What is a good network connection speed for gaming?

Your Internet connection speed makes a big difference in your online gaming experience. Whether you’re gunning for a Victory Royale in “Fortnite” or defending your goal in the “Rocket League,” a fast Internet connection makes a big difference. What Internet speed do I need for gaming, you ask?

Most video game console manufacturers recommend at least 3 Mbps (or “megabits per second,” the measurement of how much data can be moved in a second) of download speed and 0.5 Mbps to 1 Mbps of upload speed. Because we live in a highly connected world, the number of devices you have connected to your network will also impact your gaming experience. Choosing a higher internet speed tier gives you the ability to transmit more data, which offers greater leeway so it is less likely that other network constraints will impact your gaming. To have the ultimate gaming experience, Xfinity recommends speed tiers with download speeds of 300 Mbps and above.

Download speed versus ping

The download speed is how fast data is pulled from the server and upload speed is how fast you send data to others. Download speed is typically much faster, because most of what you do online (loading Web pages, streaming videos, etc.) consists of downloads. Additionally, the term “ping” or “ping rate” refers to how fast you get a response from your Internet connection after you send out a request.

Surprisingly, latency has a bigger impact on game performance and response time than your download speed. Latency (gamers call it “ping”) is a delay between the action in the game and its display on your screen. High ping can make multiplayer almost impossible. If your ping is higher than another player’s, his or her moves might register first. In fast-paced gameplay, especially with fighting games like “Street Fighter V” or “Mortal Kombat X,” you want as little ping as possible. It is important to evaluate how many devices you have connected to your network. If you have a highly utilized network, subscribing to a higher speed tier will decrease latency and give you an overall better gaming experience.

Credit to Xfinity writing this article.

What you need to win your online battles

Minimum speed recommendations by video game type

First-person shooters (FPS)

First-person shooter games, or FPS, are played from the point of view of the main character. This genre of video games typically shows the character’s arms toward the bottom of the screen carrying their weapon of choice. FPS games like Doom Eternal require faster ping rates in order to keep players on pace with real-time action.

Recommended for Doom Eternal on Google Stadia
Download speed: 30 Mbps
Upload speed: 1 Mbps
Ping rate: 16 ms

Real-time strategy games

Real-time strategy games are time-based and make players use available resources to defend their base and defeat an opponent who has the same goals. A real-time strategy game that features a constantly evolving game state can be played on a PC, but a gaming console like the Xbox 360 can help maximize slower internet speeds and ping rates.

Recommended for Anno 1800 on Xbox 360
Download speed: 3 Mbps
Upload speed: 0.5 Mbps
Ping rate: 150 ms or less

Role-playing games (RPG)

RPGs or role-playing video games allow gamers to control a fictional character and complete a quest in a fantasy world. RPGs typically include levels or stats that can be improved, a menu-based combat system and a quest that drives the storyline of the game.

Recommended for Xenoblade Chronicles on Nintendo Wii U
Download speed: 1.5 Mbps
Upload speed: 1 Mbps
Ping rate: 150 ms

Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games

Massively multiplayer online video games take place in a fictional world where millions of people just like you are playing in a role-playing environment. The goal is not to “complete” the game, as in standard RPGs, but to build up a character’s experiences, skills and resources. Communication within the game via Skype requires more bandwidth.

Recommended for Fortnite Battle Royale on Xbox One
Download speed: 3 Mbps
Upload speed: 0.5 Mbps
Ping rate: 150 ms or less

Pro tip: Gaming systems and services often give minimum internet speed recommendations for optimum performance. These suggestions are usually based on a single-player and are most helpful as a starting point. If your household has multiple gamers, multiply these speeds by the number of users that will utilize your connection.

How fast is your internet speed?

Are you always just a split second behind the rest of your team during a high-speed campaign? Test your connection today to find out if your internet speeds can keep up with your gaming. Remember to pause any online activity during the test as this may skew your results.

Credit to Taylor Gadsden from AllConnect for a great article for gamers