Low latency in cloud gaming: keys to a seamless experience

Latency is a critical challenge for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), especially in the context of cloud gaming.

This technical issue affects the user experience directly, impacting quality of service and customer satisfaction. In this post, we delve into the importance of latency, how ISPs can reduce it and how InterNexa is using specialized infrastructure to optimize connectivity and improve the cloud gaming experience.

The Importance of Latency in Cloud Gaming

Latency is the time it takes for a data packet to travel from its source to its destination across the network. In the case of cloud gaming, where game processing and execution takes place on remote servers, low latency is crucial to ensure a smooth experience. When latency is high, players experience input lag, desynchronization between what they see on screen and their movements, and lag, which compromises competitiveness and satisfaction.

Cloud gaming puts a strain on ISP infrastructure due to the large amount of data that must be transmitted in real time. This requires a high-quality connection, both in terms of speed and latency. Operators need to be aware of how latency affects the user experience and how to optimize their network to deliver the best possible performance.

How InterNexa reduces latency with specialized infrastructure

The Impact of Internet Speed and Latency

In the context of cloud gaming, latency depends not only on internet speed, but on multiple technical factors. Adequate bandwidth is necessary to support large volumes of data, but higher transmission capacity does not always translate directly into lower latency. Latency can be affected by data routing, network congestion and the quality of the underlying infrastructure.

InterNexa has invested in advanced network infrastructure that improves bandwidth, optimizes data routing and minimizes congestion points, ensuring lower latency for cloud gaming services. This is achieved through the use of low-latency fiber-optic networks, direct connections to data centers and advanced routing technologies such as SD-WAN.

SD-WAN: Efficient Routing and Route Optimization

Data routing is a critical factor in latency. Routing decisions are responsible for determining the time it takes for data to travel through the network, and the use of sub-optimal routes can increase latency significantly. SD-WAN (Software Defined Wide Area Network) allows ISPs to select more efficient routes based on real-time connection quality, thus optimizing network performance.

By implementing SD-WAN, InterNexa can route gaming traffic through the fastest available routes, which significantly reduces latency, especially during traffic peaks. This dynamic route optimization also allows for efficient management of traffic variations and ensures a consistent and uninterrupted user experience.

Fiber optics to minimize latency

Fiber optics is a key component of InterNexa's infrastructure, and is crucial for reducing latency in cloud gaming. Unlike traditional cable or DSL connections, fiber optics offers much faster data transmission with less signal loss, which significantly reduces latency time. This technology is ideal to support the high real-time data demand typical of cloud gaming, where gamers require fast and stable connections to avoid interruption of their experience.

Factors affecting latency at ISPs

For ISP operators, it is crucial to understand the factors that affect latency. These include available bandwidth, data routing, network congestion and connection quality.

Network routing and congestion

Latency can be affected when data follows long or congested routes, which increases transmission time. Network congestion occurs when traffic exceeds the capacity of available resources, resulting in delays in sending data.

For ISPs, optimizing network routing and reducing congestion is key to reducing latency. InterNexa addresses this problem through the use of SD-WAN solutions, which optimize traffic in real time and select the fastest, congestion-free routes.

Connection quality and fiber technology

The quality of the network infrastructure is also a determining factor in latency. The use of fiber optics and other high quality technologies are essential to reduce delay times. In addition, the distance between the server and the user, along with the number of hops (intermediate nodes), also influences latency.

Reducing latency with local infrastructure

An increasingly common strategy is to locate data centers close to end users. By placing servers closer to players, ISPs can reduce the distance data must travel, which lowers latency and improves the quality of experience.

Measuring and monitoring latency

For ISPs, it is essential to measure and monitor latency on an ongoing basis to identify potential problems and take corrective action. Common tools for measuring latency include ping and traceroute, which allow operators to see how long it takes for a data packet to travel through the network and the path it follows.

Latency is measured in milliseconds (ms), and constant evaluation of this indicator is crucial for identifying bottlenecks and adjusting the network infrastructure accordingly.

Strategies to reduce latency

ISPs can adopt several strategies to minimize latency, such as:

• Use of fast DNS servers: high-speed DNS servers help resolve game server addresses quickly, which improves latency.
• Network routing optimization: by using advanced technologies such as SD-WAN, operators can select the fastest routes and optimize traffic in real time.
• QoS (Quality of Service) implementation:prioritization of critical traffic, such as player data, can ensure that gaming services have the necessary bandwidth for a smooth experience.