Gaming? Well, this is one extreme sport that while many people would acknowledge as a stress releasing, hobby, or a time pass but genuine gamers understand the severity and seriousness it takes to become a gamer. The time, the investment, and the focus that you need to instill into the characters that you have nurtured with your mind and effort make all of it so real. Now that gaming has moved on to become more accessible for players, the one key element is the internet. As a gamer or an internet enthusiast, the worst scenario that you can face is a poor or slow internet connection. Many times, you find yourself losing an important game without any reason but no one believes you or your skill, and you are wrong when you blame it on luck or any superficial thing, your internet is the one that should take the blame for such cases. An inconsistent internet connection can easily ruin your game.
If you are serious about gaming, you would already know that a gaming certified internet connection like Spectrum or Optimum internet should be your preference, although if you are new to this dynamic world, make the switch right about now. In this post, we would share the minimum internet requirements that you would need to get forward in the gaming world.
Internet requirements for gaming
Although, every gaming gadget comes with its own set of internet speed requirement but we have formulated a table with the generic minimum as well as recommended internet speed requirements for gaming.
| Minimum requirement | Recommended requirement | |
| Download Speed | 03 Mbps | 15 – 25 Mbps |
| Upload Speed | 0.5 to 01 Mbps | 05 Mbps |
| Ping Rate | Less than 150 ms | Less than 50 ms |
Download Speed is the rate at which data packets are transferred from the server to your device.
Upload Speed is the rate at which your device can transfer data packets to the server.
Ping Rate, also called latency or simply ping, is the response time that your server takes to respond to a request sent out from your device. When it comes to gaming, it is the time difference between the taken action and its coherent impact on the screen.
The rule of thumb for ping rate:
Very good: less than 50 ms
Average: less than 100 ms
Lag starts: 150 ms
Definite lag: more than 150 ms
High ping means high chances to lose and so ping rate is in fact that the most important factor of all three requirements. Especially during fast gaming sessions or fighting sequences, you can lose a high stake game only because of your internet.
Multiple gamer connection
Multi-player games, especially when all the players are using the same internet connection, require a better connection. So, an easy way to remember is to multiple the number of gamers with the internet requirement. For instance, if you are playing a game with your roommate, you would need a minimum download speed of 6 Mbps.
Minimum Internet requirement by the type of game
| RTS | MMO | FPS | |
| Download Speed | 03 Mbps | 05 Mbps | 30 Mbps |
| Upload Speed | 01 Mbps | 01 Mbps | 01 Mbps |
| Ping Rate | 150 ms | 150 ms | 15 ms |
| Examples | Company of Heroes
StarCraft 2 Warcraft 3 Age of Empires |
Elder Scrolls Online
Final Fantasy XIV World of Warcraft Guild Wars Black Desert Online |
Overwatch
Fortnite Escape from Tarkov Valorant Call of Duty |
Real-Time Strategy or commonly called RTS games are the biggest gaming hit since the 1990s. while RTS games do not require a very high-speed internet connection, the essentials are to be borne. Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOs) need a trustworthy internet connection to be played smoothly. The internet requirements in the table are subject to one gamer player. If multiple players are playing a multiplayer game using the same internet connection, the requirement should be multiplied by the number of players. First Person Shooters (FPS) need to be supplied high internet connection and a low level of ping rate.
Minimum Internet requirement by the type of gaming console
Xbox One
| Minimum requirement | Recommended requirement | |
| Download Speed | 03 Mbps | 15 – 25 Mbps |
| Upload Speed | 0.5 Mbps | 04 Mbps |
| Ping Rate | Less than 150 ms | Less than 50 ms |
PlayStation 4
| Minimum requirement | Recommended requirement | |
| Download Speed | 03 Mbps | 16 Mbps |
| Upload Speed | 01 Mbps | 04 Mbps |
| Ping Rate | Less than 150 ms | Less than 50 ms |
Nintendo Switch
| Minimum requirement | Recommended requirement | |
| Download Speed | 03 Mbps | 15 – 25 Mbps |
| Upload Speed | 01 Mbps | 04 Mbps |
| Ping Rate | Less than 150 ms | Less than 50 ms |
PC/MAC
| Minimum requirement | Recommended requirement | |
| Download Speed | 03 – 06 Mbps | 15 – 25 Mbps |
| Upload Speed | 0.75 – 1 Mbps | 05 Mbps |
| Ping Rate | 100 – 150 ms | Less than 50 ms |
Tips to improve your internet connection for gaming
- Go for a wired connection instead of wireless. Although, the wireless connection has its benefits and is a lot more convenient, however, the Ethernet connection is more secure, faster, and reliable and should be used when playing an intense game.
- You can try and reposition your router. The router should be ideally placed at some height and in the center of the house so all rooms get equal signals. Moreover, the floor you hang out on most often should be the one where your router is stationed.
- Check your internet speed and it is best to secure your connection by changing the default username and password so no third party has access to your network.
- Using a VPN is a better way to secure a connection and it is used to identify malware and viruses that are breeding on your internet speed. In addition to this, bandwidth throttling can also be prevented by a good VPN.
- Although you might find it absurd, sometimes all it takes to refresh your internet connection is a reboot.
- If all of this does not work, you should talk to your internet provider and communicate about your internet needs so that they can help you better, and perhaps upgrading your internet plan might just be it.
