Whether you are a professional gamer or casually gaming in your free time, internet speed can significantly affect your overall gaming experience. A fast and stable network connection makes a big difference in every game, especially if you are competing against other players.
Hence, we prepared an article that you can read to find out what is the best Wi-Fi for gaming and how to get a lag-free online gaming experience. Let’s get started!
What Is the Best Wi-Fi for Gaming?
The Internet speed, latency as well as ping rate all have an impact on your gaming performance. For the best gaming experience, we recommend receiving an internet speed of at least 100 Mbps to prevent lagging during the gameplay.
The upload speed is not as essential for gaming but is very important if you are streaming. Also, the best Wi-Fi for gaming depends on the number of devices connected to your network.
The Best Wi-Fi for Gaming
For an optimal gaming experience, especially professional gaming, it is recommended to use fast and fiber-optic internet with minimal lags and buffering. Still, gaming on a high level is also possible if you use a wireless network.
However, it is necessary to know what is the best Wi-Fi for gaming to be able to play without any interruptions. Therefore, you must look at the Internet speed, latency, and ping rate.
Internet speed
Internet speed is a vital factor for consideration if you plan on gaming, especially if you are not the only one connected to the network.
The average internet broadband varies between 25-50 Mbps, but if you live in a larger household, a download speed of at least 150 Mbps is essential.
Regarding upload speed, only 1 Mbps is enough to play games properly. However, if you are streaming on large platforms or using servers to chat and coordinate with your teammates, then a fast upload speed of 5-10 Mbps is also recommended.
Latency and ping-rate
The latency, which measures the time the data needs to travel back and forth, is equally important for smooth gaming. This term describes the delay between your action as a gamer and what happens on the screen. In an ideal situation, the latency should be as close to 0 as possible.
How quickly your device will be able to get a response from your internet connection is known as the ping rate.
The ping rate is measured in ms, and for an excellent gaming experience without lags, the ping rate should vary from 1-40 ms. You need a strong and stable Wi-Fi signal to reduce the ping rate.
Jitter and packet loss
If your internet connection is poor, you may experience a jitter during gameplay which can impact your gaming performance. The same goes for packet loss, as it can lead to glitched video or frozen audio, impacting your gaming performance and deconcentrating you.
Therefore, a stable and fast network connection is a must, and we also recommend upgrading your router if possible.
Read More: What Equipment Is Needed for Fiber Optic Internet?
How to Improve Wi-Fi for Gaming
Online gaming with poor internet can lead to lag and buffering. Keep reading our article to learn more about improving your home network for better gaming. Here is what you can do:
- One thing to do is purchase a Wi-Fi extender to achieve better speed for gaming without moving your gaming setup
- Suppose you are not the only one connected to the network; in such a case, you will also need to improve your entire home network and optimize excellent internet speed for gaming and other online activities
- To boost your Wi-Fi signal, you can upgrade your router, reposition the router’s antennas, or switch to the 5 GHz band
- We recommend configuring your router’s Wi-Fi settings and adjusting them to prioritize gaming
- You can also purchase a gaming Wi-Fi router to configure it according to your online gaming needs and preferences
Additional tips
What else you can do:
- If given a choice in the game, connect to the nearest server for minimal latency
- Make sure your router’s firmware is up-to-date, check whether the router is working properly, and reset if necessary
- You may also need to switch to a better internet provider if nothing works
- Make sure there is a minimal physical distance between your router and your PC
To upgrade your internet speed for gaming, you can also upgrade the Ethernet cable, scan the device to see if any viruses cause issues, or disconnect all other devices from the network.
Doing so will allow you to download new games fast and update them as the developers release new updates in a few minutes.
Types of Games
Although Wi-Fi isn’t ideal for online gaming, a stable network connection and outstanding internet speed can lead to amazing gameplay. That said, the Internet requirements for an ultimate gaming experience also depend on the type of games you are playing.
For instance, if you are playing simple games, the Internet speed might not affect the game’s outcome. On the other hand, when it comes to first-person shooting games, if the Internet lags even for one second, it can make a difference in who wins, as the other player can eliminate you without you having a fair chance.
Connectivity issues and frequent lag times also decrease your gaming experience and can be very frustrating, so getting the right Wi-Fi for your gaming needs is important.
Also Read: How to Ping a Router
Conclusion
If you have been wondering what is the best Wi-Fi for gaming, hopefully, you were able to find all the details you need in our article.
Having the right wireless network for gaming will allow you to showcase your gaming skills, play together with your friends without any issues and even compete or stream without any lags and buffering.
By getting the right network for your needs, you can easily join the gaming community as a professional or casual gamer.