John Chad, Bachelor Degree in Computer Science & Computer Engineering.
Russel Collins
When it comes to playing high-quality online multiplayer games like Call of Duty or Battlefield (or even a local coop game), there are two things that can seriously hamper gameplay and ruin the experience: slow network connection and bad latency. One issue may be worse than the other, but they both have one thing in common – they’re caused by having insufficient bandwidth available on your home Wi-Fi router.
If you live in an apartment or dorm room with no dedicated wired Ethernet port, then chances are you’ll suffer from these problems unless you’ve got a decent ISP. Fortunately, many ISPs now offer “Gaming Connect” packages which include special hardware that allows them to boost their broadband services so they provide consistent, reliable service at peak times. But what kind of Internet speed should gamers look for when choosing between competing providers? Is 300Mbps good enough or do you need more? How about gigabit fiber optic connections? Let’s take a closer look.
Is 300Mbps Good For Gaming Or Do You Need More?
300Mbps is definitely enough for gaming, most games don’t use anywhere close to that much bandwidth, you could even watch youtube videos, listen to music, and download another game while playing your favorite game and you likely wouldn’t notice any lag or internet issues.
How does Internet Speed Affect Gameplay
There are several reasons why being able to play online video games smoothly can make all the difference in whether you enjoy yourself or not. For example, while LAN parties used to involve sitting around someone’s basement playing Warcraft III over a 56K modem, today’s online games demand more bandwidth. When people want to chat via voice chat during matches, they often use programs like Discord or TeamSpeak because those kinds of applications utilize far less CPU power than audio codecs such as MP3. Furthermore, newer types of games require higher resolution textures, which means larger file sizes. All of these factors combine together to create a bottleneck where any type of slowdown could cause serious problems.
Another problem occurs due to what’s called “rubber banding”. This happens when packets of data arrive out of order, causing minor errors until everything catches up. It’s most noticeable in first-person shooters where players might notice slight glitches such as bullets going through walls before getting hit themselves – something that would never happen on faster networks.
The last major reason that better Internet speeds improve overall enjoyment is that it makes online gaming easier. With lower ping rates, you won’t find yourself constantly frustrated due to rubberbanding, nor will you be at a competitive disadvantage by lagging. You can also get rid of annoying disconnection messages by performing maintenance tasks such as installing security updates, running virus scans, updating drivers, etc., instead of wasting time trying to diagnose random freezes.
How much Internet Speed do you need for gaming?
This question has been debated endlessly among PC enthusiasts. In general, however, I’d say that 300 Mbps is most definitely sufficient to play modern AAA titles without lag issues. That said, some publishers will sometimes recommend specific minimum speeds depending on the title you own.
We’re confident to say that anyone who has more than 100Mbps shouldn’t worry too much about upgrading their services. However, if you feel uncomfortable then you should definitely consider switching to a faster package. Some users report seeing benefits by adding additional routers throughout their homes to increase throughput.
Some ISPs claim that their Gaming Connect products allow them to deliver speeds of up to 10 Gigabits per second. While this number sounds impressive, it only refers to the maximum theoretical rate, whereas real-world tests have shown them to perform poorly. Also, keep in mind that not every ISP uses the exact same technology, so the quality of each user’s experience depends largely upon his or her location within the neighborhood.
How do you know how fast your Internet actually is?
The official and recommended way to check your internet download & upload speed is by heading over to: https://www.speedtest.net/.
It’ll tell you your download speed & upload speed along with your ping.
Conclusion
For 99% of gamers, 300 Mbps should be fine. There really isn’t a lot of benefit to paying for higher tiers of service, especially considering the price hikes that come along with them. On top of that, ISPs typically charge exorbitant fees for installation and setup, plus they add ridiculous taxes onto your bill to cover costs associated with excessive telephone lines. Unless you absolutely need blazingly fast services, you’ll usually be perfectly happy with slower speeds. Be sure to share your experiences below!