Gaming data: Wi-Fi versus smartphones

The internet has become a vital part of all our lives, particularly for gamers. Those looking to download and play games on the go will be all too familiar with how much data gaming can consume. But what’s the difference between doing that and making use of a Wi-Fi connection? It is important to understand these differences to be able to make the smartest use of both.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi makes use of a router and can be set up to cover small areas such as homes, offices, restaurants, cafes, airports, etc.

Wi-Fi is able to sustain activities that are very data intensive such as gaming, as well as other activities such as streaming video, working on the net for many hours, or downloading movies.

Most Wi-Fi services limit data for a period, such as so many gigabytes per month or per day.

Smartphones

Smartphones, on the other hand, do not require the use of a router, and data is provided by mobile carriers and is intended to cover much larger areas such as entire towns and cities.

Smartphone data is generally better used for moderate activities such as checking emails, texting on a social media site, surfing the net or watching videos of a short duration.

Smartphones do offer unlimited data plans, although in some countries, there may be caps on internet usage that cuts speed down after those limits have been reached.

How much data is needed for gaming?

Playing online games uses up data, including those available at the best NJ Online Casino, which offers endless hours of fun with the likes of blackjack, poker, roulette and more. That is particularly true when the game is being played on a mobile device, and while home-based gamers will most likely have a broadband plan that gives them unlimited data, a capable phone plan will be required for mobile gamers.

While playing online against other gamers will not use up too much data, likely consuming somewhere between 20 to 200MB per hour depending on the game involved, initial downloads of games can take up anything between 1 to 90GB – with updates then ranging between 100MB to 50GB.

Consistently playing online can require between 50 to 100MB every hour, and there is simply no getting around the fact that online gaming uses data.

Why use Wi-Fi for gaming?

Wi-Fi tends not to get exhausted very quickly, unlike smartphone plans, so gamers are more likely to favor Wi-Fi as the best option, as are those who intend to watch movies or videos with long running times.

Wi-Fi is also a faster and generally more feasible option for activities that are as data-intensive as gaming, as well as downloading music and movies, or talking on Skype.

Avid gamers that love to play high-ping games for many hours in a row will always be better off using Wi-Fi.

Smartphones allow for internet access when there is no Wi-Fi available and can also be a good option for moderate gamers that have less time to spend gaming.

The answer to which is best is not completely black and white, though Wi-Fi has the edge for dedicated home-based gamers.