If you spend a lot of time playing the latest and best games online, you’re guaranteed to run into network issues now and again. You might experience a frustrating lag that comes with a slow WiFi connection, or you might get booted out of your favourite game just as you’re about to win – the kind of gaming faux pas that might put a black stain on your usually impeccable record and leave you red-faced.
Unless you’re typically playing with a wired LAN connection, these issues are almost inevitable. Online game sessions will drop out. You will experience lag. It’s going to affect your gaming, no question. And it can be maddening, that’s for sure. But you don’t have to stress, because all you need is a gaming router.
But buying a gaming-friendly router comes with the same problems as any other high-end device. Unless your deeply embedded in the tech, it’s almost impossible to decipher all the jargon and know exactly what you’re buying. Does that sound familiar? Well, we’re here to help. Here’s some information on gaming-specific routers.
Why do you need a router for gaming?
Today’s gaming-centric routers offer power, convenience, and quality in relatively inexpensive packages. You can get something very good for around £200, which is far cheaper than all the other hardware needed to run your games. A router can make all the difference when it comes to an impressive Call of Duty kill/death ratio, for instance, and keep you competing for longer in your favourite online tournament.
Do you need a new router?
Before you go out and buy anything, look at what’s connected to your router. Every single device in your home — be that a phone, tablet, TV, or smart-home devices like Alexa — takes bandwidth from your router. If all you’re doing at home is browsing the web and streaming the odd film, you probably won’t need an upgrade. But if you’re planning on doing some heavy-duty gaming without a decent router — on top of having lots of connected devices — you’re going to run into annoying lag issues.
What makes a router good for gaming?
There are various features designed for gamers. Look for a gaming router that offers prioritisation for your gaming systems and applications. If you live in a home with multiple gamers, you might also want to get a router that allows you to control how much bandwidth everyone in your household gets. Some also have a modified management console to adjust bandwidth priorities easily depending on your needs. Also consider looking for routers that have a Geo-Filter because that can limit the distance to the host server you play on, which will reduce lag.
Other features you might want to consider include Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) technology for faster data streaming, beamforming, and wider channel bandwidths up to 160Hz. You’ll also want at least four gigabit LAN ports, at least one USB port, and a router that offers good cyber security.
What’s the difference between dual-band and tri-band?
A dual-band router offers two frequency bands — 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Compared the older single band routers, dual-band routers relieve congestion and give you a faster connection. Tri-band routers are even more impressive, offering one 2.4 GHz band and two 5 GHz bands. Tri-band routers tend to be better for high-demand gaming because you can reserve one of the 5 GHz bands specifically for your gaming. It depends on how much bandwidth your gaming will eat up. If you’re more of a casual gamer, a dual-band might suffice.
How fast are gaming routers?
It really depends on how much you’re willing to spend, or how serious you want to get with the tech. The routers on the list below begin at theoretical speeds of just over 1Gbps and go from there. But it also depends on the WiFi technology you have. Routers and devices that use WiFi 5 — which is the more standard version — can go up to 3.5 Gbps. WiFi 6, which most people are yet to upgrade to, can go up to 9.6Gbps. The faster the better when it comes to gaming that puts heavy demands on your internet, such as AR or VR gaming, but the theoretical speeds are likely faster than you’ll ever need. WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 — the latest WiFi technology — go even faster. Recommended speeds for PS5 gaming range between 3Mbps and 100Mbps. In other words, you’ll be fine with any of the routers listed below.
What is the best gaming router?
To make things simple, we’ve selected the best gaming routers on the market. No matter your budget, whether you don’t want to miss a second of the action in Fortnite or simply want a stronger wireless signal all around the house, these gaming routers are sure to boost your gaming experience. Just connect and lock and load.
These are the best gaming routers in 2024.
