What is a Good Internet Speed for Gaming

Game on, with a fast connection

If you take your gaming seriously, you need the right internet connection for the job. Whether you’re eying a Victory Royale in “Fortnite” or fighting it out in “League of Legends”, you want to experience your favourite games without lag or buffering. But what is a good internet speed for gaming? And how can you avoid lag and buffering for smooth gameplay? 

Read on to find out more about speed, ping and why Wi-Fi isn’t the answer.

First, understanding Mbps

Before we dive into the specifics of internet speeds, you need to understand how it’s measured: in megabits per second (Mbps). 

Mbps measures the rate at which data is transferred from one point to another. When data is being sent from the server to your computer, it’s referred to as “download speed” and when data is sent back to the server from your computer it’s called “upload speed”. 

Internet plans are often expressed as two numbers, the download speed and the upload speed. For example, 100/20, meaning that alongside a download speed of 100Mbps, you’ll get an upload speed of 20Mbps.

What does latency mean?

Latency, which is also called ping, measures how long it takes for a packet of data to travel from one point to another. In other words, latency (which is measured in milliseconds (ms) tells you how quickly your connection responds when sending out requests or receiving responses from a server. 

High latency is what causes lag and makes gaming awkward; low latency is ideal for a smooth gameplay experience.

Download and upload speed for gaming

Knowing what your download and upload speeds are will give you an idea of how your internet connection will affect your gaming experience. 

Download speed for gaming

Download speed measures how quickly data can be transferred from the internet to your device; this is generally more important for gamers than upload speed.

Upload speeds for gaming 

Upload speeds determine how quickly data can be sent from your computer or console to the game server. This is especially important for online multiplayer games, where a slow upload speed can cause lag and make the game unplayable.

Latency or ping rate for gaming

A good ping rate is important for online games because it determines how responsive gameplay will be. In simple terms: the lower the latency, the better.

Anything at 100ms or less is considered acceptable for gaming. However, 20-40ms is optimal for gaming.

You may be able to check your ping for gaming in the settings of your game. Look for an option like “display performance stats” or “display network options” for an indication of the network performance for the specific game and server you are playing on.

How to reduce latency

If high latency is causing  lag when you play games online, we suggest using Ethernet instead of WiFi. 

WiFi adds an extra translation step between your gaming devices and your internet connection, so there’s more delay in your connection. 

Other factors that can make Wi-Fi less than ideal for gameplay include radio noise, fluctuating speeds and network congestion. 

Also, depending on your distance from the router, you may feel that your WiFi actually wants you to lose. 

To avoid those downsides of WiFi, use an Ethernet cable to connect your gaming device to your router. Removing the latencies and speed fluctuations associated with WiFi will make your gameplay experience much smoother and more enjoyable.

What is a good internet speed for gaming?

So, how fast is fast  enough for online gaming? Is 100 Mbps fast enough for online gaming? Is 50 Mbps fast enough for online gaming? What about slower plans – is 25 Mbps fast enough for gaming?

Good news: yes, each of these speeds is fast enough for online gaming. An acceptable  internet speed for online gaming is typically anything above 25 Mbps.

However, you  may be limited by how many other people or devices are using bandwidth, streaming or gaming at the same time, and how they’re using it. 

For the ultimate gaming experience, we recommend speed tiers with download speeds of 120 Mbps and above.

Importantly, if you have more than five people on your network who are using the internet simultaneously, you almost certainly want a plan with speeds of 120 Mbps or above.

How much data does gaming use in an hour?

According to Canstar, this is how much data you can roughly expect to use playing your favourite game:

• Fortnite 40 MB – 100MB per hour
• Minecraft 80MB – 200MB per hour
• COD Mobile 35 MB per hour
• Pokémon GO 2MB – 8MB per hour
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Warzone 175MB per hour
• Overwatch 150MB per hour
• Grand Theft Auto: Online 50MB per hour
• League of Legends 30MB – 200MB per hour
• Clash Royale 20 MB per hour

Having an internet plan with unlimited data means you won’t need to worry about data usage or going over your limit. All NodeOne internet plans, including nbn® and Fixed Wireless broadband, come with unlimited data.

Why Choose NodeOne?

• NodeOne is proud to be the first WA company to offer 1,000/1,000 Mbps on the  nbn® network.
• We understand that no  nbn® experience is the same, and that’s why we service WA with the best available.
• The entire NodeOne team is based in WA. This means that you can speak directly to our team of experts who can help. So, you can finally say no to overseas call centres!
• If you’re coming from a different provider, we will guide you through the process and get you connected fast.

So, now that we’ve answered the question “what is a good internet speed for gaming”, it’s time you made the switch to WA’s most reliable provider — NodeOne