Every gamer knows that online games can drive your internet bandwidth to its limits. It can be very frustrating when your internet suddenly starts lagging when you are focused on a game. Speed is an important factor when it comes to online gaming. However, what’s even more important is your internet latency. We are here to tell you how to improve your internet latency and choose the best speed for the ultimate gaming experience.
Download and Upload Speeds
Online games are not like streaming online videos; they don’t directly rely on the internet connection for streaming. The graphic card in your PC or game console is what is responsible for graphics rendering. The commands that the player gives to the game through the buttons and keys are what is transmitted through the internet connection. Most modern games, even the ones with very high-definition graphics, only require an internet download speed of 3 Mbps to play online. You should also consider your upload speed, which should be at least 1 to 2 Mbps since online games are interactive.
The following are the most popular gaming consoles and their required download and upload speeds. Nintendo Switch requires a minimum download speed of 3 Mbps and a minimum upload speed of 1 Mbps. To run smoothly, Xbox One needs a minimum of 3 Mbps of download speed as well, and a minimum of 0.5 Mbps upload speed. PlayStation 4 requires a standard of 2 Mbps download and upload speeds.
Steady Internet Connection
Although maximum speed is not required to run online games, a slightly better internet connection can improve your online gaming experience by miles. A stable internet connection is definitely necessary. If you live in a rural area in Ontario, you might struggle with your internet connection. So, it is recommended that you search for rural internet solutions to help you enjoy a smooth, uninterrupted online gaming experience. Consider systems with a download speed of at least 5 Mbps and an upload speed of 3 Mbps or more. As for your internet latency, it should also range between 50 and 100 ms. Gaming systems and games, in general, don’t have specific internet requirements, however, they do require “broadband internet connection.” According to the FCC, a broadband connection is one with a download speed of 25 Mbps and an upload speed of 3 Mbps. This allows for several game consoles to connect to the internet at the same time. You can take online internet speed tests to check your internet speed before running a game.
Low Latency
As we have mentioned earlier, low internet latency is very important when it comes to online gaming. Latency is basically a measurement of how long your device signals take to reach a remote service and return. It is also known as the “ping rate” because it is measured by sending out a “ping” of information and having it come back. Your online game will start to lag when your internet latency increases. The distance between your device and a server can affect your latency. Latency also ties to and connects the routers and the type of signals that your signal passes through. This is basically why online games have regional servers and are also how they work.
Latency is different from bandwidth or download speed. For instance, if you have a 5 Mbps DSL connection and a 50 Mbps satellite connection, streaming an online video over the satellite connection would be more effective. However, if you try to run an online game over the satellite connection, the game would not be playable because of how much it would lag, while the DSL connection would work just fine. This is because the 50 Mbps satellite connection has very high latency; it is a wireless connection that has to travel through space to reach a remote server and back.
Types of Connections
Fiber connections are the best type of internet connection for online gaming. They have download speeds ranging from 50 to 2,000 Mbps (2 Gbps), and a latency of 11 to 14 ms. They are followed by cable connections; their download speeds range from 15 to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps), and latency of 15 to 35 ms. The third best type of internet connection is DSL. DSL download speeds are anywhere between 1 and 100 Mbps and have a latency of 25 to 43 ms. 5G follows DSL with download speeds of 25 to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps), followed by 4G LTE with download speeds of 4 to 100 Mbps. Fixed Wireless connections come in 6th with download speeds ranging from 10 to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps). Lastly, a satellite connection is the weakest when it comes to online games. Its download speed ranges from 12 to 100 Mbps and has a latency of 594 to 624 ms.
Online gamers know the struggle of having their gameplay interrupted as a result of weak internet connections. People often think that internet speed is the only factor that contributes to game lags, but as you can see, there are other factors that can affect your gaming experience. Hopefully, this guide will help you choose the optimum speed for a smooth, uninterrupted gaming session.
