5 best gaming router for PS4: reviews and buying tips

Gaming routers are specific breed-utilizing features and abilities specific for those who need consistent and fast performance for online gaming. And while speed is definitely important, additional features and functionality are what’s going to set a gaming router apart from an option that’s just as fast or even faster. So, let us show you the best gaming router for PS4 now.

In a Hurry? Here are Our Top Picks…!

Our #1 Choice NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 Smart Wi-Fi Router

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Our final gaming router for PS4, another NETGEAR option, is a variant of their Nighthawk line that offers smart speak controls as well as a host of the gaming features you’ve been looking for. The NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 offers 1,800 square feet of wireless coverage (enough for most single-family homes) and can reliably support up to thirty devices. Four gigabit ethernet ports are offered that can take advantage of many built-in features, such as QoS control, a built-in cyber protection protocol, and compatibility with Circle App parental controls. Again lacking in the Geo-Filtering department--much like many of our other choices--this NETGEAR product makes up for it in its ability to work with Alexa devices. A dual-core processor and dual-band connectivity round out the features offered. We appreciate all that’s built into this unit, which comes in at a high price--but a better price than the other Nighthawk on our list. While limited in some features, this may be the best all-around choice for homeowners with a strong gaming and parental focus. REASONS TO BUY

• Built-in security
• Great home coverage
• Smart speaker compatible
• Optional parental controls
• High speeds

REASONS TO AVOID

• Limited Geo-Filtering functionality
• Somewhat expensive

Our Other Choices

NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500

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Starting out our list and offering many of the features we looked out for, the NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500 is the first of two NETGEAR products on our list. Both focus on the gaming community, but this one specifically seems tailor-made for serious PS4 action. The Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500 offers four gigabit ethernet ports to compliment the 2.6 Gbps (that’s gigabits per second) download speed offered by the Wi-Fi. Of course, keep in mind that you’ll need your internet service provider to run the internet capable of such speeds to your place before you can really access these speeds on this router. Out of the box, you’ll also get a dual-band router (great for multiple streaming devices!) and two USB 3.0 ports built right into the unit, alongside NETGEAR’s Geo-Filter technology. There’s so specified range, but most owners claim that there’s no issue connecting to this unit from across the home. However, it’s not a perfect product, and there are certainly a few issues you should consider before checkout. There are a small (but notable) number of owners who have an issue with the strength of the signal and that the router can drop the internet occasionally. Turning your router on and off quickly fixes the issue, but it can be more than a nuisance for gamers to lose matches due to the issue. There’s also a problem with the price. There’s no getting around the fact that this router is significantly more expensive than the others. When you consider the issues in this light, they do seem more notable. At the end of the day, this router still offers everything we look for in a gaming router--and if you’re nearby the unit, you shouldn’t have an issue utilizing Geo-Filters, QoS, or other such features. REASONS TO BUY

• Great Geo-Filtering
• Lots of ports
• Easy setup and operation
• Dual-bands
• High Wi-Fi speed

REASONS TO AVOID

• Pricey
• Can have some intermittent connectivity issues
• Low signal at far distances

TP-Link AC1900 Smart Wireless Router

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Focused more on total home usage that just the PS4 gaming crow, the TP-Link AC1900 is going to be a better all-in-one device than something focused like the NETGEAR. However, that’s not always a good thing. When it comes to hardware, the TP-Link doesn’t disappoint. You’ll get 1.9 Gbps of total bandwidth which has a ridiculous range. Virtually no owners have complained about connecting to this unit no matter where they stood in their homes. You’ll also get access to features offered on the router through TP-Link’s Tether app, which will help parents keep a handle on device management and usage. This is probably your best bet if you’re a parent trying to get a child online. However, there’s a stunning lack of the features we’re looking for--like Geo-Filtering and QoS. If you want the higher speed and user controls at a great price, this is a solid choice to go with. However, if you want features specifically for gamers, you may be disappointed. REASONS TO BUY

• Great coverage
• Built-in mobile interface
• Easy content-sharing within network
• Dual-bands
• Good price

REASONS TO AVOID

• No Geo-Filtering or QoS
• Fewer ports than other products
• Few USB ports

ASUS AC2900 Dual-Band Gigabit Wireless Router

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Moving back to a gaming router that’s heavy on the features PS4 users want, this offering from ASUS is particularly great with online privacy and security. On top of QoS offerings and a powerful gigabit offering dual-band connectivity, users will also appreciate the ease of access to tools and settings within the ASUS router app. You’ll get all the parental control features you need--alongside built--protection against outside attacks. It’s the only product on our list to feature such technology. You’ll also be able to use the offered five ethernet ports--giving you lots of options for gameplay and online browsing. As with the NETGEAR router at the top of our list, however, you will be paying a pretty penny for this product. You’ll also be lacking in a few of the features, such as Geo-Filtering, that may have been at the top of your list. Still, this is an excellent middle-of-the-road pick for many gamers. REASONS TO BUY

• Lots of ports
• Dual-bands
• Built-in security protection
• Built-in mobile interface

REASONS TO AVOID

• Somewhat expensive
• Limited Geo-Filtering capability

D-Link AC3200 Ultra Tri-Band Wi-Fi Router

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D-Link’s offering to PS4 gamers is the only one on our list to feature tri-band technology--making it one of the best for connectivity and juggling multiple high-volume devices at once. This router comes with QoS and utilizes a tracking technology that allows you to monitor the strength of the signal and the number of devices being used at once. You’ll also get WPA/WPA 2 encryption (one of the most common and utilized) right out of the box as well, giving you better security over your internet usage. While more USB ports and a better Geo-Filtering system would have been appreciated, the longer range and six antennas give greater and stronger connections throughout the home. Plus, this can be one of the most affordable routers on our list depending on the seller. REASONS TO BUY

• Tri-band technology
• Good security encryption
• High transfer speeds
• Affordable

REASONS TO AVOID

• Limited Geo-Filtering options
• Limited USB ports
• Somewhat bulky

Why we choose NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 Smart Wi-Fi Router

While we can think of a great reason to recommend each of these products, there is a clear winner in terms of overall value for the cost. The NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 offers the best overall features at a price that’s fairly typical for gaming routers of this nature. We especially appreciate QoS offerings, smart home controls, parental controls, and large coverage. Whether you’re on the PS4, streaming video, or just checking emails, the NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 offers just about everything you need. And if you’re willing to pay a little extra, the Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500 may also be worth considering.

How to Choose the Best Gaming Router for PS4?

When we get into some of the best routers for your Playstation 4, you’ll need to know what type of features are offered and what they’ll do for you. Depending on what your gaming setup and preferences are, you may prefer one router over the other for a myriad of reasons.

Quality of Service (QoS)

One of the acronyms you’ll see thrown around quite often when researching gaming routers is QoS, which stands for Quality of Service. So what’s that? Most standard routers you’d find in a home or business operate like a water faucet. The internet speed and bandwidth are given out as requested. The more devices, such as computers or tablets, are on the router, the slower the speed gets for everyone. Equal service of a limited resource. QoS changes this up in favor of a priority system, which you can easily change in a router’s settings. Basically, you’ll be able to give a certain percentage of router speed to one device specifically, and ensure your gaming isn’t interrupted when someone comes home to connect to the internet. Using a router with quality of service is optimal for those that have to share their internet with several devices or users. Just be sure your fellow internet users don’t mind their services being throttled to keep your game speeds high.

Geo-Filters

When playing online, you’re usually left to the mercy of the game, which will connect you to available users just about anywhere in the world. Sounds fun, right? The problem is, connecting to servers in other countries can limit your connection speed since your data needs to travel further to play. In simple terms, you’ll have a harder time with accuracy and delays when playing with people further away from you. That’s where Geo-Filters come in. Gaming routers with Geo-Filters can force your game to reject connecting to users outside of a certain radius. So if you’ve set your radius to, say, 100 miles from New York, everyone you connect with will be local to you. This can be handy for easier communication on voice chat, but more importantly, you’ll be able to keep your latency and connection strong throughout each round or match. No more dropped frames and lost matches due to connectivity problems.

Ports & Range

Gaming router manufacturers know that tons of PS4 users and other gamers want to stick with a router that lets them connect to the internet with an ethernet port. But just having the ports to connect to isn’t going to be enough. Gamers with gigabit internet service need a router with gigabit ethernet ports. The more the better, of course. But for your phone, laptop, and other devices, you’ll need the range as well. Even if you’re in a smaller home or apartment, if you have a larger range on your router, you’re going to have a more stable connection that’ll hold for a lot longer. And to leverage between Wi-Fi and wired connections, your pick needs a powerful processor that will keep speeds high on all devices without a loss of coverage.

Other Features

There are tons of other bells and whistles manufacturers are going to add that you may or may not need, and this usually comes down to personal preference. If you’re in it for the speed and capability, many of these other features probably won’t be on the top of your wishlist. Still, they’re worth mentioning. For example, USB ports--and specifically USB 3.0 ports--can come in handy for connecting printers and scanners to your router. And if you’re buying this router for a child who wants better speeds on his or her console, connectivity to parental apps like Circle can be handy. Privacy is also a huge concern, so easy setup and native support of Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs, are going to be a huge plus for the security conscientious. VPNs mask your “internet address,” of sorts, and keeps you safe from any nefarious outsiders getting access to your information from online.

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