Does the reduced SBMM playlist in the Black Ops 7 beta really have better server latency? — It's not quite that simple

With the arrival of the open beta period for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, there's a curious detail which has emerged from players.

There's a pair of new "Open" playlists added, one Moshpit, one Search and Destroy, which reduce the impact of Skill Based Matchmaking (SBMM). Thoughts on whether this is good or bad aside, folks have been saying their ping (server latency on the in-game overlay) is lower in this playlist than the regular one.

Server connections are a sticky topic, mostly because it's not the same for any two people. Multiple factors go into it, including your own internet connection and how close you are to a server. Nevertheless, there seems to be something to it.

Yes, server latency IS lower on the Black Ops 7 reduced SBMM playlists... Sometimes

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What else would I be doing on a Sunday evening (as I write this) than playing the Black Ops 7 beta anyway? So I did a little investigating, and yes, it does seem to be accurate.

However, in my experience at least, it's not clear-cut. On one hand, there is definitely a better ping on the Open playlists versus the regular ones. But not every single match.

What sort of numbers am I seeing? On the standard Moshpit playlist, my server latency as recorded by the game is around 20ms. It varies between 19ms and 21ms, and at least while paying attention, it has been consistent at these values.

On the Open Moshpit playlist, this drops to 10ms or 11ms. However, while a lower latency is regular, it's not every single match. There have been three in about two hours of playing between each playlist, where the Open Moshpit matched the latency of the regular Moshpit.

What doesn't seem to happen at all, again, in my experience, is that the regular Moshpit latency ever drops as low as the Open Moshpit. All matches from this one are around that 20ms mark, without fail.

I'm not well versed enough in the nuance of server connections to suggest for sure what is happening. Could the fact that the game isn't having to apply its SBMM algorithms actually reduce the latency?

I don't know, and I don't know whether any of this will carry forward from the beta into the full release of Black Ops 7. But in a fast-paced, competitive multiplayer game like Call of Duty, every millisecond you can shave off your ping counts. The lower the number, the better time you're going to have.

Server latency isn't the only thing that matters, though, and I still have concerns over the netcode. But it's still a beta, so Activision gets the benefit of the doubt for now. But if you want the best, it looks like you need the Open playlists.

But be prepared, they seem to be extremely sweaty. All those anti-SBMM kids have flocked there to stomp on filthy casuals such as myself. Don't say I didn't warn you.