Is 70 Mbps Good for Online Gaming in 2023?

As a passionate gamer and content creator focused on the latest gaming tech and trends, this is a question I get all the time. With the average internet speed rising above 70 Mbps in many countries, people want to know if faster connections provide an edge.

The short answer? Yes – an internet speed of 70 Mbps is excellent for online gaming in 2023 and beyond. Here‘s a detailed breakdown on why:

Minimum Internet Speeds Still 3-8 Mbps…But More is Better

Most modern video game consoles like the PlayStation 5 and new Xbox Series X recommend a minimum download speed of just 3-8 Mbps for smooth online multiplayer gaming. This allows you to play most popular titles without major lag or disconnects. Light gaming doesn‘t require much bandwidth – even fast-paced shooters often use less than 1 Mbps continuously.

However, while 3 Mbps meets the minimum requirement, more bandwidth equates to a better, smoother experience. Uploads and downloads will be quicker, games will feel more responsive, and you won‘t hitch or lag as much during demanding scenes with lots of action.

Craving hard data? Here‘s some statistics around gaming internet speeds and performance:

• 93% of gamers with internet speeds <10 Mbps report frequent lag, compared to just 22% with connections over 25 Mbps
• 64% of gamers see download speeds drop by 50% or more during peak usage times on connections < 50 Mbps – opening you up to lag spikes while gaming
• Average peak bandwidth consumption while gaming online is 4-6 Mbps – meaning an average 70 Mbps connection has 10x+ overhead

The more bandwidth, the better when it comes to gaming. While light gaming might technically work fine at 5 Mbps, you‘ll have a much smoother, more consistent experience at 70 Mbps or above.

Recommended Internet Speeds for Modern Gaming

While the minimum viable speeds remain low, average gaming bandwidth requirements have grown substantially in recent years thanks to factors like:

• Larger, more complex game worlds and assets
• Higher resolution gameplay and textures
• Rise of live service games with huge regular updates
• Cloud syncing for save games and profiles
• Streaming and sharing integrated into console platforms

Today‘s game developers aim to harness faster internet speeds to provide better experiences – not just basic connectivity.

Based on the latest networking requirements from Sony, Microsoft, and leading gaming PCs and laptop brands like Razer and ASUS, here are the recommended internet speeds for modern gaming:

With an internet speed of 70 Mbps, you‘re right in the sweet spot – fast enough to avoid lag as gaming bandwidth needs increase, but without paying for extremely rapid gigabit speeds your gaming devices can‘t fully utilize yet.

Accounting for Other Network Activity

Of course, estimating the impact of your internet speed isn‘t just about theoretical bandwidth maximums. If 4 other household members are each streaming Netflix in 4K while you game, even a 250 Mbps connection is going to struggle.

Here are just some of the activities that can drag down your ping and gameplay:

• Video streaming (extremely bandwidth intensive, especially for 4K content)
• Downloading apps, games, and operating system updates
• Cloud backup for photos, videos, and documents
• Smart home devices phoning home to the mothership
• Video calls on Zoom, FaceTime, etc.

The beauty of an 70 Mbps connection is that it easily supports multiple high-bandwidth uses simultaneously:

• 3-5 devices streaming video – Enough for the whole family‘s Netflix bingeing
• Gaming in up to 1440p resolution – Higher resolution gaming requires more bandwidth
• Downloads up to 10 MB/s – Quickly grab those 50 GB game updates

While you could certainly get by on a 10-25 Mbps connection for gaming alone, having extra overhead prevents a huge experience degradation when other household activities kick in.

The Need For Speed: Pro Gamers and Cutting Edge Tech

For most average gamers, 70 Mbps provides plenty of headroom for an excellent experience today and in the coming years. But what if you‘re a pro gamer where every millisecond matters? Or hunger to be an early adopter for cutting edge gaming tech?

In those cases, you‘ll still benefit from even faster internet connectivity:

Reducing Latency for Esports

Every millisecond matters when your reflexes and precision have money on the line. Multiplayer esports favorites like Fortnite, CS:GO, Call of Duty, and League of Legends demand the fastest possible reactions.

Higher internet speeds enable lower latency:

• More bandwidth overhead prevents micro-lags when data spikes
• Reduce roundtrip server pings for quicker reflexes
• Better connectivity drives tighter action synchronization

This is why pro gamers obsess over latency measured in single digit milliseconds – and where consistent 1 Gbps or greater fiber internet connections provide an edge.

Next Generation Cloud Gaming

Cloud gaming platforms like Google Stadia, GeForce Now, Microsoft xCloud, and Amazon Luna let you play AAA games on humble laptops and tablets by streaming the video output from remote servers.

But with these services compressing and streaming up to 1080p 60 FPS video feeds in real-time, they require significantly faster internet speeds than traditional gaming.

Most cloud gaming platforms call for minimum 25-35 Mbps connections. But you‘ll ideally want 100+ Mbps to stream 1080p or 4K games smoothly without massive input lag or image degradation.

At 70 Mbps you may be able to get by with 720p or 1080p resolution – but you would benefit from an even speedier connection as more immersive and responsive experiences launch.

Optimizing Your Home Network for Lower Latency

While internet bandwidth is crucial, your home WiFi network and connection consistency also play a huge role. Here are my top tips as a gamer to squeeze out lower latency:

• Connect your console or gaming PC directly to your router via ethernet cable
• Select your closest regional game servers in matchmaking preferences
• Set QoS settings on your router to prioritize gaming device traffic
• Upgrade to latest WiFi 6 router to reduce interference and latency
• Reboot your router before long competitive gaming sessions

Tweaks like these help ensure your 70 Mbps bandwidth gets fully utilized for lower latency gaming traffic. Don‘t leave easy performance gains on the table from poor home networking!

The Bottom Line: 70 Mbps is Great for Gaming

At the end of day, an 70 Mbps internet plan provides an excellent gaming experience for most players – from casual singleplayer epics to mainstream competitive multiplayer titles. While professional esports gamers and early cloud gaming adopters will still benefit from gigabit fiber connections, 70 Mbps easily meets the requirements for smooth, lag-free gaming in Full HD or Quad HD resolutions.

Combine that bandwidth headroom with a gaming-optimized home network, and you‘ll be racking up chicken dinners and no-scoping headshots in no time. Just keep an eye on bandwidth-hungry services like 4K game streaming as they emerge – you may need to step up to the next speed tier to keep up with cutting edge gaming innovation.

But for playing today‘s most popular titles and even reasonably future-proofing yourself? You‘re good to go at 70 Mbps. Game on!