- What Internet speed is best for gaming?
- How does your speed choice influence your ability to keep up?
- Learn all about the Mbps you need - and what they are.
You don't need a high download speed to enjoy online gaming. Surprisingly, a 5Mbps connection or faster is sufficient for even the newest gaming consoles. Simple, right?
While having a good connection is crucial for online gaming, it's not just about signing up for the fastest Internet available. The key factor you need is low latency, because high speeds alone won't prevent lag if your latency hits hundreds of milliseconds.
We’ve put together all you need to know about Internet speeds for online gaming, so you'll know precisely what kind of connection will enhance your gaming experience.
What on earth is latency?
Before we dive into which Internet speed is best for gaming, it’ll help to understand a little about latency and what it is. We’ve talked about latency before, but here’s the lowdown:
Latency measures the time it takes for data to travel from its source to its destination and back again. Expressed in milliseconds (ms), low latency is crucial for seamless gaming.
A latency under 100 ms is deemed good, while anything under 50 ms is excellent, particularly for fast-paced games that demand quick reactions. Several factors can cause high latency:
- Location: Playing on a UK server from Australia means your data travels a long distance, increasing latency.
- Connection type: The type of Internet connection affects latency. Check your address to see if fibre to the premises (FTTP) is available for a high-speed plan from Compare Broadband.
- Equipment: Using an old router or relying on Wi-Fi or poor-quality Ethernet cables can increase latency, even with a fast Internet connection.
What Internet speed is best for online gaming?
For a dependable gaming experience, NBN 12 plans might fall short for some games due to their 1Mbps upload speed.
It's important to note that NBN connections are shared among all devices in your home. If someone is uploading a large file to Google Drive while you're gaming, your performance could suffer.
Therefore, we recommend at least an NBN 50 plan for gaming. These plans offer 50Mbps download and, crucially, 20Mbps upload speeds, providing a sufficient buffer.
Here are some popular NBN 50 plans to consider:
What about downloading games?
While online gaming doesn't demand high-speed Internet, a faster plan is beneficial if you frequently download new games. Many popular titles are over 50GB, and there's a significant difference between downloading such a large file on an NBN 50 plan versus an NBN 1000 plan, if you're fortunate enough to have access to one.
Here’s an estimate of how long it would take to download some popular games on NBN 50, NBN 100, NBN 250, and NBN 1000 plans, assuming you’re achieving the maximum speeds for each plan.
Download time comparison
How much quicker are downloads with a faster NBN plan? Below are examples of popular games and their estimated download times across the fastest NBN tiers:
| Game | NBN 50 | NBN 100 | NBN 250 | NBN 1000 |
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (6.7GB) | 19 minutes | 9.5 minutes | 4 minutes | 57 seconds |
| Fortnite (25GB) | 1 hour, 14 minutes | 37 minutes | 15 minutes | 3.5 minutes |
| Elden Ring (49GB) | 2 hours, 20 minutes | 1 hour, 10 minutes | 28 minutes | 7 minutes |
| Forza Horizon (103GB) | 4 hours, 55 minutes | 2 hours, 27 minutes | 59 minutes | 15 minutes |
Why do my games keep lagging?
In online gaming, lag commonly refers to a sudden increase in ping. Ping measures the time it takes for data to travel from your computer to the game server and back, also known as latency, measured in milliseconds.
Generally, your Internet speed doesn't directly affect your ping or cause lag spikes, except if your connection is slower than what the game requires.
The type of Internet connection can also influence ping. Typically, NBN plans offer lower latency compared to mobile broadband, 4G, or 5G home Internet plans. For casual gaming, this difference may be negligible. However, satellite Internet has the highest latency, which might be unsuitable for online gaming.
Ping is often beyond your control, influenced by factors such as your distance from the local exchange or node, the location of the game server, how your ISP routes traffic globally, and your ISP's international capacity.
Many games incorporate lag compensation to enhance the gaming experience. Popular titles often have servers in Australia, leading to lower latency as you're connecting locally rather than to a server in another country.
Your home network can also impact gaming performance, usually through stability issues or dropouts. Unstable connections can stem from three main issues: a poor-quality line to the exchange or node, a faulty modem, or inadequate Wi-Fi.
Connect with Compare Broadband
Are you ready to switch provider and upgrade your gaming experience? Give our team a call today on 1300 764 000 and we’ll walk you through the best plan and the best provider for your gaming needs.
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