What does NAT type mean for online gaming?

NAT type isn’t always an issue, and depends on how your network is configured.

By Ben Stegner Nov. 7, 2026 5:30 pm EST Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock Add Engadget on Google: Google Discover

Inside an online game's settings or on your console you may have seen the NAT Type field and wondered what it meant. In some cases, you might even get a warning that your NAT type is strict and that matchmaking will be affected.

In many cases, this is more informational than anything you need to act on. If your game is working fine in matchmaking and voice chat, then adjustments shouldn't be necessary. But if your network is configured poorly for gaming and you keep getting disconnected or seeing errors, you should make some changes to avoid performance issues. Let's look over what NAT type means, how it affects you and what you can do to adjust it.