to choppy gameplay, audio glitches, or sudden spikes in delay. Jitter is often tied to unstable WiFi, heavy background usage, or poor-quality network hardware.
When your device relies on WiFi, the quality of the signal can make a big difference. Walls, interference from other devices (like microwaves or Bluetooth), and distance from the router can all weaken the connection. A weak WiFi signal increases the chance of packet loss, jitter, and high latency, which together create noticeable lag when you’re gaming online.
Network congestion happens when too much traffic is moving across your connection at the same time. If multiple people are streaming, downloading files, or making video calls on the same network, your game has to compete for bandwidth. Even if your speeds look good on paper, congestion can cause lag spikes, delays, and sudden slowdowns — especially during peak usage hours when many households in your area are online at once.
How to test for lag?
The easiest way to figure out what’s causing it is by running a broadband speed test. This will show your download speed, upload speed, and latency, all of which can contribute to laggy gameplay if they're too low or too high.
If your latency is low but your download and upload speeds are poor, your broadband package might not be fast enough for gaming. But if your download and upload speeds are solid while latency is high, the lag you’re experiencing is most likely down to high ping. And if your speeds fluctuate a lot or you see “packet loss,” lag could be caused by those disruptions instead.
Ready to test your broadband? Use our helpful broadband speed test to find out what could be behind your lag when you’re gaming.
10 Ways to improve lag when you’re gaming
Lag can ruin a good game — making your character freeze, your shots miss, or your actions feel delayed. The good news is there are plenty of ways to reduce lag and get smoother, more responsive gameplay.
Here are ten simple fixes you can try now:
1. Use a wired connection
WiFi is convenient, but it’s not the most stable option for gaming because the signal can be blocked by walls, weakened by distance, or interfered with by other devices. That makes it less reliable for gaming, leaving more chance for your connection dropping and your online games to turn laggy. Switching to a wired Ethernet connection gives you a direct, uninterrupted path from your device to the router, giving faster speeds, lower latency, and fewer interruptions. If you’re serious about gaming, this is one of the best ways to cut down on lag.
Pro tip: Use a high-quality Ethernet cable (Cat 6 or above) and keep it as short as possible to get the most stable connection.
2. Move closer to your router
When you do need to use WiFi, the distance between your WiFi and your gaming device really matters. The farther you are from the router, the weaker your signal becomes, and the higher your chances of lag.
There ‘s also other physical obstacles like walls, floors, and furniture, that can block the signal if they’re in the way, and even other household electronics like microwaves and cordless phones that can cause interference. By moving closer to your router, you reduce interference and make sure your device gets the strongest possible signal.
Pro tip: Place your router in an open, central spot – not hidden in a corner or cupboard – to help boost your WiFi signal further around your home.
3. Limit other devices on the network
Your internet connection is shared across every device connected to it — phones, laptops, tablets, smart TVs, and even smart home devices. If multiple people are streaming HD video, downloading large files, or taking video calls while you’re gaming, your connection has to compete for bandwidth. That extra traffic can cause spikes in lag. Cutting down on other activity while you’re gaming makes sure your connection stays smooth.
Pro tip: Schedule heavy downloads for off-peak times or set rules in your household so gaming traffic gets priority during your play sessions.
4. Close background apps
Even if nobody else is using your internet, your own device may be running apps or updates in the background. Cloud storage sync, software updates, music streaming, or even having lots of browser tabs open can eat up bandwidth and system resources. These background tasks can increase lag without you realizing it. Closing them before you start gaming frees up both internet speed and processing power.
Pro tip: Before you start gaming, check your system’s Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) and close anything that isn’t essential.
5. Choose game servers closer to you
Every online game connects you to a server. The farther away the server is, the longer it takes for data to travel back and forth, which increases your ping and makes lag more likely. Playing on a server in another region, or worse, another continent, will almost always create delays. Picking the server closest to you helps minimize latency and makes the game feel more responsive.
Pro tip: In your game’s settings, look for the option to pick a server or region. Always select the closest one geographically for the lowest ping.
6. Update your router firmware
Your router works like the traffic controller for all internet activity in your home. If it’s running on outdated firmware, it may not handle traffic efficiently and could cause slowdowns or instability. Manufacturers release firmware updates to fix bugs, boost performance, and patch security flaws. Without these updates, you might experience lag even if your internet plan is fast.
Pro tip: Log into your router’s settings page (check your router’s manual for instructions) and update the firmware regularly to keep it secure and performing well.
7. Reduce network congestion
Even with fast broadband, you might still experience lag during peak hours when lots of people in your area are online. This is called network congestion, and it can also happen in your own home if too many devices are active at once. Congestion means your connection slows down temporarily because there’s too much traffic moving across the same network.
Pro tip: If your router supports Quality of Service (QoS), turn it on and set gaming as a priority. This ensures your games get the bandwidth they need even when others are streaming or downloading.
8. Restart your router regularly
Routers are always on, and over time they can slow down or run into temporary glitches. Restarting your router clears its memory, resets the connection to your internet provider, and can instantly fix small issues that cause lag. It’s a simple habit that can keep your internet running smoothly without having to call your ISP.
Pro tip: Restart your router once a week for best performance. You can even plug it into a smart outlet and set it to reboot automatically at night.
9. Upgrade your hardware
Even the fastest internet plan can feel slow if your equipment can’t handle it. Older routers may not support modern WiFi standards like WiFi 6, which provide faster, more reliable connections. Worn-out Ethernet cables or outdated network cards can also hold you back. Upgrading your hardware ensures you’re getting the most out of your internet service and helps reduce lag across all your devices.
Pro tip: Upgrading to a newer router, ideally one that supports WiFi 6 or mesh systems, can make a noticeable difference to your speed and reliability.
All of our broadband deals come with superfast Hub 3, Hub 4, or Hub 5 routers capable of supporting all of the speeds we offer – from 125Mbps to 1Gbps and beyond.
10. Upgrade your broadband package
Sometimes, the problem isn’t with your setup, it’s with the speed you’re paying for. If you’re regularly experiencing lag when you’re gaming, it may to be time to upgrade your broadband package to get that silky-smooth gameplay you’re after. While speed isn’t the same as ping, faster broadband packages give you more bandwidth, and having more headroom allows your connection to handle multiple tasks more smoothly, reducing your lag.
At Virgin Media, we’ve got a range of superfast and ultrafast broadband deals with speeds to suit every home – ranging from 130Mbps to 1Gbps and beyond when you go gigabit.
Not sure what you can get? Check out all of our broadband deals and enter your postcode to see what’s available in your area.
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