Broadband for gaming

Overview

If you’re passionate about gaming, you’ll want a smooth gaming experience. For this, it’s important to think about the type of broadband connection you'll need. Ideally, you’ll want a fast connection with low latency and unlimited usage to maximise your gameplay.

Key features of broadband for gaming

There are four key things to consider when choosing broadband for gaming:

• Speed: The faster your broadband speed the quicker you'll download games, and online games will run smoother too.

• Latency: For a smoother gaming experience (especially for online multiplayer games), you’ll want a low latency so there is no lag in your gameplay.

• Usage: You’ll want a generous data limit, ideally unlimited, broadband usage as part of your plan.

• Connection: If you’re able to get it in your area, a full fibre connection will provide a more reliable service.

How much data does online gaming use?

You might be interested to know that gaming usually uses less bandwidth than streaming or video calling. A popular game like Minecraft uses 100MB of data per hour, whereas streaming Netflix in HD can use up to 3GB an hour. A video call on Zoom is even higher at 810MB per hour to video stream.

However, you will use a lot of data if you’re downloading online games to your console. To download a game in 2024, file sizes range between 50GB to 200GB. That’s why it’s important to have a broadband plan with unlimited usage, otherwise you could hit your data limit pretty quickly. At Vodafone, all our plans come with unlimited data usage, so you don’t have to worry about how much you’re downloading. Discover Vodafone Broadband plans

Does broadband speed improve gaming experience?

A faster broadband speed can improve your gaming experience because you’ll have lower latency. Latency is measured by a ping response time, which is the average time in milliseconds for the signal to be sent from the device to the server. A low ping response time of 20ms is exceptional, with anything up to 100ms being sufficient for most gaming experiences. Low latency is important if you play a lot of online multiplayer games. An example of this is if you’re in combat against another player and need to make the first move. With a high-speed internet connection, you’ll be able to react more quickly in the game without lag.

If you’re looking for a super-fast connection, Pro II Broadband offers the UK’s fastest WiFi technology throughout the home, made possible by WiFi 6E. Perfect for gaming, you can enjoy faster response times, low latency, and faster downloads. Learn more about Pro II Broadband

How to get the best gaming experience

To get the best gaming experience we would recommend:

• A speed of at least 80 Mbps, choose 150 Mbps or more if your budget allows

• Full fibre broadband, check if available in your area

• Fast upload and download speeds

• Unlimited broadband usage

If you do find your WiFi struggles while gaming, you could try a wired ethernet connection to your console or laptop. This could help provide a faster connection. You can also look into a booster or mesh WiFi system, to help improve your coverage.

If you’re gaming on the go, you’ll want to make sure you have 5G or 4G signal coverage. 5G will offer faster download speeds and quicker gameplay.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for broadband specifically for gaming, you should make sure the speed is fast enough – especially if you’re gaming online in real time with other players. If you’re still unsure of what speed is right for you, opt for the best speed for your budget – you can always upgrade later if you find it isn’t enough. Ready for your best gaming experience? View our range of broadband plans