What is a Good Internet Speed for Gaming?

Tue, May 18, 2021 3:02 PM Internet Bundles cheap internet offers cheap internet plans

In gaming, why does internet speed matter?

Then lag or a glitchy response can be your biggest enemy when it comes to gaming. This particularly applies to games that rely on movement between players in real-time. Then the slightest disruption will end hours of dedicated gaming success if you are in mid-game.

For instance, if your actions unexpectedly start buffering when you're in the middle of a fast-paced battle, then you can find that you have not only been badly hit, but the game has also advanced without you until your connection has caught up to speed.

So, if you are looking for speed and a reliable internet connection for your gaming style, then you will want to bear in mind the speed (download and upload speed) and ping rate. These are the variables that contribute the most to game lag.

Download Speed vs. Upload Speed

You have probably noticed that when they advertise their offers, internet service providers place a lot of focus on download speed. If you're a gamer, however, then upload speed is just as important-it can also contribute to your gaming experience's quality.

What is the difference between the download speed and upload speed?

Download speed tests how much time it will take for data to travel to your gaming device from your computer.

On the other hand, upload speed refers to how much time it would take for data to travel to the server from your gaming device.

What's the ping rate like?

If you want to set yourself up with a lag-free connection, the ping rate, also referred to as latency, should also be considered.

What is a "ping rate"?

The ping rate is the speed at which the internet server interacts with your computer. This form of speed is calculated in milliseconds (ms). The greater the ping rate, the slower your connection is going to be, even if you have a fast download and upload speed.

Ideally, you want a 20 ms latency average, but you can play smoothly with 50 to 100 ms ping rates as well.

What is a good internet speed for gaming?

What is a decent gaming internet speed?

Although all gaming platforms and game styles vary, the following can be used as a general guideline for online gaming's minimum internet speed requirements:

1Mbps-speed of upload
Less than 150 MS-ping rate
3Mbps-velocity of download

Make a note that these conditions are only for a single player. If you plan to host multiple players at a time, then you can get better results from download speeds closer to 15-25Mbps per player. Alternatively, the number of players using the same Internet connection can also be multiplied by the minimum download speed requirement. So, if you have 4 players at home, to hit a recommended minimum download speed of 12Mbps, you'll multiply 4 by 3.

Minimum internet speeds you’ll need for:

PC/Mac

Required minimum upload speed - 0.75-1Mbps Maximum allowable ping rate – 100-150 ms Required minimum download speed – 3-6Mbps

PlayStation 4

Required minimum upload speed - Estimated 1Mbps Maximum allowable ping rate - Estimated 150 ms Required minimum download speed - Estimated 3Mbps

Xbox One

Required minimum upload speed - 0.5Mbps Maximum allowable ping rate - 150 ms Required minimum download speed - 3Mbps

Nintendo Switch

Required minimum upload speed - 1Mbps Maximum allowable ping rate - Estimated 150 ms Required minimum download speed - 3Mbps

If my Internet speed is too slow, what can I do?

Due to frozen screens and spotty actions, if you are tired of losing your games, then there are ways you can boost your internet and latency rates. Check out one of these tips:

Make sure that nothing else is hogging your bandwidth: Check to see if there are any other devices connecting to the same network in your house. This will hamper your internet speed if anyone has downloads or app updates going.
Use Wired Connection:* Instead of connecting to WiFi, which is much more vulnerable to interruptions, you can improve the performance of your network by connecting your console directly to your modem using a high-quality Ethernet cable.
Reset and Restart: When they are regularly reset, modems and routers perform better. If you notice that a once-reliable connection is suddenly lagging, then all you need to optimize your internet speed might be a good restart.
A game as close to the router as you can: If it's not possible to have a wired connection or maybe you're even if you are using the best compact gaming PC, tablet, or smartphone, you need close, unimpeded access to your router. This will help you get the best set of signals.
Update your internet plan: Your internet service sometimes does whatever it can. So, if you've tried all our proposed hacks, but when the action gets heated, your games are still buffered, then the only solution is to upgrade your internet connections. As well as a much-needed ping-boost, a quicker internet plan will give you the pace your sports needs.

Internet Providers Comparison

You're at the right place if you're looking to upgrade your internet plan so that you can get the fastest upload and download rates as well as low latency speeds. We will help you compare internet providers so that the best speeds allow you to get cheap internet.