Below are a few requirements for enjoyable gaming experiences which you can use to evaluate your internet plans:
Internet Speeds
The faster your internet speeds, the more seamless your playing experience. If your internet speed is slow (less than 2 mbps), you may experience lags in your game and be unable to play effectively. If you are looking for a truly enjoyable gaming experience, via either a console or over the internet, speeds of around 8 mbps are ideal. The internet speeds you will be able to purchase may also depend on your geographical area. Fiber optic cables are the ideal option, if you can get them; though fiber optic cables provide the fastest possible speeds, they are typically available only in more populated areas and in certain regions of the country. If you live in a rural area, chances are your best bet is to go with a solid cable connection.
Method of Connectivity
When considering internet plans, think about gaming and the mode you use. Though most gaming consoles can now connect to the internet wirelessly, they will likely require a wireless adapter. These are relatively cheap, but make for an extra necessary purchase nonetheless. No matter your internet provider, you will always get the most stable internet connection from a direct connection to the router. If your internet setup allows for it, your gaming console or laptop should always have a hard connection to the broadband router, if possible, for the best connection.
Usage Allowances
Playing games online eats up an enormous amount of data. Downloading updates to your games also require downloads of significant amounts of data, resulting in another drain on your usage allowance. Your best bet is to look for internet options which offer unlimited usage; this means your service will not be reduced or cut off once you have downloaded a certain amount of data, and will ideally not reduce your speeds during busy periods. If you can't find a service provider with unlimited usage, make sure your allowance is at least 15GB per month.
Finding the right internet provider can be tough; online gaming requires a lot of muscle power behind your internet service. To have a truly competitive gaming experience, you will need a powerful connection, high speeds, and lots of data allowance.
Making sure that your service provider fulfills each of the three requirements above is a good place to start when searching for your ideal internet service provider.