How much bandwidth are you allocated by your local ISP? Is 200 Mbps download speed sufficient for gaming and streaming? Let’s find out
Is 200 Mbps download speed good for gaming?
For a single-player, most online games require a minimum download speed of 3 Mbps. Bandwidths in the 20 - 30Mbps range are preferable for competitive gaming.
So, 200Mbps to 250 Mbps download speed is more than enough for gaming, especially if there are only a few users on the same network.
On the other hand, some multiple-player online games, such as League of Legends, have been recorded to generate only 40-60MBs of traffic every round. Moreover, web page-based games necessitate the loading of a much higher number of Mbps in advance.
To operate video games of this genre, it’s suggested a 200Mbps or 300 Mbps download speed broadband network for stable connectivity. That may be all that's required to get them up and running. Of course, 500 Mbps download speed or even 1000 Mbps download speed is the best if you play the game with many friends.
Is 200Mbps download speed good for streaming?
Your internet connection speed is a key factor affecting how well you can stream. So, what is considered fast download speed for streaming? It is feasible to stream at 200Mbps; still, there might be lags and buffering if there are multiple devices streaming through WiFi simultaneously. And it's worth noting that streaming HD and 4K content requires a faster download speed than streaming standard videos.
For HD videos
Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have been increasingly popular worldwide. More and more people are seeing Netflix videos as a good way to relax after a long day at work. As a result, one important question to answer here is that “What is a good download speed for streaming video?”.
The minimum internet speed requirements for every streaming platform are not high. However, again, with multiple devices streaming at the same time, you will need much more than that. With a download speed of 200Mbps, you can stream Netflix and Hulu at HD resolution from 2 to 4 users without buffering or lagging.
For 4K videos
4K resolution is the highest quality available for streaming on most services. With 4K, we can enjoy clear and realistic, not pixelated images, and it’s no surprise that more and more people prefer this resolution. Of course, the higher resolution requires higher bandwidth and storage requirements.
Netflix recommends a download speed of 25 Mbps to watch 4K/Ultra HD (UHD) videos. Similarly, 16.0 Mbps for 4K content seems fast enough to stream it on Hulu. These speeds are just minimum rates recommended for only one user.
Thus, keep in mind that streaming on multiple devices or utilizing the internet for other activities while streaming does necessitate more bandwidth. If that’s the case, you should consider getting a high internet plan with a 150 Mbps download speed, for example.
Wrapping up
For most average-sized houses and couples with high connection demands, a 200 Mbps internet connection is the sweet spot. You can even stream HD/ 4K movies without any problems unless multiple people are simultaneously accessing HD media on more than four devices. Visit MySpeed to get more interesting posts.
