What is good download and upload speed for gaming? [Ultimate Guide]

If you are an avid gamer, you probably wonder “ What is good download and upload speed for gaming?”

A slow Internet connection, of course, is one of the most annoying things you may encounter.

If your game sounds slow, the server will not respond immediately so if your opponent's game gets faster, they have a much higher chance of winning. 

So, read this post instantly!

What is good download and upload speed for gaming?

What is good download speed for gaming?

Playing games online is not the most bandwidth-consuming activity.

That's because in-game images are displayed by the graphics card on your PC or game console.   

The best Internet speed

However, good Internet speed is critical to a smooth experience. 

Many online games require you to pull down game patches, frequent updates, or new files on your PC in order to keep playing. 

Besides, you also want fast connections and low latency to play competitive games without lag and jitter. 

If you're playing the game Cyberpunk 2077, which has a file size of 70GB. 

Your Internet also affects how fast your computer will pull down these files.

What is a good upload speed for gaming?

Upload speeds are significant because when you play a multiplayer game, you are continuously transmitting data or messages to other players.

However, while upload speeds are more critical to gamers than other users, it does not need to be exceptionally fast.

Best Internet speed

What is a good Internet speed?

Download or upload speed for gaming?

Since the game is interactive, you also have to consider the upload speed or the speed at which information from your computer travels to the remote server.

What are good download and upload speeds? 

The upload speed you need is incredibly low, around 1 Mbps–2 Mbps. 

Even a poor connection can often handle these speeds. 

That’s why the upload speed often prevails after more important factors.

Your own material on platforms such as Twitch requires a faster speed than a standard online video game.

To amass a sizable online following, your stream must be of decent quality, as well as consistent and dependable. 

Potential viewers will leave quickly if your feed stutters or cuts out frequently.

For 1080p broadcasting, Twitch recommends a minimum upload speed of 5Mbps. 

If you're a potential streamer, we recommend only using an Internet service provider that can guarantee.

What is good Internet speed?

What is a good download speed for gaming?

Many questions have been thrown on the gaming community like what is a good download speed for gaming?  

20 Mbps download speed is good? 

Is 10 Mbps download speed good for gaming? 

The only information that has to come back through your Internet connection is the keys and buttons the player presses. 

This means that even many modern games with high-definition graphics need download speeds of just around 3 Mbps to play online.

What is a good download?

It's okay to play games with 3 to 8 Mbps.

Yet, depending on how many people are using your Internet and whether you're using the Internet for other activities at the same time, this can't be enough. 

So whats a good download speed Mbps? 

Is 25 Mbps download speed good for gaming? Everything less than 50 Mbps is good. 50 to 200 Mbps is considered excellent.

If you want to have a consistent online experience, we suggest having a slightly better connection.

Because the actual Internet speed requirements are so low, games and game systems often don't give specifically recommended Internet speed.

Instead, it just requires a "broadband Internet connection", download speeds up to 25 Mbps and 3 Mbps upload speeds.

They are more than enough for you to have multiple consoles playing online simultaneously.

Best Internet connections

If you are not sure about the broadband connection you have, run a speed test.

Low latency expected

Latency is the amount of time it takes for a signal from your device to go to and return from a remote server. 

Because it is measured by sending a single ping of information, it is also known as "ping rate."

Ping rate is one of the most critical metrics when it comes to online gaming.

Lower ping means a smoother experience, and higher ping means lag and jitter.

Latency is affected by a variety of variables. 

These are some examples:

Distance between you and the server

Regional servers are used by games that enable co-op and multiplayer because geography matters, even if the server is only a few states away. 

Your Internet type

Some Internet connections have intrinsically greater delay than others. 

Because satellite Internet is a wireless communication that must go to space and return to reach a remote server, it has the highest latency. 

Insulated cable connections are faster than uninsulated phone lines, and fiber optic cables are faster than both.

Some types of Internet

What are fast download and upload speeds?

Fast Internet speeds are 100 Mbps and above.

There are several common fast Internet tiers such as 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, 300 Mbps, 500 Mbps download speed, and 1,000 Mbps download.

Upload speeds range from 1.2 to over 10 megabits per second. However, if you want the best experience, you'll need more than 10 Mbps.

Fast Internet connection is at least 100 Mbps

Why is my upload speed faster than my download?

It's normal that most high-speed Internet connections are asymmetric and they are designed to deliver download speed fast upload speed slow. 

However, you may sometimes find download speed slow upload speed fast. 

Internet speed for games

This could be caused by a wide range of factors. 

For example, spyware or a virus can reduce the speed of your Internet download connection. 

The quantity of memory on your computer or the amount of hard disk space available might also have an impact on your connections.

Moreover, as the vast majority of applications download things or many people download huge files at once, it is slower. 

Your network is just congested.

Download speed not matching speed test

If you notice that your download speed doesn't match speed test, don't take it so seriously. 

It's not because your connections are sluggish.

Rather, the server from which you're downloading the content is overburdened.

Check Internet speed

It's definitely worth testing your Internet connection if you're having problems with slower Internet speeds. 

A test will not only give you a picture of how much Internet speed you have but also help you make sure you're getting what you paid for. 

Troubleshooting and sites devoted to checking your Internet speeds, you can use such as speedtest.net or gospeedcheck.com.

MySpeed at gospeedcheck.com

After knowing how much speed you are getting, you may find out the reasons for slow connections and tips on how to increase Internet speed.

How to Increase Internet speed?

1. Check your Internet speed and bandwidth

When it comes to speed for online gaming, you need at least 15-20Mbps. But you also need to think about your bandwidth.

If you or others in your family do other activities on the Internet (like streaming movies, video chatting,...) simultaneously, it can hog up bandwidth. 

Activities like streaming videos and downloading files can slow down your Internet and games unless you have enough bandwidth to support them. 

2. Aim for low latency

Network latency refers to how long it takes data to travel between its source and destination. 

The lower the latency, the better. 

If you're playing a game with high latency you can experience lad. 

The best combination is to have ultra-fast Internet with low latency. 

• Good latency: Below 150 milliseconds.

• Excellent latency:  20ms

What Internet Speeds Do You Need for Gaming?

So what causes the delay? 

Like bandwidth, ping more depends on your broadband connection.

It’s affected by your network hardware, the location, and the connection of the remote server and the router.

When data packets travel from source to destination, they are usually not directly online.

They usually pass through different points along the route. 

The longer the route and the more stops you have to stop, the longer the delay.

How far away your router is from the computer/gaming consoles also increases the latency.

3. Move the wifi transmitter closest to you

Items like walls, floors, furniture, and other objects can interfere with your wireless signal. 

Increase your WiFi signal and improve your connection line by moving your PC or console closer to your wifi transmitter.

If you find that you still experience lag, it will degrade, or there's no way you can move the router, try changing your position to get faster Internet. 

For example, put your console at a different angle. 

This is a practical tip on how to get fast connections.

Ideal Internet speed for games

You can also reduce signal interference from other household devices such as wireless speakers, microwaves, and portable chargers. 

This can help the wireless signal transmit a more direct stream to your device.

4. Close any unnecessary websites and programs

Bandwidth-heavy websites like Netflix, YouTube, and downloading seriously affect your ping rate and latency. 

Before playing games, you should close any unnecessary apps or background apps for faster Internet.

Reducing the number of devices you have connected to WiFi can help. 

The more devices that are connected and using WiFi, the more bandwidth is required.

You can even put your device in Airplane Mode while playing.

Limit the number of devices connected to the network

5. Connect your device to your router via an Ethernet cable

If you live in a home where you share a wireless connection with others, it’s hard to ask them to stop using the Internet while you are playing games. 

You can try to squeeze a game tight whenever they're out of the house, or you can connect your device to the router via a fiber optic cable.

As long as your router is not the problem, this will greatly reduce your ping rate.

Ethernet cord

6. Play on the local server

Playing on a server in your country or countryside can dramatically decrease your ping. 

The closer the server is to you, the better your connection.

Learn What Internet Speeds Do You Need

7. Reboot your router

The wifi transmitter that has been in use for a while may become slow or free.

The best way is to restart your wifi device. This can help to refresh your Internet connection and possibly improve latency.

8. Replace your wifi device

Older wifi devices can affect your connection strength and reliability. 

A router optimized for gaming might be the best choice. 

The router has special features designed to enhance all the conditions required to play online games. 

A new router

One special feature is Quality of Service (QoS), which allows you to prioritize Internet traffic on your console so you can have the best experience possible.

After running an Internet check and you know Internet performance, you should upgrade your router to increase the connection.

9. Upgrade your broadband package

Better broadband is possibly the best and simplest way to reduce game latency and increase Internet speed. 

Consider upgrading your broadband package to an option that offers better conditions. 

Sometimes, it could be that your particular area has a patchy WiFi signal.

So, you can choose another broadband provider that offers a better, more reliable Internet connection. 

For the best Internet connection, you can also adopt other ways like using a wired connection or upgrading your Internet plan.

10. Switch to another ISP

If your Internet is still sluggish, consider switching to other Internet service providers.

Companies should be able to do a line test and provide you with an estimate of the speeds you may get before the registration.

If you're using ADSL standard Internet services and want to improve your connection, you should consider upgrading to fiber-optic broadband. 

Internet Service Provider