This post is a collection of the best gaming routers I’ve reviewed.
There’s no concrete definition of what constitutes a “gaming router”; but all listed below meet at least two of my qualifying criteria.
While you can generally play online games with any router, one of these will give you an edge in getting connected, plus the much-needed placebo effect — you know that you’re already well-equipped, possibly better-geared than the other guy.
On gaming and best Wi-Fi routers
Dong’s note: I first published this post on January 29, 2021, and updated it on June 24, 2022, with up-to-date options.
Best Gaming routers: Asus’s tri-band trio, the GT-AX11000, RT-AX92U, and GT-AXE11000 have a lot to offer gamers.
Best gaming routers of 2022: The list
All routers on this list are excellent for general use. On top of that, they collectively check all the gaming boxes.
They are listed here on reviewed orders with the latest on top — the number in front of their name is not for ranking but just numerical.
11. Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000: The ultimate gaming router
Again, in case you didn’t read the intro: This is the latest member of this list. The number is not the ranking.
Best gaming routers: The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 Quad-band Wi-Fi 6E router has the most Multi-Gig ports to date and a cool ROG Aura light.
The Asus GT-AXE16000 is the pinnacle of home networking, and gaming is just the icing on the cake. This is the ultimate router you can safely get — that’s if you can afford it.
Note: By itself, Asus has the largest selection of gaming routers — not all are listed here, but you can read about them in this post on Asus Wi-Fi broadcasters.
Pros
Powerful hardware, Quad-band with Wi-Fi 6E support, three Multi-Gig ports (one 2.5Gbps and two 10Gbps)
Stellar performance throughout
Excellent set of game-related, online protection and monitoring features, full AiMesh 2.0 support
Unmatched port flexibility, including interchangeable WAN, Dual-WAN, and LAN/WAN Link Aggregations
Beautiful ROG Aura lighting
Cons
Expensive, NAS performance (when hosting a storage device) could be better
Awkward backhaul band design in a wireless AiMesh setup, no UNII4 (5.9GHz) support, no SFP+
Bulky design, not wall-mountable
10. TP-Link Archer GX90: The latest among gaming routers that “look the part”
Best gaming routers: The TP-Link Archer GX90 AX6600 Wi-Fi 6 Tri-Band gaming router sure looks cool.
The GX90 is somewhat a replacement for the Archer AX11000 (below). It is also somewhat of a pseudo gaming router since it doesn’t have any game-related novelty — it has a nice look plus a comprehensive QoS feature.
Pros
Fast and reliable Wi-Fi performance
Excellent feature set and network settings
Robust full web user interface
Nice design and comparatively affordable
Cons
Single Multi-Gig port; no Dual-WAN or Link Aggregation
USB-based storage performance could be better
9. Asus ROG STRIX GS-AX5400: Representing a new gaming product line
Best gaming routers: The Asus ROG STRIX GS-AX5400 is a low-cost gaming machine.
The GS-AX5400 is an excellent new (gaming) router. It represents the new ROG STRIX product line and is a better version of the similar GS-AX3000.
Pros
Excellent overall performance
Complete AiMesh 2.0 support, including system-wide Guest network
Robust web interface, well-designed mobile app, no login account required
Lots of useful features, including those for gamers
Cool-looking front-facing AURA Game light
Cons
No Multi-Gig port or Gamer VPN (WTFast)
Performance as a NAS server could be better
The ROG logo doesn’t light up, a bit boring
8. Asus GT-AXE11000: Wi-Fi 6E is a still blur, but gamering is a sure thing
Best Gaming Routers: Among other things, the Asus GT-AXE11000 sure looks the part.
The GT-AXE11000, the first Wi-Fi 6E router, is not an upgrade to the GT-AX11000 (below), nor is it a downgrade to the GT-AXE16000 (above) — the three share similar designs.
It’s part of Asus’s ROG Rapture family of aging gear and includes all game-related features. While not as powerful as the GT-AXE16000, it’s comparable on the gaming front.
Pros
Tri-band with Wi-Fi 6E support
Excellent 5GHz and 2.4GHz performance
Excellent set of game-related, online protection and monitoring features, full AiMesh 2.0 support
2.5Gbps LAN/WAN port, Dual-WAN, and LAN/WAN Link Aggregations
Cons
Wi-Fi 6E is not fully available
Only one 2.5Gbps port, no 10Gbps port
Bulky design, not wall-mountable, buggy firmware (at launch)
7. Asus RT-AX92U: The little router that could
The Asus RT-AX92U is also available as a 2-pack AiMesh set.
The Asus RT-AX92U is an interesting case. It was a bit of controversy at launch due to the odd hardware specs and shoddy firmware. Later on, though, Asus improved it a great deal via updates. As for gaming, it’s the affordable mini version of the GT-AX11000 (below).
Pros
Compact design, tri-band specs
Good performance, large coverage
Excellent set of features, including online protection, WTFast VPN for gamers, and system-wide Guest network when working as a mesh
Link Aggregation and Dual-WAN support, wall-mountable
Cons
Wi-Fi 6 available only on one of the 5GHz bands
6. Netgear XR1000: A sophisticated gaming router
Best gaming routers: The Netgear XR1000 looks quite nice.
The XR1000 is a Wi-Fi 6 upgrade to the XR500 below. It’s the second gaming router based on game-centric DumaOS firmware and has fantastic gaming features, including an improved Geo-Filter with polygon mode and Ping heatmap.
Pros
Sophisticated game-centric firmware
Fast Wi-Fi speeds and reliable performance
Robust web UI, beautiful hardware design
Useful mobile app, wall-mountable
Cons
Expensive but underpowered – items of the web interface can take a long time to fully load
Limited Wi-Fi settings, sluggish user interface
Mobile app can’t manage any gaming features
No multi-gig port, Dual-WAN or Link Aggregation
Online protection and VPN require subscriptions
Buggy — firmware needs some serious updates; no mesh option
5. Asus RT-AX82U: Possibly the coolest-looking gaming router
Best gaming routers: The Asus RT-AX82U and its unique programmable front-facing Aura RGB lighting
The Asus RT-AX82U is the RT-AX86U (below) with slightly lesser hardware. In return, it uniquely has a fantastic-looking programmable front lighting that will turn heads! If you’re into bling, this is the gaming router for you.
Pros
Beautiful design with tons of helpful networking, game-related features, and settings
Robust web UI, well-designed mobile app
Cons
No support for WTFast Gamer VPN
No multi-gig network port
Network storage performance (when hosting a portable drive) could use some improvement
4. Asus RT-AX86U: One of the best dual-band Wi-Fi 6 routers
Best gaming routers: The Asus RT-AX86U is, in fact, the best dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router, and gaming is just one of many things it has.
Asus RT-AX86U is an excellent router — it was named the best dual-band router for almost two years. As for gaming, it has lots of features, including a set of robust pre-programmed settings, a game LAN port, and more.
Pros
Fast performance, excellent range, reliable
Tons of helpful networking features and settings
Useful settings for online gaming
Robust web UI, well-designed mobile app
Multi-Gig, WAN/LAN Link Aggregation support
Excellent NAS performance and features when hosting a storage device
Cons
Single, low-speed (2.5Gbps) Multi-Gig port
Gaming features turn Adaptive QoS off
No support for WTFast Gamer VPN
3. TP-Link Archer AX11000: A chicken who thinks it’s a duck
Best gaming routers: Not really a gaming router, but the TP-Link AX11000 sure looks the part.
Yes, this is the one I called “fake.” But the TP-Link Archer AX11000 looks like a gaming router, and it has a robust QoS where you can quickly turn on prioritization for gaming.
Pros
Fast and reliable Wi-Fi performance
2.5 Gbps WAN port with eight Gigabit LAN ports
160 MHz channel bandwidth support
Excellent, Antivirus, QoS, and Parental Control features
Robust full web user interface, helpful mobile app
Eye-catching and convenient hardware design
USB-C ready, wall-mountable
Cons
Misleading gaming veneer, no actual gaming-specific features
No multi-gig LAN port, bulky design
Not mesh-ready (at launch)
Artificial” “Game” items make the interface unnecessarily confusing
Mobile app requires a login account
2. Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000: The ultimate gamers’ edition of a Wi-Fi 6 router
Best gaming routers: The Asus GT-AX11000 is a massive Wi-Fi 6 router.
The GT-AX11000 is the first Wi-Fi 6 router for gamers, and it delivers. Among other things, it has built-in support for WTFast gamer VPN, which allows it to be part of a unique VPN where you can enjoy certain games with extremely low lags.
Pros
Fast and reliable Wi-Fi performance with an excellent range
Lots of useful features for home users
Unique and effective settings for online gaming
Multi-Gig network port, Dual-WAN, Link Aggregation
Cons
Bulky design, loose antennas, non-wall-mountable
Fewer LAN ports than the previous model
Long boot-up time, buggy (at launch), fluctuating Wi-Fi throughputs
1. Netgear XR500: A gaming router at heart
Best gaming routers: The XR500 has a cool design that looks like a spaceship.
The Netgear XR500 is the only Wi-Fi 5 router on this list. It’s the first router in the US that runs DumaOS, a special firmware made by the U.K. firm Netduma which develops special gaming routers — it even got the latest DumaOS 3.0 version via firmware update. Wi-Fi 5 is on the way out, but as a gaming machine, the XR500 still works great today.
Pros
DumaOS delivers comprehensive and effective QoS and online gaming features with a robust web interface
Excellent overall performance
Easy to set up and fun to use
Cons
No built-in security to protect the entire network from online threats
Content filtering can’t block secure website sites such as Facebook or Youtube
Best gaming routers: Hardware specifications and Wi-Fi performance
I tested all of these routers the way I do all Wi-Fi broadcasters. I also tried their gaming features via wired and wireless connections without a retail or mesh extender.
It’s best to use a game console (or PC) via a wired connection. If you have to use Wi-Fi, make sure the device connects directly to the very first broadcaster of your home if you have more than one Wi-Fi hub.
Extra note on gaming and Wi-Fi
For the best online experience — including online gaming or whenever you want to make sure the connection is the most reliable and with the lowest latency — it’s always best to get your home wired.
After that, connect your gaming rig to your network via a network cable. No matter how fast, Wi-Fi is always less ideal and will put a few extra milliseconds, or even a lot, on your broadband’s latency.
In gaming or any real-time communication applications, reliability and low latency are actually more critical than fast speeds. So it’s more a question of wired vs Wi-Fi than Wi-Fi 5 vs Wi-Fi 6.
But we can’t use wires all the time. That said, here’s the rule in Wi-Fi for gaming: Avoid multiple hops.
Specifically, here is the order of best practice when connecting your gaming device to the network via Wi-Fi:
- Use a single broadcaster — just one Wi-Fi router or access point.
- If you must use multiple broadcasters (like a mesh system) then:
- Use a network cable to link them together (wired backhaul).
- If you must use a wireless mesh then:
- Connect the game console directly to the very first broadcaster — the primary router — of your home. Or
- Connect the gaming device to the first mesh satellite node using a network cable. Also, in this case, it’s best to use tri-band mesh hardware.
- Avoid the daisy-chain mesh setup.
- Avoid using extenders. If you must use one, make sure it’s a tri-band.
Again, the idea is that the Wi-Fi signal should not have to hop wirelessly through one extra hub before it gets to your device — you’ll get significantly worse latency after each additional hop.
Best gaming routers: Wi-Fi performance
I got the 5GHz numbers below via a 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 160MHz client and a 4×4 Wi-Fi 5 client.
Best gaming routers’ Wi-Fi performance
Best gaming routers: Hardware specifications
Looking to compare these routers side by side? The table of hardware specifications below will help.
Note: This is a wide table. Make sure you scroll horizontally.
Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000TP-Link Archer AX6600
Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6
Gaming RouterAsus ROG STRIX GS-AX5400
Dual-band Gaming RouterAsus ROG Rapture
GT-AXE11000
Wi-Fi 6E
Gaming RouterAsus RT-AX92U
AX6100 Tri-band
Wi-Fi 6 RouterNetgear XR1000
Nighthawk
Wi-Fi 6 Pro
Gaming Router Asus RT-AX82U
AX5400 Dual-Band
Wi-Fi 6 Gaming RouterAsus RT-AX86U
AX5700 Dual-Band
Wi-Fi 6 Gaming RouterTP-Link Archer
AX11000 Tri-Band
Wi-Fi 6
Gaming RouterAsus ROG Rapture
GT-AX11000
Tri-band Wi-Fi 6
Gaming RouterNetgear XR500
Nighthawk
Pro Gaming
Wi-Fi 5 RouterModelGT-AXE16000Archer GX90GS-AX5400GT-AXE11000RT-AX92U XR1000RT-AX82URT-AX86UArcher AX11000GT-AX11000XR500Wi-Fi TechnologyQuad-band AXE16000Tri-band AX6600Dual-band AX5400Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E
AX11000Tri-band Wi-Fi 6
AX6100Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6
AX5400Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6
AX5400Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6
AX5700Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6
AX11000Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6
AX11000Dual-Band Wi-Fi 5
AC26001st Band
(2.4GHz)4×4 Wi-Fi 6
Up to 1148Mbps2×2 AX
Up to 574Mbps 2×2 AX
Up to 574Mbps 4×4 Wi-Fi 6
Up to 1148Mbps2×2 Wi-Fi 4
Up to 400Mbps2×2 AX
Up to 574Mbps2×2 AX
Up to 574Mbps3×3 AX
Up to 861Mbps4×4 AX
Up to 1148Mbps4×4 AX
Up to 1148Mbps4×4 AC
Up to 800Mbps2nd Band
(5GHz)4×4 AX
Up to 4804Mbps 5GHz 2×2 AX: Up to 1201Mbps 5GHz 4×4 AX
Up to 4804Mbps 5GHz 4×4 AX
Up to 4804Mbps2×2 AC
Up to 867Mbps5GHz 4×4 AX
Up to 4804Mbps4×4 AX
Up to 4804Mbps4×4 AX
Up to 4804Mbps4×4 AX
Up to 4804Mbps4×4 AX 6
Up to 4804Mbps4×4 AC
Up to 1733Mbps3rd Band
(6GHz)4×4 AXE
Up to 4804Mbps None None4×4 AXE
Up to 4804Mbps NoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNone4rth Band
(5GHz)4×4 AX
Up to 4804Mbps 4×4 AX
Up to 4804Mbps NoneNone4×4 AX
Up to 4804MbpsNoneNoneNone4×4 AX
Up to 4804Mbps4×4 AX
Up to 4804MbpsNoneBackward Compatibility802.11a/b/g/n/ac 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 802.11a/b/g/n/ac802.11a/b/g/n/ac802.11a/b/g/n/ac802.11a/b/g/n/ac802.11a/b/g/n/ac802.11a/b/g/n/ac802.11a/b/g/n/ac802.11a/b/g/nAP ModeYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesMesh-ready Yes (AiMesh 2.0) Yes (OneMesh) Yes (AiMesh 2.0) Yes (AiMesh 2.0)Yes (AiMesh 2.0)NoYes (AiMesh 2.0)Yes (AiMesh 2.0)Yes (OneMesh)Yes (AiMesh 2.0)NoGigabit Port4x LAN1x LAN/WAN
3x LAN 4x LAN, 1x WAN4x LAN, 1x WAN4x LAN, 1x WAN4x LAN, 1x WAN4x LAN, 1x WAN4x LAN, 1x WAN8× LAN4x LAN, 1x WAN4x LAN, 1x WANMulti-Gig Port1x 2.5Gbps WAN/LAN
2x 10Gbps LAN/WAN1x 2.5Gbps WAN/LANNone1x 2.5Gbps LAN/WANNoneNoneNone1x 2.5Gbps LAN/WAN1× 2.5Gbps WAN1x 2.5Gbps LAN/WANNoneLAN Link AggregationYesNoYesYes (LAN ports 1 and 2)Yes (LAN1 + LAN2)NoneYes (LAN 1 and LAN 2)Yes (LAN ports 1 and 2)Yes (LAN 2 + LAN 3)Yes (LAN ports 1 and 2)NoneWAN Link AggregationYesNoYesYes (WAN + LAN4)Yes (WAN + LAN4)NoneYes (WAN + LAN4)Yes (WAN + LAN4)NoYes (WAN + LAN4)NoneDual-WANYesNoYesYes (WAN + USB
or LAN4 or 2.5Gbps)Yes (WAN + LAN 1, or WAN + USB)NoneYes (WAN + LAN4 or USB)Yes (WAN + LAN4 or USB)NoYes (WAN + USB
or LAN4 or 2.5Gbps)NoneUSB1× USB 3.0 Port
1× USB 2.0 Port1× USB 3.0 Port
1× USB 2.0 Port1x USB 3.02x USB 3.01x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.01x USB 3.01x USB 3.02x USB 3.01× USB-C 3.0,
1× USB-A 3.02x USB 3.02x USB 3.0Mobile AppAsus RouterTP-Link TetherAsus RouterAsus RouterAsus RouterNetgear NighthawkAsus RouterAsus RouterTP-Link TetherAsus RouterNoneGaming FeaturesAura Gaming Light
Gaming Port
Game Boost
Gear Accelerator
Mobile Game Mode
OpenNAT
ROG First
VPN Fusion
WTF Gamer VPNFancy-looking hardware and web interface
QoS
Aura Gaming Light
Gaming Port
Game Boost
Gear Accelerator
Mobile Game Mode
OpenNAT
ROG First
VPN FusionAura Gaming Light
Gaming Port
Game Boost
Gear Accelerator
Mobile Game Mode
OpenNAT
ROG First
VPN Fusion
OutFox
WTFast VPN
Game Boost
Open NAT
Mobile Game Mode
QoSDumaOS 2.0
Geo-Filter
Ping Heatmap
QoSDedicated Game Port
Game Boost
Open NAT
Mobile Game Mode
QoS
Aura LightingDedicated Game Port
Game Boost
Open NAT
Mobile Game Mode
QoS
Fancy-looking hardware and web interface
QoS
WTFast VPN
Game Boost
Open NAT
Mobile Game Mode
QoS
Aura LightingDumaOS
Geo-Filter
QoSProcessing Power2.0 GHz quad-core CPU,
256MB Flash, 2GB RAM1.5 GHz Quad-Core CPU1.5 GHz Tri-core CPU,
256 MB Flash, 512 MB RAM1.8 GHz quad-core CPU,
256MB Flash, 1GB RAM1.8Ghz dual-core CPU,
512 MB RAM, 256 MB Flash1.5 GHz tri-core CPU,
256 MB Flash, 512 MB RAM1.5 GHz tri-core CPU,
256 MB Flash, 512 MB RAM1.8 GHz quad-core CPU,
256 MB Flash, 1 GB RAM1.8 GHz 64-bit quad-core CPU,
512 MB Flash, 1 GB RAM1.8 GHz quad-core CPU,
256MB Flash, 1GB RAM1.7GHz dual-core CPU,
256MB Flash, 512MB RAMDimensions
(no antennas)10.4 x 10.4 x 2.9 in
(26.4 x 26.4x 7.4 cm)8.3 × 8.3 × 2.0 in
(21.2 × 21.2 × 5.18 cm)10.56 x 7.08 x 6.53 in
(26.8 x 18 x 16 cm)10.4 x 10.4 x 2.9 in
(26.4 x 26.4x 7.4 cm)6.1 x 6.1 x 2.07 in
(15.5 x 15.5 x 5.26 cm)11.61 x 7.87 x 2.51 in
(29.5 x 20 x 6.4 cm)10.83 x 7.26 x 6.5 in
(27.5 x 18.4 x 16.5 cm) 9.52 x 3.93 x 12.79 inc.
(24.2 x 10 x 32.5 cm) 9.5 x 9.5 x 2.2 in
(24.1 x 24.1 x 5.5 cm)9.5 x 9.5 x 2.4 in
(24.1 x 24.1 x 6.1 cm)12.7 x 9.6 x 2.2 in
(32.2 x 24.4x 5.5 cm)Weight5.3 lbs (2.4kg)2.4 lbs (1.1 kg)1.55 lbs (701.3 g)3.94 lbs (1.79 kg)1.43 lbs (651 g)1.32 lb (.6 kg)1.63 lbs (740 g)1.8 lbs (814.5 g)3.5 lbs (1.6 kg)3.8 lbs (1.73 kg)1.77lbs (801g)Price
(at review)$699$249.99$250$550$210$300$230$250$350$450$250Best gaming router: Hardware specifications
Source by dongknows.com
