Is 6 Mbps fast enough for gaming?

Online gaming has grown in popularity in the past few decades with graphics and other features undergoing massive developments. These games demand a certain level of internet speeds to maintain these features. Other games support both single-player & multiplayer gaming modes and features like chats.

When on a slow internet connection, a game can suffer from lagging determined by latency which is annoying and can be frustrating to a player Most gamers don’t fancy a game that lagging since it can cost one a game. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) provide internet at different and varying speeds based on a subscriber plan or the ISP. Internet speeds of 6 Mbps per second is a significantly adequate speed for carrying out a number of online activities like emailing, browsing, and even gaming, but is it fast enough for gaming?

6 Mbps is fast enough for gaming depending on factors such as the number of people connected to the network, the activities running in the background on your device, and the gaming mode & gaming features.

Playing a game on a fast internet connection can be the difference between you winning or losing a game online. Whether they’re winning or losing a game, they all want their skills to be the difference instead of external factors like internet speeds. Besides gamers, nobody fancies a game, music, or video that lags or buffers.

There are three main factors that determine an online gaming experience – download speeds, upload speeds, and ping rate. Download speed refers to the speed at which an internet connection can retrieve data from the internet while upload speed is the speed at which an internet connection can allow data from a device to be sent over the internet. Ping rate refers to the time taken for a message to be sent and returned from a single location. Despite being overlooked, the ping rate is a vital aspect of online gaming.

So, what’s the best internet speeds for gaming?

Gaming has taken over the internet with various devices being able to host a game. The most common devices for gaming include a PC, console (Xbox, PlayStation), and a smartphone. The internet speeds vary from one device to the other. Internet speeds are measured on download and upload speeds.

Console

Gaming consoles such as an Xbox and PS5 have different requirements and are specially designed for gaming and entertainment purposes. A console requires a minimum of 3 Mbps download speeds and 1 Mbps upload speeds per gamer.

PC

Computers are different from consoles since most of them aren’t specially designed for gaming but for a variety of activities. On PC, you need upload and download speeds of at least 1 Mbps and 6 Mbps respectively per gamer.

The best ping rate is one below 100 and 150.

Factors that may affect internet speeds

These speeds are ideal for a single gamer and depend on several things including the gaming device, and the activities running in the background. When gaming online and you run some high-bandwidth activities like playing online videos or doing a video call in the background, then your internet speeds will be affected.

How do reduce lag

At times, your internet speeds won’t save you from lagging. With the following solutions, you can reduce lag.

Use Ethernet

Wireless connections like Wi-Fi may suffer from lag while gaming online. The best bet is to use an Ethernet cable which guarantees you consistently high speeds without interference. However, if you choose to use Wi-Fi, and then ensure that you’re closer to the router as much as possible.

Close unnecessary apps and disconnect other devices

When gaming, close all unnecessary apps running on your device and any other device that is connected to the same internet connection should be disconnected. This will conserve your internet speeds for only your gaming activities.

Avoid peak hours

An internet connection has several users connected to it and sharing the same tower. Sometimes, almost all the users will be connected to these towers causing huge internet traffic. In an effort to serve everyone, the ISP will limit bandwidth so that everyone can get access.  This means that the download speeds will significantly decrease and cause an increase in latency. Take note of peak hours in your area and avoid them.

Minimum speeds	Download	Upload
PC	6 Mbps	1 Mbps
Xbox One	3 Mbps	500 Kbps
PlayStation 4	2 Mbps	2 Mbps

FAQs

Is 35 Mbps good for gaming?

Yes, 35 Mbps is good enough for gaming.

Is 7 Mbps fast enough for gaming?

Yes, 7 Mbps is fast enough for gaming depending on the number of connected devices.

Is 300 Mbps good for gaming?

Yes, 300 Mbps is good for gaming depending on the number of connected devices.

Will a data cap affect my internet speeds?

Your data being throttled by your ISP can significantly affect your gaming, especially when downloading or updating a game.

How much internet speed do I need for gaming?

The average internet speed for online gaming is 3 to 6 Mbps with intensive games requiring up to 25 Mbps.