What do gamers need with their broadband deal?





When choosing a broadband deal, you need to consider what you’re using it for. Will you be surfing the web? Watching Netflix? Scrolling through Twitter? A basic broadband deal will cater for this. Gaming online however will use a lot of data, especially if your ideal Friday night in is having the lads round for a FIFA tournament. Broadband providers thankfully realise you have gaming needs and there are deals to suit you.

So, what do you actually need? Well a speedy connection is a given but so is reliability, you want a connection that is less likely to drop and interrupt your ‘killing spree’. Download limits are also important so look for an unlimited plan to avoid any setbacks mid-game.

What affects my gaming experience ?

Although speed is important it’s not the be all and end all, you’re not going to be the last man standing in a game of Fortnite if your screen is frozen.

Lag

If your latency connection isn’t low enough this could create lag. Latency refers to the time in which large amounts of data is processed by your network, e.g. for a gamer this would mean the time between you pushing a button and the desired effect happening. The lower the latency connection your provider can give you the better real time experience you’ll be able to achieve.

Freezing and Stutter

Freezing and stutter in a game can be due to packet loss, this is the data lost when transferred to the server or vice-a-versa. You can’t avoid all packet loss but you can certainly find a broadband provider that offers as little packet loss as possible.

Contention Ratio

The amount of people using the same network resources is known as contention ratio . If there are a large number of people using the same provider as you on your street this could affect the quality of your internet connection.

What broadband speed do I need for gaming?

Although you actually only need an average of 5Mb to play most consoles or PC games, the speedier your connection and the smoother the experience. Games come with a considerable number of things to download and several updates, if you don’t go for a fast connection this could really hinder how much time you actually play vs waiting for the game to update.

Should gamers use fibre optic?

Fibre optic technology carries data as light signals through strands of glass. Copper wire was traditionally used for internet cables and was once cheaper and certainly less hassle as it’s already installed. But as a gamer you should definitely consider using fibre optic cables. Fibre optic cables are faster, more reliable and more resilient to environmental factors such degradation and temperature. Compared to traditional copper wire, Fibre Optic is definitely a better means of connection to ensure an uninterrupted gaming experience. According to the UK government in 2018 only 4% of the country currently uses fibre but UK officials have pledged to have a full ‘switchover’ by 2030.





You could also consider cable broadband from providers like Virgin Media, most of the connection is made up of fibre optic cables but the last mile is made of coaxial cable. This means fibre optic broadband connects to your home with copper phone lines once it reaches street level. Coaxial cable carries data much faster than copper - enhancing your experience even more.

How to Find the Best Broadband Deals for Gamers

There are so many broadband deals out there and new providers are entering the market all the time, they all have pros and cons. Which in turn can make choosing one a bit overwhelming. The good news is that a crowded market means lots of competition, and lots of competition means there are perks and deals to be found!





The best way to find a broadband deal to suit your gaming needs is to compare as many plans as possible. Using the usave comparison engine to compare broadband deals will ensure you have dozens of quotes to compare. To use our broadband comparison tool, simply enter your postcode and choose the filters you require e.g. speed or usage. Compare broadband deals and choose the best one for your gaming needs.

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