Best Gaming Routers for 2025

There’s quite a lot of jargon to wade by whenever you’re evaluating gaming routers. Is it value splurging on one which helps the brand new Wi-Fi 7 standard? Does your private home require a mesh system or will a single router do the job? What on the 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 most effective router for gaming.

Earlier than shopping for any gaming routers, I like to recommend CNET’s beginner’s guide to gaming lag to see how one can cut back your latency. You could 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 might enhance your community and your on-line gaming efficiency. 

When you’ve tried all that and your gaming connection nonetheless wants an improve, listed here are some key issues to remember when looking for routers.

Wi-Fi expertise

Lately, you’ll largely see three Wi-Fi requirements when looking 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 possibly can safely cross them by at this level.) These numbers confer with the era 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 newest normal, a company referred to as the Wi-Fi Alliance offers its stamp of approval to units that meet its {qualifications}. 

• 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 might attain “potential most” speeds of 5.8Gbps — 2.4 occasions quicker than the two.4Gbps doable with Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, according to 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 normal so as to add within the 6GHz band together with 2.4 and 5GHz” target=”_self. 
• Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax): A large improve over Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6 was the primary normal to permit your router to divide the channel it is utilizing — 2.4 or 5GHz —  to ship its indicators 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 completely. It was the primary Wi-Fi normal to exceed 1Gbps most speeds, however its vary is considerably lower than Wi-Fi 6. 

If that sounds complicated, you’re not alone. The leap from Wi-Fi 6E to Wi-Fi 7 has been significantly technical. Though 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,” stated Nicholas De Leon, a reporter protecting routers for Client Experiences (no relation to CNET’s Samantha De Leon). “It was type 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 choose for the most effective finances Wi-Fi 7 router, the Netgear NightHawk RS100, is one in all 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 an important a part of the equation. 

However Wi-Fi 7 is about greater than the 6GHz band, stated David Coleman, director of wi-fi networking at Excessive Networks.

“Wi-Fi 7 introduces a number of key upgrades that set it other than tri-band Wi-Fi 6E routers,” Coleman stated 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 — which means it might ship a lot increased knowledge charges. It additionally brings 4K-QAM modulation, boosting transmission effectivity by as much as 20% in comparison with Wi-Fi 6E.”

Remember that you’ll want each a Wi-Fi 7 router and a Wi-Fi 7 gadget to make the most of the usual’s enhancements. When Wi-Fi 7 was formally launched in January 2024, only a few units might truly put it to use. At the moment, that checklist has expanded tremendously and consists of the newest iPhones, Microsoft Floor laptops and PS5 Pro. 

These Wi-Fi requirements are backward suitable, 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 absolutely make the most of its improved speeds.

Ethernet ports

Ethernet ports help you plug in a tool on to your router. A wired connection is inherently a lot stronger than Wi-Fi; in one test” target=”_self, a CNET author received 395Mbps obtain speeds by Ethernet and 126Mbps by Wi-Fi. If there’s one gadget — like a gaming console or PC — that you just completely wish to get the most effective connection to, an Ethernet cable is the best way to go. These are sometimes marketed as “gigabit Ethernet ports,” which implies they’re able to delivering gigabit speeds” target=”_self by a wired connection. The extra ports a router has, the extra units you possibly can join this manner. 

Band assist 

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 often less expensive than true tri-band Wi-Fi 7 routers.

Gaming-specific options

The principle 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’ll at all times be first in line on your community’s quickest speeds. 

Some are extra superior than others. Our choose for the most effective Wi-Fi 6 gaming router, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX6000, comes outfitted with Recreation Enhance, an ASUS-specific QoS that prioritizes recreation knowledge. On the whole, these options are finest for the community nerds amongst us. Even when you don’t mess with them, a high quality gaming router ought to nonetheless ship a quick, lag-free gaming expertise.

Processor and RAM

The processor in a Wi-Fi router is like its mind. It determines how properly it might handle your community’s visitors and carry out a number of duties concurrently. All of our prime 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, for example, is taken into account considerably extra superior than the A53 processor used within the Eero Professional 6E. 

A router’s storage capability also can impression how properly it performs. That is often damaged up into RAM and flash. RAM, quick for random-access reminiscence, impacts the router’s capacity to course of knowledge, whereas flash storage sometimes 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 complete residence? Regardless of how good the router, you’ll at all times see a major pace dropoff in rooms distant from the router. 

Many Wi-Fi routers checklist protection areas north of 5,000 sq. toes, however I like to recommend switching to a mesh system if your private home is bigger than 2,500 sq. toes. That stated, it’s a matter of percentages. If in case you have a multi-gig web plan, you’ll nonetheless get loads of pace for streaming TV or shopping social media in a far nook of a 5,000 sq. foot residence. However you may most likely have points when you’re solely beginning with 100Mbps.

Moreover, the kind of residence you reside in — not simply the scale — can impression your Wi-Fi sign.

“A variety of it relies upon upon housing building,” stated De Leon. “I’ve received household down in Puerto Rico and Florida the place quite a lot of the homes are concrete, and that clearly simply destroys Wi Fi indicators.”

Community safety and safety

Any router you have a look at ought to have WPA3 certification at a minimal. That is the newest safety protocol issued by the Wi-Fi Alliance, and it ensures that the router follows finest practices that make passwords more durable to crack and encrypt knowledge. 

“Truthfully, so long as it has WPA3, that is most likely the large safety factor to search for,” stated De Leon.

He additionally really useful on the lookout for routers that assist computerized firmware updates. Not all the routers CNET recommends routinely replace their firmware. One of many producers I spoke with stated they’ve obtained “fairly vocal suggestions from the neighborhood” towards 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 recurrently points updates, and that they’re simple to put in. 

Cellular apps and consumer interface

The entire gaming routers we advocate include a cell app that helps you management your private home 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 impression your expertise when you plan on customizing your community to prioritize gaming units.

Parental controls

Parental controls are fairly normal on Wi-Fi routers lately, and that features the gaming routers I like to recommend above. These could be accessed by the router’s app and help you routinely limit entry to particular web sites or any grownup content material. You possibly can typically arrange a schedule the place a tool can entry Wi-Fi as properly, and even set each day limits. 

Variety of antennas and placement choices

You’d assume the extra antennas a Wi-Fi router has, the stronger you possibly can anticipate its sign energy to be, however the router with the most effective sign energy scores in our testing was the ASUS RT-AX86U Professional, which solely has three exterior and one inside antenna. Exterior antennas help 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 inside and exterior antenna routers. 

Extra vital is the placement of the router” target=”_self. It ought to ideally be a couple of toes off the bottom, in a central location of your private home and away from any partitions or electronics.