Rock-solid networking is too important for gamers to ignore. If you’re still struggling with dropped connections, slowdowns, or dead zones, it’s time to reassess your networking equipment and consider an upgrade to one of the best gaming routers. The good news is that you’re spoiled for options in 2024. Our latest routers feature cutting-edge WiFi 7 tech, and it’s available across a wide range of models so that everyone from PC gaming enthusiasts, PS5 Pro console gamers to mobile gaming newcomers with the latest iPhone 16 or Samsung Galaxy mobile phone can take advantage of the next-gen speeds and features. Mesh WiFi systems and across-the-series support for AiMesh make it easy to blanket every room in your house with high-quality coverage. And for gamers on a budget, our WiFi 6 lineup still has plenty to offer.

Ready to find your next router? Let’s dig in.

The best overall WiFi 7 gaming router: the ROG Rapture GT-BE98

If you’re buying a router in 2024, we think you’re best off purchasing a WiFi 7 model. And if you’re looking for a top-tier WiFi 7 experience, your choice is simple. The ROG Rapture GT-BE98 is your premium pick. Currently and takes a giant leap forward compared to last-gen tech, offering transfer rates up to 2.4x faster than WiFi 6 with up to twice the bandwidth.

This quad-band router goes all-in on WiFi 7 tech with one 6 GHz band. Boasting dual 5 GHz bands, the ROG Rapture GT-BE98 allows you to allocate one 5 GHz band as a dedicated wireless backhaul with ASUS-exclusive AiMesh technology, all while keeping the second 5 GHz band wide open for your devices.

The ROG Rapture GT-BE98 can further use AiMesh to create a seamless mesh network with any compatible ASUS router, letting you extended your network coverage across nearly as many square feet as you want, or throughout every floor of a multi-story large houses. You can take full advantage of the quad-band advancements to get the best whole-home seamless roaming experience. And you can enjoy the confidence that all your devices are compatible, even the ones from different WiFi generations.

The ROG Rapture GT-BE98 gives you nearly unbounded 31G wired networking options. Dual 10G ports unleash the power of 10 Gbps networking for gaming, streaming, and other data-intensive applications. Four 2.5G ports ensure high-bandwidth connections to a wide range of devices, while the dedicated 10G gaming port ensures that your gaming PC always gets to the front of the bandwidth line.

Better yet, the ROG Rapture is ready for tomorrow’s devices. Its quad-core 2.6 GHz CPU and 2 GB of RAM provide performance strong enough to handle the most demanding scenarios, including 10G and advanced AI networks. You’ll get versatile control of your network, including the exclusive Gaming Network function of Guest Network Pro. Gaming Network gives you a dedicated SSID for gaming that’s ready to accelerate the traffic of your favorite games and devices. You can go even further with network segmentation with dedicated SSIDs for IoT devices, a kids’ network, a guest portal, or a VPN network.

The best WiFi 7 gaming router for Ethernet gamers or apartments: the RT-BE86U

WiFi may have changed the world and simplified home networking, but plenty of users still take advantage of the reliability and performance offered by wired ethernet connections. That’s especially true for gamers who live in an apartment or condo, where the distance between their PC and their router can often be measured in feet if not inches.

In this kind of a scenario, you might not get as much play from the advanced features of WiFi 7 — but you’ll absolutely benefit from bulked-up wired networking options. That’s what you’ll get with the ASUS RT-BE86U. While this dual-band router is no slouch in the wireless department, as it provides a speed boost over most comparable WiFi 6 units with its 6800Mbps bandwidth, dual-band MLO, and 4K QAM, its claim to fame lies in its Ethernet options. Its 20G total wired capacity makes it a standout option in its price tier. With a 10G WAN/LAN port and four additional 2.5G LAN ports, you’ll have high-bandwidth options for a dedicated gaming port, an Ethernet backhaul, and advanced network configurations.

With a wired workstation at the center of the network, you can also build out the ideal home studio or next-gen entertainment palace. Whether it’s time for console gaming, movie night, or team sports with a roomful of friends, the RT-BE86U has your back. Connect as many devices as you like, knowing that the monster 20G combined network capacity will cover everything.

The ASUS RT-BE86U should also be a very tempting choice for folks who currently use our ASUS RT-AX86U Pro router. These are both extendable routers, so you can easily use them to create a mesh network. And since they both offer up to seven streams for enhanced throughput, you’ll make efficient use of both routers’ resources in such a network.
Learn more about extendable routers: https://www.asus.com/content/extendablerouter/

The best gaming router for network enthusiasts and studios: the ASUS RT-BE88U

Some common scenarios provide an ideal situation for wired networking. Studios are certainly one example. Esports teams are another, where multiple teammates demand ultra-reliable, blazing-fast connections to keep up with their finely honed reflexes and maintain the accuracy they have practiced many hours to perfect. Streamers also tend to have many devices directly plugged into their routers. These scenarios call for the ASUS RT-BE88U performance router, which bolsters your wired network capacity up to an unimaginable 34G.

With this gaming router, there are more than enough wired connections to go around — it’s a bit like having a router bundled with a multi-gig switch. The roll call of ports includes one cutting-edge 10G SFP+ port and another standard 10G WAN/LAN. Then come eight more LAN ports, four of them 2.5G and the other four Gigabit, to guarantee each and every teammate gets a seat at the lighting-fast-connectivity table. For everyone else, the RT-BE88U leaps forward with all the advancements of WiFi 7, from exceptional speed to extremely low latency and enhanced reliability. The resulting performance for gaming is unparalleled, of course, but it works just as well for streaming, smart home devices, and more.

WiFi 6 remains a great option for many

The latest and greatest tech always claims the spotlight, but there are still reasons why a last-gen WiFi 6 router might make more sense for you in 2024 than a cutting-edge WiFi 7 model. Maybe your region doesn’t offer WiFi 7 connectivity yet. Perhaps your networking needs are rather modest, and you just need a reliable WiFi connection and a reasonable number of Gigabit Ethernet ports. Maybe you need to make the most out of a limited budget. Or maybe you spotted a Black Friday discount that’s just too good to ignore.

The best all-around WiFi 6 gaming router: the ASUS RT-AX82U

Whatever your reasons for preferring WiFi 6 over WiFi 7, we have a full selection of options for a wide range of budgets. One that’s easy to recommend to just about anybody is the ASUS RT-AX82U. This gaming router gives you blazing-fast speeds with all the congestion-busting tech of WiFi 6. Perhaps more importantly, it gives you a rich feature set. To minimize lag and latency for all types gaming, simply enable comprehensive built-in game acceleration suite or the physical gaming port. The commercial-grade security in this home router will keep unwanted guests off your network, courtesy of a subscription-free ASUS AiProtection Pro powered by Trend Micro and equipped. Advanced parental controls make it easy to limit screentime for the kids, and AiMesh support allows you to easily set up a whole-home mesh WiFi network with a second compatible AiMesh router.

Besides its considerable performance and versatile network management options, the RT-AX82U provides a touch of style. This is an important consideration in smaller households, where the router often becomes a de-facto decoration. The RT-AX82U keeps your home décor sophisticated with a customizable lighting vibe thanks to its full set of ASUS Aura RGB lighting effects. Setting the mood will be easy whether you’re switching from study time to playtime or just relaxing into your evening.

The best budget WiFi 6 gaming routers: the TUF Gaming AX4200 and AX3000

We’ll highlight two final options for budget-minded or casual gamers. If you’re starting fresh in a new home or apartment and you need a rock-solid router that’s cheaper than renting a unit from your ISP, take a look at the TUF Gaming AX4200 and AX3000. These dual-band WiFi 6 gaming routers aren’t as flashy as some of the routers we discussed above, but these durable routers will get the job done. Thanks to AiMesh technology, these extendable routers can still play a role in your network when you make your next router upgrade.