What Is a Good Internet Speed for Gaming?

We all know the feeling—you’re about to start a gaming session with your friends and your internet suddenly starts lagging, or you’re in the middle of an intense battle and your connection starts acting up. Don’t worry, we’re here to help—in this article, we’ll talk about what internet speed is and what is a good internet speed for gaming, and give you some tips on how to get the best connection for your gaming needs.

So, whether you’re a casual gamer or a competitive pro, read on to find out everything you need to know about getting the best internet speed for gaming.

What Is Internet Speed and How Internet Speed Works?

Simply put, internet speed refers to how fast your connection can download or upload data, which is usually measured in megabits per second (Mbps)—the higher the number, the faster your connection. It’s very important to have good internet speed for gaming, because the faster your connection, the less likely you are to experience lag.

Lag can be caused by a number of things, but most often it’s due to slow internet speeds. When you’re playing a game, your computer is constantly sending and receiving data from the game server. If your internet speed is too slow, the data can get jammed and cause your game to dawdle. Your internet speed is determined by a few factors, including:

• The type of internet you have (cable, DSL, fiber, etc.)
• The speed of your internet service provider (ISP)
• The quality of your home’s Wi-Fi connection
• The number of devices connected to your network

“What is my internet speed,”you ask? You can easily check it using internet speed test websites like SpeedTest, Fast.com, SpeedCheck, or others.

What Is a Good Internet Speed for Gaming?

Now that we know what internet speed is, let’s talk about what a good upload speed for gaming is. When it comes to online gaming, you want to have a fast and stable connection, which requires an internet speed of at least 25 Mbps

However, if you’re looking to get the most out of your online gaming experience, we recommend having an internet speed of 50 Mbps or higher. With a connection that fast, you’ll be able to play most games without any lag or connection issues. Overall, the best Mbps for gaming is:

• Download speed: 15–25 Mb/s
• Upload speed: 5 Mbit/s
• Ping rate: Below 50 ms

What Is a Good Internet Speed for Different Devices and Games?

Different gaming systems require different speeds. It mostly depends on the gaming system you’re using, and the type of game you’re playing. For example, the internet speed for gaming on PC might vary from the internet speed you need for playing on PlayStation 4/5 or Xbox One:

 1.Different Types of Consoles

Take a look at the table below to discover the internet speed requirements of different gaming consoles:

 2. Different Types of Games

Different types of games require different internet speeds as well:

• First-Person Shooting Game

“Shooters” are video games centered around gun and other weapon-based combat from a first-person perspective (the player experiences the action through the eyes of the protagonist). Popular examples of games of this type include Halo, Gears of War, Call of Duty, Destiny, and Overwatch. So, how much Mbps for gaming do these games require?

For first-person shooters, you’ll need an internet speed of at least 25 Mbps, as they’re fast-paced and require quick reactions. If your connection is too slow, you’ll likely experience lag, which can be frustrating and make it hard to play the game.

• Fighting Games

Fighting games or PVP games are a video game genre where two on-screen characters fight each other. Some examples of fighting games are Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Tekken, and Super Smash Bros. For fighting games, you’ll need a good download speed for gaming of at least 50 Mbps. Like first-person shooters, fighting games are fast-paced and require quick reactions, so a slow connection can cause lag and make the game unplayable.

• Real-Time Strategy

Real-time strategy (RTS) games like Warcraft, Total War: Rome III, and StarCraft are video games where the player has to control units and resources to build a base, produce troops, and defeat an opponent. For real-time strategy games, you’ll need an internet speed of at least 50 Mbps, as they require a lot of data to be transferred between the game server and your console or PC. So, if you’re wondering does download speed affect gaming, keep in mind that it absolutely does—if your connection is slow, you’ll have problems playing real-time strategy games.

• Sandbox

Sandbox games give the player a large amount of freedom to choose how to play the game, and some examples of these include Minecraft, Terraria, and Starbound. For sandbox games, you’ll need an internet speed of at least 25 Mbps. Although they’re not as fast-paced as other types of games, sandbox games still require a stable connection. If your internet connection is unstable and slow, you may experience some lag, but it probably won’t be as bad as with other types of games.

• Role-Playing Games

For gamers who love to immerse themselves in other worlds, a good internet speed for gaming is important, and should be fast enough to load these large files quickly. Requiring an internet speed of at least 25 Mbps, some examples of action RPGs are: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Final Fantasy XV, and Witcher III. If your connection is too slow, you may experience some lag, but it probably won’t be as bad as with other types of games.

• Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO)

Massively multiplayer online games are video games that can be played by a large number of people at the same time. Some examples of MMOs are: World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV, and Guild Wars II. For these, you’ll need an internet speed of at least 4 Mbps. If you’re gaming on PlayStation, the connection speed shouldn’t be below 3Mbps. MMOs require a significant amount of data to be sent from the game server to your game console or PC. If your connection is sluggish, you’ll most likely experience lag, and we already know how frustrating that can be.

Key Takeaways

How to Speed Up Your Internet for the Best Gaming Experience?

There are a few things you can do to speed up your internet and get the best online gaming experience.

Use an Ethernet Cable

If you’re using a Wi-Fi connection, switch to an Ethernet cable for a better gaming experience. Ethernet cables provide a faster and more stable connection than Wi-Fi, whether we’re talking about internet speed for gaming PC or console.

Close Background Programs

Before you start gaming, close any background programs you’re not using to free up bandwidth and get more resources for gaming.

Update Your Graphics Drivers

Out-of-date graphics drivers can cause lag and other performance and response issues, so make sure you update them before you start gaming.

Use a Game Booster

A game booster is a software program that can optimize your system settings for gaming. Some of the best game boosters are Razer Cortex, Game Booster, and Wise Game Booster.

Use a VPN

Another take on how to speed up your internet is to use a VPN. A good VPN can reduce lag by sending your data through a server closer to the game server. This can reduce the amount of time it takes for the data to travel from your computer to the game server.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a decent internet speed for gaming, you should aim for at least 25 Mbps. However, if you want to be on the safe side, you should go for 50 Mbps. With these speeds, you’ll be able to enjoy your games without any lag or interruption, just make sure you know how much Mbps for gaming is needed on different consoles. So, there you have it! Now get out there and frag some noobs—but make sure your internet can handle it first!