Ultimate Guide to Connectivity for Gamers
For gamers having a powerful and stable internet connection is a necessity. Without it, gameplay is a miserable experience. There is nothing worse than getting blown to bits twice within 20 minutes because of a jittery connection or constantly freezing.
Research providers before you buy
Regardless of the types of games you play, it is worth working out what you need. Finding out which providers meet that criterion. Then, checking their terms and conditions to make sure that they will deliver the advertised speed and reading some user reviews to make sure that really is going to get a good service.
If you feel that you need help with switching broadband just read this guide. Below, we briefly explain how to narrow down your options and select the right one for you and the type of gaming you enjoy.
Type of connection
First, let’s look at the types of connections. What is available to a large extent depends on how up-to-date the infrastructure is where you live. Typically, you will be able to choose between the options below.
Old tech connections
We know that some areas still rely on old technology, so we have included them in this guide.
Dial-up
This type of connection is delivered using copper phone lines. It is not a great choice for gamers. There is a lot of latency, typically 150ms or more, which means you are likely to experience jittery gameplay and there will be some games that you will not be able to play at all.
Satellite connections
In some remote areas, the only type of connection that is available is a satellite one. On average you can expect latency levels of between 594 and 624ms. As a result, there are very few online games that you can play. This article will tell you more.
Modern broadband connection options
In most towns and urban areas, the following types of connection are also available:
DSL
DSL connections also use the copper phone line. But it is faster than dial-up. It can be OK for someone who lives alone or with people who do not use the internet much or stream content. Latency rates are typically between 25 and 43ms, which is a bit on the high side but still OK for most of today’s games.
But, if cable or a fiber-optic connection is available many people will find that to be a better choice. You could, however, sign a short-term DSL contract to see how you get on and switch to a faster connection if things do not work out for you.
Cable broadband
For most families, a cable connection will be more than enough to keep everyone happy. At least for now. Latency rates are typically low enough for everyone to play the full range of online games.
A fiber-optic broadband connection
However, if you want the best, a fiber-optic connection is often worth paying for. Most providers offer faster speeds and more bandwidth than cable internet firms do.
The different types of connection speeds gamers need to consider
Unfortunately, it is not quite as simple as you think. There are three things to consider here, upload, download speed, and ping rates. The last one is not usually categorized as speed. But when you think about it, the rate at which something happens is basically how fast it happens, so we have included ping rates in this section of the article.
Upload and download speeds
These are the two most easily understood metrics. Most game providers clearly state what upload and download speeds are needed to play on their platforms. But here is a basic overview of the typical requirements for each type of game:
- First Person Shooter (FPS) e.g., Doom – Minimum download 30 Mbps and at least 1 Mbps upload.
- Action RPG games e.g. The Elder Scrolls – 10 Mbps and 1 Mbps upload speeds
- Massively Multiplayer Online games (MMO) e.g., Fortnite – Download 3 Mbps and upload of at least 0.5 Mbps
If you live with other people who stream a lot of content or also play online games, you will want to contract far more speed. Multiply the minimum requirements by the number of people who are likely to be playing together.
Ping rate massively affects latency
It is also important to know what the ping rate is before signing the contract. If it is not low enough you will experience packet loss which results in jittery gameplay, lag, and freezing. The faster the action is in your game, the lower your ping rate needs to be. So, you could play Fortnite Battle Royale on an Xbox with a ping rate of 150ms or less. But you would need a ping rate below 20ms to be able to play Doom.
Take your time
The fact that contracting the right broadband has such a huge impact on your gaming experience means that it is vital that you do not rush into signing a broadband contract. This is especially the case with those providers who charge high cancelation fees.
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