Finding the best internet deals for gaming
Gaming online is an increasingly common demand for home broadband. It applies to all ages and types of players, whether casually or more serious. But keeping the action both fun and competitive requires not just skill, but a suitable internet connection.
Ever experienced buffering while answering the Call of Duty? We’ve all been there, done it and got the T-shirt! Any player dreads 'showdown slowdown' and the tiresome lag during intense gaming sessions. This deals page explains what that looks like. Aside from top recommendations for broadband plans you can buy today, we’ll reveal tips for hitting top speeds from your setup.
Find packages with speed, stability, and freedom to play without restriction. Full fibre is most likely to offer the type of broadband to fit the bill, with availability and affordability crucial too.
Understanding gaming broadband basics
What makes a broadband service good for gaming?
Here are the four factors that make great broadband for gamers:
- Speed. Download and upload speeds are important. Faster speeds not only give wider bandwidth at peak times between more players, but also moves that traffic faster in both directions. Games and any patches etc, normally large in filesize, can also be downloaded to devices much quicker too.
- Ping & Latency. Faster connections will have faster ‘ping’ times and low latency to reduce any lag in gameplay. ‘Ping’ (measured in milliseconds (ms) is the time it takes your game data to make a round trip from your device to the server and back again. Short ping times ensure multiplayer games are responsive and synchronised with no noticeable slowdown.
- Stability. Gamers rely on a consistent, reliable connection. If internet speed levels are unpredictable or service is prone to drop out, play will be interrupted.
- Data Caps. Unlimited data is important to allow free play that won’t be capped by allowances that frequent gaming will quickly swallow up.
What is good ping?
Good ping is defined by as few milliseconds as possible. Think of it like sending a text message to yourself and the time it takes to go and come back. This is the ‘round trip’ that has your gaming data leave your device, be it PlayStation, XBox or Nintendo Switch, arrive at the server and come back. That network journey duration is ping time and the smaller, faster the better!
Use our speed test tool to see what download speeds, upload speeds and ping rate you’re getting on your current deal.
Top broadband packages for gaming in 2025
| Package | Speed | Best for | Price (p/m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| TalkTalk Full Fibre 150 | 152Mb / 30Mb | Truly unlimited broadband plans | £28 |
| Gigaclear Superfast 300 | 300Mb / 300Mb | Fast full fibre for select rural areas | £19 |
| BT Full Fibre 900 | 700Mb / 110Mb | Fast full fibre through Openreach network | £45 |
| Sky Broadband Full Fibre 500Mb | 500Mb / 60Mb | Good option for entertainment packages | £32 |
| Cuckoo Full Fibre C-500 | 500Mb / 500Mb | Shorter 12-month contracts available | £40 |
| Community Fibre 500 Mbps | 500Mb / 500Mb | Fixed Price Promise | £20 |
Here we’ll give our pick of the Best Broadband deals for gamers and detail some features worth considering.
TalkTalk Fibre 65
Standard fibre (FTTC) package known for delivering low ping at comparatively lower speed than full fibre
- Best for: Customers without full fibre availability
- Key features: Average download speed of 67Mb, guaranteed 47.6Mb minimum.
- Pros: Easy fibre installation with widespread general availability
- Cons: A typical upload speed of just 17Mb may cause lag for multiple players.
From £28 per month, strong UK availability
Virgin Media M350 Fibre Broadband
Popular national full fibre provider known for reliable high-speed plans with low latency
- Best for: Serious gamers
- Key features: 362Mb average download with 36Mb upload more than sufficient for serious gamers.
- Pros: Intelligent, dual-band Wi-Fi Hub provided.
- Cons: You must live in a property where installation of fibre optic cables is possible.
From £27 per month, fair UK availability
Gigaclear Superfast 300
Full fibre provider offering superfast connections for players in selected rural areas
- Best for: Gamers in rural locations
- Key features: Symmetrical 300Mb download and upload speeds with a minimum 240Mb speed guarantee.
- Pros: No upfront setup fees and low monthly tariff
- Cons: Coverage is limited to areas in central and southern England
From £19 per month with limited UK availability
BT Full Fibre 900
Full fibre gigabit broadband ideal for multiple devices, gamers and Twitch streamers
- Best for: Availability
- Key features: 700Mb minimum download speed, with 110Mb upload.
- Pros: Gigafast bandwidth and stable low latency
- Cons: Subject to long and fairly expensive 24-month contract.
From £44.99 per month, growing UK availability via Openreach
Sky Broadband Full Fibre 500
Affordable all-round household plans from a trusted provider
- Best for: Affordability
- Key features: 500Mb average download speed and 60Mb upload.
- Pros: Promises a reliable, ultrafast download rate for gaming and more.
- Cons: Upload speed may seem modest in comparison.
From £32 per month, good availability around major UK cities
How to choose the right broadband package for gamers
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Check your gaming needs. Think about the type of gamer you are and how often you play. Are you more casual for fun and entertainment, or a serious competitive player?
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Search for local deals. Use Broadband Genie’s deals checker to find internet plans available in your area. This will give an idea of providers and packages your home could get, depending on service coverage.
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Test existing speed. Check the download, upload and ping rate of your current connection using our online checker.
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Looking out for latency. Read our broadband reviews pages and ask about the ping, latency and reliability around the providers and packages you might be considering.
Top tips for optimising your broadband for gaming
There are ways to get better performance from a connection when playing online. Here’s how to improve your current set-up:
- Router upgrade. Is your router old and needing an upgrade? Newer models support the latest Wi-Fi standards to give you better, faster signal coverage. For more help, read our guide: 'How to buy your own broadband router'.
- Signal boost. Try moving your current router to a better, closer position to avoid obstruction or interference when using Wi-Fi. Get more tips in our guide: 'Where's the best place to put a router?'.
- Connect via Ethernet. Use a wired connection with an Ethernet cable between your console or computer to your router. Cable is always faster and more stable than wireless Wi-Fi so worth a try.
- Reduce traffic. Closing any other apps, downloads or device updates is a good way to reduce demand on your connection and maximise bandwidth.
- Adjust settings. Game settings often allow lower quality modes for smoother play. You can also select a server that is closer to your location for faster ping.
Frequently asked questions about gaming broadband
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Do I need full fibre broadband for gaming?
Full Fibre broadband (FTTP) isn’t a requirement for online gaming. While Full Fibre does deliver higher superfast speeds, you can still get more than enough speeds over standard fibre (FTTC) broadband packages to play games perfectly.
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What broadband speed do I need for online gaming?
Technically, not that much. But it depends on the complexity or your game. Basic play can be achieved with just 3-5Mb minimum download speed. More demanding games will realistically require at very least 15-25Mb for decent performance.
More serious gamers would be best served by fibre broadband connections with speeds between 50-100Mb ideally.
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What’s a good ping rate for online gaming?
For gaming, an excellent ping rate is anything below 20 milliseconds (ms). A ping of 20-50 ms is still considered good and adequate for minimal lag while playing.
You can check your connection ping using our broadband speed checker.
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Do I have to use an Ethernet cable for a better gaming experience?
An Ethernet cable isn’t necessary for gaming, but will always give optimal performance. Most users won’t notice this improvement, but for those experiencing slow wireless speeds over Wi-Fi then using a cable connection is our recommended solution.
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Is mobile home broadband OK for online gaming?
Providers like Vodafone, Three and EE offer mobile broadband for home use. This offers 4G and 5G speeds over Wi-Fi and can be adequate for gaming.
The drawback can often be that ping time and latency can be less consistent in comparison to cable-based networks.
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Do I need to worry about upload speed for online gaming?
If you’re simply interested in playing games, upload speed isn't a priority. But if you have any plans to host online matches from home or stream your games on Twitch or YouTube, then you’ll want to get the fastest upload speed possible.
Round up:
Online gaming is one of the more demanding uses for home broadband. For players who also stream, this need for bigger better speeds becomes more essential.
Higher download rates usually bring faster upload and likely in turn, ensure low ping. This reduced latency will keep gameplay snappy and hopefully stable. Keep provider reliability and service trust in mind too, while staying realistic about what you need.
When shopping for broadband deals, you must check availability for your area. Pop your address into our postcode checker to find exclusive offers and a cheat code for getting fast broadband for less money.
Check broadband in your area now!