Why You Need Solid Broadband For Gaming
Why You Need Good Broadband For Gaming
The latest generation of home-consoles are here. The Xbox Series X and PS5 hit the shelves in the UK in November packed with the latest technology. It’s never been more important for you to have a fast, reliable broadband connection to get the most out of your gaming.
Both the Xbox Series X and PS5 have released with ‘digital only’ editions, meaning each game you purchase will be downloaded straight to your console. The size of AAA* titles can hit sizes of up to 180GB, and that’s without any patches and updates further down the line. If you do opt for the more expensive versions with a disc-drive, remember you’ll still be required to download those patches and updates.
Online gaming has continued to get more popular, with it being increasingly rare to find games that aren’t focused on their online component more than single player. Having a fast, reliable connection will enhance your online gaming experience, and ensure you enjoy it’s full potential.
Cloud gaming has also emerged in the form of Playstation Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming. These services enable you to stream games remotely from a server without having to download them. Just like with streaming TV & films on Netflix, you need decent speeds to prevent buffering.
Just like on the previous PS4 and Xbox One, Sony and Microsoft have given their new consoles the ability to live stream through Twitch. A strong internet connection is crucial for streaming, as it not only matters for your gaming experience, but the viewing experience of anyone watching.
What Broadband Speeds You Need
If you owned the previous generation of consoles, and your current home broadband gave you a good connection, you’ll be pleased to know that the Xbox Series X and PS5 require no upgrade.
If you haven’t had consoles previously, you should be looking for a fibre-optic broadband package with an unlimited download speed of around 30MBPS+ for the best experience.
The Xbox Series X and PS5 also come with both wireless and wired capabilities as expected. Even though wireless is better for flexibility, wired will give you the fastest and most reliable connection, as it’s more resistant to interference.
If you’re in a household with multiple people online at the same time, you might need more than 30MBPS. Each device will be lowering the overall speed, and could affect your online connection whilst gaming by increasing your ping.
Ping is the speed at which data gets transferred from your console to the internet. High ping means that data is taking longer to reach its destination. Any input that you put into your controller will therefore not immediately register, and you’ll start to lag.
You can search for broadband deals on our price comparison tool here at broadbandmoneysaver.com. We’ve found plenty of fibre packages that are perfect for gaming from Virgin Media, BT and Vodafone!
