How Much Internet Speed Do You Actually Need for Gaming?
Someone told you your 100M plan 'can't handle games'? They're wrong — and they're missing the point. Here's what really makes games smooth, and why a bigger plan won't lower your ping.
The truth: games need very little bandwidth
A friend told you a 100M plan ‘can't run games’ like Valorant? It's a myth. Most online games use surprisingly little bandwidth — the numbers below are per player, and they're tiny compared to any modern NBN plan. Streaming 4K video or a big download eats far more than a game ever will.
By game type
| Game type | Bandwidth needed (up/down) |
|---|---|
| MOBA (LoL, Honor of Kings) | ~1–3 Mbps each |
| FPS (CS:GO, Valorant, PUBG) | ~3–5 Mbps each |
| MMORPG (WoW) | ~2–5 Mbps each |
So even a 100M plan is vastly more than any single game needs — enough for you to game while others stream 4K and someone's on a video call.
So which plan should you buy?
For the game itself, even 50–100M is overkill. You buy a bigger plan for everything else happening at once — housemates streaming, big game downloads (a modern title can be 100GB+), cloud backups. Practical guide: 100M solo, 500M for a share house (the value sweet spot), 1000M only if you want maximum download headroom. Don't pay for 2000M expecting lower ping — it won't help latency at all.
Latency & packet loss are the point
Gaming quality is about ping (latency) and packet loss / stability, not headline Mbps. A 1000M plan with a bad route feels worse than a 100M plan with low, steady ping. Two numbers to watch:
- Ping (ms): how long a round-trip to the server takes — lower is better. Distance to the server sets the floor.
- Packet loss (%): dropped data causes rubber-banding and hit-registration issues — you want ~0%.
Both are hurt far more by a bad connection type, a cheap router, congested WiFi, or a far-away server than by your plan's Mbps.
How to reduce lag
- Go wired: plug the PC/console into the router with Cat6 — the single biggest fix.
- If wireless, use 5GHz and sit near the router; avoid crowded 2.4GHz.
- Choose a provider with good routing (Aussie Broadband, Superloop, Occom).
- Stop background bandwidth hogs during a match (downloads, updates, others' 4K streams).
- Enable QoS / gaming mode on the router to prioritise game traffic.
- For China/Asia servers, distance dominates — a provider with better international routing helps most.
Frequently asked questions
Is 100 Mbps enough for gaming?+
Yes, easily. Games use about 1–5 Mbps each, so 100M is far more than enough — even with others streaming. What actually decides smoothness is latency (ping) and packet loss, not the size of your plan.
Will a faster plan lower my ping?+
No. Buying 1000M or 2000M won't reduce latency — ping is set by distance to the server, routing and your connection quality. A wired connection, a good provider and a decent router help ping; more Mbps doesn't.
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