Absolute Top 8 Best Gaming Routers, 2024
By Roger on Oct 2nd, 2024, 02:56
A high-speed, reliable internet connection is a non-negotiable for gamers. You need an impeccable gaming router for an uninterrupted online gaming experience. A speedy internet connection will give you a competitive edge over your enemies and ensure better latency and superior performance. It goes without saying that when you have a top-tier connection, there will be no lags or sudden freezes.
To get you the best of whatever you are looking for, we have gathered the absolute best Wi-Fi routers with unparalleled stability and higher speeds, guaranteed to fulfil the expectations of modern-day gaming. Say goodbye to glitchy nightmares and buffering and head on for uninterrupted gameplay. Let's skip the fluff and get you started on what your gaming world needs.
There are several essential factors you need to look out for when buying a gaming router. Read ahead for clarity about what suit your needs the best.
Quality of Service or QoS is one of the most crucial features in a gaming router as it prioritizes gaming traffic over other network traffic. By using QoS settings you can manage internet connection efficiently by ensuring more responsiveness and providing your game the required bandwidth. So regardless of how many people are using the internet, QoS will make sure your connection is running smoothly.
Your router plays a significant role in prompting the latency. When latency hits 100ms or more, you start experiencing response delays affecting your performance and making gaming less enjoyable. Choosing the right gaming router will give you lower latency and better responsiveness.
Most gaming routers come with advanced security features like built-in VPN support enhanced encryption standards, and a powerful firewall protection to keep your network from potential threats and unauthorized access.
For faster data transfer rates, look for high-speed routers with network protocols like Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 ax) or higher specifications. Wi-Fi 6 can guarantee to reduce latency upto 75% resulting in improved response time. Before you go for it, make sure your device supports the preferred network protocols for it to function. The evolution of Wi-Fi 6 is the Wi-Fi 6E that transfers data quicker using the 6GHz band.
The new model, Wi-Fi 7 (802.11 be) is also out which is much faster. However, as a new comer, many gamers are yet to adjust to its advanced specification.
For enhanced connectivity and versatility, look for routers that offer USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, allowing you to connect external storage devices or printers directly to your network. Additionally, a mesh Wi-Fi system can expand your coverage, ensuring consistent speed and connectivity throughout your home, which is essential for uninterrupted gaming sessions and video streaming.
Beamforming is a wireless technique which improves efficiency of data transmission. Its technology works in guiding the router to focus its signals to specific devices, preventing broadcasting around all directions.
This ensures stronger signal and minimizes interference as the signal passes through certain obstacles. Beamforming, in short, directs the signals to travel and hit the precise targeted device.
If you’re planning to connect multiple devices for video streaming or competitive gaming, opting for a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 router or even a Wi-Fi 7 router is recommended to maximize speed and minimize lag.
Is the Asus ROG Rapture GT BE98 Pro router going to make your gameplay better? It's a definite yes if you are dependent on ping. This is a viable solution to attain unparalleled coverage, especially when you have multiple desktops connected to one unit.
The dual 10 GBPs and Lan Ports further guarantees exceptional internet speed making this quad band Wi-Fi 7 router perfect for the next generation pro gamers. With a robust combination of the latest Wi-Fi 7 technologies, lightning speed of 24.4 Gbps, and 2.5 GB ethernet cable ports, this router is all set to give you the ultimate gaming experience. This pick will give you an absolute lag-free game play and with the high speed Ports you can fully utilize multi-Gig internet services.
If you feel like the Wi-Fi 7 is a bit too overwhelming, this ASUS router supports Wi-Fi 6e which will still give you the 6GHz range without any traffic congestion.
The Multi Link Operation (MLO) allows your device to connect to multiple bands at the same time simultaneously. This enables faster data transfer while maintaining a stable internet connectivity.
Though the Asus ROG Rapture GT BE98 Pro will burn a big hole in your pocket, you will find it totally worth it when you experience the efficiency of network connection. And besides the usual works like AI mesh and AI protection, the factor that makes this router stand out is that, it focuses on lowering the ping and optimizing QoS constantly.
The TP-Link Archer AX11000 Gaming Router is in the heart of many gamers being one of the fastest Wi-Fi routers with 10Gbps speed. The gaming-centric interface feature gives you impeccable control over any gaming bandwidth.
The big tri-band Wi-Fi 6 router may be expensive but it is packed with 8 integrated Ports, beamforming, and cutting edge wireless technology making it a top-end router. Equipped with multi-gig WAN support, this router gives you extensive connection options and its Link aggregation increases speed in data transfer as well.
Design-wise, it comes in a large package with 8 antennas taking up considerable space for storage. Considering the size of this router, it may not be ideal for those with cramped space.
TP-Link Archer AX11000 has features that are expected from any high-end gaming router including QoS, bandwidth testing, and excellent safety properties. Its security features are decent, offering support to the latest wireless encryption. Moreover, its malware protection gives your network constant protection from potential threats.
The TP-Link Archer AX11000 does come with a high price tag, which makes it less available for budget shopping. When you actually speculate on its attributes though, you may add some extra bucks unable to let go of its excellent features.
The Netgear RAXE500 is an impressive router with 6GHz transmission spectrum, fast throughput, and terrific signal range. Its tri-band device delivers up to 2.5Gbps of real-world data.
Connecting upto 60 devices this is perfect if your home is run on many smart devices. It supports multi-gigabit internet owing to the multi-gig ethernet port. With this, you can say adios to network congestion even while connecting your router to multiple active devices.
One may debate on the high price tag and we agree with you on that. You need to see that it comes with Wi-Fi 6E and link aggregation. This may be most suitable for those of you with deep pockets and with the intention to future-proof your network. The Wi-Fi 6E ensure low latency for speedier responses which is the very core for gaming.
The antennas of Netgear RAXE500 are pre-optimized, which means it delivers better connectivity covering up to 3500 Sq feet. And tkalking about safety features, this router keeps your devices safe using an automatic shield to stop hackers to get to your network.
As a budget-friendly dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router, the Asus RT AX58U ensures stable internet performance for casual gaming sessions and everyday activities without compromising on essential features like gigabit ethernet ports for fast wired connections. The Asus RT AX58U router is a solid choice with Wi-Fi 6 and just two bands, 2.4 GHz and 5GHz.
One may doubt the efficiency of a router that comes under budget, but don't be fooled by this small-sized affordable router. The ASUS RT AX58U is built to give you a good gaming experience with tons of specialized features supporting 160 MHz channel bandwidth and 1024-QAM modulation which only adds to an improved wireless performance.
The support for Aimesh provides fast-wired connection, stronger Wi-Fi coverage, and a stable network. It is equipped with Advanced Parental Controls, AiProtection Pro network security, and WPA3 support.
The combination of MU-MIMO technology and OFDMA provides an efficient network capacity even through traffic congestion. The OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) allows division of channels to connect up to 30 devices, which prevents wastage of bandwidth.
The downside of ASUS RT AX58U is its inability to connect a large number of devices, which works better for smaller space. However, do note that the lower price doesn't necessarily translate into less performance.
Sporting an all black design, the Acer Predator W6 Connect is a powerful router equipped with a 2.0GHz quad-core processor along with 1 gigs of RAM and 4 gigs of storage. The router also allows you to connect with a little over 512 devices owing to its MU-MIMO.
With a 2 millisecond maximum lag and a maximum speed of 7.8Gbps, this router can move around eight independent streams with ease. Pair this with the W6 Intel Killer Prioritization and it can tap into the cloud gaming network of NVIDIA’s GeForce Now, thus, allowing acceleration of action on about 1800 games.
At its heart, the Predator Connect W6 is a gaming router – one that can undoubtedly help in every single gaming quest. To top it all off, it also features a dedicated gaming port, 4GB of downstream networking ports along with a security software. All in all, this is a router that is insanely fast, easy to setup, and powerful enough to meet extreme gaming requirements.
The Reyee E6 is not a new name in the realm of gaming routers. While it may not be the most coveted gaming router, it offers plenty of gimmicks. The router has reliable and stable connectivity along with incredible speed, which presents as a win-win case for gaming routers.
Dissecting further into its specs and performance, the E6 AX6000 features 1 and 2.5gigs of dual WAN/LAN port, and up to 3 1GB LAN ports, one of them being a dedicated game port. Theoretically, the routers 5GHz band can also achieve a speed of 4,804Mbps and the 2.4GHz band can achieve 1,148Mbps. As for the 5GHz, it offers a much higher bandwidth with about 160Hz support.
The Reyee E6 could use some improvement in terms of coverage. However, it makes up for it in other areas by offering a dedicated game band and solid throughput speeds, which to be fair is quite beneficial for dedicated gamers looking for speed, reliability, and stability.
The GX90 AX6600 Archer router from TP-Link has quite the interesting set-up. This is a wireless tri-band router that utilizes the Wi-Fi 6 technology, which by all means indicate a speedy delivery during online gaming. The device is also equipped with high-speed WAN/LAN port and a powerful quad-core processor of 1.5GHz.
Speed-wise, with the 2.4GHz band, it can hit a max data of around 570Mbps while for the dual 5GHz bands, you can expect a total of 4,804Mbps and 6,600Mbps. This means, the second 5GHz band can be utilized as the dedicated channel for supporting critical gaming traffic.
Moving on to its external setup, the device features a Setup button and controls for switching off the Wi-Fi, multiple USB ports, 3GB LAN ports, and dual LAN/WAN ports. Factoring in all these, if a well-balanced router with a somewhat cost-efficient tag is what you are aiming for, we are certain the GX90 won’t disappoint.
This is perhaps one of the, if not the best, routers developed exclusively for gamers. The Asus Rapture GT6 is a tri-band two-piece system equipped with the Wi-Fi 6 tech, a multi-gig WAN, a game-changing host of settings and the entirety of this system comes with a massive coverage of 5,800 sq. ft.
Given the insane level of hardware embedded, the ROG Rapture system can tap a maximum data speed pf 574Mbps against the 2.4GHz band and 4,804Mbps each on the 5GHz bands. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support 6GHz transmissions but it can hit close to 5.9GHz through the UNII 4 technology.
This device utilizes the Wi-Fi 6 feature, which includes MU-MIMO data streaming, 160MHz channel transmissions, 1024 QAM, OFDMA, WPA3 encryption, and beamforming. The Rapture GT6 is further powered by 1.7GHz of triple core CPU, 256 MB flash memory, and 512 MB (DDR4) RAM.
While keeping in mind the inclusion of game-enhancing settings, the router equally honors strong signal performance along with Trend Micro, a free network security software. Overall, the ROG Rapture GT6 from Asus is an impressively sleek system, with much attention and effort demonstrated for gamers in terms of both design and performance.
A gaming router is a type of wireless router specially designed to optimize internet connection for online gaming. Unlike regular Wi-Fi routers, gaming routers are built to emphasize on network traffic during intense gaming sessions on gaming PCs. It can handle multiple devices and high bandwidth applications, tackling high demands in modern gaming by ensuring a lag-free experience while prioritizing gaming data packets over other internet issues. They often come equipped with mobile app controls to make adjustments easier, providing quick access to performance settings and enhancing your online gaming performance.
What would you do with all the next gen consoles while facing frequent lagging? Totally ruins the excitement, doesn’t it? Being a gamer, you will be willing to transform your performance in the gaming world, knowing a gaming router can handle multiple data quicker than standard routers. In most cases where a single router is used by many streamers, a gaming router can steal the thunder, making it absolutely worth it.
Gaming routers make that split second count in gaming, owing to its low latency and high speed connectivity. The enhanced Quality of Service (QoS) gives great advantage over a seamless game session. Though the awesome performance comes with a high price, there is no doubt that a gaming router offers robust safety features and higher quality of gaming experience.
We are here to throw light on some of the best gaming routers to enhance your connectivity for a rock-solid gaming experience.
Q: Is a wired router better than Wi-Fi for gaming?
A: Generally wired connection offers better connection for their reliability, but Wi-Fi is more convenient.
Q: Will a gaming router improve my connectivity?
A: Gaming routers offer you lower latency which means less lagging. It manages the bandwidth giving you the most of internet connectivity, however, there are a few things you can do to improve your ping without buying a new router.
Q: Are gaming routers more expensive than regular ones?
A: Yes. Gaming routers are higher priced because they provide more advanced and efficient features as compared to regular routers. Some examples can be QoS, Beamforming, MU-MIMO, gaming software interfaces, etc.
Q: What is the ideal speed for gaming?
A: The ideal internet speed for gaming depends on the game. However, at least 300 Mbps or more is excellent for competitive and multi-player games. Anything beyond that may result in lag and glitches.
With our list of the absolute top 8 gaming routers, you can finally decide based on the specs, the good and the bad. Every router is designed to meet the needs of different gameplays and gamers.
You don't have to go with the crowd by buying the most popular choice. Rather, get the one that accommodates your convenience and your budget, without disappointing your performance. Briefly put, look out for important features like QoS, latency, internet speed, and high-performance processor and you are good to take on the gaming domain. Not a single router fits perfectly for all gamers the same way, which is why this comprehensive guide has been modelled to cater to your needs.
