Best broadband for gamers

Whether you or your family are playing Fortnite or League of Legends, a fast and reliable broadband connection is necessary for online gaming. If you encounter stutter and lag, then you’ll end up feeling incredibly frustrated as you try to progress with your game.

If you use your PC, your console or even your phone to game with, you will need a steady broadband line to ensure that you can download games, install updates and patches quickly and successfully.

While most broadband deals are suitable for the casual gamer (with a fast download speed being the top priority), there are packages that offer more. These packages would suit gamers who find themselves competing online more frequently and typically include high or no data limits, adequate latency, and little traffic management.

When deciding on a broadband package, you’ll be able to choose between a standard broadband connection (ADSL) or a fibre optic line. These are the two options best suited to gamers.

ADSL is generally a more cost-effective broadband solution, it’s also a service that’s readily available to all areas. ADSL will provide speeds fast enough for gaming but the copper lines are more susceptible to external interferences, deeming them less reliable and stable than a fibre optic alternative.

Fibre optic broadband uses pulses of light to transfer data through fibre optic cables. This means that the connection will be faster than a standard broadband connection. Fibre transfers are also not prone to being affected by external interferences. On the downside, this type of broadband service is not yet readily available to all UK neighbourhoods and the packages are usually more expensive.

Not all online games require super-fast speeds. For example, an Xbox Live can run smoothly with a 3 Mbps connection and a minimum of 2Mbps will suffice for a PlayStation Network.

Broadband Speed for Console Games

With the minimum speed for playing an Xbox Live game being as low as 3Mbps, you can avoid that costly 36Mbps package that sounds good but provides way more speed than you actually need. So, if you scale back on your Mbps, you can still get an excellent broadband connection for gaming whilst saving a few quid.

Broadband Speed for PC Games

Ok, so, PC games do require more of a broadband boost than your average console game. But you still won't need more than 5mbps to play even the most advanced games.

What you do want to pay attention to when it comes to PC gaming is Packet Loss. Packet Loss refers to data that gets lost or discarded when travelling to or from a server. When it occurs, then you’ll experience unresponsiveness, unexpected freezing, and constant stuttering (which is often mistaken for a slow connection).

Remember, speed is not the only factor that comes into play when ensuring that you have a smooth and constant connection for online gaming. In fact, a slower but reliable connection is sometimes preferable to a super-fast connection that tends to jitter and lag. Keep this in mind when you compare broadband deals from different internet service providers.