Do you play any online games? If so, you’re not alone; millions of people are logging on to participate in different games every day, from MMOs (massively multiplayer online games) like World of Warcraft and EVE Online to MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games), such as RuneScape and A Tale in the Desert.
With all these people connecting to the internet and playing these multiplayer games, how much data do they use? The answers might surprise you!
The Basics
Online gaming is a popular pastime and can be fun. You can play games with others and chat while you’re playing. There are many types of online games, so it might take a while to find the type of game that’s just right for you. The problem with online gaming is that it eats up a lot of data. So, if you’re not careful about how much data you use, your cell phone bill could get very expensive!
Online Gaming Uses Data Quickly
It’s important to keep track of your online time and make sure you don’t go over your monthly allotment for wireless internet usage or your cell phone plan. Keep in mind that video chatting also uses up a lot of data each month, so limit chats where possible and do them only when necessary.
Even then, always have an offline friend who can be a back-up in case you need someone to talk to on short notice and they aren’t available on social media. For example, there is this one girl I know who has panic attacks. She has set up someone she trusts as her backup in case she ever needs someone urgently; now she doesn’t have to worry about running out of options for support online or off!
Online gaming use goes quickly because online gamers interact with other players in real time via the Internet and smartphones or other devices connected to cellular networks. These gamers are usually spread across different locations but share a single space within an online multiplayer game world.
Average Data Usage
Online gaming uses on average about 0.41 GB per hour for every player. The time of day and activity will also have an effect on the usage as well, as players that are playing during peak hours will consume more data than those playing at off-peak hours. Peak hours typically fall between 6pm and 11pm, but this can vary depending on your geographical location and what games you’re playing.
The amount of data used can also vary depending on which game is being played. If you’re playing a game with a lot of graphics (such as Skyrim) it will take up more data than a simpler game like Tetris or Flappy Bird.
When streaming a live event such as eSports events, League of Legends Championships, or Dota 2 tournaments, these events typically run continuously for 10 to 12 hours and can consume about 3GB per hour! When downloading files from Xbox Live Arcade Marketplace in blocks ranging from 2MB to 20MB to 100MB, online gaming use ranges anywhere from 16 MB/hour to 8GB/hour.
Broadband Speed Vs. The Amount of Data Used
Online gaming uses a lot of data, but that’s not the only factor. One of the biggest factors is your broadband speed. This is because online games are constantly updating and so you’re downloading new information as you play. For example, if you have a 10Mbps connection with a 30GB game, that means it will take about 2 hours to download the entire game file.
For someone with a 100Mbps connection, it would only take about 20 minutes for that same 30GB game file to download. But how does your internet speed affect how much data is used? Broadband speed has an impact on how quickly your downloads complete. If you have a lower-speed connection, then downloads will take longer, resulting in more data usage over time.
Higher speeds mean that downloads can be completed faster and so less data is used. So, what should I do? If you want to lower the amount of data that online games use on your mobile device or laptop, then one option is to turn off background updates or install an app like Opera Max which compresses all internet traffic for mobile devices (note: this may slow down performance).
Streaming Vs Downloading
Online gaming has existed for decades now and has been very popular with people all over the world, but in recent years people have begun to question just how detrimental it is to the environment. Most gamers may know this answer, but others may not be so knowledgeable. This can also go into consideration as to what type of gamer one is: either a downloader or a streamer.
The first thing we should consider when looking at how much data online gaming uses is that there are different types of games and different platforms to play them on – meaning they will require different amounts of memory, space and bandwidth. On top of that, your internet speeds will also play a factor into determining how fast you can receive the game once downloaded or streamed from an online site like Steam or Amazon Prime Video.
Gaming At Home Vs on The Go
The average American spends about two hours of screen time per day, which can equate to about 50 hours per week or 2,600 hours per year.
So, if we spend this same amount of time playing online games: on average, that is 22 hours of online gameplay each week and 990 hours each year. A recent study by a mobile network provider shows that playing one hour of an online game uses 1.5 GB of data.
When we account for the different games, people play and how long they play for in a single day, it becomes clear just how fast those gigabytes start adding up. If you play an online game like PUBG for 60 minutes at a time every day for six months straight (that’s 240 hours), then you will have used 4 terabytes of data.
As mentioned before, these are only rough estimates based on averages—it depends largely on the types of games you play and how often you download updates when playing multiplayer games. However, with such high numbers even after using conservative estimates, it’s safe to say that there’s no question that online gaming use has reached massive proportions—even while accounting for lower-usage gamers.
How Can I Save More on My Internet Bill?
These days, it’s common for a household to have multiple people with their own devices. If you’re trying to make sure you stay within your monthly internet data limit, this can get tricky. Here are some simple tips that will help you keep your usage in check:
– Keep an eye on what apps are using the most data by checking out your network settings. You’ll be able to see how much each app is using and even set limits on what they can access.
– It’s important to be aware of which websites are taking up the most bandwidth. For example, streaming services like Netflix or Hulu will use a lot of your monthly internet data limit quickly. Even if you don’t watch these types of videos often, it’s still good to know where the majority of your usage is going so that you can adjust accordingly.
– Unplug all unused electronics from your home Wi-Fi router when not in use so that they aren’t leeching off your limited data plan. Even if only one device has been used recently, turning off other ones will save more time than simply waiting until later to turn them off when you know they won’t be used again.
– Finally, don’t forget about any mobile plans if you primarily use data on a smartphone! Having unlimited 4G LTE might sound appealing at first but really think about how much data video games alone could use before deciding whether unlimited is right for you.
Conclusion
Playing online games can be a great way to relax and forget about all of the stress in life. The world of video games is huge, so it’s not hard to find one that you’ll enjoy. However, playing video games does have some drawbacks when it comes to your data usage. Gaming on the internet is an activity that will end up using a significant chunk of your monthly bandwidth.
This means if you’re not careful, your gaming habit could result in higher monthly bills from Internet Service Providers (ISP). That’s why it’s important to know how much data online gaming uses before you start spending more money than necessary. There are a number of different factors that determine how much data online gaming uses. One factor is the type of game you are playing.
For example, many popular video games such as League of Legends or World of Warcraft consume significantly less data than other online competitive games like Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Another big factor determining the amount of data used by online gaming is the quality settings for your game graphics;if your graphics are set at low quality, then this will consume less data than if they were set at high quality. But even with these considerations, it’s still possible for even something as simple as watching a Twitch streamer or YouTube gamer consume over 10 gigabytes per hour!
