Online gaming is one of the most popular hobbies among people in the UK and across the world. Some titles require you to have an ultra-fast connection to keep up with opponents and react in real time.
Others aren’t that dependent on fast internet, but you still need a strong and stable network to enjoy them to the fullest.
In this article, we look at how local internet speeds shape global gaming access and examine the key elements that play a role in how smooth and responsive your gameplay is.
What Impacts Internet Speed While Gaming?
Regardless of what online game you’re playing, the process behind it looks the same. The device you’re playing on and that game’s servers are constantly communicating online.
Every click, movement, and action you take depends on data being sent to and received from those servers. Things like this take place within milliseconds, meaning that even the slightest delay can impact how a game feels.
How important the speed at which data is being sent and received is depends on the type of game you’re playing and the level of competitiveness that’s involved.
Still, even if you’re not competing against the very best and your ranking won’t be determined by the final result, you always want to have the fastest connection possible to ensure gameplay stays enjoyable.
Your internet speed depends on several aspects, such as your internet plan and local infrastructure. In the UK specifically, major cities like London are equipped with full-fiber broadband, which ensures a fast and stable connection.
Some rural areas, on the other hand, may only have access to outdated infrastructure, which can impact how fast gaming in those regions feels.
The physical distance from the game’s or platform’s server can also play an important role in how fast your connection is. Naturally, longer distances may cause delays in response, lag, and other common issues.
The good news is that you can easily change your virtual location using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) and ensure a better connection to any game server you want. If you choose the right location to connect to, you may experience faster response time and less lag.
Most games allow the use of VPNs as they want players to have the best possible experience while playing. As long as you’re not using them to bypass bans or get access to cheaper prices, there should be nothing stopping you from using a VPN to improve your internet speed.
The iGaming world is another good example, as there are VPN casino options for those who want to use VPNs to enhance their internet speed while playing.
Latency and Ping
If you’re not that into gaming, you may come across terms related to connection that you’ve never encountered before. While they may feel strange, they can give you a better understanding of how fast your connection is and how it impacts your gameplay.
Latency, which is often measured as ping, plays a crucial role here. It’s what determines how long it takes for data to travel between your device and the game’s server.
It represents the delay between an action you take and the game’s response. Therefore, the lower your latency or ping is, the better your gaming experience is going to be.
A ping that’s less than 30 milliseconds is considered the golden standard in the world of gaming. If the game shows a number below that, you can enjoy the gameplay knowing that there’s minimal delay between something you do and the time it takes for the game to register it.
Major cities with advanced fiber networks often bring this number down even further. For example, if you live in London and have a good internet package, you can expect your ping to often stay below 10 milliseconds when playing on regional servers. Again, rural areas that rely on older tech can’t replicate those numbers.
When playing on an international server, the further its physical location is, the higher the latency becomes. So, understanding where the game’s servers are located and how far from it you are can help determine the ping you can expect to have while playing.
In eSports, this issue is bypassed by the use of dedicated servers located across the world, which ensure the gameplay stays the same for all participants.
The Evolution of Online Gaming
In just a few decades, we’ve gone from games that were played on dial-up connections to whole high-definition worlds that are available to all global players 24/7.
However, this progress didn’t come on its own. Instead, it evolved together with the technology behind the internet, which has now reached the levels gamers could only dream about before.
Fiber-optic broadband and 5G networks are pretty much the standard today, and they make it possible for players to join massive online worlds and play together with other people from around the globe.
While local internet speeds impact how responsive an online game is, it’s also important that developers and service providers do everything they can to ensure their game works well in all regions.
They’re constantly working on providing new, strategically-located servers to deliver a smooth experience for players around the world. Sites with browser games need good hosting packages and reliable server maintenance.
But the evolution of online gaming doesn’t end there. Cloud gaming is a huge trend right now, allowing players to access any game they want without having a powerful gaming PC or console.
Instead, the game runs on remote servers and is streamed on their device in real time. Obviously, for this to work flawlessly, you need a fast and stable internet connection. Even the most advanced cloud platforms will struggle if your connection drops or your latency increases.
Also, gaming is no longer just about participating in the gameplay. For many fans of the hobby, enjoyment comes from watching their favorite content creators livestream their gameplay in HD on platforms such as Twitch and Kick.
This also requires fast and stable connection. At the same time, streamers require fast upload speeds, especially if they want to broadcast their gameplay in 1080p or 4K. Only when the connection allows it do their streamers come with no buffering, pixelation, or sudden interruptions.
