Internet lag has been the killer of online gamers. Imagine that everything is going great, you have pinned down your enemy, and you are on a mad streak. Suddenly, your world stops, you can’t move, the gunshots start glitching, and you end up losing a match which you weren’t supposed to.
You might end up grumbling about how you need a stronger internet connection but that may not be the case. No matter if you use Mediacom or Cox, this article will help you make sure that your internet is sufficient for gaming whether you’re playing on a console or PC.
Before that,
Why internet speed matters for gaming?
It is a no brainer that with faster internet speed, you are unlikely to face any discomfort. Having broadband with blazing-fast internet speed ultimately widens your bandwidth and increases the amount of data to be processed through your internet at the same time. By connecting multiple devices with the internet, this bandwidth can become congested.
Whenever this happens, your broadband simply becomes incapable of processing large amounts of data utilized while gaming online. Ultimately you end up with a sudden influx of inconsistent speeds and connectivity issues. In extreme situations, you could get disconnected from the server and that leads to official bans and a never-ending array cursing and frustration at your part.
Conversely, if your broadband speed is up to the mark, you enjoy consistent, smooth, and uninterrupted online gaming sessions with responsive gameplay. After all, all gamers advocate for a lag-free world.
Check it: Online Gaming Etiquette
The importance of Latency and Ping
No matter which service provider you sign-up for, all of them advertise download and upload speeds. Although these factors might have been marketed as the key whenever it comes to online gaming, they are actually not that important.
The factor that matters the most is latency and ping. They are immensely crucial for gaming because of the real-time communication aspect. Especially when you are in a 1 vs 1 situation with your opponent, being a half-second out of sync can make you lose a battle royal.
Ping measures the interval your console takes to respond to data requests from the server. If you have a very high ping, this means that you are seconds behind what everyone else is doing in games like Counter-strike which is catastrophic.
How much bandwidth and download speed you need for Gaming?
Different systems and games have different requirements. There is no hard and fast rule that says you need this much speed to have THE cosmic gaming experience. As a rule of thumb, any decent broadband with 25+ Mbps download will be good enough for casual gaming. In case you are a serious gamer, you probably would need to get somewhere around 300 Mbps.
Here are the absolute minimum requirements for each console so that you can have an idea of whether the internet speed you have is sufficient for gaming or not.
Computer
- Minimum download speed: 5 Mbps
Xbox One
- Minimum download speed: 3 Mbps
PS4
- Minimum download speed: 3 Mbps
If you plan on arranging a gaming nighter, these speeds won’t be sufficient for you as more players will be using the same internet connection. To ensure that everyone has a great gaming experience, multiply the number of players with the minimum internet speed requirements mentioned in the article.
Also Read: Myths and Truths about Broadband Connections for Gaming
Ping required for Multiplayer Games
As we have already discussed that multiplayer games require a rapid and quick response from the server and latency affects it more than other online activities. The higher the ping or latency, the longer it takes the signal to reach the game server. Here are the general requirements for ping rates in different systems:
PC
- Maximum Ping rate: 100-150ms
PS4
- Maximum Ping rate: 150ms
XBOX ONE
- Maximum Ping rate: 150ms
How to check your Ping?
Latency is not mentioned anywhere when you are signing up for the service and you have to find it out yourself. There are easy ways to do that. Just go on google and lookup latency testers online. You will find many options to check your download speeds and ping. Other than that, many first person-shooting games will show you your ping during gameplay.
How to reduce latency?
You can reduce latency by simply connecting your consoles with the internet through an Ethernet cable. The connection will be more stable and you’ll see a significant difference in your ping levels. It is also recommended to use a high-quality Ethernet cable to avoid any losses in between. The shorter the distance between your system and the router, the less data loss you will incur. And this is bound to help you enjoy a better online experience.
