What is good upload speed for gaming? Should it be so fast???

For gaming, sufficient download speeds and, especially, good ping rates matter a lot to a smooth gaming experience. But what about upload speed? Does it matter, too? And if it does, how fast should your upload speed be to play online games smoothly? If these are what you are wondering, then read this post now. The answers you are looking for are all below here.

Gaming online

Before learning “what is a good upload speed for online gaming?”, it’s good to spend a minute finding out whether a good upload rate is crucial for playing online games. 

Is upload speed important for gaming?

Measured in Mbps (Megabits per second), the upload speed or upload rate refers to how long it takes for data to move from your device to the internet server.  

As compared to download speeds, upload speeds seem less important for average internet users since a great number of online activities involve downloading. 

About gaming, generally speaking, sufficient upload speed is also a part of fluid gaming experiences. Do you know that players still need to constantly send data and information to the gaming server while gaming? Particularly, for those participating in multiplayer games, sending and exchanging messages between players is necessary. That means for gaming, along with downloading data, players also need to upload data, making upload speed matter. 

What is the minimum upload speed for gaming?

Though a good upload rate is essential for playing games, we don’t need a particularly fast speed to enjoy the games. Now, let’s move to the next part of this blog post, then you will know “what is a good download and upload speed for gaming?”.

What is a good internet speed for gaming?

The speed and stability of your internet connection can make significant differences in your online gaming experience. 

So, what is good internet upload speed and download rate for playing gaming?

What speed do you need?

Each gaming console has its specific connection speed recommendations. Players can easily find these numbers over the internet.

According to Xfinity, most video game console manufacturers these days recommend a minimum download speed of 3 Mbps and at least 0.5 - 1 Mbps of upload speed. These are generally considered a good internet connection speed for gaming.

Details on “what is a good upload and download speed for internet” for different types of games and game systems will be mentioned specifically later on in this post. Now, it’s time for us to learn about one metric that matters the most to your experiences while gaming. Not upload or download speed; it’s PING rate.

Gaming devices

How does the ping rate affect online gaming?

Ping rate or ping time (also known as latency) has a much greater impact on game performance than the upload and download speeds. 

It determines how quickly your device can get a response from the internet after sending out a request. 

High ping rate is considered the major cause for a variety of issues with online gaming like slow and stuttering gameplay, for example. Well, when latency gets too high while gaming, gamers start to experience lag. A high ping rate tends to make multiplayer almost impossible in any online game. 

For gaming or any other activities requiring fast responsiveness, the lower the ping rate, the better. 

Note that ping time or latency is measured in ms (milliseconds). So, if you find your ping ms value high, then you know that your game performance can’t be the best, right? Low ping is undoubtedly crucial, especially when it comes to fast-paced gameplay. 

Next, it’s time for us to see “what is a good internet upload speed, download load, and ping rate” for different game systems and game types.

Ping ms 

Minimum internet requirements for different game systems

As noted by highspeedinternet.com, the following are connection requirements for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Let’s see “what is a good internet download and upload speed” for gaming!

For Nintendo Switch

• Download speed: at least 3 Mbps

• Upload speed: at least 1 Mbps

• Ping rate: N/A

For Xbox One

• Download speed: at least 3 Mbps

• Upload speed: at least 0.5 Mbps

• Ping rate: 150 ms or below

For PlayStation 4 

• Download speed: at least 2 Mbps

• Upload speed: at least 2 Mbps

• Ping rate: N/A

If your connection meets these basic requirements, it means you can start gaming on these systems. However, to ensure a consistent online gaming experience, it’s good to have a better connection. 

Multiplayer game

Minimum internet speed for different game types

Different types of games, of course, have different speed connection requirements. Here is how much internet speed you'll need to enjoy RPGs, real-time strategy, MMO, and FPS games.

Role-playing games (RPGs)

• Download speed: 2 Mbps

• Upload speed: 0.5 Mbps

• Ping rate: 150 ms or less

Real-time Strategy games

• Download speed: 3 Mbps

• Upload speed: 1 Mbps

• Ping rate: 150 ms or less

MMO games

• Download speed: 3.5 Mbps

• Upload speed: 0.5 Mbps

• Ping rate: 150 ms or less

FPS games

• Download speed: 30 Mbps or higher

• Upload speed: 1 Mbps or higher

• Ping rate: 20 ms or less

As you can see, among these 04 types of games, FPS (first-person shooters) games require a fast and stable connection, while RPGs need much lower speeds. 

Best internet connections for online games

Easy tips on improving internet connections for playing games online

Gaming with unstable and slow internet, well, it must be one of the most irritating experiences for gamers, right? So, what should you do to ensure a smooth and fluid gaming experience? 

Well, if you find your internet connection quite poor for gaming, don’t worry. Right below here, MySpeed is going to introduce some quick suggestions on how to improve internet speeds and reduce lag so that you can better enjoy your gaming moments.  

Move closer to the router

For gamers gaming over a WiFi connection, it’s essential to know that WiFi signal strength is susceptible to things like wireless interferences, physical obstructions, and long distances to the router. So, if possible, try moving your PC or gaming consoles to your router to enhance your WiFi signal.

Close all unnecessary background programs

Background programs, especially bandwidth-heavy ones like Netflix, YouTube, … severely impact the ping rate and connection speed as well. Close all unnecessary programs running in the background can help improve your gaming performance.

Disconnect other devices from the network

The more devices use your connection, the more internet bandwidth is required. So, if you can, reduce the number of devices connected to your network to have better internet for the games.

Ethernet cable

Go wired

Since WiFi signal strength can get weak due to different factors, playing games via a wired connection is a good idea to reduce lag and improve speed.

Play on a local server

Remember that the nearer the server is to you, the lower ping. Hence, you should play on a server close to you. This way, your ping rate can get much lower. 

Restart the router

If it has been a while since the last time you restarted your router, now it’s time to do so. 

Do you know that a router that keeps running for a long time without any reboot can become strained?

Restarting the router can help refresh the connection, resulting in better internet performance. 

Upgrade your internet package

If you find your current internet plan does not provide enough bandwidth and speeds for your gaming activities, consider upgrading it to a new one that offers better conditions for playing games. 

High-speed internet

Conclusion

Recently, we’ve learned basic things related to good upload, download speeds as well as ping rate for gaming. As you can see, a sufficient upload speed matters for fluid gaming experiences. Now you know “what is good upload speed for gaming,” right? Not sure if your connection is fast enough for the game, run a quick download and upload speed test to find out. However, as compared to upload and download speeds, a low ping rate plays a more crucial role for gamers to smoothly enjoy the games. Also in this post, MySpeed shared with you simple but effective tips on how to improve internet connection for playing games online, hope you found them helpful. And that’s all for this article!