Gaming guide

What internet speed do you need for gaming?

Online games usually use little bandwidth. Cloud gaming streams video, and large game downloads may need more speed if you want them finished quickly.

Two quick questions

Check your internet speed for gaming result

Your result updates immediately. Nothing is sent to a provider.

How many people may actively use the internet at the busiest time?

Count people actually online at once, not everyone who lives there.

What activities may happen at the same time?

Choose what is likely to happen at the same time.

Browsing and social media

Web, messaging, feeds, and everyday app traffic

Include

HD streaming

Shows and movies at roughly 1080p

At once

4K streaming

Ultra-high-definition video streams

At once

Video calls and working from home

High-quality meetings and calls

At once

Added

Online gaming

Gameplay traffic, excluding downloads and updates

At once

Cloud gaming

A streamed game session, starting at 1080p

At once

Livestreaming

Broadcasting video from your connection

At once

Security cameras

Cameras uploading at the same time

At once

Large uploads

Backups, media, or work files with an optional deadline

Include

Large downloads

Games or files with an optional deadline

Include

Improve my resultAdd optional details about services, files, your plan, or speed tests

The answer above is ready to use. Add only what you know. Blank fields will not change the result.

Compare my current plan

Copy the Typical Download and Typical Upload values—not only the advertised headline—from your Broadband Facts label.

Typical download (Mbps)Typical upload (Mbps)

Check speed-test results

Run at least three tests in each location, including one during a busy evening. Pause your VPN and large transfers, then enter the middle result.

Near-router test methodNear-router median downloadNear-router median uploadProblem-room median downloadProblem-room median upload

I entered the middle result from at least three tests in each location.

Your initial answer

Recommended speed

MEDIUM confidence

12Mbpsdownload

3Mbpsupload

A basic connection should handle these activities.

Speed to look for

25 Mbps down / 5 Mbps up

Compare these with the Typical Download and Typical Upload on a provider’s Broadband Facts label. A plan with this exact combination may not be available.

You probably do not need gigabit service for these activities.

Why this speed?

Ordinary online multiplayer game1 session at once: 5 Mbps down / 1 Mbps up before extra room is added.
Everyday background use4 Mbps down / 1 Mbps up for 2 active people before extra room is added.

Confidence

MEDIUM confidence

This quick result uses fewer details than the optional section below.

See the calculation and assumptions

Activities before extra room: 9.0 down / 2.0 up
Connection used: 80%
Activities with extra room: 11.3 down / 2.5 up

We add 2 Mbps down and 0.5 Mbps up for normal background use by each active person.
We plan to use no more than 80% of the connection for normal activity, leaving some room for short bursts.
This result is an estimate, not a guarantee that every app will work perfectly.
Ping, packet loss, Wi-Fi coverage, router problems, server distance, and data limits can still affect your experience.

Speed is not the whole story

A plan can be fast enough and a game can still feel slow. High ping, packet loss, busy Wi-Fi, server distance, or congestion may be the cause.

The calculator shows the Mbps you need, but it cannot promise that a faster plan will fix those problems.

Add cloud gaming separately

Cloud gaming works more like video streaming than a normal online game. Choose the resolution and count how many cloud-gaming sessions happen at once.

Choose 720p, 1080p, 1440p, or 4K in Improve my result.
Count cloud-gaming sessions happening at the same time, not the consoles you own.
For a large game update, add the file size and how soon you want it finished.