What internet speed do I need for gaming?

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 08 June 2022

Downloading new video games can be one of the most demanding things you can do with your internet connection, but what about online gaming? In this guide, we'll take a look at just how fast your connection needs to be for a great gaming experience.

What internet speed do I need for online gaming?

Online gaming requires less internet speed than you think. While different games have different speed requirements, most games can be played with 3Mbps of download and 3Mbps of upload.

For a reliable online gaming experience, NBN 12 plans could definitely be too slow for some games as they only have 1Mbps of upload. It’s worth remembering that NBN is a shared resource - every device in your home uses the same internet connection. If someone is uploading a file to Google Drive at the same time you're playing an online game, it could impact your performance. As such, we'd typically recommend an NBN 50 plan for gaming, at a minimum. These plans have 50Mbps of download and, more importantly, 20Mbps of upload, giving you a solid buffer.

Here's a selection of popular NBN 50 plans:

#1	Dodo Editor's Pick	Dodo All Fixed Line nbn® Editor's Pick nbn50 Unlimited Plan All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $30/mth discount for 6 months based on the standard price $87.99/mth. Ends 08.12.26. T&Cs apply. $57.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $87.99/mth Min. cost $57.99 Go to Site*	$57.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $87.99/mth Min. cost $57.99	Go to Site
#2	amaysim	amaysim All Fixed Line nbn® NBN50 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $40/mth off for the first 6 months ($30 NBN Sale + $10 Standard Intro offer), then $85/mth. Ends 04.10.26 $45/mth for first 6 months, then $85/mth Min. cost $45 Go to Site	$45/mth for first 6 months, then $85/mth Min. cost $45	Go to Site
#3	Tangerine Telecom	Tangerine Telecom All Fixed Line nbn® Value Plus NBN 50/20 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $25/mth off for the first 6 mths, $64.90/month for first 6 months, then $89.90/month. $64.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.90/mth Min. cost $64.90 Go to Site	$64.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.90/mth Min. cost $64.90	Go to Site
#4	TPG	TPG All Fixed Line nbn® nbn50 Unlimited Plan All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: $69.99/mth for first 6 months, then $89.99/mth. T&Cs apply. $69.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth Min. cost $69.99 Link not supplied	$69.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth Min. cost $69.99	Link not supplied
#5	Belong	Belong All Fixed Line nbn® NBN Standard Plus – Unlimited All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $36 off for 6 months - $55/mth for first 6 mths, then $91/mth (Offer ends 04.11.26) + Free $80 Mobile SIM $55/mth for first 6 mths, then $91/mth Min. cost $55 Go to Site	$55/mth for first 6 mths, then $91/mth Min. cost $55	Go to Site
#6	Superloop	Superloop All Fixed Line nbn® Extra-value nbn50/20 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $20/mth off for 6 months! $69/mth for 6 mths, then $89/mth + Bundle & Save $69/mth for first 6 mths, then $89/mth Min. cost $69 Go to Site	$69/mth for first 6 mths, then $89/mth Min. cost $69	Go to Site
#7	Aussie Broadband	Aussie Broadband All Fixed Line nbn® Value nbn - Unlimited All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 47/18 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $25 off for the first 6 months. Promo code SPRING25. $95/mth after promo ends 15.11.26 $70/mth for first 6 months, then $95/mth Min. cost $70 Link not supplied	$70/mth for first 6 months, then $95/mth Min. cost $70	Link not supplied
#8	iiNet	iiNet All Fixed Line nbn® nbn50 Liimitless All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $20/mth off for 6 mths – $69.99/mth for first 6 months, then $89.99/mth. Use code SAVE20FOR6 $69.99/mth + $10 Upfront for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth Min. cost $79.99 Link not supplied	$69.99/mth + $10 Upfront for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth Min. cost $79.99	Link not supplied
#9	Kogan Internet	Kogan Internet All Fixed Line nbn® Silver Unlimited All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $11/mth off for 12mths. $69.90/mth for first 12 months then revert back to $80.90/mth. Offer available until withdrawn. $69.90/mth for first 12 mths, then $80.90/mth Min. cost $69.90 Go to Site	$69.90/mth for first 12 mths, then $80.90/mth Min. cost $69.90	Go to Site
#10	Flip	Flip All Fixed Line nbn® Unlimited Family nbn50 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $16.90/mth off for 6 months - $68/mth for first 6mths then $84.90/mth. New customers only. Ends 31.10.26. T&Cs apply. $68/mth for first 6 mths then $84.90/mth Min. cost $68 Go to Site	$68/mth for first 6 mths then $84.90/mth Min. cost $68	Go to Site

What internet speed do I need for downloading games?

While games don't necessarily require a high speed connection to play online, a faster plan can really help if you're downloading new games regularly. Many "blockbuster" titles regularly exceed 50GB, and there's a big difference between downloading 50GB on an NBN 50 plan and an NBN 1000 plan (if you're lucky enough to be able to get one).

Here's how long it would take to download a couple of popular games on NBN 50, NBN 100, NBN 250, and NBN 1000 plans, assuming you're getting your plan's maximum speeds.

What's the difference in download times?

How much of a difference does a faster NBN connection make to your download times? Below we've got a list of popular games you might download paired with how long it would take to download them on the fastest NBN speed tiers.

Game	NBN 50	NBN 100	NBN 250	NBN 1000
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (approx. 6.7GB)	19 min	9.5 min	4 min	57 sec
Fortnite (approx. 25GB)	1 hour, 14 min	37 min	15 min	3.5 min
Elden Ring (approx. 49GB)	2 hours, 20 min	1 hour, 10 min	28 min	7 min
Forza Horizon 5 (approx. 103GB)	4 hours, 55 min	2 hour, 27 min	59 min	15 min

And here's a selection of the fastest NBN 100 plans. Tap the dropdown menu to change speed tiers.

#1	amaysim	amaysim FTTN, FTTB, FTTC NBN100 FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 100/18 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $40/mth off for the first 6 months ($30 NBN Sale + $10 Standard Intro Offer), then $90/mth. Ends 20.10.26 $50/mth for first 6 months, then $90/mth Min. cost $50 Go to Site	$50/mth for first 6 months, then $90/mth Min. cost $50	Go to Site
#2	Belong	Belong FTTN, FTTB, FTTC NBN Premium – Unlimited FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 100/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $36 off for 6 months - $59/mth for first 6 mths, then $95/mth (Offer ends 04.11.26) + Free $80 Mobile SIM $59/mth for first 6 mths, then $95/mth Min. cost $59 Go to Site	$59/mth for first 6 mths, then $95/mth Min. cost $59	Go to Site
#3	Dodo Editor's Pick	Dodo FTTN, FTTB, FTTC Editor's Pick nbn100 Unlimited Plan FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 100/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $30/mth discount for 6 months based on the standard price $92.99/mth. Ends 08.12.26. T&Cs apply. $62.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $92.99/mth Min. cost $62.99 Go to Site*	$62.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $92.99/mth Min. cost $62.99	Go to Site
#4	Moose NBN	Moose NBN FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn 100/20 Elite FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 100/18 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $23/mth off for first 6 months - $63.80/mth for 6mths, then $86.80/mth + Get eero 7 modem for only $175 (RRP $249). $63.80/mth for first 6 mths, then $86.80/mth Min. cost $63.80 Link not supplied	$63.80/mth for first 6 mths, then $86.80/mth Min. cost $63.80	Link not supplied
#5	Tangerine Telecom	Tangerine Telecom Fixed Wireless Value Plus nbn® Wireless Speed Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $25/mth off for the first 6 mths, $63.90/month for first 6 months, then $88.90/month. $63.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $88.90/mth Min. cost $63.90 Go to Site	$63.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $88.90/mth Min. cost $63.90	Go to Site
#6	Flip	Flip FTTN, FTTB, FTTC Unlimited Turbo Boost nbn100 FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 100/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $19.90/mth off for 6 months - $69/mth for first 6mths then $88.90/mth. New customers only. Ends 31.10.26. T&Cs apply. $69/mth for first 6 mths then $88.90/mth Min. cost $69 Go to Site	$69/mth for first 6 mths then $88.90/mth Min. cost $69	Go to Site
#7	Swoop	Swoop FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® Home Fast FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 100/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $22/mth off for 6 months, $72/mth for first 6 mths then $94/mth + Get the eero 7 for only $175 (normally $249) $72/mth for first 6 mths, then $94/mth Min. cost $72 Link not supplied	$72/mth for first 6 mths, then $94/mth Min. cost $72	Link not supplied
#8	Skymesh	Skymesh NBN Wireless Plus nbn® Wireless Speed Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $20/mth off for first 6 months, then $94.95/mth. T&Cs apply. $74.95/mth for first 6 months, then $94.95/mth Min. cost $74.95 Link not supplied	$74.95/mth for first 6 months, then $94.95/mth Min. cost $74.95	Link not supplied
#9	Optus	Optus FTTN, FTTB, FTTC Optus Fast nbn® FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 100/18 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: $84/mth for a year, then $99/mth or as notified. New services. Incl intro offer + extra $5/mth off. Min cost $390. Ends 6/10. $84/mth for first 12 months, then $99/mth or as notified Min. cost $84 Link not supplied	$84/mth for first 12 months, then $99/mth or as notified Min. cost $84	Link not supplied
#10	Telstra	Telstra FTTN, FTTB, FTTC Premium Internet Only Plan FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 100/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Get 50% off any home nbn plan for 2 months. Add code PROMO at checkout. Ends 05.10.26. T&Cs apply. $99/mth Min. cost $49.50 Link not supplied	$99/mth Min. cost $49.50	Link not supplied

Why do I get lag in my games?

Lag in online games is the more common term for a ping spike. Ping refers to the time it takes data to get from your computer and the game server. This is also referred to as latency, and is measured in milliseconds.

Broadly speaking, the speed of your internet connection doesn't impact your ping or cause lag spikes. The main exception to this is if your internet connection is slower than it needs to be for the game you're trying to play.

Connection type can also make a difference. As a rule of thumb, NBN plans will have a faster ping / lower latency than mobile broadband, 4G home internet, or 5G home internet plans. This shouldn't matter too much for casual gaming, however. Satellite internet has the highest latency of any connection type, and in some cases, might be too high for online gaming.

Otherwise, ping is often out of your control. It will depend on your distance to your local exchange or node, where the server you're connecting to is based, how your ISP routes traffic around the world, and your ISP's international capacity.

However, many games do feature lag compensation to provide a more cohesive experience. Popular games often also have Australian servers, which results in a lower latency experience. Since you're connecting to another computer in Australia, you're able to do so faster than if you were trying to connect to a computer in the United States.

Your home network can also affect your gaming performance, but these problems tend to manifest as stability issues or drop-outs. If you've got an unstable internet connection, the problem can often be boiled down to one of three factors: a poor quality line connecting you to the exchange or node, a dodgy modem, or poor WiFi.

Optus and Telstra have NBN add-ons designed for gamers. Game Path by Optus and Game Optimiser by Telstra aim to reduce latency in much the same way, by identifying and using the fastest route between your connection and the server for online gaming.

Telstra Game Optimiser runs on its Smart Modem and therefore the benefits can suit any device you may be playing on. This does however mean you're stuck using Telstra's default modem.

On the other hand, Optus Game Path is a Windows 10 application so it will only benefit you if you're using a Windows 10 machine.

Both products are available for an additional $10 per month on top of your NBN plan with the respective providers.

MyRepublic also has gamer-focused plans that will cost you an extra $10 per month when compared to its standard options. The telco says these plans are optimised for gaming, and as such, will prioritise gaming traffic.

FAQ

Is NBN 50 good for gaming?

An NBN 50 plan is a reliable choice for online gaming - it's more than fast to play games online, and you'll still be able to download updates and patches at a reasonably fast speed.

Do I need an unlimited data internet plan for gaming?

Online gaming isn't very data demanding, but an unlimited plan can help if you're regularly downloading large new release titles. The vast majority of NBN plans are unlimited now, anyway.

Can I blame my internet connection for being bad at online gaming?

It's probably not the problem, but sure, you do you.

But really, can I blame the lag?

You do you.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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