Best Gaming Routers for 2025

There’s quite a lot of jargon to wade by once you’re evaluating gaming routers. Is it price splurging on one which helps the brand new Wi-Fi 7 customary? Does your property require a mesh system or will a single router do the job? What on this planet is 4K-QAM modulation? That is what I wished to know, so I dug into the small print on a private quest to seek out the very best router for gaming.Earlier than shopping for any gaming routers, I like to recommend CNET’s newbie’s information to gaming lag to see how one can cut back your latency. You might not want a brand new router in any respect, and in lots of circumstances, transferring your wi-fi router to a distinct spot or adjusting the antennas of your present router may enhance your community and your on-line gaming efficiency. Should you’ve tried all that and your gaming connection nonetheless wants an improve, listed here are some key issues to remember when searching for routers.Wi-Fi technologyThese days, you’ll largely see three Wi-Fi requirements when searching for a Wi-Fi router: Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7. (Some Wi-Fi 5 routers are nonetheless in the marketplace, however you may safely cross them by at this level.) These numbers discuss with the technology of requirements; Wi-Fi 7 is the seventh iteration of Wi-Fi requirements. All of those requirements have been developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a worldwide affiliation of technical professionals. When a tool makes use of the most recent customary, a corporation referred to as the Wi-Fi Alliance offers its stamp of approval to units that meet its {qualifications}.  Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) Frequency bands 5GHz2.4 and 5GHz2.4, 5 and 6GHz2.4, 5 and 6GHzMaximum bandwidth 80MHz160MHz160MHz320MHzMaximum pace 1.3Gbps9.6Gbps9.6Gbps46Gbps Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be): Makes use of 2.4, 5 and 6GHz bands and doubles the channel dimension of the 6GHz band from 160 to 320MHz. A typical Wi-Fi 7 laptop computer may attain “potential most” speeds of 5.8Gbps — 2.4 occasions quicker than the two.4Gbps potential with Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, in line with Intel. Multi-Hyperlink Operation (MLO) additionally permits Wi-Fi 7 units to concurrently join on two bands, offering improved reliability and ultra-low latency.Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax): The primary Wi-Fi customary so as to add within the 6GHz band together with 2.4 and 5GHz” goal=”_self. Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax): A large improve over Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6 was the primary customary to permit your router to divide the channel it is utilizing — 2.4 or 5GHz —  to ship its alerts by smaller frequency allocations. This allowed for a lot quicker speeds than the earlier gen.Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac): Wi-Fi 5 used the 5GHz band solely. It was the primary Wi-Fi customary to exceed 1Gbps most speeds, however its vary is considerably lower than Wi-Fi 6. If that sounds complicated, you’re not alone. The bounce from Wi-Fi 6E to Wi-Fi 7 has been significantly technical. Despite the fact that each use the newly opened 6GHz band, solely Wi-Fi 7 routers will get the MLO function. “At any time when I spoke with the Wi-Fi Alliance, they at all times tried to make individuals overlook that Wi-Fi 6E even existed,” mentioned Nicholas De Leon, a reporter protecting routers for Client Stories (no relation to CNET’s Samantha De Leon). “It was sort of a stopgap, band-aid resolution whereas on the street to Wi-Fi 7.”As if that wasn’t complicated sufficient, some Wi-Fi 7 routers don’t even use the 6GHz band. Our decide for the very best price range Wi-Fi 7 router, the Netgear NightHawk RS100, is one among them. It’s one of many rising wave of “dual-band” Wi-Fi 7 routers, which is a little bit of a stretch since they’re lacking crucial a part of the equation. However Wi-Fi 7 is about greater than the 6GHz band, mentioned David Coleman, director of wi-fi networking at Excessive Networks.“Wi-Fi 7 introduces a number of key upgrades that set it aside from tri-band Wi-Fi 6E routers,” Coleman mentioned in an e mail. “For instance, Wi-Fi 7 helps 320 MHz-wide channels  — double the scale of the widest channels in Wi-Fi 6E — that means it could actually ship a lot larger knowledge charges. It additionally brings 4K-QAM modulation, boosting transmission effectivity by as much as 20% in comparison with Wi-Fi 6E.”Needless to say you’ll want each a Wi-Fi 7 router and a Wi-Fi 7 gadget to benefit from the usual’s enhancements. When Wi-Fi 7 was formally launched in January 2024, only a few units may truly put it to use. Right now, that listing has expanded tremendously and contains the most recent iPhones, Microsoft Floor laptops and PS5 Professional. These Wi-Fi requirements are backward appropriate, so a Wi-Fi 7 router will nonetheless work with a tool that solely has Wi-Fi 6. Likewise, you should utilize a Wi-Fi 6 router to recreation on a PS5 Professional — you simply gained’t have the ability to totally benefit from its improved speeds.Ethernet portsEthernet ports let you plug in a tool on to your router. A wired connection is inherently a lot stronger than Wi-Fi; in a single check” goal=”_self, a CNET author obtained 395Mbps obtain speeds by Ethernet and 126Mbps by Wi-Fi. If there’s one gadget — like a gaming console or PC — that you simply completely need to get the very best connection to, an Ethernet cable is the best way to go. These are sometimes marketed as “gigabit Ethernet ports,” which suggests they’re able to delivering gigabit speeds” goal=”_self by a wired connection. The extra ports a router has, the extra units you may join this fashion. Band help You’ll primarily see two sorts of gaming routers: tri-band and dual-band. Tri-band routers function on the two.4, 5 and 6GHz channels, whereas dual-band routers solely use 2.4 and 5GHz. The 6GHz band is the important thing improve to Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 routers, however router firms are more and more promoting dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers. These don’t get you on 6GHz, however they do produce other Wi-Fi 7 options like MLO and 4K QAM. It’s a little bit of a stretch to name these dual-band routers Wi-Fi 7 once they’re lacking the 6GHz band, however they’re normally less expensive than true tri-band Wi-Fi 7 routers.Gaming-specific featuresThe foremost function that separates gaming routers from common outdated Wi-Fi routers is high quality of service (QoS) or bandwidth prioritization. This lets you prioritize visitors to a selected gadget like a gaming console or PC, guaranteeing that it’s going to at all times be first in line on your community’s quickest speeds. Some are extra superior than others. Our decide for the very best Wi-Fi 6 gaming router, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX6000, comes outfitted with Sport Enhance, an ASUS-specific QoS that prioritizes recreation knowledge. Basically, these options are greatest for the community nerds amongst us. Even if you happen to don’t mess with them, a high quality gaming router ought to nonetheless ship a quick, lag-free gaming expertise.Processor and RAMThe processor in a Wi-Fi router is like its mind. It determines how properly it could actually handle your community’s visitors and carry out a number of duties concurrently. All of our high picks use a quad-core processor (when publicly listed), which is the usual in 2025. Not all quad-core processors are created equal, although. The A73 processor utilized by the Eero Max 7, as an example, is taken into account considerably extra superior than the A53 processor used within the Eero Professional 6E. A router’s storage capability may influence how properly it performs. That is normally damaged up into RAM and flash. RAM, brief for random-access reminiscence, impacts the router’s means to course of knowledge, whereas flash storage usually homes the router’s settings. Vary and protection Will a single gaming router have the ability to broadcast a Wi-Fi sign all through your whole dwelling? Regardless of how good the router, you’ll at all times see a big pace dropoff in rooms distant from the router. Many Wi-Fi routers listing protection areas north of 5,000 sq. toes, however I like to recommend switching to a mesh system if your property is bigger than 2,500 sq. toes. That mentioned, it’s a matter of percentages. When you’ve got a multi-gig web plan, you’ll nonetheless get loads of pace for streaming TV or searching social media in a far nook of a 5,000 sq. foot dwelling. However you may in all probability have points if you happen to’re solely beginning with 100Mbps.Moreover, the kind of dwelling you reside in — not simply the scale — can influence your Wi-Fi sign.“Quite a lot of it relies upon upon housing development,” mentioned De Leon. “I’ve obtained household down in Puerto Rico and Florida the place quite a lot of the homes are concrete, and that clearly simply destroys Wi Fi alerts.”Community safety and protectionAny router you have a look at ought to have WPA3 certification at a minimal. That is the latest safety protocol issued by the Wi-Fi Alliance, and it ensures that the router follows greatest practices that make passwords more durable to crack and encrypt knowledge. “Actually, so long as it has WPA3, that is in all probability the massive safety factor to search for,” mentioned De Leon.He additionally advisable searching for routers that help computerized firmware updates. Not the entire routers CNET recommends routinely replace their firmware. One of many producers I spoke with mentioned they’ve obtained “fairly vocal suggestions from the group” in opposition to them, as they will have an effect on community efficiency. Whether or not it’s computerized or not, the principle factor to know is that the producer often points updates, and that they’re simple to put in. Cell apps and person interfaceAll of the gaming routers we advocate include a cell app that helps you management your property community. That is important for issues like organising your Wi-Fi community, updating your router’s firmware and using gaming options. I didn’t discover quite a lot of separation between the apps on the gaming routers we examined, however this might influence your expertise if you happen to plan on customizing your community to prioritize gaming units.Parental controlsParental controls are fairly customary on Wi-Fi routers lately, and that features the gaming routers I like to recommend above. These may be accessed by the router’s app and let you routinely prohibit entry to particular web sites or any grownup content material. You may usually arrange a schedule the place a tool can entry Wi-Fi as properly, and even set each day limits. Variety of antennas and placement optionsYou’d suppose the extra antennas a Wi-Fi router has, the stronger you may anticipate its sign energy to be, however the router with the very best sign energy scores in our testing was the ASUS RT-AX86U Professional, which solely has three exterior and one inner antenna. Exterior antennas let you direct the Wi-Fi sign towards particular areas in your house, however I didn’t see a lot of a distinction in efficiency between inner and exterior antenna routers. Extra essential is the position of the router” goal=”_self. It ought to ideally be a number of toes off the bottom, in a central location of your property and away from any partitions or electronics.