When it comes to the best Internet speeds for gaming, the answer is usually the faster, the better. However, fast speed is not necessarily always the right answer – you have to also consider latency, bandwidth consistency, ping times and of course, the responsive of the destination game server.
Nothing says entertainment more than games. Ever since the Royal Game of Ur and Senet, the idea of “playing” to pass the time has always been right up there with staring at the stars and painting on walls. And, just like with everything else, the evolution of gaming has been nothing short of remarkable. Today, gaming has come a very long way, and online gaming has become nothing short of a cult movement. Whether it’s Apex Legends or Candy Crush, the world of online gaming has become a massive industry that has very much taken on a life of its own.
But there’s more to online gaming than just great graphics, cool gameplay and an appealing narrative. Nowadays, several factors determine just how enjoyable your gaming experience can be, and that’s exactly what we’ll be delving into with this article. In short, we look at some of the things that can make or break your online gaming fun.
Reliable, Best Internet Speeds for gaming is essential
This is a no-brainer. When it comes to a flawless and enjoyable online gaming experience, having high internet speed is a must. Now, you may be able to get away with anything between 50 Mbps and 100 Mbps, but that shouldn’t be your go-to margin.
For starters, download speed (how fast data travels to your device from the Internet) and upload speed (basically, vice versa) play heavily into your gaming experience. When you have higher internet speeds, downloads and uploads obviously become faster. A game like Fortnite (~26GB) might take 23 hours to download on a 3Mbps connection, only 5 hrs on a 10Mbps connection, and a mere 18 minutes on a 200Mbps connection.
Plus, games usually have frequent updates which can also be several GB in size, so a fast Internet speed is crucial to quickly download the latest and the greatest. To learn which network may be best suited for your gaming needs, check out our article on Cable Internet vs FTTN Internet.
Bandwidth
Also, you need to understand that when you’re buying your internet package, you’re buying bandwidth. So, basically, bandwidth can be defined as the maximum amount of data that can be transferred to your home or business at any given time. So, if your house has a small bandwidth pipe and some folks are playing Halo and someone else is on a Zoom video call while a third person is streaming a 4K movie on Netflix, your Halo experience will tend to be slow and choppy.
Many folks tend to get confused between bandwidth and Internet speed, thinking they are the same. That’s not the case – for those who are familiar with the Ontario 401 highway, for a good stretch of the highway, it’s a dual carriageway but as the highway enters more populated areas, the number of lanes increases. So, the more lanes the highway has, the greater the number of vehicles can traverse the highway simultaneously versus when there are a smaller number of lanes – this can be referred to as bandwidth. Internet speed is referred to as the speed at which the cars can travel on that highway.
Back to our example earlier with the house where some folks were playing Halo, Zoom video call and a 4K movie, then if you have low bandwidth, you will likely experience choppy experience because too much data is being pushed through a narrow pipe simultaneously. On the other hand, if your internet usage was limited to just surfing, or maybe sending an email or two here and there, these are low bandwidth applications and you will have a smoother experience.
Latency
Just as important as speed, latency plays heavily into your online gaming. This factor determines how fast information is sent from your device to the server, and back to you again. Using our highway example again, latency would be regarded as, you guessed it – traffic. If you have a 6 lane highway with speeds of 100km/h, if there is an accident or the highway is very busy, it may be bumper to bumper traffic with constant stops and starts.
This is regarded as latency as it basically slows your Internet speed, resulting in a lag filled experience. Another way to explain lag is kind of like being on a phone call and having a “lag” between when you say something, when the other person hears it, and when they respond.
This is especially important when playing multi-player games like Apex Legends or Fortnite. Imagine you’re wielding your sword of destruction and slicing at air because your attack registered on the servers much later after the commands on your joystick. Frustrating, right?
Consistency
Another factor that really plays an important role in your experience is bandwidth consistency. No one wants an internet that disconnects at random times and is constantly booting you off the server. If you have a service provider that lacks consistency, then you might as well give up on trying to be part of the online gaming world.
Mind you, accidents happen, and there are instances that really can’t be foreseen or is not the provider’s fault. However, if it’s a consistent issue (pun intended), then looking into it should be a top priority.
In summary, to get a great experience, you need the best internet speeds for gaming, high bandwidth, low latency and near flawless consistency.
What about Virtual Reality Gaming?
Virtual Reality has exploded in popularity in recent years with nearly 20% of consumers or 1 in 5 persons US consumers using virtual reality technology in 2023. The market size of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) is forecast to hit $296.9 billion in 2024, with gaming and entertainment expected to be the biggest driver of growth.
Virtual reality is a technology that allows you to immerse yourself in a simulated 3D environment. It’s like stepping into another world, where you can experience things beyond the limits of reality. Imagine being able to explore distant galaxies, dive deep into the ocean, or fight alongside your favorite superheroes. Virtual reality offers you the freedom to break free from the constraints of everyday life and venture into new realms.
The key difference between AR and VR is that AR uses the real world, enhanced with computer generated visual elements, sounds and other stimuli for its simulation while VR uses a virtual world. AR users can control their presence in the real world while VR users are controlled by the system. VR requires a headset device, but AR can be accessed with a smartphone.
Virtual reality gaming liberates you from the limitations of traditional gaming by creating an immersive environment that stimulates all your senses.
What is the best Internet speeds for gaming (VR)?
To fully enjoy VR gaming, you’ll need a high-speed internet connection. We recommend an Internet speed of at least 100 Mbps although much will depend on the nature of the particular game and the gameplay. Again, speed is only the beginning, low latency, high ping times, and low packet loss will be just as critical.
What is the Metaverse?
The company, formerly known as Facebook, renamed itself as Meta to signify the growing importance of the Metaverse. However, from all accounts, the Metaverse idea seems to be dying a slow, painful and costly death.
What is the Metaverse? Well, Imagine being able to enter a digital universe, where you can interact with others and explore limitless possibilities. In the metaverse, you are no longer confined by the limitations of the physical world. You can be anyone or anything you want to be.
In the metaverse, you have the freedom to explore and create your own reality. Unlike virtual reality, which typically offers a single immersive experience, the metaverse allows for endless possibilities and connections.
You can interact with others in real-time, collaborate on projects, attend virtual events, and even buy or sell virtual property. The metaverse is a place where you can break free from the limitations of physical space and time.
How to ensure the best gaming, virtual reality and metaverse experience?
Making sure that all these factors are adjusted for an optimal gaming experience is key. After all, you’re trying to blow off steam and have fun, right? And you want to make sure nothing spoils that for you.
So, here are a few recommendations:
- Get in contact with your service provider and really look into the different plans they have that would benefit you. Try getting a package with a bigger bandwidth so your entire family can enjoy being online without stressing each other out. Yes, bigger packages may be more expensive, but on the long run, the experience pays for itself.
- Try to get your hands on a symmetrical speed package. Symmetrical speeds mean that both your upload and download speeds are similar, and this is usually something you’d find with fiber connections instead of copper ones.
- While we’re on the subject, opt for a fiber connection. Copper wires means you’re basically sharing a node with your entire neighborhood, and if everyone’s online, this can congest the connection and greatly affect your speed and latency. Fiber connections don’t have this problem. Also, they’re not subject to severe weather conditions or power outages, so you’re solving any consistency problems as well.
- Sometimes things like faulty wiring and bad modems can be simple solutions to fixing your speed or latency issues. Even something as simple as a firewall or VPN can be the problem. Take a look at these first before determining just how much more speed or bandwidth you need, because you might actually have enough for what you want to do and it’s the smaller things that are causing problems.
Overall, it really does boil down to the service provider. Not only do you want an affordable deal, you want a provider that really puts your needs first. When looking for the best Internet speeds for gaming, you must also consider not only speed, but also bandwidth, latency and consistency should be at the top of your list. Other important factors are choosing a provider that has great customer service and a variety of reliable, affordable Internet packages.
At NetJOI, not only are you getting the proper customer service you deserve, you also have great packages that can really make a difference. The JOI 75 package can fulfill your basic gaming needs, but if you want to take the online gaming world seriously and you’re in a packed household, the JOI 300 would probably be a better choice. On top of that, the JOIBucks rewards program could really help with lowering that cost.
So, with all that in mind, sit back, rest easy and embark on your online gaming journey without a care in the world!