Greatest Gaming Routers for 2025

There’s a number 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 normal? Does your house require a mesh system or will a single router do the job? What on the earth is 4K-QAM modulation? That is what I needed to know, so I dug into the main points on a private quest to seek out the perfect router for gaming.

Earlier than shopping for any gaming routers, I like to recommend taking a look at CNET’s newbie’s information to gaming lag to see how one can scale 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 unique spot or adjusting the antennas of your present router might enhance your community and your on-line gaming efficiency. 

For those who’ve tried all that and your gaming connection nonetheless wants an improve, listed here are some key issues to bear in mind when searching for routers.

Wi-Fi know-how

Nowadays, 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 available on the market, however you’ll be able to safely move them by at this level.) These numbers consult 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 normal, a company referred to as the Wi-Fi Alliance provides its stamp of approval to gadgets that meet its {qualifications}. 

• Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be): Makes use of 2.4, 5 and 6GHz bands and doubles the channel measurement 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 sooner than the two.4Gbps potential with Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, based on Intel. Multi-Hyperlink Operation (MLO) additionally permits Wi-Fi 7 gadgets 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” goal=”_self. 
• Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax): An enormous 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 sooner 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 notably technical. Although each use the newly opened 6GHz band, solely Wi-Fi 7 routers will get the MLO function. 

“Each time I spoke with the Wi-Fi Alliance, they all the time tried to make folks neglect that Wi-Fi 6E even existed,” mentioned Nicholas De Leon, a reporter masking routers for Shopper Studies (no relation to CNET’s Samantha De Leon). “It was sort of a stopgap, band-aid answer whereas on the highway 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 perfect price range Wi-Fi 7 router, the Netgear NightHawk RS100, is certainly one of 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 dimensions of the widest channels in Wi-Fi 6E — that means it could actually 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 system to reap the benefits of the usual’s enhancements. When Wi-Fi 7 was formally launched in January 2024, only a few gadgets might truly put it to use. Right now, that record has expanded tremendously and contains the most recent iPhones, Microsoft Floor laptops and PS5 Professional. 

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 use a Wi-Fi 6 router to recreation on a PS5 Professional — you simply received’t be capable of absolutely reap the benefits of its improved speeds.

Ethernet ports

Ethernet ports mean you can 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 acquired 395Mbps obtain speeds by Ethernet and 126Mbps by Wi-Fi. If there’s one system — like a gaming console or PC — that you simply completely wish to get the perfect 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 gadgets you’ll be able to join this fashion. 

Band help 

You’ll primarily see two forms 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 corporations 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 options

The primary function that separates gaming routers from common previous Wi-Fi routers is high quality of service (QoS) or bandwidth prioritization. This lets you prioritize visitors to a selected system like a gaming console or PC, guaranteeing that it’ll all the time be first in line to your community’s quickest speeds. 

Some are extra superior than others. Our decide for the perfect Wi-Fi 6 gaming router, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX6000, comes geared up with Recreation Enhance, an ASUS-specific QoS that prioritizes recreation knowledge. Generally, these options are greatest for the community nerds amongst us. Even in case 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 nicely it could actually 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, 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 also can influence how nicely it performs. That is normally damaged up into RAM and flash. RAM, brief for random-access reminiscence, impacts the router’s potential to course of knowledge, whereas flash storage sometimes homes the router’s settings. 

Vary and protection 

Will a single gaming router be capable of broadcast a Wi-Fi sign all through your total dwelling? Irrespective of how good the router, you’ll all the time see a major velocity dropoff in rooms distant from the router. 

Many Wi-Fi routers record protection areas north of 5,000 sq. ft, however I like to recommend switching to a mesh system if your house is bigger than 2,500 sq. ft. That mentioned, it’s a matter of percentages. You probably have a multi-gig web plan, you’ll nonetheless get loads of velocity for streaming TV or looking social media in a far nook of a 5,000 sq. foot dwelling. However you may in all probability have points in case you’re solely beginning with 100Mbps.

Moreover, the kind of dwelling you reside in — not simply the dimensions — can influence your Wi-Fi sign.

“Plenty of it relies upon upon housing development,” mentioned De Leon. “I’ve acquired household down in Puerto Rico and Florida the place a number of the homes are concrete, and that clearly simply destroys Wi Fi indicators.”

Community safety and safety

Any router you take 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 greatest practices that make passwords tougher to crack and encrypt knowledge. 

“Truthfully, so long as it has WPA3, that is in all probability the large safety factor to search for,” mentioned De Leon.

He additionally really useful on the lookout for routers that help computerized firmware updates. Not all the routers CNET recommends routinely replace their firmware. One of many producers I spoke with mentioned they’ve acquired “fairly vocal suggestions from the neighborhood” towards them, as they’ll have an effect on community efficiency. Whether or not it’s computerized or not, the principle factor to know is that the producer repeatedly points updates, and that they’re straightforward to put in. 

Cell apps and consumer interface

The entire gaming routers we advocate include a cellular app that helps you management your house community. That is important for issues like establishing your Wi-Fi community, updating your router’s firmware and using gaming options. I didn’t discover a number of separation between the apps on the gaming routers we examined, however this might influence your expertise in case you plan on customizing your community to prioritize gaming gadgets.

Parental controls

Parental controls are fairly normal on Wi-Fi routers as of late, and that features the gaming routers I like to recommend above. These will be accessed by the router’s app and mean you can routinely limit entry to particular web sites or any grownup content material. You’ll be able to usually arrange a schedule the place a tool can entry Wi-Fi as nicely, and even set each day limits. 

Variety of antennas and placement choices

You’d suppose the extra antennas a Wi-Fi router has, the stronger you’ll be able to count on its sign power to be, however the router with the perfect sign power scores in our testing was the ASUS RT-AX86U Professional, which solely has three exterior and one inner antenna. Exterior antennas mean you can 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 placement of the router” goal=”_self. It ought to ideally be a couple of ft off the bottom, in a central location of your house and away from any partitions or electronics.