Good Gaming Internet Speeds Lead to Great Gaming Experiences
If you’re here, you don’t need us to tell you what a great gaming experience is. It may seem nearly impossible at times to get one when games take forever to load, or high latency is causing your avatar to turn too slowly. Maybe you’ve been disconnected one too many times, or once you do connect, your game lags because your roommate is busy watching Spiderman: No Way Home for the 10th time while the other is playing his own online match of the latest Madden. Whatever gets your gears grinding, a great gaming experience requires a good gaming internet speed. But what is that speed exactly?
With changes in both internet and gaming technology over the past few decades, getting a good gaming speed isn’t difficult to find these days, so you don’t have to be the one other players call out online for “lagging” or “breaking up.”
Defining Gaming Internet Speed Terms
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s make sure we’re in the same party regarding gaming terminology.
Download speed: Download speed has to do with how many megabits per second it takes to download information from a server. This references how fast a website loads, an email opens, or a song streams on a day-to-day basis. In gaming, download speeds reflect how quickly a game downloads or how long it takes a game to stream in HD. With a fast download speed, you can get right into the game without waiting too long. So, what is a good download speed for gaming? Gaming consoles have different minimum requirements for download speeds, but the average minimum requirement among all consoles is roughly 3 Mbps.
Upload Speed: While not as important, upload speed can still affect your gaming experience. Upload speed refers to how fast your console or computer sends data to a server. In everyday life, this involves sending emails or video conferencing. If you’re playing online, it’s how fast people can see you make your moves. Upload speeds can also affect Twitch streaming—faster uploads ensures your loyal subscribers aren’t left waiting. But what’s considered a good upload speed for gaming? That number falls anywhere between 0.5 to 1 Mbps.
Ping rate: After your device sends data to the server, your internet connection needs to respond. This is known as ping rate, which is measured in milliseconds (ms). The higher the ping rate, the longer it takes for your internet to respond, the likelier you’ll experience lag or latency. Latency can affect your success during an MMO or FPS game, so you’ll want to ensure your ping rate is reasonable. Any ping rate under 20 ms is exceptional for online gaming.
What Internet Speed is Good for Gaming?
It’s important to remember that the minimum requirement doesn’t necessarily mean best or ideal. With the bare minimum, you also run the risk of having high ping rates, causing you to lag at the worst time. A faster internet speed will have your download and upload speeds at a much higher rate while keeping your ping rate low. We recommend starting at 300 Mbps and then going up from there depending on your setup.With minimum download and upload speed requirements at 3 Mbps and 1 Mbps, respectively, why are internet providers offering such high speeds for their internet service? Keep in mind internet speed is different from download and upload speed. For example, a 300 Mbps internet plan really offers download speeds of roughly 38 Mbps. Also, one router usually has multiple devices connected to it, impacting your gaming internet speed across all devices. You can never have enough smart assistants in your home and you can’t call yourself a real gamer if you don’t have a Playstation, Nintendo, and Xbox console connected, right? Whatever your layout is, you want to ensure that you have the best gaming internet speed for the ideal online gaming experience.
You’ve Got the Speed, But You’re Still Lagging
Your teammates are relying on you to get the final score, and just when you’re about to take your shot, your avatar stalls, then skips, then stalls again. You end up losing the match and the game because you lagged. But you got the right internet speed for gaming, so what gives? There may be other reasons your game is still lagging. Let’s go over what they could be and what you can do to fix them.
Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet: Gaming over Wi-Fi isn’t the worst idea, but it can cause delays in your gameplay. If you have the option to connect directly into your router, you’re less likely to suffer from high latency. If you still prefer a wireless connection, make sure your console and router are close to each other, diminishing delay in data transmission.
Disconnect devices from the router: You may have more connected devices to your router than you need. If you’re experiencing lag, make sure you disconnect any device that might be using bandwidth passively. Disconnect tablets and phones from the Wi-Fi if not in use to ensure more bandwidth is available for your online gaming.
Update your devices and check your connections: Because gaming and internet technology moves quickly, there may be firmware updates that you will need to implement to keep your game running. Make sure you update your consoles, computers, and even your router, so you’re only using the latest firmware on your devices. If you’re hardwired, check that all wires are fully connected and functional.
Upgrade your ISP: If all these fixes are still not working for you, it may be time to upgrade your ISP. A new ISP can make your internet connection more reliable, and with faster speeds available, you can play games in peace without further interruptions.
Where Does Windstream Come In?
Kinetic by Windstream offers good internet speeds for gaming any avid gamer can appreciate. With plans up to multi Gig speeds, you can ensure your gaming experience doesn’t suffer from latency and lousy connection. And with the 30-day money-back guarantee, if it’s not living up to your gaming standard, you can get a refund for the equipment and services. Find the plan that works with your setup today.