400 Mbps is a decent internet speed for many gaming activities. It is capable of handling online gaming and HD video streaming, but its performance may not be as fast as more expensive plans with higher speeds. This speed should be enough for start up gamers out there. Most gamers don’t need internet speeds higher than 400 Mbps. Here’s what you can expect from this connection:
It’s ideal for light gaming. If you don’t plan on playing anything graphic-intense, 400 Mbps will work perfectly fine. Online gamers looking to play light or casual browser games or MMOs should be happy at this speed. This should also be enough for gaming on any device, including phones, tablets and gaming consoles.
It provides dependable connection. Gaming PCs can be sensitive to lagging or disconnections. With a fast connection like this, you won’t have to worry about a dropped connection mid-game. 400 Mbps is more than enough to ensure a consistent connection all the time.
It’s great for multiplayer games. If you have friends playing at the same time, the connection should be fast enough to keep up with the speed of everyone’s game. This means no lag or awkward pauses in the game.
It’s cost-effective. Most ISPs offer this speed on a low-cost plan, making it an affordable choice for gamers. Compared to higher speed plans, you’ll save a lot of money with this one.
Reliability
400 Mbps is a good speed for reliability, especially considering most gaming sessions don’t need the superfast speeds of a plan costing double or triple the budget. That being said, 400 Mbps is dependable for a majority of gaming activities. Chances are your connection won’t drop abruptly multiple times a day.
Internet speeds also affect latency, or ping, which simply is the time it takes for data to travel from your gaming device to the server, and vice versa. High latency can be quite problematic and lead to laggy game play, but this won’t be the case with a 400 Mbps connection.
Cons
If you play games with intense graphics or complicated online servers, you won’t get the most out of your gaming experience with this connection. Games that require a high level of control and reaction time, like first-person shooters, will suffer a lot since they require more computing power and more bandwidth. Needless to say, this type of connection won’t be enough for professional gamers.
Also, if you have multiple devices connecting the same network for gaming purposes, a lot of those devices running on the same speed could cause the connection to slow down. This is because a 400 Mbps connection can only handle so much data and only one device can use it at a time.
Factors to Consider
Before you get a 400 Mbps connection for gaming, make sure to evaluate a few other factors, such as the type of gaming you will be doing, or the number of people, devices, or consoles that will be sharing the connection. Having multiple people or devices online will slow down the connection and defeat the purpose. Additionally, you may want to look into the type of router you have since some routers may not take advantage of your connection’s full speed.
Also, don’t forget to have a look at the download and upload speeds of your connection. The majority of gaming activities require more download than upload speeds and readers need to be aware of the ratio of download speeds to upload speeds. 400 Mbps may have a satisfactory download speed but lack the upload speed.
Compatibility with Consoles
Along with a compatible device and fast internet, gamers need to consider the compatibility between their device and the console. Most of the recent consoles released are compatible with higher connection speeds (such as Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6, which usually max out at 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps respectively). Make sure your console is compatible with your connection speed.
Typically, 400 Mbps is a good speed if your devices are all Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) compatible, since it’s the most common form of home Wi-Fi. The majority of internet providers offer connection speeds up to 400 Mbps, although some offer plans up to 1 Gbps or even 10 Gbps.
Bandwidth Usage
When it comes to gaming, there are two types of bandwidth that is needed; download and upload speed. Download speeds are necessary for receiving data, like a game update or a new map. Upload speed, on the other hand, is needed for sending data from your device to the server, such as a voice chat or the player’s gameplay. A connection with higher download and upload speeds is better for gaming, as it can process data faster, resulting in a lag free experience.
400 Mbps is a good speed for downloading data, but it may not be enough if you’re playing with multiple people at once. The bandwidth usage goes up significantly when multiple users are sharing the same connection and it could result in the connection slowing down. In that case, a plan with higher speeds would be better.
Latency Issues
Another important aspect of gaming is latency or ping. When you play online, your device sends data to the server and then that data is sent back to your device. Higher latency levels can cause delays or lag, which can make gaming annoying or even unplayable. With a 400 Mbps connection, you should not experience latency issues as this speed should be enough for a lag-free experience.
In conclusion, 400 Mbps is a reliable connection for gaming activities. It provides a stable connection and enough download and upload speed for most games. However, if you’re playing graphically-intensive video games or if you plan on hosting massive multiplayer parties, you may want to switch to a plan with higher speeds to get the best out of your gaming experience.
