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A Buyer’s Guide to the Optimum Gaming Router
While video games were relatively simple back in the day, they’ve evolved to become full experiences that can take you to different worlds, play against other players, and have fun. But with that added immersion and experience comes higher requirements, particularly network requirements. When playing multiplayer games online, your device needs to send and receive tons of information every second, and this can be a problem for older routers.With fast gaming routers, however, things change. Gaming routers are made to reduce latency and improve stability on wireless connections. Some of the most stable gaming routers of 2023 are available for purchase online, and these routers are a great way to up your multiplayer game.
ASUS ROG Rapture Wi-Fi Router
Best Overall
TP-Link AC5400 Gaming Router
Largest Option
Netgear Nighthawk Pro Gaming
Most Premium
Linksys Stream Router
Best Office Router
Rockspace Wi-Fi Router
Affordable Option
Video Games and the Internet
Many video games these days have a multiplayer element that involves playing with other gamers from around the world. While it’s all very fun, this poses a unique requirement to your device — a constant and stable connection to the Internet. Depending on the type of game you play your device may need information every split second. This means that your computer and your router need to constantly communicate to ensure you don’t get disconnected from the match.Then there’s ping, which is the delay that comes from your Internet speed. Ping is the time it takes for your computer to communicate with the game’s online servers. The closer you live to the physical server location, the faster it is, but other factors can affect pings such as your router and the strength of your connection.With more and more games requiring more packets of information per second, you need modern routers to keep up with the demands. And that’s where gaming routers come in — designed to minimize ping and optimize connections, both wired and wireless, gaming routers allow you to stay connected and play games without interruption.Why Gaming Routers Are So Useful
They reduce ping
Ping is one of the major factors that contribute to the sluggishness of your connection. If you’ve ever wondered why your game felt a lot slower and less responsive than a single-player game, ping is likely one of the main culprits behind it. Mostly, there’s not much you can do to reduce ping other than using a VPN or connecting via an Ethernet cable. However, depending on how old your router is, an upgrade to a gaming router may show improvements to ping.Ping improvements through gaming monitors are most apparent in wireless connections, however. Wireless connections are far less stable than wired connections, and this means you’ll need better routers to ensure you’re connected securely and constantly.Stable Wi-Fi connections
A lot of video games played today are found on your mobile smartphone, and there are millions, if not billions, of mobile gamers around the world. The problem is that Wi-Fi is unstable and a lot of players would rather rely on their mobile data connection instead. With a gaming router, however, you can solidify the connections to your phone, giving you a more stable gaming experience that can help you win games.They look cool
Finally, there’s just something about gaming routers that makes them look cool. Sure, there are some models that look a little goofy, but many of them feature that sleek and futuristic gamer aesthetic that just looks great when installed in your room. Some gaming routers even have RGB support, which you can use in tandem with your other RGB accessories for a very colorful setup.Tips When Using Gaming Routers
Stay close to the router when gaming wirelessly
When connecting to your router via Wi-Fi, you’ll want to stay as close to the router as possible. The farther you are from the router the less stable your connection will be. By staying close to the router, you minimize any hiccups in the connection and you’re more likely to get a stable gaming experience.Minimize obstruction
Distance isn’t the only thing that can obstruct your connection. Solid walls and surfaces can also obstruct your connectivity, and with enough walls, your connection can be cut off entirely. If you can’t stay right beside the router while gaming, consider leaving your door open or staying somewhere that’s in line of sight to the router instead.ASUS ROG Rapture Wi-Fi Router
Best Overall
The ASUS Rapture Wi-Fi Router gives off a cool, colorful gamer vibe, and it’s not just for looks, either. You can use the router for optimized packet delivery and latency-free gaming. If you’re the type of person who’s into RGB, the router supports Aura Lighting, which is ASUS’ own RGB lighting system. It’s the best overall option if you love both the visual and performance aspect of gaming routers.
Pros
- Very sleek and gamer-like design
- Latency-free gaming with optimized packets
- Support for Aura Lighting
Cons
- Limited number of ports
TP-Link AC5400 Gaming Router
Largest Option
This next router looks like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie. The TP-Link AC5400 is one of the most powerful gaming routers in the market, and for good reason. At first glance, the router looks a little silly, but it’s actually high performance. With tons of ports to connect to and a Quad-core CPU for faster loading, the gaming router is made for large and public spaces. You can connect a lot of devices to the router with no problem. If you can find a place to set this behemoth down, you’re guaranteed to have good connectivity across many devices.
Pros
- Supports wired and wireless devices
- With Quad-core CPU
- Dynamic optimization for latency removal
Cons
- Looks a little silly
Netgear Nighthawk Pro Gaming
Most Premium
Topping the list in terms of price, the Nighthawk Pro Gaming Wi-Fi Router is the premium option for those who would spare no expense on a gaming monitor. Unlike the previous bulky router, this gaming router features a very sleek and premium look that’s worthy of its price. Netgear claims the router can reduce ping by up to 93%, a feat that most routers can’t easily achieve. You can connect just about any Ethernet device to the router, though the lack of ports is disappointing for how expensive the router is.
Pros
- Premium look and design
- Reduces ping significantly
- Compatible with any ethernet device
Cons
- Few ethernet ports for an expensive router
Linksys Stream Router
Best Office Router
A router doesn’t need to look gamer-like for it to be great for gaming. Take the Linksys EA7500-4B, for example. It’s a router that, on the surface, looks like any other router on the market. However, this device is actually powerful — with coverage of up to 1,500 square feet, it can reach considerable distances throughout the house. It also reliably streams 4K video and video games with no buffering at all, even wirelessly. With a technology that gives the same performance to multiple Wi-Fi devices at once, it’s a powerful router that’s useful for more than just your average gamer.
Pros
- 4K video support with no buffering
- Reliable performance across multiple wireless devices
- Up to 1,500 square feet of range
Cons
- Does not look very flashy or stylish
Rockspace Wi-Fi Router
Affordable Option
This last router is a cross between a traditional router and a gaming router. It’s the Rockspace Wi-Fi Router, and it’s got fast network speeds at a relatively affordable price. You can get strong connectivity from considerable distances, and with a max range of 2,500 square feet, you can get quite far and still stay connected.You can connect over 35 devices to the router at the same time and still get good results, a testament to its capabilities. If you’re not in the mood for blowing over a hundred dollars on gaming routers, this may be the alternative you’re looking for.
Pros
- Affordable gaming router
- With up to 2,500 square feet of range
- MU-MIMO technology support
Cons
- Build quality isn’t the best
People Also Asked
Are gaming routers cheap?
Gaming routers are a tad more expensive than regular routers, as they have the “gaming” tag on them.
Why do I need a gaming router?
Gaming routers offer more stable connections and faster speeds than regular routers. They also look more stylish and “gamer-like” than standard router devices.
Where should I install my gaming router?
It’s best to install your gaming router as close to where you play video games as possible if you use Wi-Fi. For wired connections, anywhere in the house is fine as long as the cable can reach it.
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