# Hats GO - Load Up. Lock In.

> You'll need a new excuse for your K.D.R.

***

## The Problem

Lag kills more than bad aim.

Every competitive player knows the pain: you peek first, you die first. Your crosshair was on their head-server says otherwise. That 80ms routing through three different carriers? It's giving your opponent the advantage.

**Peeker's disadvantage.** Bad hit registration. Rollback eating your inputs. When milliseconds decide matches, your network is part of your loadout.

Most "gaming" solutions add hops, encryption overhead, or tunnel you through oversubscribed servers. That's not optimization-it's a handicap.

***

## What Is Hats GO (Gaming Optimized)?

**Hats GO** is competitive-grade routing.

Not a VPN. Not a tunnel. Not a magic button.

We build direct network paths to major game infrastructure through strategic Internet Exchange peering. Your traffic hits the game server faster because we eliminated the detours-not because we wrapped it in extra layers.

* **Direct IX peering** at HKIX, JPIX, DE-CIX, AMS-IX
* **BGP-level optimization**-no encryption overhead
* **Sub-30ms or nothing** to major competitive servers
* **99.99% uptime** with automatic failover

Think of it as a dedicated lane on the information highway. Same road, better path.

***

## The Numbers

When your ping is the difference between clutching and choking.

> **Global Backbone RTT (Realtime)**
>
> For the full auto-updated RTT matrix across our PoPs (Backbone measurements), see: [Backbone
> Latency Matrix](/docs/network/latency)

| Route                 | Standard Path (Ping / Loss) | Hats GO (Ping / Loss) | Overall Improvement |
| --------------------- | --------------------------- | --------------------- | ------------------- |
| Hong Kong → Singapore | 60\~200ms / 4\~8%           | 30\~45ms / \<1%       | \~74%               |
| Hong Kong → Tokyo     | 80\~150ms / 3\~7%           | 45\~55ms / \<1%       | \~60%               |
| Hong Kong → Taipei    | 30\~80ms / 2\~5%            | 15\~30ms / \<1%       | \~61%               |
| Hong Kong → Seattle   | 150\~200ms / 8\~15%         | 130\~150ms / 1\~2%    | \~28%               |
| Hong Kong → Frankfurt | 200\~270ms / 10\~20%        | 150\~170ms / 1\~3%    | \~42%               |
| Hong Kong → Sydney    | 150\~200ms / 8\~12%         | 120\~150ms / 1\~2%    | \~30%               |

> **How We Calculate Improvement**
>
> To account for the severe impact of packet loss on gaming (rubberbanding and desync), we calculate the improvement based on **Effective Latency**, which factors in the penalty of packet retransmission.
>
> **Variables:**
>
> * **$E$**: Effective Latency
> * **$P$**: ICMP Latency (Base Ping)
> * **$L$**: Packet Loss Rate
> * **$std$ / $go$**: Subscripts for Standard Path and Hats GO
>
> **1. Effective Latency Base Formula:**
>
> ```math
> E = \frac{P}{1 - L}
> ```
>
> **2. Improvement Calculation:**
>
> ```math
> I = \left(1-\frac{P_{go} \times (1 - L_{std})}{P_{std} \times (1 - L_{go})} \right) \times 100\%
> ```

\* Measured from HKG PoP. Your mileage varies based on location and last-mile conditions.

***

## How It Works

### Direct Peering

We don't ask intermediaries for favors. We're plugged directly into the same exchanges where game publishers host their infrastructure.

| IX Location | Publishers On-Site              |
| ----------- | ------------------------------- |
| **HKIX**    | Tencent, Garena, Riot SEA       |
| **JPIX**    | Square Enix, Sega, Bandai Namco |
| **DE-CIX**  | EU game servers, Ubisoft EU     |
| **AMS-IX**  | Valve EU, EA EU                 |

Fewer hops = fewer milliseconds = fewer excuses.

### Route Engineering

Our BGP policies don't leave routing to chance.

* **Community tagging** - Game traffic gets priority paths
* **Local preference** - IX routes over transit, always
* **AS-path control** - Inbound optimization for symmetric latency

This is network engineering at the protocol level. No added latency from encryption or tunnel termination.

### Qos

Raw speed means nothing if your packets arrive inconsistently.

| Metric           | Target |
| ---------------- | ------ |
| Packet Loss      | \<0.1% |
| Jitter           | \<2ms  |
| Latency Variance | \<5%   |

Stable ping matters more than low average ping. A consistent 35ms beats a spiky 25-60ms every time.

***

## By Game Type

Different games. Different demands. Same standard.

| Genre             | Examples             | Target Latency | Why It Matters                                                             |
| ----------------- | -------------------- | -------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **FPS**           | CS2, Valorant, Apex  | Sub-30ms       | Peeker's advantage. Hit reg. When every frame counts in a duel.            |
| **Fighting**      | SF6, Tekken 8, GBVSR | Sub-16ms       | Rollback netcode works best with minimal delay. Frame-perfect inputs.      |
| **MOBA**          | Dota 2, LoL          | Sub-50ms       | Skill-shot timing. Team fight responsiveness. No stutter on clutch plays.  |
| **Battle Royale** | PUBG, Fortnite       | Sub-40ms       | Position updates. Hit registration at range. Circle closure reaction time. |

> **References for Competitive Latency Ceilings**
>
> Epic describes \<=20ms as “good” latency, 20-100ms as “acceptable”, and >=100ms as “poor” for Fortnite.
>
> Source: [Epic Games: Understanding latency or ping in Fortnite](https://www.epicgames.com/help/fortnite-battle-royale-c-202300000001636/technical-support-c-202300000001719/fortnite-latency-and-ping-troubleshooting-a202300000010042)

***

## Coverage

Hats GO routes available at these PoPs:

**Asia-Pacific**

* Hong Kong (HKG)
* Tokyo (NRT)
* Singapore (SIN)

**Europe**

* Frankfurt (FRA)
* Amsterdam (AMS)

**North America**

* Los Angeles (LAX)
* New York (NYC)

Contact sales for availability in your region.

***

## FAQ

### Is this a VPN?

No. Hats GO operates at the network routing level-BGP peering and direct IX connections. There's no encryption overhead, no tunnel wrapping, no additional hops. Your traffic travels natively over optimized paths, not through a middleman server.

### Will this lower my ping?

If you're on a suboptimal route to game servers where we have peering, yes-often significantly. If you're already geographically close with good routing, improvements may be marginal. We can run latency tests from your location before you commit.

### Does this work with my ISP?

Hats GO is delivered through BGP peering or IP transit arrangements-typically for businesses, data centers, or esports venues. Residential access varies by region and ISP partnership. Contact sales to discuss your specific setup.

### Which games benefit most?

Any latency-sensitive multiplayer title. FPS and fighting games see the most dramatic improvements due to their frame-level precision requirements. MOBAs and battle royales benefit from consistent routing and reduced jitter.

### Is this legal for competitive play?

Yes. Hats GO uses standard internet routing protocols-no packet manipulation, no artificial lag reduction, no circumvention of regional restrictions. It's optimized connectivity, not a circumvention tool.

### Can I try it first?

Qualified business customers can request latency measurements and trials. Contact our sales team with your location and target game servers-we'll show you the numbers before you buy.

***

> **Ready to Crank It Up?**
>
> **[Contact Sales](#contact)** to discuss Hats SR for your media workflows.
>
> Hats Network Inc. (AS203314): &#x2A;[Imagine a world where network connectivity is seamless, secure and accessible to everyone.](/about)*

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## License and attribution

- **Canonical source:** [View the human-readable HTML page](https://hatsnet.io/docs/services/gaming-optimized).
- **Original documentation:** © Hats Network Inc., licensed under [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).
- **Full terms:** [Content and Data License](https://hatsnet.io/docs/legal/content-and-data-license) — includes attribution requirements, third-party material, trademarks, source code and other exclusions.