Is Cable Internet Good for Gaming?

Your internet speed matters a lot when gaming; however, the connection type is just as important. The quality of the connection type determines the speed and seamlessness in connectivity you’ll get.

The best one in the market is fiber optics; however, cable internet is not far behind. But is cable internet good for gaming? That’s what we’re here to find out. So, let’s dive in:

Cable Internet Speeds

The first thing that we need to find out is how good cable internet is. For that, we need to check how much speed you can get with a cable internet connection. If we consider cable internet providers, such as Spectrum, we can see that cable internet can bring speeds as high as 1000 Mbps.

Cox, on the other hand, offers speeds up to 2000 Mbps. Hence, it’s fair to say that, based on the provider, you can get a high internet speed, even with a cable connection type.

Internet Speeds for Gaming

Now that we know the speed you can get with cable internet, let’s find out how much speed is good enough for gaming:

Moderate Gaming

If you’re someone who spends time playing games on your mobile (not professionally) or PC, casually, then you won’t need an internet with a very high speed. A plan with above 25 Mbps would suit your needs.

However, ensure that no other devices on the network are using the internet extensively, i.e., streaming or downloading. Also, there shouldn’t be too many devices on your network. Otherwise, the network speed will choke.

Professional Gaming

Professional online gaming includes playing tournaments and esports leagues, such as Fortnite, League of Legends, Hearthstone, etc. It also includes joining Local Area Network(LAN) parties.

While playing the multi-player games, there’s little to no margin of error. Therefore, it’s evident that an internet connection with a high speed is important. When it comes to gaming tournaments, the hosts need to ensure that players don’t face lags and pings. For multi-player games, having fast internet with a latency of less than 5ms is recommended. Hence, a dedicated internet connection speed of at least 100 Mbps is recommended.

Gaming and Streaming (HD + 4K)

If you’re streaming alongside gaming, whether it’s HD or 4K, then you’ll need a good-speed internet connection with a greater bandwidth. Even though most platforms, such as Twitch, allow only HD streaming, you’d need at least 40 Mbps of dedicated speed.

But if you’re streaming in 4K, then a 100 Mbps dedicated connection would be recommended for running things smoothly. Your game won’t lag, and your stream will not bother your gaming experience.

In addition, if you need to use other online platforms, such as social media besides gaming and streaming, a 100 Mbps gaming internet speed will do you justice.

Is Cable Internet Better than Fiber?

To simply answer this question, no, cable internet is not better than fiber for several reasons.
First, fiber internet brings more speed compared to cable internet.

The connection is more consistent.

There’s minimal to no latency with fiber internet.

Data travels faster in a fiber connection.

Users can get more bandwidth with fiber internet.

Users can get dedicated connectivity and not a shared one.

Based on the above, having fiber internet is far more useful and convenient than cable internet.

Where Cable Stands Out?

Perhaps the only place cable internet stands out is its availability. Setting up fiber internet infrastructure takes time. But cable internet can be set up almost immediately. In case you’re not able to find fiber internet near you, you can opt for a cable internet provider, given the provider’s services are dependable.

Final Verdict – Is Cable Internet Good for Gaming?

It all comes down to how you’re using your internet connection. But high-speed cable internet is good enough for your gaming needs, given you opt for a plan that has high download as well as upload speeds.

Fiber internet is recommended because it has better bandwidth options, symmetrical speeds, and a faster transfer rate than a cable. So, if you have to choose between both, then opt for fiber. But if fiber isn’t available, then cable internet will cater to your needs.

FAQs

What internet type is good for gaming?

Fiber internet is the best connection type for gaming. Cable ranks second based on performance, including speeds, bandwidth, consistency, and latency.

Does cable slow internet speed?

Cable internet is fast; however, if you’re experiencing slow speeds, then it can be due to several reasons, such as:

Slow-speed internet plan

Too many users/ devices on the network

Pending router reboot/ updates

Unclear cache

Wi-Fi interference

Is cable better than DSL?

Yes, cable internet is better than DSL. It’s faster, has more data transfer rate, and has better consistency and bandwidth power.