The best routers for gaming help eliminate lag and make sure mobile devices always have great connections. We list some of our favorite routers available today.
A slow internet connection can cause online games to lag and become difficult to play. Upgrading to a newer, more modern router should deliver a better experience when gaming online or broadcasting gameplay. A high-performing router will reduce lag and ensure that other non-gaming devices don’t experience any slowdowns while you’re playing online. Finding a high-speed router is easy, but you might be wondering which is best for gaming. We selected six of the best routers designed for gaming and checked out their specs and features. If you’re more concerned about overall Wi-Fi speeds than gaming, check out our guide to the best wireless routers. Netgear designed the XR500 for optimal gaming on a wireless network. This AC2600-class router supports speeds of up to 800Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and up to 1,733Mbps on the 5GHz band. To reach those maximum speeds, you’ll need a device that supports four streams (4×4). The XR500 includes a 1.7 GHz processor and four Gigabit Ethernet ports. It prioritizes gaming connections, optimizes connections for low-ping gaming on more twitchy shooters, and helps you connect with a gaming VPN for additional security or regional options. And that’s just the beginning! The XR500 allows for more direction customization and connection monitoring. You can choose even more options, like geo-filtering to pick your favorite servers (where the VPN comes in handy again) and app options to monitor your ping and network status in real time, device by device. This is great if you like manual optimization, though not all gamers may get the most out of these in-depth features. The XR700 is a newer and better model, but at almost twice the price, it’s only really worth it for those with deep pockets. The powerful tri-band router is easily one of the best MU-MIMO routers we’ve seen. MU-MIMO allows routers to communicate with devices simultaneously (multiple users) rather than sequentially, as seen with older MIMO-based routers. This greatly improves apparent speed and connection dependability, ideal for mobile gamers — especially if there’s more than one in the house. TP-Link’s Archer C5400X is an AC5400-class router promising speeds up to 1,000Mbps on the 2.4GHz band (4×4) and up to 2,187Mbps on the 5GHz band (4×4). What’s notable here is that it offers a second 5GHz connection, thus you can dedicate it to gaming while the other two 2.
