With most of the world under a lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, gaming has emerged as a leading form of entertainment. From visually stunning graphics to gripping storylines and high-octane action, video games let you step into a fantastic world, which is why they are so popular. Whether you’re new to the world of gaming or having been proudly shredding enemies for years, you should note that one of the most important aspects for an immersive gaming experience is good internet. In this article, we’ll take you through all the reasons you need to ensure you’ve got great internet speed, as well as what the right speed range for your needs is. Keep reading!
How does internet speed impact your gaming experience?
Your internet speed, or lack thereof, tends to impact your latency. Latency refers to the lag-time that you experience while gaming. If you’ve ever pressed the right keys for an action but noticed that there was a delay in the action being carried out on screen, it’s mostly because of lag. This can disrupt the entire flow of the game, and even lead to negative outcomes like losing or missing out on a crucial shot. High speed internet can help you avoid the perils of latency and let you enjoy a great gaming experience.
Choosing between fiber, DSL, and cable internet
The type of internet connection you have can also impact the overall speed you experience. In general, fiber internet connections are considered to be the best options for gaming as you can enjoy good upload and download speeds and don’t have to share your bandwidth. As a result, you don’t have to end up dealing with lag just because your neighbors are all using the internet at the same time. If you’re wondering about the internet speed that you can expect with a fiber connection, note that you can get pings in under 20ms, which is quite fast.
Having said that, fiber can be an expensive option for some people, and if that’s the case for you, then you can opt for a cable connection. Some of the leading cable internet providers offer speeds up to 1 Gpbs, which should be sufficient for your gaming needs. The only downside of a cable connection is that you do have to share the bandwidth with your neighbors. As a result, your internet speeds can vary when others are using the connection. Even with this, however, you should expect a ping time that ranges from 20ms to 50ms, which isn’t bad. Just make sure that the connection you choose has a good download speed.
DSL connections can be quite handy for gaming, but only if you’re in close proximity to the service provider. This is because the quality of the internet decreases the further you are from the source, as the signal is typically transferred via copper lines. This means that your ping time can range from 100ms – 300ms, which is significantly lower than what you can expect from fiber and cable connections. DSL connections are appropriate for those with very basic needs and not really ideal for gamers who want absolutely no latency.
Finally, keep in mind that most consumers can also opt for fixed wireless connections and satellite internet, but the two do not offer a connection that’s good enough for gaming. The internet quality over fixed wireless connections can vary with the weather and the number of people accessing the connection, which is why gamers will find them inadequate. Satellite connection, similarly, will have a high latency.
How much internet speed is needed for a great gaming experience?
The answer to this depends entirely on your needs. If you’re planning to live-stream your gaming on apps like Twitch, then you’ll certainly need a higher internet speed so that your audience can enjoy watching your game without lags. As a general rule, you can opt for a 5 Mbps speed when using a 720 pixels resolution, or a 10 Mbps speed when using a 1080 pixels resolution. Of course, these are the minimum speed ranges and it’s always better to get an internet connection with higher speed than this.
Similarly, there are different speed ranges for you to consider if you’re planning to indulge in online gaming. Different games have varied data consumption, so before you pick your internet connection, you need to determine what you play the most. For instance, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 may consume around 40 MB/hr. for a smooth gaming experience, but Fallout may need 60 MB/hr. Fornite requires around 45-100 MB/hr., while League of Legends takes up around 30-200 MB/hr. As you can see, it truly depends on the games you play.
Finally, before determining how much speed is needed for gaming, you must also consider whether you plan to host games. If so, if you’re playing on a dedicated server, you don’t have to worry too much about your overall speed. But, if you’re using a peer-to-peer connection, you’ll need high internet speed to be able to handle all the data.
For an average gamer who isn’t planning to host, we recommend that you pick a connection that offers an upload speed of 1-3 Mbps per gamer in your home and download speed of 5-12 Mbps.
How do downloads fit into the picture?
Many games require updates from time to time and, more often than not, you must download large chunks of files to access these updates. A single patch can take up anywhere between a few MBs to a few GBs, which is why picking a data connection that offers a high monthly-download rate is essential. This is because many service providers slow down the internet speed once you exceed your downloads/data consumption.
Now that you know how internet speeds can impact gaming, and the factors that you need to consider before picking an internet connection, you should be ready to build a formidable gaming area in your home.