Starlink for Gaming-Is It Good or Bad? [Facts 2024]

The Starlink project is Elon Musk’s much-anticipated beta testing program, launched in October 2020. This Starlink is a part of SpaceX’s project to deliver high bandwidth speed internet across the globe, from cities to remote villages.

As a beta testing program, the launch was highly successful and now available for public use. There is currently 3,000 low earth orbit (LEO) Starlink satellites that are now orbiting to provide internet services.

SpaceX planned to increase that number to 42,000 in the coming years. Starlink claims to provide 100 – 200 Mbps internet with 30-50 ms ping.

But can you do gaming with Starlink’s high bandwidth and low ping internet?

In this article, I have covered every fact of Starlink’s internet. So, read till the end to know how good or lousy gaming with Starlink is.

Let’s begin without further ado.

What Do You Need to Know About Starlink?

According to Elon Musk, Starlink is managed to serve and provide internet in 36 countries. This is a significant achievement for humanity and an incredible milestone for SpaceX. It can provide much lower latency (Ping) internet than other traditional satellites, but it’s not stable.

With all the 3,000 low earth orbiting satellites, Starlink is now serving internet to the rural areas where broadband internet is still missing. Most countries in North America and Europe are among the Starlink internet proving zone.

So, before thinking of getting the Starlink internet, you should check whether Starlink is available in your region or not. You should know about many aspects before starting gaming on Starlink internet.

Well, let’s dive deep into the Starlink internet.

Here are the factors you should know about Starlink before gaming:

Download Speed

Starlink claims users will get download speeds from 100-200 Mbps, and it’s pretty true. The download speed is the best compared to other DSL services. According to Starlink, they will provide gigabit speeds in the coming years as they will launch more LEO satellites in orbit.

Speaking of gaming, Playstation and Xbox require 13 Mbps of minimum download speed, and Starlink download speed surpasses that with a significant number. So, we can tell that gaming will run smoothly on Starlinks’ net.

Let’s just say you will need at least 4 hours and 20 minutes if you download Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, which is over 200 GB. And this speed is far better than other DSL services.

With this speed, you can game on a Starlink net. So, from the gaming perspective, a big thumbs up from my side, considering the net speed.

Upload Speed

Not only downloading speed, but you also need uploading speed for gaming. So, in this section, Starlink also hits the bull’s eye. They offer a max 20-30 Mbps upload speed, which is better than some DSL services.

This upload speed of Starlink is comparable to other broadband services. For gaming, you will need at least 2 Mbps upload speed, and Starlink also covers that.

They are offering much more than the base upload speed requirement. So, that’s a plus point for gamers.

Latency (Ping)

You can’t game when your net ping is high. Ping or latency is the most crucial factor while you are gaming online. The lower the latency, the more swift the game will run. Low latency of 20-50 ms is suitable for gaming or other networking works.

When measured, Starlink has 20 ms ping, which is pretty unusual for Satellite Internet. But not for Starlink because of their very low earth-orbiting satellites. As for other satellite internet service providers, they use distant satellites in the geostationary orbit.

For this, those distant satellites’ net signals have to cover long distances than LEO satellites because LEO satellites keep orbiting in lower orbits.

So, you can do gaming on Starlink internet because of low ping or latency.

Stability

When Starlink launched, they warned about certain dropouts because there were gaps in satellite coverage. Due to that, you will face stability issues with Starlink’s internet connection.

Lack of stability is not a big issue for typical usages, such as browsing, watching movies online or downloading. But this is a problem for those who stream games a lot. You will face sudden internet drops.

But Starlink promises they will launch more LEO satellites to make their internet more stable or even vanish the internet drops totally. So, for gaming streaming on Twitch or Youtube, stability will become an issue for Starlink net users.

For download and upload speed, latency/ping, you can count on Starlink internet for gaming. Stability is a minor issue, and in the coming years, it will solve too.

Is Starlink Good for Gaming?

At the time of launching, Starlink offered to provide 100 – 200 Mbps with a latency of 20 ms in specific locations. As for gaming, 100 – 200 Mbps is far better than the minimum required speed.

If you get at least 80-130 Mbps, you can watch Netflix, Youtube or other online streaming services with high resolution. Let’s take a look at Starlink’s net speed in specific locations.

According to the reports by many Starlink users, they face the internet goes down several times and lasts for a few minutes or even hours. But thanks to Starlink, they already have solved some of the major issues. And soon, they will solve the problem from the core by launching more LEO satellites into orbit.

Should I Use Starlink for Gaming?

If you are living in a big city, you will find a better option than Starlink. Starlink is the beginning of new cutting-edge networking technology. So, it will take some time to establish the whole thing fully.

Moreover, stability is still a concern, but it will be the best networking solution for all of us when they fully overcome this issue.

Besides, the Starlink kit price is very high compared to other networking options. The monthly subscription charge is also higher than others. So, the main point is not to go for Starlink for now. You can go for it later when they will reduce the subscription fee and resolves their stability issues.

The Starlink net connection will overload, and network interruptions become unavoidable when you use it in densely populated cities.

You can go for Starlink internet in remote places where a broadband connection is still unavailable. For the rural areas, it will be a blessing. Just install the Starlink kit in an obstruction-free open place and enjoy surfing the internet.

How to Reduce the Frequent Drops in Internet Connection on Starlink

Always install the Starlink kit on a ground pole mount in an open area. When you are having a frequent drops issue in the internet connection on Starlink, try moving the Starlink kit to open space. I hope you will get a seamless net link after that.

Starlink has a mobile app; before ordering the Starlink kit, you should use that app. From that app, you can find a suitable place with less obstruction where you can install the equipment. The magical part is that the tool will let you know where to install the equipment for the best performance.

If you visit Starlink’s official website, they state that Starlink should have a clear view without any obstruction. This obstruction means trees, roofs, chimneys and other things may interrupt while receiving a signal.

But remember, you may face stability and high ping issues, which are enough to affect your gaming.

How to Fix High Ping While Playing Online Games on Starlink

By updating the network adapters or changing the DNS server, you can fix the high ping issue while playing online games on Starlink. Changing adapter settings or disabling third-party antivirus and firewall can fix high-ping issues with Starlink while gaming.

In addition, you can also go for a reliable VPN to reduce ping. Many Starlink users reported that they successfully reduced ping after using a VPN. So, trying a VPN is worth doing nothing.

You can also reconfigure the Starlink network configuration to reduce ping while gaming. Starlink gaming latency will minimize after this.

For gamers, ping or latency is like a nightmare. When you click the fire button, you will see that the enemy is not hit due to latency. According to the experts, for optimal gameplay, the ping should be under 50ms. But as Starlink advertised, the ping is nowhere near 20ms.

So, Starlink has to fix or add more satellites in orbit to fix the high ping issue. Let’s hope for the best till then.

FAQs

Is Starlink good enough for gaming?

Starlink offers an internet speed of around 100 – 200 Mbps and latency under 20ms in most locations. For optimal gaming, this speed is more than enough.

How much ping does Starlink get?

As measured, Starlink has as low as 20ms ping, which is great for gaming. But for satellite internet services, this is pretty unusual. Low latency or ping is rare for a satellite’s internet connection due to long-distance signal transmission. But Starlink satellites are all low earth orbiting satellites, and that’s why it has low latency.

Is Starlink offers unlimited data?

Starlink currently has no limited data caps, and all the packages are unlimited, which is the opposite of some DSL, cable, or fiber providers, where you have to pay more for less data.

How many Starlink satellites are already launched?

According to the reports, Starlink has already launched more than 3,000 satellites for Starlink, and this is a great leap in the name of advanced networking technology.

How much does Starlink internet cost?

Starlink will cost you $110 monthly with a $599 one-time equipment fee. In addition, Starlink RV internet costs $135 a month with the same equipment fee. Plus, It’s business package costs $500 per month with a $2,500 one-time equipment fee.

Final Words

So, in the end, all I can say is Starlink is not yet that optimized network for gaming. Certain areas need improvements, such as latency and stability. As I said, it’s just the beginning, and there are miles to go before you can fully rely on Starlink for gaming.

But, for some locations, Starlink’s internet service is top-notch, and you can game on there.

I hope one day the orbit will rock by the massive gigabytes of networking signals from the satellites to the earth.

For further queries, let me know in the comment box. See you at the next one. Peace out!