Your Internet connection speed makes a big difference in your online gaming experience. Whether you’re gunning for a Victory Royale in “Fortnite” or defending your goal in “Rocket League,” a fast Internet connection makes a big difference. What Internet speed do I need for gaming, you ask? Most video game console manufacturers recommend at least 3 Mbps (or “megabits per second,” the measurement of how much data can be moved in a second) of download speed and 0.5 Mbps to 1 Mbps of upload speed as a generally "good internet speed". Because we live in a highly connected world, the amount of devices you have connected to your network will also impact your gaming experience. Choosing a higher internet speed tier gives you the ability to transmit more data, which offers greater leeway so it is less likely that other network constraints will impact your gaming. To have the ultimate gaming experience, Xfinity recommends speed tiers with download speeds of 300 Mbps and above.
Download speed versus ping
The download speed is how fast data is pulled from the server and upload speed is how fast you send data to others. Download speed is typically much faster, because most of what you do online (loading Web pages, streaming videos, etc.) consists of downloads. Additionally, the term “ping” or “ping rate” refers to how fast you get a response from your Internet connection after you send out a request.
Surprisingly, latency has a bigger impact on game performance and response time than your upload speed or download speed. Latency (gamers call it “ping”) is a delay between the action in the game and its display on your screen. High ping rate can make multiplayer in any online game almost impossible. If your ping is higher than another player’s, his or her moves might register first. In fast-paced gameplay, especially with fighting games like “Street Fighter V” or “Mortal Kombat X,” you want as little ping as possible. It is important to evaluate how many devices you have connected to your network. If you have a highly utilized network, subscribing to a higher speed tier will decrease latency and give you an overall better gaming experience.
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So, what is a good Internet speed for gaming?
Essentially, a good Internet speed for gaming comes down to what kind of gaming you're doing. If you're into competitive gaming (i.e, if you play "Overwatch", "Fortnite", or the like), you likely want both high download and upload speeds to prevent "lag" (or, like we said before, "latency", the more technical term). That said, an Internet speed of above 20 Mbps is usually ideal for gaming, and especially multiplayer or "competitive" gaming. Anything lower than 20 Mbps falls into the danger "lag zone", and there's nothing worse than lagging just when you were about to pull off a sick kill shot (and you get PWNed, womp womp).
Internet speed, latency, and ping rate can all affect your gaming performance and are essential when it comes to having the best internet for gaming. Xfinity can help you find the ideal broadband Internet speed for gaming and reduce your latency to help take your gaming to the next level. Test your internet speed with the Xfinity Internet Speed Test today.
Xfinity is proud to support the Federal Government’s Affordable Connectivity Program, a temporary subsidy program available for all tiers of Xfinity Internet service, including Internet Essentials. Learn more about the ACP Program to see if you qualify.
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