Ever been in an online FPS game and felt like your shots didn’t register? You know you dinked that player’s head but, for some unknown reason, you’re the one respawning instead. No, you’re not seeing things; you’re possibly just a victim of a server’s tick rate. Tick Rate is a common term you’ll hear associated with highly competitive online games, especially those in the FPS genre like Counter-Strike and Valorant. But, what is Tick Rate, and how is Counter Strike 2 handling it?
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Counter-Strike 2 Tick Rate Changes Explained
Tick Rate is, essentially, the frequency at which a server processes updates and information in a game. Tick rate is measured in hertz (Hz), and a higher tick rate means the player receives that information at a faster rate. Inputs from players are recorded and sent back to them in extremely short time intervals, or “ticks”.
Many competitive games utilize high tick rates to ensure the most accurate and responsive experience possible for players, and it’s easy to see the importance of them, even outside of the professional esports scene.
CS:GO servers commonly run at a tick rate of 64 Hz, though third-party servers may bump it up to 128 Hz, which is some of the fastest speeds in online gaming. Though most players would never notice, there are occasional hiccups in responsiveness when a player’s input is recorded between two “ticks.” Though this window of time is a literal fraction of a millisecond, it’s still possible when hundreds of inputs are being sent to the server every minute.
Counter-Strike 2 is aiming to solve this problem by introducing “sub-ticks” – a new update architecture that promises equally responsive moving, shooting, and ‘nade throwing regardless of your tick rate.
CS2 servers will be able to calculate your precise actions between ticks and are able to record the exact moments you’ve fired your weapon, jumped, peeked a corner, and all other necessary inputs. With this new server architecture, Valve states that tick rate will no longer matter, giving players the most responsive and accurate experience in Counter-Strike history.
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For more information on Counter Strike 2, check out our other guides and tips here at Prima Games.
