Boost your performance with the best WiFi routers for gaming

If you spend a lot of time playing the hottest games online, you're bound to run into some network connectivity issues now and then. You could experience the frustrating lag that comes with a slow or weak wireless connection, or you could be booted from your favourite game just as you're about to win, causing a stain on your otherwise impeccable record and leaving you red in the face.

Unless you're typically playing with a wired LAN connection, these issues are almost inevitable. Online game sessions will drop. You will experience lag. It can be maddening, that’s for sure. But you don't have to stress, because all you need is a gaming router.

Why do you need a router for gaming?

Today's gaming-centric routers offer power, convenience, and quality in relatively inexpensive packages. You can have the best of the best for around £200, which is far cheaper than the hardware needed to run said games.

A router can make all the difference when it comes to an impressive Call of Duty kill/death ratio, and it could keep you in the running far longer in your favourite online tournament.

What should you look for in a new router?

Before you go out and buy anything, look at what’s connected to your router. Every single device in your home — be that a phone, tablet, TV, or smart-home devices like Alexa — takes bandwidth from your router. So if you’re playing in a home with lots of connected devices on a router that can’t handle it, you’re going to run into lag issues. You’ll need to buy something that can handle as many devices as you have connected.

You’ll also want to look for a gaming router that offers prioritisation for your gaming systems and applications. If you live in a home with multiple gamers, you might also want to get a router that allows you to control how much bandwidth everyone in your household gets. Some also have a modified management console to adjust bandwidth priorities easily depending on your needs.Also consider looking for routers that have a Geo-Filter because that can limit the distance to the host server you play on, which will reduce lag.Finally, make sure your gaming router is at least 2GHz so you can use the 5G device for faster speeds. A Tri-band device is even better because then you could reserve 5GHz for just gaming.

Other features you might want to consider include Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) technology for faster data streaming, beamforming, and wider channel bandwidths up to 160Hz. You’ll also want at least four gigabit LAN ports, at least one USB port, and a router that offers good security.

What is the best gaming router?

It can be difficult to navigate the numerous routers out there, especially if you're used to whatever your ISP saddles you with during your first install.

No worries — we've selected the best gaming routers out on the market to make things simple. No matter your budget, whether you don't want to miss a second of the action in Fortnite or simply want a stronger wireless signal all around the house, these gaming routers will boost your gaming experience significantly. Soon, the only things that’ll be holding you back are your own personal shortcomings.

These are the best gaming routers in 2022.