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Winning, losing, life and death are experiences that depend on a high-speed internet connection – especially when it comes to your favourite console or computer games. How often have you fallen victim to internet speeds, or heard a fellow gamer yell “lag”? Too many to be sure, so having the right internet speed is crucial to get the most out of your gaming experience, and whether you're an avid gamer or a part-time enthusiast, we're here to help! Read on to find out what you need to have the best gaming experience and ultimately answer the question, what is a good internet speed for gaming?
Before we get started, it's important to note that the following information should only be applied if you are currently living within the United States.
What Is a Good Internet Speed for Gaming?
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Answering this question depends on knowing the rate of three main factors that comprise your internet: download speed, upload speed, and latency/ping. Once you understand these three factors of your internet, you'll then be able to assess how much bandwidth you need for the absolute best gaming experience.
Download Speed
Download speed is measured in megabits per second (Mbps) and reflects how much data can travel from the server to your console or computer every second. For example, if you're using your phone to check your Facebook page, the download speed measures how long it will take the information on your page to travel from Facebook's server to your phone.
Generally, the best speed for most gaming sessions is clocked at 3 Mbps, but this figure can change depending on individual game manufacturers as well as the number of people playing at any given time. Download speed is also the fastest factor of your internet because most online activities consist of downloads, such as loading web pages, streaming videos, and installing programs.
When data needs to be transferred, download speed matters, so if your internet speed is lower than what we recommend, you may find in-game textures loading slowly as well as overall performance issues.
Upload Speed
If download speed is how fast data is pulled from the server, then upload speed is the complete reverse. Upload speed, also measured in ‘Mbps', is the speed at which data is being uploaded from your console or computer to the server. Using the Facebook page example again, your upload speed will measure how long it takes the data of your post to travel from your phone to Facebook's server.
For gaming, the best upload speeds are at least 1 Mbps, which is much higher than what regular online activities would need. This is because online gaming is continuously uploading information from your console or computer to the server as you play, and if you're playing a detailed first-person shooter, then that's a lot of data that needs to be sent quickly. You may want your upload speed to be higher than 1 Mbps during online multi-player gaming to send large files or video chat with teammates.
Latency/Ping
This is the final factor you need to consider in order to answer what is a good internet speed for gaming. Latency, or ‘ping' as gamers call it, refers to how fast your console or computer gets a response from your internet connection after you send a request or command. Basically, it's the delay between the action in the game and its display on your monitor or screen. So, latency actually has the biggest impact on the performance and response time of your online gaming experience rather than download or upload speed.
Latency is measured in milliseconds (ms), so the higher the number, the slower your gaming experience will be. Generally, a latency slower than 20 ms is ideal, but that may not always be possible depending on the overall latency of the server you're playing on.
A high ping will make your online multi-player experience a nightmare. If you're playing a fast-paced game, such as ‘Call of Duty' or ‘Mortal Kombat', then there is a strong chance a high ping will make your opponents' shots or hits register first. A high ping is what gamers most often rage about, so you want as little ping as possible, which is at least below 150 ms.
Best Internet Speed for Gaming per System
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Now that we've covered the 3 factors that make up your overall internet speed, we're getting closer to understanding what is a good internet speed for gaming. Below is a list of internet speeds required per gaming system. However, it is important to note that these speeds will vary between each system as every manufacturer has their own individual guidelines and recommendations.
The list below will only contain the minimum requirements for each gaming system, so we advise you to stay above these guidelines for the best gaming experience. Also, remember to increase your bandwidth depending on how many players are using your internet connection at the one time.
Computer (Minimum)
Xbox One (Minimum)
Playstation 4 (Minimum)
Nintendo Switch (Minimum)
Nintendo Wii U (Minimum)
We hope that this information has helped answer your question: what is a good internet speed for gaming? But read on to see how you can get even more out of your internet speed.
How to Improve Connection Speed
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If you find that you already have the best internet speed for gaming, but you're either still experiencing some in-game lag, or you need extra bandwidth, then below are some simple steps you can take to improve the overall performance of your internet connection.
Hard Wired Connection
Make sure to use an ethernet cord to directly connect your console or computer to your router or modem. This will ensure you're getting the most out of your internet speeds. WiFi is convenient, but it always runs at lower speeds than a hard-wired connection.
Shut Down Unnecessary Programs
Make sure to use an ethernet cord to directly connect your console or computer to your router or modem. This will ensure you're getting the most out of your internet speeds. WiFi is convenient, but it always runs at lower speeds than a hard-wired connection.
Shut Down Unnecessary Programs
All programs use up bandwidth, and some more than others. If you're running multiple programs whilst you're gaming, then you're more likely to experience performance issues with your internet speeds. If any program is demanding more bandwidth than necessary, shut it down to get the best gaming experience. This includes any programs that connect to the internet, such as messaging and email apps.
Turn Off Unnecessary Devices
Other devices connected to your main router or modem may increase the latency of your gaming sessions. Multiple devices can use up bandwidth, especially if those devices are playing games or streaming videos whilst you're gaming. Try turning off these devices and directly connecting your console or computer to the internet. You may see higher speeds and lower latency.
Test Your Internet Speed
It's important to test your internet's speed so you can see if you're experiencing any issues and if you then need to make any adjustments. If you're wondering how fast your internet speed is, there are many websites available online that can test your connection with a simple click.
What About Streaming?
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Streaming is an integral part of gaming in the modern age, especially as global platforms, such as Twitch, have enabled gamers to live-stream their gameplay to millions of fans around the world. However, you need the speed to support such an activity, and streaming requires much higher internet speeds than a regular gameplay session would. This is because your internet connection needs to communicate data between not only your device and display screen, but the third-party program you're using to live stream as well.
For this, hard-wired connections are crucial, and we'd recommend your upload speed be at least 4 Mpbs for a 720p stream. Obviously, this will need to be higher if you want to live stream in 1080p, which most streamers do. Download speeds don't have a significant effect on stream quality, and they are always higher than upload speeds. So, if your internet connection provides a consistent upload speed of 5 Mbps, then most likely your download speed will be at least 30-50 Mbps.
If you find that you need a complete increase in the performance of your internet speed, then the best place to start would be with your internet service provider (ISP). Many ISPs these days have plans and services that cater perfectly to the needs of any gamer in the 21st century.
The Verdict
The technology and the competitive gameplay surrounding modern gaming continues to develop and progress at an astonishing rate. It's never been more important to make sure you have the fastest internet speeds to guarantee the best gaming experience possible for yourself. Latency and download and upload speeds all affect the performance of your internet connection and are essential for taking your gaming to another level of enjoyment. We hope that the information and steps contained within this article has helped you answer the question: what is a good internet speed for gaming?
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