Gaming is a hobby enjoyed by nearly 3 billion people all over the world. While some people are content to play offline and single-player games, online gaming is the preference for many. If you are an online gamer you should consider having a VPN for a better gaming experience – learn more about them on AlwaysVPN. Also, your internet connection is another way to improve online gaming.
As for what speed you need, you should generally look to have at least 5 Mbps in order to game online. Oftentimes higher is better, especially if other people will be using the internet while you play. But why does having fast internet benefit gaming so much? Keep reading to find out.
Reduce Lag
One of the most frustrating things as a gamer is lag. This small delay in your experience can lead to you getting eliminated, falling off the map, or generally losing to your opponent. Lag occurs when it takes longer for your input to reach the servers of the game.
If you are a half-second behind your opponents or enemies, trying to win against them is incredibly hard. While lag can always happen, a better and faster internet connection should help it happen far less and the lag you do experience will be minor.
In addition to getting better internet, there are other ways to reduce bad ping and lag. This includes using an ethernet cable instead of wifi, using an adapter, or getting a better router.
Quicker Game Downloads and Updates
Better internet also improves how quickly you can download new games and updates for the games you already have. With games and updates getting bigger and bigger, the time it takes to download them has become large, as well. Many console games are well over 100GB, with some being much larger.
If your internet is poor, these updates or downloads can take hours and hours, which holds you back from being able to play your game. In some cases, it might take days for people to download a particularly massive game or update.
While this aspect doesn’t officially impact you while playing your game, it does indeed make you have to wait longer before actually playing, which can certainly be annoying.
Ways to Speed Up Internet
Now that you know the importance of fast internet for an optimal experience while gaming, how can you speed up your internet? Of course, finding a new provider and upgrading your internet is a clear and easy way to do so, but it isn’t the only one.
Other ways include disconnecting other devices that are hogging your bandwidth, resetting your router, and asking others to avoid using the internet when you are. Of course, these aren’t long-term fixes and the best way to get better internet consistently over time is to simply upgrade.
In conclusion, we hope this article has been able to help you understand the importance of high-speed internet for gaming.
