If you want to game with minimal latency via Wi-Fi, the best gaming routers are important. Instead of paying more for fast internet, Wi-Fi gaming should be a good option with Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E providing enough bandwidth. If network slowness is interfering with your gaming experience, keep reading our guide to find out the best gaming routers.
What characteristics distinguish a gaming router? There is no precise definition, but you’ll recognize one if you see one. Gaming routers are typically designed with aggressive angles and an abundance of antennae. RGB lights are frequently included in the mix. There are a lot of options available for a gaming router in the market. Check out the best options.
What makes a Difference between Normal Routers and Gaming Routers?
What distinguishes a gaming router from a conventional Wi-Fi router? They both provide wireless internet access for your computers, phones, and other devices, and they use the same wireless protocols. So, what more do gaming routers have to offer?
Throughput and Lag
Gaming routers are designed for both increased bandwidth and low latency, which is the main difference. Gaming routers provide quicker internet transfer in both ways while also allowing more data to enter and leave your house. As a result, ping times are reduced, making online gaming more responsive.
Hardware
This improved performance is directly related to better hardware. A router is essentially a specialised computer that controls all of your home network’s connections and data packets, sorting and rearranging them as needed to link your various devices.
With greater components, you’ll get speedier performance, just as with any computer. Gaming routers include higher-than-average processing power and more built-in memory, allowing for quicker performance and allowing a router to manage more connections while minimising latency.
Bandwidth Management
All current routers offer some sort of automated bandwidth prioritising, which ensures that your Netflix viewing isn’t hindered when another device has to download an update. Gaming routers, on the other hand, go a step further by including Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities.
QoS capabilities include more direct bandwidth management control and the ability to prioritise individual devices (such as your gaming PC) based on the activity or service being used. They can also automatically adapt to the time of day, device count, and other factors.
Connectivity
A gaming router is designed to handle more and quicker connections. This simply means more cable LAN connections for faster speeds than Wi-Fi, greater support for Gigabit speeds and higher, and additional antennae to extend Wi-Fi farther to handle more devices.
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List of the Best Gaming Routers in the Market
Let’s take a quick look at the best gaming routers in our opinion. Try out anyone, and share your user experience in the comments.
| Name of the Gaming Router | Price (subject to change) | Check the Price |
|---|---|---|
| Asus RT-AX82U | Rs 16,999/- | CLICK HERE |
| Asus RT-AX88U | Rs 49,999/- | CLICK HERE |
| Asus ROG Strix GS-AX5400 | $ 193 | CLICK HERE |
| ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 | Rs 36,999/- | CLICK HERE |
| Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 | $ 499 | CLICK HERE |
| Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 | $ 783 | CLICK HERE |
| Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 | Rs 62,999/- | CLICK HERE |
| Netgear Nighthawk AX4 | Rs 14,199/- | CLICK HERE |
| Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 | Rs 27,499/- | CLICK HERE |
| Netgear Nighthawk Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router | $ 495 | CLICK HERE |
| TP-Link Archer AX50 (AX3000) | Rs 7,999/- | CLICK HERE |
| TP-Link Archer C5400X (AC5400) | Rs 24,999/- | CLICK HERE |
| TP-Link Archer AX6000 | Rs 18,999/- | CLICK HERE |
| TP-Link Archer AX11000 | Rs 29,999/- | CLICK HERE |
| TP-Link Archer GX-90 AX6600 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router | $ 249 | CLICK HERE |
Detailed Guide of Gaming Routers
Among so many gaming routers, we are discussing the best ones. Thus, read the complete list of the 15 best gaming routers described below.
Asus RT-AX82U Gaming Router
The Asus RT-AX82U provides a nice combination of Wi-Fi 6 throughput and gaming performance at $230, in an appealing, reasonably compact chassis. You also receive Aura-compatible RGB lighting, which some people would love but which you can also disable.
Pros
- Supports Wi-Fi 6
- Excellent range and throughput
- Integrated security
- Ease of setup and granular
- QoS control
Cons
- Only four Ethernet and one USB port
- Minimal effect with gaming port
Asus RT-AX88U Gaming Router
The RT-AX88U is a vertically configured router featuring high-end components such as a quad-core 1.8 GHz CPU, 1 GB of RAM, and 256 MB of flash storage. The latest version of Wi-Fi, 80211ax (Wi-Fi 6), offers substantial advantages for 5 GHz throughput and gaming in a crowded network environment.
Pros
- Wi-Fi 6 tech feels next-gen
- Fantastic Adaptive QoS
- Great 5GHz speeds
Cons
- Wi-Fi 6 tech feels next-gen
- Fantastic Adaptive QoS
- Great 5GHz speeds
Asus ROG Strix GS-AX5400 Gaming Router
The Asus ROG Strix GS-AX5400 is a well-equipped gaming router with high throughput and a slew of features to improve your online gaming experience.
Pros
- Easy to install
- Fast throughput performance
- Strong anti-malware and parental control software
- Gamer-friendly optimization tools
- Dedicated gaming port
Cons
- Lacks multi-gig ports
- Only one USB port
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ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Gaming Router
The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 is intended to be the best of the best gaming router in its class. It has a dedicated 2.5G Base-T connector and four Gigabit LAN ports for increased wired bandwidth. This is a Wi-Fi 6 tri-band system with over 10 Gigabits of wireless bandwidth.
Pros
- Uber fast throughput
- Integrates WTFast
- AiMesh
- Class-leading QoS
Cons
- Looks like the crown of Sauron
Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 Gaming Router
The first Wi-Fi 6E router was Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000. It has incredibly fast Wi-Fi throughput, which delivers minimal gaming latency, as well as flexibility in the wired ports, which support link aggregation.
Pros
- Easy to Setup
- Latest Wi-Fi 6E wireless standard
- Included security subscription
- Very fast, with flexible Ethernet ports
- Support for OutFox
Cons
- Big and expensive
- The latest firmware has QoS issues
- Wi-Fi 6E devices are still nascent
Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 Gaming Router
The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 costs a hefty $700, but this Wi-Fi gaming router delivers on all fronts such as great throughput performance, 10Gbps wired Ethernet connectivity, and Wi-Fi 6E capability.
Pros
- Fast throughput speeds in our tests
- Support for Wi-Fi 6E
- Three multi-gigabit ports
- Comes with network security and parental-control software
- Can be expanded into a mesh system with additional units
- Gamer-friendly settings
Cons
- Very expensive
- Huge footprint
- Middling file transfer and 5GHz signal range performance
Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6 (RBK852) Gaming Router
The Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852) is an excellent mesh router with the highest throughput in the mesh category. The Orbi is the mesh router we suggest for gaming, thanks to its simple setup and Wi-Fi 6 speeds.
The Orbi integrates with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for seamless voice control across the house, in addition to many increased speeds and device management.
Pros
- Top Wi-Fi 6 mesh performance
- Malware protection
- Tri-band operation
- Excellent wall and ceiling penetration
Cons
- Large, bulky design
- 90-day support policy
Netgear Nighthawk AX4 Gaming Router
With two external antennas, four Gigabit LAN connections, a single USB connector, and a row of green indication LEDs, the Nighthawk AX4 is an outstanding choice. It offers Wi-Fi 6 at a low price, as well as QoS (a simple on/off switch) for gaming.
Pros
- Automatic firmware update
- Beamforming
- Fast throughput
Cons
- Generic software
- Lacks granular control
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Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 Gaming Router
Netgear’s Nighthawk XR1000 has sophisticated DumaOS 3.0 for network fine-tuning and traffic prioritisation, as well as Wi-Fi 6 with beamforming. Those looking for a genuine gaming router with granular options rather than flashing lights should consider this the finest gaming router.
Pros
- DumaOS 3.0
- Network congestion control
- Supports Wi-Fi 6
Cons
- Setup drudgery
- Only four gigabit Ethernet ports
Netgear Nighthawk Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router (RAXE500)
The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 router has cutting-edge Wi-Fi 6E technology, allowing it to broadcast on the 6GHz radio band, but it comes with a steep early adoption cost.
Pros
- Speedy throughput and file transfer performance
- Utilizes 6GHz radio band
- Multi-gig LAN/WAN
- Link aggregation
- Supports 160MHz channel bandwidth
Cons
- Expensive
- Netgear Armor protection requires a subscription
- Limited parental controls
- No QoS settings
TP-Link Archer AX50 (AX3000) Gaming Router
The TP-Link Archer AX50 is a low-cost Wi-Fi 6 router that provides fast throughput and includes lifetime malware protection and parental controls.
Pros
- Easy to install
- Solid throughput and signal strength performance
- Strong parental controls
- Anti-malware protection
- Link aggregation
Cons
- Doesn’t support WPA3
- Middling file-transfer performance
TP-Link Archer C5400X (AC5400) Gaming Router
The TP-Link Archer C5400X router is geared toward gamers, with good throughput rates, built-in malware protection, and compatibility with Alexa voice commands and IFTTT applets.
Pros
- Fast throughput performance.
- Lots of LAN ports.
- Works with Alexa and IFTTT.
- Built-in malware and anti-virus tools.
Cons
- Expensive.
- Large footprint.
- Short on game-centric features.
- So-so file transfer speeds.
TP-Link Archer AX6000 Gaming Router
The Archer AX6000 Next-Gen Wi-Fi Router from TP-Link falls halfway between a full-fledged gaming router like the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000. The Archer AX6000 is pleased with its outstanding 5 GHz throughput speeds, high fps gaming scores when connected via Ethernet or 5 GHz, integrated 8 port switch, and bundled security subscription for around $250.
Pros
- Affordable Wi-Fi 6 option
- Abundant Ethernet, supporting link aggregation
- Easy to setup and use
- Excellent compatibility across all clients tested
Cons
- Simplistic software
- Dual-band and no 6E
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TP-Link Archer AX11000 Gaming Router
The TP-Link AX11000 is one of the fastest gaming routers that is packed with features like a gamer-centric user interface, multiple ports, multi-gig WAN compatibility, and anti-malware capabilities.
Pros
- Easy to install
- Lots of gamer-friendly settings
- Numerous ports
- Multi-gig WAN. Link aggregation
- Lifetime malware protection
- Solid parental controls
Cons
- Expensive
- Bulky
TP-Link Archer GX-90 AX6600 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router
The TP-Link Archer GX-90 is a powerful tri-band Wi-Fi 6 gaming router with remarkable performance and features including multi-gig connectivity, strong parental controls, network security software, and game optimization tools.
Pros
- Easy to install
- Strong throughput and signal performance
- Lifetime network security and parental control software
- Multi-gig connectivity
- Gamer-friendly settings
Cons
- Pricey
- Non-adjustable antennas
Wrapping Up
According to us, these are the best gaming routers available in the market. We hope you will be helpful with this article. Please share it with your gaming-lover friends and let us know your thoughts in the comments below. If you are using some other router that’s equally good for gaming, let us know. Also, you can freely ask your questions in the comment section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gaming routers are designed to prioritise traffic to your gaming PC and consoles. Even if other devices in your home are streaming or downloading, the best gaming router eliminates latency during online gaming sessions.
802.11ax is also known as Wi-Fi 6 or High Efficiency (HE) Wireless. There are plenty of Wi-Fi 6 routers on the market. This standard is a development of 802.11ac technology. It offers faster throughput (up to 4.8Gbps), reduced network congestion, more client capacity, and better range performance thanks to various new and upgraded wireless technologies like as Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and Target Wake Time (TWT).
Wireless connections are becoming more efficient, and Wi-Fi 6 is now capable of wireless VR streaming. However, if latency creeps in, we suggest having your PC wired into your gaming router directly.
Wi-Fi 6E combines the features of Wi-Fi 6 with the 6GHz frequency to provide additional congestion-free networking to your compatible devices. With compatible devices, it may provide an improvement.
Before you spend money on a gaming router, ensure sure it is compatible with your present ISP. Some ISP-provided cable modems, for example, do not support pass-through connectivity, preventing them from being linked with a high-performance router.