You’re in the middle of an intense first-person shooter game. Your team is just a few points away from winning, but the match isn’t over yet. You turn around a corner and look your opponent right in his eyes. You’re about to pull the trigger for the winning shot, and…what was that? Your screen froze for a second and you died! Your team has lost the match.
As you try to explain to your teammates that your game lagged, they’re having none of it. They see it as an excuse for poor gameplay, so you try to figure out what caused your game to lag in the first place. Could it be…it is! Your internet absolutely sucks!
Which leads to the question: what is a good internet speed for gaming? 🤔 📡
Why is Internet Speed Important?
If you’ve ever experienced lag spikes when playing a video game, you’ll know how annoying they can be. I mean, seriously, there’s nothing more frustrating than reduced responsiveness during a gaming session. But do you ever stop to wonder why this might be happening? Aside from insufficient hardware, one of the main reasons why players experience lag is a poor internet connection.
High internet speeds reduce lag during gaming sessions, which in turn, reduces the need to rage into the mic. Check our guide on the best routers for gaming, so it doesn’t happen to you (anymore).
So, What Is a Good Internet Speed?
Internet speeds of 15-20 Mbps (Megabits per second) are sufficient enough for gaming depending on how many devices are connected to the internet at once. In the modern home, everyone is connected to the internet at one time—even grandma who just loves to browse Facebook on her Android tablet. Multiple users can affect internet speeds depending on what they are doing.
Internet Speed Requirements for Console and PC
Every single console, tablet, and PC has a different internet speed requirement. To save you some time, we’ve done the research for you by putting the maximum download speed, maximum upload speed, and maximum allowable ping rate for each system into separate tables.
Note that this information is based on single player games only.
Gaming on Xbox One will require:
| Minimum Download Speed | Minimum Upload Speed | Maximum Allowable Ping Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Mbps | 1 Mbps | 150 ms (milliseconds) |
PlayStation 4 internet speed requirements:
| Minimum Download Speed | Minimum Upload Speed | Maximum Allowable Ping Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Mbps | 1 Mbps | 150 ms (milliseconds) |
As for Nintendo Switch, the required speeds are the same as the two previous ones:
| Minimum Download Speed | Minimum Upload Speed | Maximum Allowable Ping Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Mbps | 1 Mbps | 150 ms (milliseconds) |
Gaming on Wii U takes the minimum download speed threshold a bit lower:
| Minimum Download Speed | Minimum Upload Speed | Maximum Allowable Ping Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Mbps | 1 Mbps | 150 ms (milliseconds) |
Finally, PC gaming asks for higher download speeds, but you need lower upload rates and maximum ping:
| Minimum Download Speed | Minimum Upload Speed | Maximum Allowable Ping Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-6 Mbps | 0.75-1 Mbps | 100-150 ms (milliseconds) |
Good Internet Speed for Different Game Genres
Depending on the type of game you’re playing, your minimum required internet speed will vary. For example, games which require extremely fast reactions, like CS: GO, need higher internet speeds than indie titles that are more strategic or turn-based.
Multiplayer/Online Games Internet Speed
Online games require high internet speeds and 100% internet up times so that players can communicate and game without lag. The three main reasons for slow online gaming connections are:
- Your internet connection is slow.
- Insufficient hardware: your PC can’t handle the game you’re playing.
- There’s an issue with the game server.
First Person Shooter (FPS) Internet Speed
Centered around weapon-based combat, first-person shooters require a fast internet connection so that you can shoot at moving targets without lag.
Role Playing Games (RPG) Internet Speed
You can play many modern role-playing games, such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, offline. However, if you want to download patches, expansion packs or DLC, a decent internet connection is required.
Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMO) or MOBAs Internet Speed
MMOs are capable of supporting a large number of players on the same server. Despite this fact, most massively multiplayer online games will run on almost any internet connection. Especially point and click games like RuneScape.
3 Ways to Reduce Lag and Increase Internet Speeds for Gaming
There are several things you can do to reduce lag and increase internet speed for gaming:
1. Do a Speed Test:
Before you go and upgrade your broadband, the first thing you should do is test your internet connection. This way, you can see what speeds you’re actually getting.
To do this, search “Internet Speed Test” on your computer, smartphone or tablet, then click on the site of your choice. Once you’re on an internet speed test website, there should be a button that says either: “Start Speed Test” or “Go.” Simply click on the button and let the magic happen.
Tip: Run the test more than once to get an average upload and download speed.
2. Test Latency (Ping)
Next, run a ping test to check the quality of your internet connection. Once you get the results, don’t worry if your ping is low—the lower your ping, the less lag you’ll experience while gaming or simply browsing the web.
As the ping is how fast you get a response after you’ve sent out a request, your results will change depending on the: line quality, time of day (peak internet times), and the distance to the server you’re pinging.
3. Upgrade your Speeds
If your internet truly sucks, it’s probably time to upgrade to superfast fiber broadband for the best gaming experience. This way, you’ll have a more stable internet connection, as well as faster upload speeds suitable for listening to music on YouTube as you game. So, check out our guide on the best wireless routers for gaming.
Final Words
‘Good’ internet speed for gaming is something that provides you with lag-free, rage-free gaming sessions. Ping rates, however, are more important when dealing with latency issues during online games.
On the topic of online games, have you ever wondered how much data online gaming uses? To answer that question, we made a comprehensive guide covering everything you need to know! Why not check it out?