Best Internet Speed For PC Games

Gaming on a PC makes for one of the best pastimes for millions of people around the world. In fact, gaming has changed from being just a hobby to a career, much to the gamers’ joy. We moved from arcades to high-level PC games and to this day, we see many different types and upgrades in games and gaming devices. While it is clear that the gaming industry will only go uphill from here, it is only fair that we look back to see where and how it all began.

History of Gaming

The first games came into being in the early 1950s and they were mainly of three types: Training programs, research programs, and demonstration programs. In a way, all of these were informational and made to impart some sort of knowledge or understanding. Considering how technology back in those days was very limiting, it was difficult to move or transfer these games to other systems so, oftentimes, these games were dismantled after their purpose was complete. This is why there were no further developments in the game industry for a long while. Moreover, that is why we can never know for sure which game was the first game made.

The earliest known game to us is the arcade game named Bertie the Brain and it was a tic-tac-toe game. This game was designed and developed by Josef Kates in 1950. It was displayed at the Canadian National Exhibition and was a major success. Surprisingly, after the exhibition, the game was dismantled, despite its success. The reason for this, as given by Kates, was that there were too many projects he was working on and he did not have the time or energy to preserve this one game.

A year later, the first known computer game was made by Christopher Strachey and it was a simulation of the game draughts, otherwise called, checkers. This game was created for a general-purpose computer and was not a machine made especially for the game like it was for Bertie. From then on, versions upon versions of games were designed and some failed but others succeeded. This process of upgrading, testing, and trying still goes on to this day.

This was a very brief look into the history of the computer games that we play nowadays and how they came into being. Of course, there is much more to be told and explained in detail, but that is a topic for another day. Today’s blog focuses on the internet speed for games so, let’s move to the next section to find that out, shall we?

Gaming Internet Speed Requirement

Depending on the types of PC games you like to play, the internet speed requirement differs. However, it is just as important for all games to be powered with sufficient speed so as not to buffer and lag. Getting a good internet connection with ideal speeds is a must. Let’s take a look at the speed requirement for different games.

For Intermediate Gaming

If you are not a hardcore gamer, and just like to game casually, then you won’t need a high-speed internet connection. You will be able to manage just fine with a 5-10 Mbps internet connection and, in fact, you will be able to manage to connect other devices as well, without facing any problems. If there are other people using the same internet connection as you and are performing internet-consuming activities like streaming movies, downloading apps, etc., then you will face problems. So, 5-10 Mbps is good for you, if no one else is using up a lot of speed, otherwise, you should opt for a higher speed range.

For Pro Gaming

For pro gaming, you are most likely going to compete in online games with other players around the world. To keep up with their speed, you will need an internet connection of 20-25 Mbps at the very least. You will also need to make sure that you have sufficient upload speed so data is sent just as fast as it is received.

Since online multiplayer games also include live streaming and data processing from different players, don’t be surprised if you need to get a 100 Mbps connection to keep up with the competition. Moreover, it is recommended to connect your system to the modem with an Ethernet so as not to experience any weak signals or fluctuations.

Some Popular Games and the Best Internet Speed for Them

Thanks to this table, you can get a better understanding of how much internet speed is appropriate for which game based on its size. The heavier the game, the more the internet consumption. And the times mentioned here are, of course, not 100% accurate, rather they are estimates in the best-case scenario if you do not face any internet connectivity issues. So, if you are facing connectivity issues, you can count on the time being much longer than mentioned here.

What Affects Your Internet Speed for Gaming

Knowing the speed limit you need to be looking for, the next thing to see is what are the things that affect your PC gaming experience so that you know what to avoid. Take a look below:

Other Connected Devices

This point has been mentioned before as well, but the reason we have written it here again is to emphasize its importance. Oftentimes, people make the mistake of purchasing an internet plan with just enough speed for their games but do not consider the internet usage of other devices or people at home. And that is the reason your games lag and frequently cause problems.

Other times, people might make the mistake of getting very speedy internet plans that are clearly well over their budget. Moreover, it gets more absurd when they are not even using up that much internet speed because, at this point, they are just overspending. So, instead of going for the easy solution to get too much speed, it would be better if you just sit down and calculate how much speed you actually need. If you are not sure, you can always refer to online resources or to a customer service agent to figure that out.

Browser Use

Internet browsers can affect your internet speed due to storing frequently used tabs in the cache memory. This is why when you face internet issues, you are asked to clear your cache. The cache memory can reduce the speed of the internet and so, you should clear the cache regularly to avoid this.

Wireless vs. Ethernet Cable

Whenever you are purchasing an internet package for your home office or for hardcore gaming, you are always advised by people to connect your system directly to the modem via Ethernet cable. Why do you think that is? We even mentioned this once before in this blog and the reason is simple. When you are connected via a cable, you have a direct connection, which is much better than wireless. With wireless internet, you can lose connection or sometimes, face weak signals, but with a wired connection, you have a stable connection for most of the time.

This doesn’t mean that you cannot use wireless internet at all. You can still connect your other devices through Wi-Fi. You can also connect your system through a wireless connection if you are confident your internet connection is reliable and speedy enough.

Background Apps

If you have apps open in the background while gaming, you should know that each app is consuming some percentage of your speed, and so, if there are too many apps, or some that consume a lot of speed, then you will experience lagging in your games. Sometimes, there are apps that are running in the background, but without your knowledge and these also cause problems with the internet speed. To see which apps these are and maybe even turn them off, go to task manager and you will be able to find them there.

Bringing It All Together

To conclude, we have gone over everything ranging from the requirements of gaming internet speed and how much is recommended for PC gaming. After reading this blog, we are sure that you have a lot more than you knew before in regards to the best internet speed for gaming. Keeping all of these points in mind, you will be able to find the perfect internet plan for your gaming needs. The only other thing that you will need to check on is the reputation of the ISP to see if their services are reliable.

After all, it is not only the speed of the internet package that you need to worry about, rather, you will also need to check up on other factors like pricing, reliability, security, and much more. We haven’t covered these things here as it is clearly a separate topic and discussion. But otherwise, we have covered all we can in regards to this topic!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is 100 Mbps good for PC gaming?

100 Mbps is easily a good internet speed for hardcore gamers. While there are some games that could require more than this speed, you can still manage a lot of games with just this speed. At the end of the day, it depends on your game’s consumption level and the activities of the other devices connected to the same Wi-Fi.

What is the best internet speed for gaming?

Based on our recommendation, you can enjoy a seamless gaming experience for intermediate games with just 5-10 Mbps and for pro games, 20-25 Mbps speed is enough. Keep in mind, this is just the recommendation for minimum speed and it is without considering other activities and devices.