Greatest Gaming Modem & Router 2026

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Examine gaming routers and modems

In the case of gaming, you want the correct gear to have one of the best expertise. The largest subject that avid gamers face is latency, or lag between the gamer’s motion and the server’s response. 

This is the reason avid gamers want gaming-specific gear to deal with their busy community. Fortunately, there are routers and modems made particularly for gaming. We’ve listed our favorites beneath. 

Greatest general gaming router: ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Professional

$$$$ | 11,000 Mbps

4.2 out of 4 stars, 71% give it 5 stars

The ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Professional is our decide for greatest general gaming router due to its blazing quick speeds and gaming options. 

This can be a tri-band gaming router with eight antennas that boasts speeds as much as 11,000 Mbps, so it could possibly deal with hardcore gaming exercise. It additionally has triple-level recreation acceleration, which signifies that gaming will get community prioritization. The GT-AX11000 has one 2.5 G port and one 10 G port for an excellent sooner connection. 

Whereas this router is on the costly aspect, most gaming routers are since they’ve to have the ability to deal with heavy bandwidth and have extra distinctive options than your on a regular basis router.

Greatest gaming modem general: ARRIS Surfboard S33 multi-gig modem

$$ | 2,500 Mbps

4.1 out of 5 stars; 67% give it 5 stars

The ARRIS Surfboard S33 multi-gig modem isn’t technically branded as a gaming modem, however its multi-gig speeds make it good for avid gamers. 

It helps speeds as much as 2,500 Mbps and has each a 1G and a pair of.5G Ethernet port, so it’s good for multi-gig web plans from 1 – 2 Gbps. The ARRIS S33 additionally has DOCSIS 3.1 expertise, which is the newest expertise offering higher safety and reduces latency. Whereas it has no distinctive gaming options that gaming routers often have, the ARRIS S33 continues to be an ideal selection as a gaming modem. 

Greatest bang on your buck: Asus RT-AX68U

$$ | 2,700 Mbps

4.3 out of 5 stars; 72% give it 5 stars

In case you’re after a quick connection, however don’t need to break the financial institution to get it, the ASUS RT-AX68U is the machine for you. This gaming router supplies prime speeds of as much as 2700 Mbps. On prime of that, it additionally helps the newest connection commonplace, WiFi 6. This can assist the router deal with a number of connections without delay, which means that having different folks in your house who’re related to the web received’t sluggish you down.

Whereas some avid gamers desire their recreation methods to be hardwired for a extra constant connection, this router supplies about as regular a connection as you might ask for out of a wi-fi community. With Asus AiMesh help, you possibly can create a versatile and seamless connectivity throughout your total home by including different AiMesh-compatible routers.

Greatest for velocity: ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000

$$$$$ | 16,000 Mbps

4.3 out of 5 stars; 73% give it 5 stars

Do you have to hire or purchase your gear?

When on the lookout for gear, it’s possible you’ll be questioning in case you ought to hire or purchase your modem and router. Normally, your ISP will provide you with the choice to hire a router for a small payment each month, and with this comes added tech help and often upgrades to gear.

Shopping for, alternatively, permits for extra autonomy in your selection of apparatus, which is vital in the case of gaming. You want a modem and router that not solely has quick speeds, however has gaming options and low latency as nicely. On this case, shopping for your personal router is your best option and you’ll even lower your expenses in the long term. 

What to search for in a modem and router for gaming

1. Prime speeds: In the case of gaming, prime speeds are vital. You’re going to need your modem and router to have the ability to deal with massive quantities of information, so search for prime speeds and help for the newest Wi-Fi requirements: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be). Wi-Fi 5 can even help on-line gaming, nevertheless it’s simply an older Wi-Fi commonplace and most routers now help no less than Wi-Fi 6. 
2. Visitors prioritization: Avid gamers have to guarantee that their gaming expertise shouldn’t be going to be interrupted by others within the family utilizing the web on the similar time. Search for routers and modems which have site visitors prioritization options that guarantee that a high-intensity exercise like gaming is handled with precedence over somebody who is solely searching the online.
3. Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet: Wi-fi web is handy and permits you to join with out being locked right into a location, however wi-fi connections are nearly all the time much less regular than exhausting wiring through an Ethernet port. Think about if your property is an effective state of affairs for a wi-fi reference to a router or in case you would quite be exhausting wired to your modem.
4. Gear: Whereas the kind of console or PC that you just use shouldn’t matter when you find yourself contemplating what router or modem to purchase, the quantity of platforms that you just use to recreation does matter. In case you recreation on a number of platforms, you’ll desire a router or modem with a number of channels or ports to remain related throughout all of your gadgets. 

How we selected one of the best router and modem for gaming

To select one of the best gaming routers and modems available on the market, we checked out various elements that the standard gamer ought to think about. We scoured dozens of merchandise available on the market, contemplating the necessity for top-level efficiency, together with excessive speeds, low latency and ping.

We thought of site visitors administration and prioritization, which helps efficiency and may stop lag when a number of gadgets are related to the web. We additionally took under consideration value and general worth, recognizing that the most costly shouldn’t be all the time one of the best. Listed below are a few of the qualities that we thought of when making our choice for one of the best gaming routers and modems obtainable:

• Supported speeds
• Value and worth
• Options 
• Particular buyer opinions
• What machine it’s best for

Want a sooner web plan?

Whereas having a strong modem and router might be the distinction between a gradual connection and spotty one and will help maximize your web connection, it could possibly’t velocity up your web. If you end up in want of a sooner web connection, you’ll have to improve or change your web plan or supplier. 

Gaming routers FAQs

Written by

Camryn Smith

Author

As certainly one of Allconnect’s writers, Camryn Smith helps customers navigate complicated residence web servic… View profile

Edited by

Robin Layton

Senior Editor, Broadband Content material

Robin Layton is a Senior Editor for Allconnect, devoted to serving to customers navigate the often-co… View profile