The Best Router for Gaming in 2020

Gaming routers were unheard of just a few years ago. These days, they’re are fast becoming an increasingly popular and regarded as some of the best devices for everyone, from esports pros to more casual multiplayer gamers. As games become increasingly competitive and reliant on online play, the quality of your wireless internet connection is bound to have an impact on your play style. Lag can, quite literally, mean the difference between a win and a loss.

Whether you’re hearing about gaming routers for the first time or you’re a seasoned pro looking to upgrade from your existing model, we’re here to help. Not only have we identified twelve of the best gaming routers on the market; we’ve also created a thorough buying guide that can help you decipher those specs and shop smarter.

Compare the Models

Best Gaming Routers Buyer’s Guide

Understanding the Specs

A lot of craftsmanship goes into constructing a solid router, but a handful of hardware considerations stand above all else in distinguishing a cut rate modem from an exceptional model. For you to be able to make better buying decisions, we’ve listed the specs for each model above. However, we’re providing a deeper analysis of what they mean, to help you choose the best router for gaming.

WiFi Speed

There’s no more direct comparison of a router’s raw power than its internet or wireless speed. This is measured in either megabits per second (Mbps) or gigabits per second (Gbps). In the latter case, you can convert it easily to Mbps by multiplying the number by a thousand. This tells you how much data the router can transfer to a WiFi device in the matter of a second, and that determines everything from how fast you can download information to how smoothly video streams and how effectively a game can run without slowing down. In fast paced multiplayer games like Call of Duty, a fast internet speed will provide you with more efficiency than a slow one.

It should be noted that these internet speeds are a little more complicated than what the advertisers put on their packaging. Once you reach the range of a gaming router, there’s little to no chance that any one device will use your entire band-width. Instead, this band-width is shared, and if you’re really looking for a deep analysis of what you need, you should consider how much bandwidth you use at peak hours. The maximum internet speed listed is also a theoretical number that’s rarely the same in practice. The model of your modem and the quality of your ISP connection may have a significant effect on how fast your internet speed will be. Additionally, the distance of a device can have an effect on how fast your connection is as well as the quality of the wireless connection it receives in a pretty major way.

Antennas

Fortunately, the degradation of a wireless internet signal over long distances can be mitigated to some extent. That’s where antennas come in. Each antenna creates separate streams for sharing data, and the more antenna your router possesses, the less multiple devices will be having to share the same bandwidth.

That said, you may have noticed that some of the routers with only three or four antennas are listed comparably to those with six or eight. That’s because more isn’t always better. While the number of antenna is sometimes a good indicator of quality, it’s also important to examine reviews so that you can gauge the quality of these antennas. Some manufacturers will pack in as many low quality antennas as possible to convince buyers of the quality of their equipment (but suffice to say, these routers were excluded from our list with prejudice).

And there are a number of other factors that can have an even greater impact on your bandwidth channels than another antenna or two tacked on. These include StreamBoost, Beamforming, and MU-MIMO protocols, which we’ll evaluate in more detail below. Long story short, more antennas are generally better, but you have to evaluate more than just the number of them if you want to make a truly informed decision.

CPU Processor

The processor is essentially the nerve center of your router, and as these devices have become more sophisticated, many of them make use of the same sort of powerful CPUs that you’d find in your gaming rig. This is another case where bigger is better. The more GHz packed into your gaming router, the better the router will serve you around the board, and the difference between a quad-core rather than dual-core processor is more sizable still.

But what are the tangible effects of a processor on your gaming experience? There are four fundamental considerations to weigh. The first is that stronger processors offer support for a wider selection of devices (and that’s another reason why the number of antennas alone can’t help you judge your bandwidth potential). The processor assists with multitasking and prevents devices stuttering even when there’s enough raw band-width to support the needs of all the devices on your network. The processor is also a factor in preventing bottle-necking. That’s to say that it makes sure that all the data your ISP promises to deliver you reaches its destination at the speed you expect.

Most high-end gaming modems come with both an expansive number of features catered to the needs of gamers (such as VPN, QoS, and Smart Connect) and with advanced capabilities (like the ability to service that huge number of ethernet and usb ports built in). The more of these features and functionalities that your router options, the stronger the processor needs to be to run them.

Connectivity

As far as routers are concerned, a wireless signal is never going to be as strong as one delivered via an Ethernet cable, and that has to do with more than distance. While devices further away receive weaker wireless signals, Ethernet cables simply deliver faster internet with less degradation across the board. All of the Ethernet outlets on our list support 1Gbps internet. It’s important to distinguish that’s the raw power that can be delivered to a single device rather than the maximum band-width by which internet signals are judged.

That means that whenever possible, you want to make sure that your high priority and high data usage devices are connected directly to your router so you can get maximum speeds. In practice, that’s not so easily accomplished. Clustering all of your important connected devices into a small space is rarely practical, so you’re going to want to consider the logistics of your home to determine how many ethernet ports you need. Being able to connect eight devices to a single hub may sound great on paper, but it’s a little more difficult in practice.

RAM

In personal computers, RAM (or Random Access Memory) is a dedicated space that’s used for holding data that is accessed regularly. It’s essentially the short term memory of your machine, and it can speed up functionality in a meaningful way. And given that routers are basically tiny computers assigned to a few very specific tasks, RAM serves the same role. It’s a useful aid to your processor, allowing it to accomplish more without having to dig deep.

So how much should RAM affect your purchasing decision? Not that much honestly. While RAM can have some effect on the speed of your router connection, it’s so minor in comparison to other factors that it shouldn’t be a major consideration for any but the most tech-oriented consumers.

Features to Look For

The base hardware alone isn’t the only factor in a router’s quality, and many come with special functionalities built in that improve the performance in a myriad of ways. You can treat this section as a glossary for some of the recurring technologies and protocol that appear on our list.

AiMesh

Despite being a technology only available in ASUS routers, AiMesh can be exceedingly practical for power users. It allows you to connect multiple routers together into a single network. Routers often have blind spots in performance, and construction materials and furniture can further degrade signals. If you want to link together multiple routers, AiMesh is the best, real time option for you. However, just keep it in mind that you’ll have to buy in completely to the ASUS ecosystem.

Airtime Fairness

Airtime Fairness can give a small boost to your most prioritized devices, but it likely won’t have a huge effect. Available on a lot of routers, Airtime Fairness slightly degrades the speed of your slowest device and reroutes it to more high priority devices.

Beamforming

Also very common for gaming routers is the presence of beamforming. Rather than evenly directing the signal across all 360 degrees, beamforming directs signals directly to each device, ensuring clearer signals even at longer distances.

IFTTT

While the QoS functionality in gaming routers gives you a lot more control over where your bandwidth is allocated, every configuration tool is going to have its natural limitations. That’s where If This Then That comes in. Inspired by the if-then statements that drive much of computer programming logic, IFTTT lets you establish highly precise and circumstantial commands for your router and can automate a lot of a router’s common features. It can be especially useful for routers with smart home functionality, since IFTTT functions can be created as voice activation commands. While IFTTT can require some technical knowledge to execute properly, its applications are practically limitless.

MU-MIMO

If you’re looking to get the ultimate, real time gaming experience without lag, the number of devices on your network is just as important as the raw signal of your router, and this can be especially difficult when you have multiple gamers in your household. Smartphones, gaming PCs, gaming laptops, tablets, streaming sticks, and even WiFi-enabled smart home monitoring systems can all be consuming valuable data at once. Traditional routers prioritize devices based on which starts transmitting first, and even traditional QoS decides which device gets first priority. In a traditional model, that means that a lower priority device doesn’t receive transmitted data until all the higher priority devices do.

MIMO (Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output) reduces the necessity that each device needs to wait their turn. Instead, it separates the bandwidth into individual streams. This ensures that all devices recieve their share constant signals without any kind of throttling. It’s an egalitarian solution for households with high levels of internet usage.

NitroQAM

Quadrature amplification modulation is a process by which signals are delivered over a wireless network. Wireless signals aren’t delivered in a straight line but rather in a wave pattern. By adjusting the amplitude of these wave patterns, different forms of QAM can improve the quality of the wireless signal being produced and provide a significant boost to its wireless speed. This can deliver more raw power up close and even juice up devices that may suffer slowdown due to their distance from the router. So what’s NitroQAM then? It’s simply an industry buzzword for the latest implementation of QAM protocol. It’s currently the best iteration of QAM on the market, and it can deliver as much as a 25% boost to your wireless signal.

Quality of Service

Quality of Service, or QoS, refers to one of the most important features in gaming routers. A normal router will determine where to distribute bandwidth on a first come first serve basis, but QoS functions allow you to designate how much bandwidth goes to each device or piece of software. Better routers tend to offer more detailed and intricate QoS options. This feature is usually handled through the configuration section of your router’s web app or mobile app (if one is available).

StreamBoost

StreamBoost is marketed as a bold alternative to QoS, but in actual fact, it’s more an iteration of QoS’ major principles. In short, it simply automates the process of distributing bandwidth. By drawing off some core variables and analyzing crowdsourced data from users around the world, StreamBoost analyzes how much data an app or device is using, determines how much it needs to complete its task, and prioritizes devices accordingly. How useful it will be to you will be contingent on how much micromanaging you like to do. Fortunately, StreamBoost is just established as a default, and it can be overwritten if you’d like to add or establish your own presets and configurations.

VPN

Many routers come with support for a virtual private network, either in the form of limited trials, perpetually free options, or interfaces designed to coordinate with paid options. A VPN allows you to mask your internet activity by channeling your data through a remote server. Those trying to spy on your data will instead be stopped at a remote access point. It’s become one of the most effective security tools around, and while it’s a convenient option to have bundled with a router, you don’t need a VPN-enabled router to make use of such technology.

Some routers also come with access to Gamers Private Network. While it functions on the same principles as VPN, it’s a little different in practice. Rather than mask your IP connection, it makes use of remote servers to provide you with the best connection available. And while GPN is optimized for use with MMOs, it can be a useful tool for online gamers of any type.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Need a Specific Router For Console Gaming?

Whether you’re a console gamer, a PC gamer, or both, you won’t need to make a separate purchase to get access to the best internet performance dedicated to supporting your gaming features. There’s no separate router for XBox One or gaming router for PS4. Instead, you can use the same router for all of your gaming and non-gaming features and prioritize which devices get prioritized bandwidth through the router’s software interface.

Are Gaming Routers Good For Non-Gaming Purposes?

The two most basic distinguishing features of a gaming router are their power and the ability to prioritize the devices and apps on your network through their QoS functionality. Most of the fancier features of gaming routers are designed to either boost performance, range, or the capacity for multiple streams to run concurrently without signal degradation.

Power is an obvious advantage for everything from streaming 4K video, downloading media and video capture. But the QoS can be incredibly useful as well, particularly for larger households. The granular controls ensure that no one is able to hog a disproportionate amount of bandwidth and allows people who work from home to adjust their priorities according to their needs. QoS also often offers network security, VPN, and parental controls that can benefit a variety of different users.

Do I Need Advanced Technological Knowledge to Use a Gaming Router?

Exactly how a router works is a mystery to a lot of people, even gamers. While most people recognize that a router takes the internet signal from a modem and translates it into a wireless format, the technical details can often be confusing. Fortunately, you don’t have to possess an advanced science degree to make the most of a gaming router.

Any gaming router worth its salt will come with dedicated management software, and they break down things into terms that are pretty digestible. Learning the interface is the hardest part, and once you learn to navigate it, you can easily identify the devices and apps used in your house and properly apportion your bandwidth to suit your needs.

Final Thoughts

There’s a lot to consider when shopping for a gaming router, but there’s no need to be intimidated. Any of the routers on our list can serve as an effective choice for a serious gamer, but if you want to dig a little deeper, we’ve provided you with all the resources you need. We wish you a happy shopping experience.