- US median latency
- 25.7 ms (Starlink, peak hours)
- Ookla median
- 39 ms (Q1 2026, not ours)
- Handover
- Latency shifts every 15 s (not ours)
- Competitive FPS
- A handicap vs wired players
Gaming verdict
Logger not started yet
GamingEvening pingNot measured yetWhy this rating
Our measurement: none yet.
Published figures: APNIC’s Geoff Huston measured latency shifting every 15 s as satellites hand over, with about 6.7 ms average jitter. Fine for most games; a handicap in competitive shooters.
When the logger runs, this card grades one Residential connection at the owner’s home. It will never be a regional average. How we measure.
Starlink ping: the published numbers
None of these numbers are ours yet. The owner’s logger hasn’t produced a month of evening data, so this page uses Starlink’s and third parties’ figures, labeled.
| Figure | Value | Who says |
|---|---|---|
| US median latency at peak hours | 25.7 ms | Starlink |
| Fewer than 1% of US measurements above | 55 ms | Starlink |
| Stated goal | 20 ms median | Starlink |
| Broadband label, typical latency | Starlink's FCC broadband label CSV lists typical latency 25-50 ms in the continental US, 60-90 ms outside. | Starlink’s FCC label |
| US median, Q1 2026 | 39 ms | Ookla (not ours) |
| Lowest state medians, 2H 2025 | 37 ms | Ookla (not ours) |
Two things to know. First, Starlink’s current US spec sheet doesn’t list a latency number; it points to the coverage map instead (checked Oct 5, 2026). Second, these are pings to nearby servers. Your in-game ping adds the trip from Starlink’s ground station to the game’s server, which may be states away. Pick the closest server region in the game’s settings.
Why ping jumps every few seconds
Starlink satellites move fast, so your dish switches satellites on a schedule. APNIC researcher Geoff Huston measured the minimum latency changing every 15 s, with average jitter between pings of about 6.7 ms and long-term packet loss of a little over 1% (his measurements, not US-specific, not ours).
Most games smooth over that. Shooters don’t, because they reward whoever’s data arrives first. A handover in the middle of a fight can mean a shot that lands on your screen and not on the server. That’s the honest reason this page says “handicap” for competitive FPS, even when the average ping looks fine.
How each type of game holds up
A fit rating, not a ping promise. No per-game numbers here: they depend on where the game’s servers are and on your dish’s view of the sky.
| Game type | Fit on Starlink | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Turn-based, card and strategy | Great | Timing barely matters. |
| MMOs | Good | Built to hide normal latency; raids may notice a brief drop. |
| Co-op and survival | Good | You’re not racing another player’s reaction time. |
| Sports and racing | OK | Playable; ranked matches feel the jitter. |
| Fighting games | Mixed | Frame-precise timing; rollback netcode helps, jitter hurts. |
| Competitive shooters (ranked FPS) | Handicap | Handover jumps and short drops cost duels against wired players. |
| Cloud gaming | Mixed | Every button press makes the round trip; works for slower games. |
Starlink’s own plan card calls Residential 200 Mbps “great for streaming, gaming, and working remotely” (checked Oct 5, 2026). That’s true for most of this table. It isn’t true for the last rows if you play to win.
Which connection type is best for gaming?
Technology first, brands second. From best to worst for online games, if you can get them:
- Fiber. Lowest and steadiest latency, strong upload. If it’s available, take it.
- Cable. Low latency, steady most of the day; upload is weaker.
- Fixed wireless or 5G home internet with strong signal. Can be good; varies with signal and how busy the tower is.
- Low-orbit satellite (Starlink). Low average latency, but it moves with handovers and the sky view.
- High-orbit (geostationary) satellite. Latency is far too high for real-time online games.
Where you live decides which of these you can get. For rural options and speeds near you, that’s a separate question this site doesn’t cover.
NAT type and the session limit
Starlink Residential and Roam use CGNAT, so your console shares a public address and nothing outside can connect in. Consoles often report that as a Strict or Moderate NAT, or Type 3. Most matchmaking still works; hosting lobbies and some voice chat can struggle. Fixes in order.
CGNAT plans are also capped at 1,200 sessions at once, and Starlink lists gaming among the things that can break when a home hits it (checked Oct 5, 2026). A normal household rarely does; a house with lots of devices, downloads and torrents can.
Make it better
- Plug the console or PC in with Ethernet. Wi-Fi adds its own jitter on top of the satellite’s.
- Pick the nearest server region in the game, not “auto” if auto picks badly.
- Stop big downloads and uploads during matches. A game update or cloud backup on another device fills the line.
- Clear the sky view. Use the Starlink app’s obstruction check.
IT For your IT person: what to measure
- Watch jitter and loss, not just ping: a continuous ping to the game’s region over a full evening shows handover steps and short drops.
- Residential IPv4 is CGNAT (
100.64.0.0/10); IPv6 is native on all plans. Consoles that use IPv6 for peer connections may do better than IPv4 alone. - Starlink’s app Statistics page shows latency and outages when you’re on the Starlink router.
When this is the wrong choice
- You play ranked shooters seriously and fiber or cable reaches you. Take the wired line.
- You need to host game servers for friends. CGNAT blocks inbound connections on Residential. Options.
- The dish can’t see open sky. Obstructions cause the exact short drops games punish.
- Someone in the house uploads all evening. Without upload limits, the game loses.
Questions people ask
Is Starlink good for gaming?
For most games, yes: co-op, MMOs, sports and casual online play work well. For competitive shooters it’s a handicap, because latency shifts every few seconds as satellites hand over, and a wired fiber or cable player will usually see you a moment later.
What is Starlink’s ping?
Starlink reports a US median peak-hour latency of 25.7 ms, and says fewer than 1% of US latency measurements exceed 55 ms (June 2025 network update). (checked Oct 5, 2026). Ookla measured a 39 ms US median in Q1 2026 (third-party, not ours). Your in-game ping adds the distance from the ground station to the game server.
Is Starlink good for Fortnite or Call of Duty?
Playable, and many people do. In ranked or competitive modes, the small latency jumps from satellite handovers and occasional short drops put you at a disadvantage against wired players. For casual modes, most players won’t notice much.
What’s the best internet for gaming in rural areas?
Fiber if any provider offers it, then cable, then fixed wireless or 5G home internet with strong signal, then a low-orbit satellite service like Starlink. Older high-orbit satellite service is a poor fit for online games.
Why does my console say NAT Strict or Type 3 on Starlink?
Residential plans share addresses through CGNAT, so nothing outside can start a connection to your console. Most matchmaking still works. What it limits and how to fix it.
Sources
- Starlink network update (starlink.com/updates/network-update; text read from page bundle), checked Oct 5, 2026
- Starlink Specifications (US, published 2026-03-11), checked Oct 5, 2026
- Starlink Broadband Label CSV: Residential (linked from US 'Broadband Labels' doc), checked Oct 5, 2026
- Ookla: Starlink Hits New Highs in the U.S. (published 2026-05-05, modified 2026-06-23) (secondary), checked Oct 5, 2026
- Geoff Huston (APNIC), ISP Column: A Transport Protocol's View of Starlink (May 2024) (secondary), checked Oct 5, 2026
- Starlink US marketing availability API: Residential (invitationTypeCode=1, isoCountryCode=US), checked Oct 5, 2026
- What are CGNAT session limits and how do they affect my connection? (Starlink support), checked Oct 5, 2026