However, I skipped on buying the best gaming router because at that time, I was not playing online, and I was confident that I will not be needing a good router for gaming. That is where I was entirely wrong. When I finally joined the world of casual and competitive gaming with my friends, I realized how my router was bad. So, bad that there were countless disconnects, the connection stability itself was horrible, and I would often get kicked out of servers because of terrible connection or ping, in general. Thankfully, I had some budget left, and I rush to order the best router that was available at that time. Thankfully, my online gaming experience and my overall gaming experience has improved drastically, and now I don’t have to worry about these things.
Best Router For Gaming: Detailed Chart 2023 Updated
6 Best Gaming Routers
I have to tell you that the process of buying a gaming router is not as easy as buying something like a gaming keyboard or even a mouse or a monitor. To successfully buy a router for gaming, you have to be well-versed in the network terminology as well, which can be difficult for many of us.
#1- TP-Link Archer A7
The first router on our list is from TP-Link, and honestly, none of us should be needing an introduction o this company. They have been making routers, modems, and all sorts of network equipment for as long as we can remember, and they are good at their job, as well.
One of the nicely priced routers in the market. The performance is pretty reasonable. You get a two-year warranty.
You don’t get a lot of customization options with this. Despite 3 antennas, the range can run into issues.
The TP-Link Archer A7 is a testament to how good the company is with their work as this router is not only one of the more affordable offerings from the company, but when it comes to a good price to performance ratio, this is up there with the best of the bests. But what is so good about it? Let’s see. For starters, the Archer lineup by TP-Link is known for being bargain routers. Now, I know that you might be wondering whether you are being sold something that is not good, but that is not the case. For the price you are paying, you are getting some serious performance from this router. I have used this for a week with my gaming and online streaming and never really ran into any issues. Not just that, TP-Link also bundles a 2-year warranty with this router so you can have a piece of mind that this router is not going to give up on you. A few downsides, though, the router does not have a lot of customization options, and the range is limited at best.
#2- NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000
Netgear is another amazing, tried and testing companies when we are talking about great routers; whether you want something for your home, office, or specifically for gaming, they have got you covered traditionally. With great prices and features to boot, Netgear is more or less a household name. If I am to put it simply, the TP-Link Archer A7 is one of the finest routers in the market and for a reason. It is not going to be a speed demon or win any awards, and that is fine. You know why? Because it does not claim to do any of those. The router sits unassumingly, where you put it and performs without a hitch. Whether you are playing online games or streaming content, you will not run into any issues, and the dual-band configuration only makes it easier for you to manage a network even better and without any problems.
The design looks excellent. The throughput at 5Ghz looks excellent. You are getting a great range. QoS remains wonderful. You are getting full VPN capability.
The throughput at 2.4Ghz is not as fast. The Bridge mode configuration can be an arduous task.
As far as the Netgear Nighthawk R7000 is concerned, this is one of the best routers available for gaming at the moment. However, thanks to its excellent set of features and strong network capabilities, it can easily be used for all the other purposes that you may have on your mind. I am tired of looking at bland router designs as they have become super common. However, that is not the case with the Nighthawk R7000 as it is one of the sharpest looking routers available. The throughput at 5GHz is one of the best, and the overall range is just too good for many purposes. Netgear has added a done of QoS features into this router that makes the experience all the better, and you are also getting a router that brings full VPN capabilities, which makes it the top choice for almost everyone searching for a good router. With so much to love about, this router does not ship without flaws. For starters, the throughput on 2.4GHz mode is not as high, and Bridge mode is slow to configure. But aside from these minor gripes, the router is excellent in all regards.
#3- TP-Link Archer C5400X
The great thing about TP-Link is that they have a great range for almost every budget there is in the market. It does not matter if you are looking for something affordable or something that is top of the line, they have gotten you covered, and the same applies to the router today. If you are looking for a router that is competitively priced and delivers a lot of great features without costing a lot of money, the Netgear Nighthawk R7000 is the router that you should be going for. It delivers exceptional performance and a lot of features to boot. There are a few inconveniences that can come in the way, but none of them is experience breaking, and you will not be regretting buying this router at all. Whether you are gaming or streaming content.
Runs a 1.8GHz 64-bit quad-core chip and 1GB RAM. 8 Gigabit LAN ports for great wired connection. Tri-band Wi-Fi, offering a single 2.4GHz band at 1,000Mbps and dual 5GHz bands at 2,167Mbps. MU-MIMO and Airtime Fairness support. RangeBoost for added range.
The router runs fast in almost all configurations. The overall configuration is simple and straightforward. The performance of 5GHz bands is exceptional.
The looks can be polarizing.
The TP-Link Archer C5400X is something that you should be buying if you are looking for a great experience. The router is made for gamers, and it proves that simply by looking like it does look. However, that is not all since the router does deliver on a lot of fronts. Let’s have a look. Now the great thing is that if you are, to sum up, this router in word or two, you could say it is very fast, and that would be the end of the story. However, we are here to provide our users with more information. Therefore, we should be sharing more details with you. The router is also great when it comes to the overall setup, and I found it to be one of the easiest to set up routers in the market. The 5GHz performance is excellent in every single aspect, so you will not be experiencing any slowdowns either. At the other side of things, the router does not have any issues aside from how it looks. Don’t get me wrong, I am a gamer, and I have no problem with how it looks. But the looks can be polarizing for a lot of people.
#4- Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000
If you have ever used something that was made by Asus, it is safe to say that you understand the fact that they don’t know how to play it lightly, especially when you are talking about their higher-end products from their ROG lineup. If you want to get your hands on a router that blows everything out of the competition, then the TP-Link Archer C5400X is something that you should be looking at. It does cost more than the other options in the market, but the exceptional performance, stability, and feature set is more than enough to make up for that. Not just that, the router also brings some serious looks on the table, which, in my opinion, might be polarizing for some and certainly not suitable for a more minimalistic environment. Rest assured, if performance is what you want, performance is what you’ll get.
Provides triple-level game acceleration for increasing gaming traffic. Brings a 1.8GHz CPU and 2.5 Gigabit gaming port for great performance. Asus AiMesh Wi-Fi system is great for seamless coverage. Has Asus WRT support for proper monitoring.
Ridiculously fast in every single test. First Wi-Fi 6 router. Performance improves over distance as well. Brings a lot of customization options for enthusiasts. The 2.5Gbps wired connector is great for gamers who want the most traffic.
It’s pretty big and hefty.
The situation with the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 is the same, except it is the mothership of routers as it delivers not just looks, but the performance that you may not get anywhere else. To be honest, this is the router even your internet does not want because your internet is slower than this router in most cases. Still, the Rapture is the first Wi-Fi 6 (802.11AX) router that is available for you to buy, and it has its performance improve over distance. Not just that, being a ROG product, Asus has baked in a ton of customizations in this router for you to check out, and the impressive 2.5Gbps wired connector is even better. However, I have to be honest here. As much as I love this router and would want this basking away in glory on my desk, it is big, and let’s be honest, it will be an overkill for a lot of us in the market.
#5- ASUS Gaming Router GT-AC5300
If the Rapture GT-AX11000 is too powerful of a router for you, it is okay, you don’t have to worry about getting the same features in a less expensive router. You see, this is what I love about Asus is that they are known for catering people from all budget backgrounds. I will be honest here about the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000, this is not the router you want to bring home just because your old router is giving up, and you are thinking to replace it with something else. This is a router that you should get your hands on if you want to get uncompromised performance numbers in every single test. I know it is an expensive router, and that might put some people off, but if you are a hardcore gamer who’s already spent a lot of money building their dream setup, a router is not going to hurt you in any way. When I tell you that you are going to get your money’s worth with this router, I mean it as it delivers that performance without any issues.
Tri-band AC5300 router for the top of the line performance. MU-MIMO technology for maximum throughput and coverage. VPN Fusion. Gaming IPS for multi-stage protection. AirMesh supported.
The router is massive. Transfer speeds are not as good.
This is where the ASUS Gaming Router GT-AC5300, it is a great router from the same ROG lineup with the same feature set, but it is more affordable and has slower rated speeds, bud doesn’t worry, we can bet that even this router is a lot faster for a lot of people in the market, and that is just how things work. With that said, if you are looking for a speedy throughput performance on all fronts, this router is going to get the job done for you. Considering how this router is primarily for gamers, there are a lot of gamer-oriented features present under the hood and having eight LAN ports is a blessing for everyone who wants a wired connection. My only complaint with this router, aside from its ridiculously large footprint for a router, is that the transfer speeds are average at best.
#6- NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500
The last router on our list is again from Netgear, but this time, we are looking at something that s from the upper echelon and for the gamer brethren who are looking for something stealthy but manages to outperform and outshine the completion. Honestly, the Asus Gaming Router GT-AC5300 is more router than anyone would want. But then again, you know us gamers, and how we are always looking out for the best possible stuff out there, and the AC5300 is just that as it delivers exceptional performance n almost every single way. Granted, the huge footprint and the middling transfer speed are something to be concerned about, but other than that, for anyone looking for a great overall experience with the router, this is something that you should be on your list.
Four Gigabit Ethernet ports. AC2600 dual-band Wi-Fi for stellar speeds. Connection filtration for easier and great overall experience. Secure VPN gaming service. Optimized to provide lowest of pings in every online game.
The traffic management features of this router are great. The Wi-Fi is both powerful and has an excellent range as well. You are getting a lot of extra Netgear signature features.
The R-Apps store is not as diverse as you may have wanted. The router only supports 802.11ac and no Wi-Fi 6 is supported.
With that said, the router, as you may have already guessed it is the NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500. IF you want all the fantastic features that other routers have to offer, but without the router looking like something out of transformers, this is what you grab. The performance on this router is excellent, and the overall traffic management remains one of the best I have seen in a long time. The Wi-FI is one of the most powerful ones in strength and speed, and it manages to deliver a fantastic range, as well. You are also getting a ton of range, which just makes everything all the better. However, with so much to love about this router, we do have some quirks here and there. For instance, the router brings an R-Apps store, which in truth is a bit lacking at the moment. Additionally, for the price you are paying, you are only getting access to 802.11ac and no support for Wi-Fi 6 at the time of writing. Which, honestly, can be a bummer for a lot of people.
What To Look For While Selecting The Best Gaming Router: Buying Guide 101
Now that we are done looking at all the best options that are available for you to purchase, the next logical step is to look at a buying guide. This happens to be our most extensive buying guide to date, considering how difficult it is for a lot of people to buy the router. Buying a gaming router can be a tedious task. I can tell you that experiencing these routers was one. There is just so much to choose from that you can get confused. The NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500, however, didn’t cause me any issues, to begin with. Everything ranging from the unboxing process to the setting up and the usage process is something that you should be looking into because the router does deliver on all fronts. Yes, the lack of apps on the R-Apps store is something to worry about if you are religiously going to use it, and there is no Wi-Fi 6 support at the moment, but these things don’t make much of a difference when you are talking about the overall usability.
How Does A Gaming Router Differ From An Ordinary Router?
As you may have guessed from all the routers that we have listed here, there is a significant difference between gaming routers and ordinary routers. The difference is significant, but some of the standards, higher-end routers also bring that difference, and that is where things get confusing. The good news here, however, is that a good gaming router differs from an ordinary router in several ways. For starters, a gaming router has features that are specific to gaming. Like for instance, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 shipped with a 2.5 Gigabit port, which is certainly something that a normal router normally does not ship with. Additionally, some routers have game center applications that make sure that when the user starts playing online, all the traffic is prioritized to that game, and then to other applications. This ties into the Quality of Service feature as well.That feature is responsible for making sure that all the traffic is going exactly where it is supposed to go, which ensures that your gaming experience remains as good as it can get. Additionally, almost all the gaming routers have one thing in common, and that is the fact that they look like they just got out of transformers. Yes, they look outlandish. Which is not a bad thing from a gamer’s perspective, but again, it is something that can be very polarizing. Aside from looking like something Optimus Prime from Transformers would own, these gaming routers also have larger than an average footprint, which does make sense since they are packing some serious networking hardware in them, and that requires a proper place. These are some of how gaming routers are different from your standard options.
Range
Another crucial factor whenever you are in the market looking for a good router is that the range is something that you cannot skimp over. I know it sounds like something that is not going to be of much importance, but if you don’t pay attention to the range, you might end up getting a mediocre experience. Rest assured, when you are looking for a good router, be sure that it has a good range that can provide you with coverage to at least your entire house because you don’t want to be limited to the range, and you certainly don’t want to experience dead zones in your building. That is just what we think is important, and you should keep that in mind as well. Thankfully, finding a router that does have a good range is not going to be difficult, so you can do well in that case.
Have Sufficient CPU And RAM
This might not seem like an important thing for anyone involved, but having a good amount of CPU and RAM in a router can make a world of difference. I know it is something that most people are going to overlook or ignore, altogether. Now in case you are wondering why you need to have your router equipped with good CPU and RAM, the case here is simple. Both of these things are going to aid your router in properly processing and managing all the information as well as settings. You are not going to get a faster internet just because the router has a better CPU and RAM, but the overall performance of the router itself is going to be a lot better, and that is ultimately going to contribute towards better internet stability as well.
Multiple Band Wi-Fi
Whenever you are looking to get your hands on a good router, you will come across options that will have multiple brands, now that might be a confusing ordeal to some people, especially those who don’t understand the terminology, but it is not that difficult to understand. For instance, a dual-band router is going to ship with 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands; the former is going to be the slower one with longer range, however, the 5.Ghz band is going to have little range but the speeds are going to be significantly faster. However, if you end up stumbling upon a tri-band router, then that will be equipped with a single 2.4Ghz band and dual 5.0Ghz bands. You also have to understand that for these bands to work, you have to have a device that supports either of these or both of these. Something that most people completely overlook when buying. Ideally, a dual-band router makes the most sense as you can get the best of both worlds.
Wireless Standards
Now, this part is perhaps one of the most difficult things that people will have to go through whenever they are in the market looking to buy a router. There is a heap of wireless standards out there that if we start talking about all of them, things can become a bit difficult. However, we are here to make things easier for our readers, and that is why we are going to simplify everything. The most common wireless standard that every router supports is IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN and Mesh. Now, IEEE is responsible for updating the wireless standards every year, but at the moment, the most common one is IEEE 802.11ac, which is also known as Wi-Fi 5. However, more and more devices have started shipping that also supports 802.11ax, which is Wi-Fi 6, even though there are not a lot of devices that support it in the first place. If the router you are buying supports either of these standards, you are good to go.
Aesthetics And Design
Now, this is entirely subjective, but still, a lot of people are concerned with this, and that refers to the aesthetics and design of the router. I say this does not matter because it does not. Gaming routers, as you may have noticed, are made for people who want to have the sharpest of aesthetics, and we don’t blame anyone for that, to begin with. So, if you are concerned with that, make sure that you are going for something that suits your requirements. But at the same time, you have to be certain that the design of the router is not causing any impracticalities. I can assure you that once you are being considerate about the design language or other information about it, you will do just fine.
Gigabit Ethernet
Moving on, whenever you are buying a router, you will mostly be getting a wireless router. But the thing with wireless routers is that they often ship with Gigabit Ethernet ports as well. Which is a company’s way of telling you that if you want to have wired connectivity, you can. Wired connections are often preferred by a lot of people for their stability, and if you are looking for a stable internet connection, I’d highly suggest that you choose a router with at least four of these ports. The reason why I am saying this is because having extra ports will not only let you have a good redundancy in hand, but if you do wish to go ahead with the process of installing a wired connection later down the road, it is only going to help you achieve that with ease.
QoS (Quality of Service)
Whenever you are in the market looking for a router to buy. You will often see routers that will have QoS (Quality of Service) badge on them. Or when you are reading the reviews or shopping online, you will see reviewers praising a router for having this feature. It is not uncommon, but it is almost every single time, highly praised. So, what exactly is it? Well, QoS or Quality of Service is a feature that ensures that the traffic is going where it needs to go. You can use this feature to prioritize the applications concerning their traffic needs. Playing a game online? Route majority of your traffic there. Streaming high-quality content on Netflix? You know what to do. QoS is not a rare feature but still, many affordable routers lack this, and you should never do that because it will just make the experience all the worse, and we have to avoid that at all costs. Packet Loss: Packet loss is one thing that a lot of people are going to be facing in most cases. This is the bane of almost every internet connection out there, and the thing that makes it worse is that it is not just limited to the router itself. It is also extended to the internet. Which means that if your router is fine, but your internet isn’t, you can have some serious packet loss that can ruin your experience and cause really bad disconnection. Thankfully, routers that have Quality of Service feature in them are normally very, very good when it comes to handling packet loss. For the sake of it, make sure that you are testing out everything before you make a decision. Read the reviews as well, especially the ones that focus on these issues specifically because that way, you will have an idea that you are making the right decision and not getting something that is not going to get the job done for you. Jitter: The world of routers and internet, in general, can be a confusing one. With so many variables added, you can easily get lost in the process of trying to figure out what is what. Thankfully, it is not that difficult to understand, in the first place, and by proper understanding, you can get over any issue you have. Another thing that you have to look for is a router that is good at controlling jitter. For those who don’t know, jitter, or packet delay variation is a measure of the variability in ping over time. While browsing, it does not have a lot of impacts, but when it comes to streaming or gaming online, jitter can cause severe delay or buffer. High latency: Moving on from the last point we made, some cheaper routers in the market are susceptible to high latency because they are simply not good enough at managing traffic or other similar things. Now latency can cause severe lag; again, it might not be visible in reading text on the internet or browsing in general, but when we are talking about other things like streaming content or online gaming, latency can ruin the entirety of your experience, and it would be ideal if that is just avoided, at all costs. A good router will never let you go through any of those issues, so you can be at peace knowing that it will not become a problem for you.
MU-MIMO
Whenever you are searching for a good router, you will come across a lot of terms that are being used. Normally, people are under the impression that these are just marketing terms, however, these are actual features when we are talking about routers. One of the features is MU-MIMO; and it stands for Multiple User- Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output. For those who do not know, older routers used to have something similar called SU-MIMO or just MIMO. For those who don’t know, this technology in a router allows the routers to connect to multiple devices at the same time. Yes, it does sound like a feature that is super common, but you need to understand that in most of the cases, you will find so many routers that have zero support for this feature, and if you are looking for a great experience overall, it would be ideal to avoid such routers altogether. Finding a router that does not support this feature is difficult as it has become such a common option.
Advanced Features
The last thing that is going to help you in getting the best router is going to be a set of advanced features that you should be looking for whenever you are done deciding the router you want. These features can easily make the overall user experience better. For starters, always look for a router that gets MU-MIMO feature. I honestly cannot imagine having a router without that feature. Next up, you would want something that has a VPN, at least. Because many times, a proper VPN can help make the gaming experience as well as overall internet experience a lot better. Additionally, when you are getting your hands on a new router, you should also make sure that they have a QoS feature. That is one thing that I would never skip on because it makes such a huge difference in the overall usability that you will never want to look the other way.
What Router Features Can Affect Your Online Gaming Experience?
This is a tricky thing for a lot of people. Over my time in the tech world. I have met a lot of people who can swear by the fact that a router does not make any difference when it comes to online gaming, however, that is not the case. Routers have become so powerful over the years that there is a significant difference in a good router and an average one as far as the performance is concerned in online games. Below, I have some tips for you that you can use to make your online gaming experience better. Enabling QoS (Quality of Service): The first thing is that you should enable QoS. This feature is common in most routers but in most cases, is disabled out of the box. What this feature does is that it prioritizes data packets for specific devices that are connected. It is great when you have multiple users on the same networks. Enabling this feature can have a great impact on your online gaming or streaming experience. Using the Gigabit Ethernet Ports: When you are gaming on the internet, every single packet of data means a lot, and you cannot just go without it. Thankfully, if you are looking to have a good experience, you have to be sure that you are using Gigabit ports for the sake of having a good online gaming experience with minimum packet loss or latency. MU-MIMO: I know that this feature has become a lot common in most of the routers available in the market, but the thing that you should understand here is that you are going to find options that will have this feature, but people still won’t enable them. That is not going to be of any help at all because you need to be certain that you are getting something that will work perfectly fine. MU-MIMO is just going to make your router’s overall experience a lot better. Whenever you are buying a router, be sure that you are buying the right one and make sure that you are getting these features alongside it. All the routers that we have listed here have been tried and tested, and you will not regret buying any of these in the market. However, we would highly advise you to do your research based on the routers that we have listed here. Rest assured, buying one of these routers after spending your time learning about them will let you have the type of experience you are looking for. Whether you are about to go game online r you are just searching for a router that will allow you to have a decent streaming experience, we have got you covered in all cases. You do not have to go overboard with your budget either as all these routers are catering to different budget brackets. Which means you have something to look forward to.
Question 1: What is the best router for gaming?
Now different people are going to have different requirements, but if you are looking for the absolute best, you should look at the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 as that is the best router available for gaming.
Question 2: Do routers make a difference for gaming?
This might surprise a lot of people, but routers make a tremendous difference when it comes to gaming. I know it is not something that everyone might notice immediately, but the reduced lag is great for online gaming.
Question 3: What is the fastest router for gaming?
At the time of writing this, the fastest router that is available for gaming is the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 simply because it delivers speeds that are unrivaled by anything else that is available.
Question 4: Do gaming routers reduce ping?
Gaming routers are not known for drastically reducing ping, however, they do come with features such as QoS, and MU-MIMO that help you with prioritizing traffic to specific apps and tasks, which in return helps with a better gaming experience overall.
Question 5: What should I look for when buying a gaming router?
If you are looking for a gaming router and you want to understand the feature set that you should look for, always be sure that the router supports at least QoS, MU-MIMO, and fast ethernet ports for an uncompromised gaming experience.
Question 6: Do expensive routers make difference in gaming?
Yes, expensive routers that come with features that are catered to gamers are going to make a great difference in gaming, and that is not something that you can overlook.
Question 7: Is a gaming router worth the money?
Well if you are planning on gaming on a gaming router then there is no point in not getting one because you are going to get a great experience overall, Features such as QoS and MU-MIMO truly make them a great experience.
Question 8: What Wi-Fi router does Ninja use?
Ninja has changed the routers now and then, but over time it has been evident that his skill level is what matters more in the situation. However, Netgear and Asus routers have been the common occurrences in the situation.
Question 9: Is 5GHz WiFi good for gaming?
Normally, we tell the readers to stay away from WiFi when it comes to gaming but if you are still adamant, make sure that you are going for 5Ghz band when gaming because it is significantly better when it comes to speeds but make sure that you are closer to the router for max range.
Question 10: Will a gaming router increase Internet speed?
That is not always going to be the case, but there have been situations in the tech world where a router was choking the internet speed significantly, and a new router had to be installed. So, yes, the possibility is there. But it will not make your internet faster than it is.
