What Internet Speeds Do You Need for Gaming?

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Game lag occurs when there is a delay between the player's action and the game's server response. Slow internet connection or internet outages could be one of the most annoying things a gamer will experience. If your game is slow, the server will not respond immediately so if your opponent's game is faster, they have a much higher chance of winning. 

So What is Good internet speed for gaming?

Download speed and upload speed

Playing online games is not the most bandwidth-consuming activity. That's because in-game images are displayed by the graphics card in your PC or game console.   

internet speed for gaming

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The only information that has to come back through your internet connection is the keys and buttons the player presses. This means that even many modern games with high-definition graphics need download speeds of just around 3 Mbps to play online.

Since the game is interactive, you also have to consider the upload speed or the speed at which information from your computer travels to the remote server. What internet speeds do you need for gaming? Again, the upload speed you need is incredibly low, around 1–2 Mbps. Even a poor connection can often handle these speeds, which is why the upload speed often prevails after more important factors. 

It’s okay for gaming with 3 to 8 Mbps, but depending on how many people are using your internet and whether you’re using the internet for other activities at the same time, this can’t be enough. The speed of 50 to 200 Mbps is considered excellent.

If you want to have a consistent online experience, we suggest having a slightly better connection.

Because the actual speed requirements are so low, games and game systems often don't give specific recommendations, instead just require a "broadband internet connection". The FCC defines a broadband connection as having 25 Mbps download speeds and 3 Mbps upload speeds - more than enough for you to have multiple consoles playing online simultaneously.

For the good speed for gaming for a specific game, If you are not sure you have a broadband connection, you can take a speed test to be sure. Unfortunately, the speed requirements are unrelated to the important question for the online game: Latency. 

Benefits of low latency to gaming experience

Latency (as known as Ping) is the amount of time to send a signal from your device to a remote server and vice versa. The higher ping is, the less smoothly your game experience is.

When it comes to what internet speeds do you need for gaming, we can not ignore latency. It is impacted by many factors like the physical distance between you and the server, the number of routers your, and the type of connection you use. For example, fiber-optic cables are able to transmit data much faster than copper phone lines.

Many people think the speed at which your signals travel back and forth is your download speed or bandwidth, but it’s not. For example, downloading a movie over a 5 Mbps DSL connection takes much more time than over a 50 Mbps satellite connection. However, when playing online games, the DSL connection would be much more responsive, while the high latency of the satellite connection would cause so much lag. Good internet speed for gaming doesn’t necessary mean good latency.

internet speed for gaming

What Internet Speeds Do You Need for Gaming?

This emphasized that specific types of internet connections essentially have more latency than others. Satellite internet has the highest latency. Insulated cable connections have lower latency than uninsulated phone lines, while fiber optic cables have lower latency than both.

Why is faster internet better for gaming?

What internet speeds do you need for gaming?

Fast internet speed is important for gaming as many games require you to download game patches, frequent updates, or new files on your PC in order to keep playing. Besides, you also want fast speeds and low latency to play games smoothly.

If you’re playing the game Cyberpunk 2077, which has a file size of 70GB. Your internet speed also impacts how fast your computer will download these files.

How to Increase Speed WiFi Network While Playing Games 

1. Check your Internet speed and bandwidth

When it comes to speed for gaming, you need at least 15-20Mb / sec for your game to run at its best. But you also need to think about your bandwidth.

If you or others in your family are going to do other activities on the internet (like streaming movies, video chatting and web browsing) at the same time, it can do broadband. 

Activities like streaming videos and downloading files are especially large because they require a lot of data - a lot more practical than gaming. This can significantly slow down your internet and games if you don't have enough bandwidth to support them all. 

2. Aim for low latency

Network latency is the time it takes data to travel between its source and destination. The lower the latency, the better. If you're playing a game with high latency you can experience lad. The best combination is to have high-speed internet with low latency. What internet speeds do you need for gaming? Good latency is below 150 milliseconds. 20ms is considered excellent.

Spees test: What Internet Speeds Do You Need for Gaming?

So what causes the delay? Like bandwidth, latency is more dependent on your broadband connection. It is affected by your network hardware, the location, and the connection of the remote server and the router.

When data packets travel from source to destination, they are usually not directly online - they usually pass through different points along the route. The longer the route and the more stops you have to stop, the longer the delay. How far away from your router is from the computer/console also increases the latency.

3. Move the wifi transmitter closest to you

Items like walls, floors, furniture, and other objects can interfere with your wireless signal. Increase your WiFi signal and improve your connection line by moving your PC or console closer to your wifi transmitter.

If you find that you still experience lag, it will degrade, or there is no way you can move the router, try changing your gaming position. For example, put your console at a different angle. 

Wifi Connecion: What Internet Speeds Do You Need for Gaming?

You can also reduce signal interference from other household devices such as wireless speakers, microwaves, and portable chargers. This can help the wireless signal transmit a more direct stream to your device.

4. Close any unnecessary websites and programs

Bandwidth heavy websites like Netflix, YouTube, and downloading seriously affect your ping speed and latency. So after knowing what internet speeds do you need for gaming, you should Close any you may have running as this may affect your gaming performance.

Reducing the number of devices you have connected to WiFi can help. The more devices that are connected and using WiFi, the more bandwidth is required. You can even put your device in Airplane Mode while playing.

5. Connect your device to your router via an Ethernet cable

If you live in a home where you have to share a WiFi connection with family members or family members, it can be difficult to ask them to stop using the internet while you are gaming. You can try to squeeze a game tight whenever they're out of the house, or you can connect your device to the router via an Ethernet cable.

As long as your router is not the problem, this will greatly reduce your ping.

6. Play on the local server

Playing on a server in your country or countryside can dramatically decrease your ping. The closer the server is to you, the better your connection.

Learn What Internet Speeds Do You Need for Gaming?

7. Reboot your router

The wifi transmitter that has been in use for a while may become slow or free. The best way is to restart your wifi device. This can help to refresh your internet connection and possibly improve latency.

8. Replace your wifi device

Older wifi devices can affect your connection strength, speed and reliability. A router optimized for gaming might be the best choice. The gaming router has special features designed to enhance all the conditions required for gaming (including internet speed, ping speed, and latency). 

One special feature is Quality of Service (QoS), which allows you to prioritize internet traffic on your console so you can have the best gaming experience possible. After running a speed check and you know What internet speeds do you need for gaming, you should upgrade your router to speed up the connection.

9. Upgrade your broadband package

Better broadband is possibly the best and simplest way to reduce game latency and increase internet speed. Consider upgrading your broadband package to an option that offers better conditions for gaming. Sometimes, it could be that your particular area has a patchy WiFi signal so you can look for another broadband provider that offers a better, more reliable internet connection. 

Conclusion

So you’ve known what internet speeds do you need for gaming?  Internet speed, latency, and ping rate can all affect your gaming performance and are essential for taking your gaming to the next level. MySpeed can help you find the ideal Internet speed for gaming and reduce your latency to help take your gaming to the next level.