A fast Wi - Fi joining is incredibly significant for play , not only for hie up installation times , but also to insure a quiet performance for on-line multiplayer .
Using the default router that your broadband supplier add you with is utterly fine for basic task online , but it probably wo n’t suffice for the in high spirits - speed essential of gaming . But buying the best gaming router is no well-to-do chore with so many options and so much tech argot .
That ’s where we come in . Our squad of expert try out and review the late gaming routers from all of the big manufacturers . During our examination summons we not not only pass judgment all of the usable features , but also measure the carrying out of each circle at varying distances . This gives us a great idea of how each router performs at both close range , and faraway .
Right now , Wi - Fi 7routers are start to arrive on the market , extend the downright speeds potential . But while most gaming ironware – including the PS5 and Xbox Series X – are yet to support the standard , it may be best to prefer for one of the older standards to get maximum note value for money . That ’s unless you require to future - proof your gaming frame-up for years to come , that is .
Whatever your druthers , we ’ve let in mellow - scoring gambling routers from all of the latest monetary standard , let in WI - Fi 7,Wi - Fi 6EandWi - Fi 6 . We ’ve also catered to a variety of budgets , so there should be a play router here for everyone .
If gaming is n’t your telephone number one precedency , then it ’s also worth go over out our more generic Best Router guide . Otherwise , have a expression at our Best Gaming Router picks below .
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Learn more about how we test routers
We examine every wireless router we go over thoroughly over an extended menses of fourth dimension .
We use consistent examination condition to determine the highest velocity for every available lot , while also note down the carrying into action at various ranges .
We also make certain to test all of the available features , including protection and parental control .
incur out more about how we examine in our value-system policy .
Netgear Nighthawk RS700
Pros
Cons
Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE1600
Netgear Nighthawk RAX200
Netgear Nighthawk RAXE300
Netgear Nighthawk AX8
Netgear Nighthawk XR1000
Amazon Eero Pro 6
Trusted Score
TheNetgear Nighthawk RS700isthefastest router we ’ve ever reviewed , annihilating the competition in our bench mark tests . This is thanks to the use of the new Wi - Fi 7 standard , being of the early adopters of the technology .
In our test . It recorded intermediate throughput of 2328.10Mbit / s at close reach . Our top urge Wi - Fi 6e router – the Asus ROG Rapture GT - AXE1600 – only managed speeds of 911.86 in the same test , exhibit that Wi - Fi 7 can duplicate the speeds of your WI - Fi connection .
We should really put a big ol’ star next to those performance figures though , as most devices presently do n’t put up Wi - Fi 7 . You ’ll need to buy one of the most recent desktop processor ( such as the Intel Core i9 - 14900 K ) for your microcomputer to benefit , while the current console such as the PS5 and Xbox Series X are still limited to the Wi - Fi 6 measure .
This should change for the next wave of consoles , but for now , the Netgear Nighthawk RS700 is only really utile for future tense - proofing your setup rather than render an immediate performance cost increase .
If you ’re quick to make the move to Wi - Fi 7 , but ca n’t quite yield this excessive price , then it ’s deserving considering the Eero Max 7 is somewhat more low-priced albeit not quite as fast . It can also be pair off with extra satellites as a mesh organisation if you want to spread these unbelievable speeds throughout your large home plate .
TheWi - Fi 6Ewireless standard may not be the quickest available now that Wi - Fi 7 has arrived , but it arguably offers the better note value and bang-up sustenance of machine in 2024 . TheAsus ROG Rapture GT - AXE1600is the good Wi - Fi 6E gaming router we ’ve test so far , being capable of utilising the 6GHz band .
It ’s important to note that Wi - Fi 6E still is n’t supported by modern consoles such as thePS5,Xbox Series X , Nintendo Switch , or even most personal computer lacking cutting - edge spectacles . But if you ’ve sustain a modern gaming PC , or want to ensure your router is future - proofread for class to hail , then the ROG Rapture GT - AXE1600 is a superb option .
Our test showed the ROG router to extend a remarkable 911.86Mbit / s throughput via the 6Ghz isthmus . It ’s also very tight on the 5Ghz circle with a 652.74Mbit / entropy throughput within five metres , although theNighthawk RAX200did surpass those speeds .
We were also impressed with the gaming feature of speech on the ROG Rapture GT - AXE1600 . It displays the ping times for popular multiplayer games , while the paternal command allow you to set boundary on your child ’s game sentence .
So if you ca n’t justify the toll of a Wi - Fi 7 router , but still want to future substantiation your home connection for a reduce - edge play PC , then the Asus ROG Rapture GT - AXE1600 is our favourite option .
For the absolute fastest speeds we ’ve tested from a gamingWi - Fi 6router , see no further than theNetgear Nighthawk RAX200 .
During examination , we superintend to get average speeds of 742.14Mbps at close reach , which is the fastest score we ’ve fancy yet from a Wi - Fi 6 router . And while you could get even faster fastness by kick upstairs to Wi - Fi 6E or Wi - Fi 7 routers , there are presently no consoles that support the standard and so is only really worthwhile for PC gamers with swerve - sharpness hardware .
The Netgear Nighthawk RAX200 did admittedly fall forth for our long space tests , but at least remained above 350Mbps on the 2d trading floor that sit at 10 metre away from the router . If you need swell range , you ’ll need to purchase a mesh organisation instead , such as theAmazon Eero Pro 6 .
One of the advantages of this router is that it ’s a tri - banding , giving you three networks : one 2.4GHz , and two 5GHz . By feature multiple band , the router is best outfit to provide internet access for multiple devices without causing major hindrance for your primary gaming twist .
On the front of features , a mountain of the RAX200 ’s main offering are controlled with the Nighthawk wandering app that gives access to fructify up and conformation , as well as the power to control it via both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant accomplishment for hands - free surgical operation . The web interface also provides living for port - send on , VPN usage , and support for BT IGMP proxying , if they ’re your serving supplier .
The monetary value of Wi - Fi 6E routers are embark on to dismiss to a more affordable price , and that ’s best establish by theNetgear Nighthawk RAXE300 .
This is a tri - band Wi - Fi 6E router that , accord to our own benchmark tests , is capable of an average throughput of 831.63Mbit / s close - up . That ’s not quite as fast as the Asus ROG Rapture GT - AXE1600 , but you ’ll be redeem a few hundred pounds / dollars by opting for this Nighthawk .
The with child sticking point here is that Wi - Fi 6E is not yet supported by every gaming gimmick , most notably the latest consoles . Backwards compatibility ensures the router will still do work with such devices , but you just wo n’t be able-bodied to benefit from the absolute speeds the router has to offer . But if you ’re purchase a advanced gaming laptop computer , or building a personal computer with cutting - edge processor , then you should be able to ensure support for Wi - Fi 6E.
But while the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE300 has a great time value upfront cost , you do unluckily have to pay a monthly subscription fee if you need to unlock every individual available feature film , admit set time limits and web filtering for your children . Fortunately , this is optional , so the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE300 still stand for tremendous value for a eminent - fastness gambling experience .
TheNetgear Nighthawk AX8is a fantastical choice if you ’re after a router with lightning upper , but is also more low-cost than a sight of the other selection on this list .
The AX8 pretend usance of Wi - Fi 6 , with compatibility for both thePS5andXbox Series X. During testing , the AX8 proved to be exceptionally fast with ordinary f number come near 730Mbps in close range , alongside figures of 350.59Mbps a storey up , 5 metres up , and 389.93Mbps at 10 m on the 2d level . TheNetgear Nighthawk RAX200proved faster in our test , but is also noticeably more expensive .
The AX8 is an 8×8 router , give you eight unlike streams to choose from – half are reserved for the quicker 5GHz band , while the other four work via 2.4GHz , which provide lode of bandwidth to play with . Like other Netgear routers , config is taken care of via the Nighthawk app that proffer a convenient agency of changing setting alongside the more versatile World Wide Web port .
Its looks are similar to other routers we ’ve tested in Netgear ’s Nighthawk range with a minimalistic excogitation that offers two ‘ wings ’ that houses all the antennas – it stimulate the AX8 facial expression like an Imperial Shuttle from Star Wars . In terms of ports round the back , it ’s a standard fare for a router with five Gbit Ethernet ports . If you ’re after fast fastness , but do n’t need to drop over the betting odds , this is our top good word for play .
If it ’s oodles of feature you ’re after from a router for gaming , then theNetgear Nighthawk XR1000comes crush - packed .
As with other Netgear routers , setup here is occupy care of by the Nighthawk app , which offer introductory functionality to change the name of the web and wrick on the guest selection .
It ’s with the web port , DumaOS 3.0 , where the XR1000 really comes into its own . With it , you’re able to configure performance groups within the QoS circumstance so you’re able to apportion more or less bandwidth to a task . This allotment system also works for specific apps , too . But the most powerful feature article here is arguably the Geo - Filter , which helps you find game servers with the broken ping to give you the best experience potential .
In terms of velocity and connectivity , the XR1000 is a Wi - Fi 6 open router . In examination , we found the speeds here to be especially quick and plenty for gaming , with a close range focal ratio of 715.57Mbps , while at five metres on the first level it was 318.59Mbps . speed are slightly behind the other two Netgear routers on this list , but the play features arguably make up for that .
For the design , the XR1000 is simply a rebadged version of the RAX50 with the same shape and size of it , but adds crimson accents to show the fact it ’s a gaming router , which we ’d argue defecate it bet even good . The interface selection snipe the back propose four Gbit Ethernet ports for wired devices , plus a Gigabit Ethernet port for the WAN connection , as well as a USB 3.0 port for local file communion .
As counterbalance to a standard router , you could get a mesh Wi - Fi system for gaming instead , and theAmazon Eero Pro 6is a superb option .
Having a mesh system means you get a router , as well as additional satellite machine that help to spread internet coverage throughout your home . Amazon rates each planet as function well over 140 square metres each . These are a tidy sum more thick than the rivalry , which mean you should have no problem send them wherever you wish , but do take down , there is quite a short power cable .
The fastness out of the Eero Pro 6 prove it ’s capable , with our tryout results show close kitchen stove Wi - Fi connections to be faster ( 707.64Mbps ) than other web system we ’ve reviewed such as the standardEero 6and theNetgear Orbi RBK852 . We have since reexamine even faster mesh systems , such as the Wi - Fi 7 - supportingEero Max 7(1895.4Mbps ) , but it ’s also significantly more expensive if you want multiple satellites for as much coverage as possible .
When it comes to features on the Amazon Eero Pro 6 , setup is nice and easy with the concomitant Eero app , and we also constitute its homescreen to be one of the simplest out there with an especially intuitive layout . As this is an Amazon intersection , there ’s also integration with Alexa , which can be used to pause the Wi - Fi , turn the guest meshwork on and off , and specialise down a lose gimmick to a specific base station . There ’s also a Zigbee hub built into each satellite , which earmark lineal control for devices such as impudent bulbs , fireplug and gesture detectors .
We did n’t come up any in advance control such as connection splitting here though , which competition routers extend , while feature such as content filtering and advertising blocking behind a paywall are locked behind a subscription paywall .
Test Data
Full Specs
