The Best Gaming Routers

Game streaming services have become increasingly popular, and with the increase in internet speeds and responsiveness, there is no stopping to stream games over the internet. Sudden dropping of stream resolution while using Nvidia GeForce Now, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, or Amazon Luna can lead to a lot of frustration. Clutter of wires going all over the house for high-speed connectivity and low ping is a hectic job to make aesthetically pleasing. You need the best gaming router to go wireless because, as a mobile gamer, the constant dropping of ping can be lethal in gaming. The bottleneck caused by routers is the most common complaint of online mobile gamers. Trying to get a headshot while freezing at the last moment will never get you Chicken Dinner in PUBG. A solution to dropping quality in-game streaming or increasing ping in online games is buying the best wifi 6 router. The latest technology is 802.11ax, which provides faster speeds and lower battery consumption for devices. However, it doesn’t guarantee the elimination of dead zones with a router alone.

You will need the best mesh wifi to ensure that all parts of your house have equal reception. If you want anonymity or desire to play games over another region server, VPN could prove beneficial. However, the best VPN router requirement will arise when you decide to go region-free. It might not have a significant impact on a computer, but for a mobile gamer, running a VPN drains the battery quickly and eventually causes lag in gaming. Everyone can be connected through the VPN in a home setting by an OpenVPN capable router. It is no doubt the best Netgear router that can help you get the anonymity you desire with the least hassle possible. We are going to assist you in finding the right pick for you. So keep scrolling and get your hands on the list; let’s get started!

Our top picks

Quick Shopping Tips:

We will discuss various routers with their advantages in gaming but first, understand some terms in our tips. These tips are essential factors that a user should not neglect while opting for a gaming router that suits his needs, so let’s have a quick look.

Adaptive QoS: Quality of service has been around for a while. Although it’s hectic to use, it still is pretty useful. Setting up a specific application to provide max priority required networking skills and YouTube tutorials to utilize the router’s capability. However, adaptive QoS is easy due to its intelligence. It automatically understands the data and dedicates performance to gaming, movie, streaming loads.

Frequency Band: You need to start from your devices first and then move towards a router. A router with the latest frequency band like the 802.11ad with a 60Hz band might be crazy fast. If you don’t own a device that can understand that frequency, it will lose money and resources. Compatibility should be assessed first by checking out the laptop, mobile, or PC WiFi if it’s AC, AX, AD, or an older band device.

Mesh vs. Extender: We are more familiar with an extender term. We need to understand the advantages of mesh and extender-based networks to see the difference. A traditional extender merely copies the initial signal it receives from the router. In contrast, mesh provides the network brain. You can independently use the resources from the node or router to gain faster response time and bandwidth. On the other hand, Extenders will cause your network to slow down and become sluggish as it depends on the hardware of one router.

USB Ports: The introduction of USB ports on a network was not relevant a few years ago, but high-speed USB ports are now featured on routers since data sharing has increasingly become popular. You can use these USB ports for data sharing at high speeds for all the users over the router network. Users may set up files for a game or multiple software for installing driver’s windows on random PCs over the mesh of the network.

The Best Gaming Routers: First look

The Best Gaming Routers: In-depth Review

Asus has been a leading innovator in gaming products. Their tech is primarily gaming-oriented, and their features naturally land their product on top of the list. Asus RT-AX88U is the best gaming router one can buy. The latest WiFi-6 (802.11ax) technology allows a wireless data transfer rate of 6000mbps compared to 2600mbps over the WiFi-5 (802.11ac) technology. Data transfer speed might not be a bottleneck for a gamer, but gaming ping can cause havoc. You might find that the other person is cheating in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, but in reality, you might have a lousy ping that is causing other players to move around stuttering. A router like this one can sort out this issue.

Adaptive QoS and wtfast prioritize your application with its built-in AI. These ensure that the connection between you and the server is the shortest and your network is utilized correctly to give the minimum possible ping for gaming. Without these features, your speed would be affected by 45-75%. It also comes with a free lifetime AiProtection Pro that offers advanced parental control, protects devices from threats, and blocks specific harmful websites. It also supports the AiMesh system for maximum coverage and ensures no dead zones in its covered areas. The inclusion of MU-MIMO and OFDMA technologies allows simultaneous data sending and receiving from multiple devices wirelessly. As we already know, one can never go wrong with an ASUS product.

Netgear routers land on our list due to their incredible top speed. Netgear Nighthawk XR700 is an 802.11ad type wireless network-based router that allows the blazing speed of 7133 Mbps at 60Hz frequency. It comes with Geo-filter and QoS features to enable your game to connect to the nearest server providing the best connectivity and low ping, making it a superb gaming router. In most case scenarios, the wireless router is placed closest to the devices requiring an internet connection, especially in gaming-specific applications. It is targeted at gamers who do not sit far away from their router and need the best connectivity, and it satisfies them all.

You will need to keep in mind that this router is large. It might cover a significant portion of your tabletop if you consider placing it there. The Readyshare option is incredible for many sharing data over the network at unimaginable speeds. You can connect up to two USB-based storage devices with USB 3.0 capability for rapid data sharing. It also has beamforming for 5GHz and 2.5GHz connections so that specific area for maximum bandwidth. 7 Gigaports allow powerful LAN connections for solid high data transfer. It’s a perfect buy for pro gamers looking for a lag-free gaming experience so if you are a zesty user too, give this item a try.

When it comes to gaming products, we can’t help ourselves stay away from ROG products. ASUS ROG Rapture Wireless-AX11000 is a multi-tasker, the best wi-fi 6 gaming router that looks like a creature that will start crawling. The beast-looking WiFi router not only looks great, but it also has an unbeatable speed of 11000 Mbps data transfer rate capability. It has a tri-band capacity with two 5GHz and one 2.4GHz band. The use of multiple bands alongside OFDM and beamforming provides unprecedented internet connectivity across various devices, making it the top-shelf item. The GUI provided by ASUS is always user-friendly and can be configured by anyone without prior networking knowledge. Although it is a mid-tier thing, it works nothing less than high-end ones.

It is an expensive router, but spending a little extra buck will be rewarding when looking at its excellent price/performance ratio. The router is significant, but it is not just for presentation; it comes with a powerful quad-core CPU that manages the large loads imposed by 4k streaming; thus, people call it the best gaming router. As a gamer, you will be more concerned about the ping, and VPN fusion can allow dedicated VPN for gaming. It will connect you to the nearest server so that your ping can improve significantly and allow playing games that are not available in your region. So with this card on hand, you can have fun with all your favorite games.

TP-Link is known for its budget-friendly options and tech that operates reliably for long periods. Low ping with high data transfer speeds becomes critical for gaming and primarily online gaming on streaming platforms. TP-Link Archer C5400X is the most efficient item that can provide rapid data transfer at an unbeatable price. To properly utilize the capability of a network, not only do the routers need to be of the latest technology, but receivers and devices connected to the web should have that capability too. WiFi-5 has been around long enough to mature, and most devices that are available in the market are 802.11ac compatible, which makes this router relatable.

Spending great money on a router that supports the 60GHz band but not owning a device that can receive the data sent will be a waste of resources. This item is truly the best easy to manage gaming router. TP-Link worked out the perfect specification that makes it compatible with all the latest gadgets globally, landing it as the best wifi router for gaming. At 5334Mbps, being transferred via three bands makes it very responsive, which is critical in gaming. Traffic prioritization and MU-MIMO provides faster connection and lower pings. Daily. Homecare includes protection against threats, and VPN allows a secure connection to servers that you deem necessary for gaming operation. Playing on an Asian server on PUBG is as easy as just selecting an Asian VPN server and configuring it in OpenVPN.

Netgear Nighthawk AX4 is a product for people looking for high-speed internet connectivity and comprehensive control at an unbeatable price. We believe this is the best wi-fi 6 budget router on our list. It comes with a Nighthawk app that is user-friendly and easy to understand. The router has a small footprint and meets all the demands of an average online gamer. It supports the latest WPA3, Netgear Armor, and Netgear Smart parental controls for enhanced security. This router can pump out blazing speeds up to 3Gbps as the best wifi router for gaming. We believe that the very well-established 802.11ax technology delivers powerful performance.

Due to its better transmission capability, it allows Nighthawk to cover 1500sq. Ft area. Most mobile phones are compatible with 5GHz dual-band frequencies; however, we do not recommend it for competitive gaming if your router is not dedicated to one device. Multiple device connections will make it lose ping as it does not feature wtfast, QoS, and MU-MIMO. As a simple device, it has the potential to stream 4K videos across multiple devices through its dual-band frequencies managed by a powerful 1.5GHz triple-core processor. Aesthetically it looks like a bird about to take flight with its two wings spread apart.

If your router sits on a visible area inside your house, then it can draw some attention due to its premium spaceship-like aesthetics. Asus RT-AX82U performs as the best mid-range gaming router, and its design will draw some attention with its Asus Aura RGB lighting that is also sync-capable. Besides being an ornament, it is a powerhouse with comprehensive functionality for gamers. It has a dedicated feature for mobile gaming with a simple tap; it will enhance connectivity with your mobile device so that you can experience lag-free League of Legends rounds, PUBG mobile maps, and Call of Duty: Mobile exchange of rounds.

You can enhance the coverage of this router by using the AiMesh that Asus features in their gaming router. It comes with lifetime free internet security that goes a long way for any gamer to avoid being hacked by angry enemies. The router has a game mode that a simple tap can start in the mobile device app. You can prioritize specific ports for gaming, and with adaptive QoS, you can enhance gaming-specific bandwidth by a simple tap in the app. If you are tired of guests asking for a WiFi password, you can use the Guest WiFi option in the mobile app and share the password via QR code.

TP-Link Archer AX6000 could easily blend in the famous X Men series. Its aesthetics portray a sleek design that could fit any home or office environment. Balancing the features concerning price is something that TP-Link works hard on. This router takes the top spot for the best non-gaming-specific router. It comes with eight high gain antennas that deliver 4x higher capacity in an environment that is dense and filled with connected devices. It can prioritize work and simultaneous wireless data transfer with its MU-MIMO alongside OFDMA. You can boost the signals all over the house using the OneMesh technology to avoid any dead zones.

It has features that indirectly support gaming performance, but since it does not include any gaming-related term in interfaces making the price reasonable for using as a gaming router. Its 2.5Gbps WAN port and eight-gigabit ports make it an excellent buy for the money. This item is the best non-gaming specific router and comes preinstalled with HomeCare, TPLinks QoS, parental control, and web shield merged into one extensive system. The tether app connects all the devices and makes configuring this best wifi router for gaming. The 1.8 GHz 64 Bit Quad-Core CPU featured in this router ensures that you get the 4K streaming you desire. It has OpenVPN for a single VPN connection for all devices.

Mobile gaming like PUBG mobile and Free Fire has gained massive popularity amongst the gaming community. The performance of a gamer can drastically decrease if ping starts to increase. If you have a stable ISP, then the Asus RT-AX86U will serve you as the best gaming router overall. Disturbances in ping can lead to stuttering and unrealistic movements, leading to poor performance for a gamer. Asus has numerous features to boost the gaming performance even if somebody else in the house or other device is sipping valuable internet bandwidth. Asus GameMode, as we described in our other Asus products, is a one-tap system that boosts all your gaming needs.

It is low latency, energy-efficient, and long-range router that fits anyone’s house. There should be zero compromises on latency when it comes to gaming, and this best wifi router for gaming ensures that your gaming experience remains smooth and uninterrupted with QoS. Game streaming service Nvidia Geforce NOW gets special treatment from the router. This router ensures that 90% of your bandwidth is utilized in delivering a smooth game stream. Dead zones are eliminated with the AiMesh, which means you don’t need to be sitting in a specific area for uninterrupted mobile gaming. It’s a perfect balance of features and price.

Final Words

You bought the best gaming hardware with the lowest possible response time to ensure no delay in your action and computer registering that action, but somehow the other player gets to hit you first every time. You take a look at your ping, and it’s 100ms above. That’s the advantage the other player has over you. Only the best gaming router can solve this problem. Due to the rising popularity of mobile gaming and the introduction of high-end gaming laptops, the need for a robust wireless network has risen. Our list includes some of the most brutal and fastest routers that smartly manage ping using various methods we mentioned in our reviews. QoS and MU-MIMO technologies allow routers to set priorities targeting specific activities that, in our case, are most probably gaming or streaming. Manufacturers have built an easy-to-le user interface that users can set up without networking experience.

Asus, Netgear, and TP-Link have captured the market with their unbeatable prices for consumers that are mostly gamers. Their gaming-oriented devices have set the bar high for routers. Gaming routers make a significant impact on gaming performance with their wtfast feature. These services ensure that the router connects to the server that provides the fastest internet connection within the region that a user desires. All these routers are controlled via smartphone apps with unlimited features that are user-friendly. Premium aesthetics and RGB sync allow them to not only be functional but act as an ornament sitting on a table. The latest technology includes Triband capability, some of the routers in our list feature. Although you would require an AD or AX compatible device to utilize the functionality entirely, they are forward-thinking, powerful routers that will last with you and remain relatable to you.

Frequently Asked Questions