A gaming router is one that’s great for general needs and then has customization for specific games. At least that’s how it’s supposed to be, in my opinion. With that in mind, you’ll find here the best gaming routers you can get right now.
Don’t see your fav? Well, check back. I might add it as I review more.
Best gaming routers of 2020: The list
All routers on this list are excellent for general use. On top of that, they collectively check all the boxes to be qualified as a gaming gear. They are listed here on reviewed orders with the latest on top.
6. Netgear XR1000: A sophisticated gaming router
The XR1000 is somewhat of an upgrade to the XR500 below. It’s the second gaming router base on the DumaOS and the first that uses Wi-Fi 6.
The new router runs version 3.0 of the game-centric firmware and has some cool features, including an improved Geo-Filter with polygon mode and Ping heatmap.
The new firmware version is a bit heavy for the router’s hardware specs and the XR1000 is a bit pricey, but overall, it’s a great router for those playing a set of specific games.
Netgear XR1000 Nighthawk Pro Gaming 6-Stream Wi-Fi 6 Router
$349.99
Pros
- Sophisticated game-centric firmware
- Fast Wi-Fi speeds and reliable perfornace
- Robust web UI, beautiful hardware design
- Useful mobile app, wall-mountable
Cons
- Expensive but under powered - items of web interface can take a long time to fully load
- Limited Wi-Fi settings
- Mobile app can't manage any gaming features
- No multi-gig port, Dual-WAN or Link Aggregation
- Online protection and VPN require subscriptions
- Buggy -- firmware needs some serious updates, no mesh option
5. Asus RT-AX82U: Possibly the coolest-looking gaming router
The Asus RT-AX82U is basically the RT-AX86U below with slightly lesser hardware. In return, it unique has a fantastic looking programmable front lighting that sure will turn any gamer on! If you’re into gaming routers with bling, this is the router for you.
Asus RT-AX82U AX5400 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router
Pros
- Excellent performance
- Beautiful design with tons of helpful networking, game-related features and settings
- Robust web UI, well-designed mobile app
- Comparatively affordable
Cons
- No support for WTFast Gamer VPN
- No multi-gig network port
- Network storage performance (when hosting a portable drive) could use some improvement
- Not wall-mountable
4. Asus RT-AX86U: The best dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router to date
I called the Asus RT-AX86U the best dual-band router to date for a reason. It’s great.
As for gaming, it has lots of features, including a set of robust pre-programmed settings, a game LAN port, and more. The 2.5 Gbps multi-gig port also means it’s ready if you need an ultra-fast wired connection.
ASUS RT-AX86U AX5700 Dual Band Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router
Pros
- Fast performance, excellent range, reliable
- Tons of helpful networking features and settings
- Useful settings for online gaming
- Robust web UI, well-designed mobile app
- Multi-gig, WAN/LAN Link Aggregation support
- Excellent NAS performance and features when hosting a storage device
- Comparatively affordable
Cons
- No support for WTFast Gamer VPN
- Not wall-mountable
- Gaming features turn Adaptive QoS off
- Multi-gig port caps at only 2.5 Gbps
3. TP-Link Archer AX11000: A hip chicken who thinks he’s a duck
Yes, this is the one I called “fake”. But the TP-Link Archer AX11000 does look the part as a gaming router and it has a robust QoS where you can easily turn on prioritization for gaming.
TP-Link Archer AX11000 Next-Gen Tri-Band Gaming Router
Pros
- Fast and reliable Wi-Fi performance
- 2.5 Gbps WAN port with eight Gigabit LAN ports
- 160 MHz channel bandwidth support
- Excellent, Antivirus, QoS and Parental Control features
- Robust full web user interface, helpful mobile app
- Eye-catching and convenient hardware design
- USB-C ready, wall-mountable
Cons
- Misleading gaming veneer, no actual gaming-specific features
- No multi-gig LAN port, bulky design
- Not mesh-ready
- Artificial "Game" items make the interface unnecessarily confusing
- Mobile app require a login account
2. Asus GT-AX11000: The ultimate gamers’ edition of a Wi-Fi 6 router
The GT-AX11000 is the first Wi-Fi 6 router for gamers, and it delivers. Among other things, it has built-in support for WTFast gamer VPN, which allows it to be part of a unique VPN where you can enjoy certain games with extremely low-lags.
Alternatively, you can also opt for the RT-AX92U, which is basically the mini version of this router.
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Gaming Router
Pros
- Fast and reliable Wi-Fi performance with excellent range
- Lots of useful features for home users
- Unique and effective settings for online gaming
- Multi-Gig network port, Dual-WAN, Link Aggregation
- Mesh ready
Cons
- Expensive
- Bulky design, loose antennas, non-wall-mountable
- Fewer LAN ports than previous model
- Long boot-up time, buggy (at launch), fluctuating Wi-Fi throughputs
1. Netgear XR500: A gaming router at heart
You can’t deny the Netgear XR500 is a gaming router. That’s because it was the first, in the U.S., that runs DumaOS, a special firmware made by the U.K. firm Netduma which develops special gaming routers.
As a result, the XR500 has lots of unique game-related features, including Geo-Filter, which allows you to create a low-lag zone for gaming. Alternatively, you can also find the XR300 and XR700.
The former is the lesser version of the XR500, while the latter is a souped-up version that, unfortunately, uses 802.11ad Wi-Fi standard that adds no extra value since it’s not widely adopted.
Netgear Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500
Pros
- DumaOS delivers comprehensive and effective QoS and online gaming features with a robust web interface
- Excellent overall performance
- Easy to setup and fun to use
Cons
- No built-in security to protect the entire network from online threats
- Content filtering can't block secure website sites such as Facebook or Youtube
- Limited Wi-Fi settings