Suppose you need a router that’s great for general needs and then has customization for specific games. Well, you find more than one in this list of the best gaming routers I’ve reviewed.
All meet at least more than one of my criteria that qualify them to be gaming routers. With that in mind, knock yourself out. Don’t see your fav? Well, check back. I might add it as I review more.
Dong’s note: This is a frequently updated post.
Contents
Best gaming routers of 2021: 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 gaming gear.
They are listed here on reviewed orders with the latest on top — the number in front of their name is not for ranking, but just numerical.
8. Asus GT-AXE11000: Wi-Fi 6E is a still blur, but gamering is a sure thing
The GT-AXE11000, despite the similar hardware, is not an upgrade to the GT-AX11000 below. It’s the first Wi-Fi 6E router on the market.
One thing is for sure, though. This is one of the routers that Asus has put a crazy amount of what I called “gamering” on. It has everything you’d need to get the best out of your games, with the rights to brag like there’s no tomorrow.
Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 Wi-Fi 6E Gaming Router
$549.99
Pros
- Tri-band with Wi-Fi 6E support
- Excellent 5GHz and 2.4GHz performance
- Excellent set of game-related, online protection and monitoring features, full support for AiMesh 2.0
- 2.5Gbps LAN/WAN port, Dual-WAN, and LAN/WAN Link Aggregations
Cons
- Expensive
- Wi-Fi 6E is not fully available
- Only one 2.5Gbps port, no 10Gbps port
- Slow 2.5Gbps speed when working as bridge or AiMesh node
- Bulky design, not wall-mountable, buggy firmware (at launch)
7. Asus RT-AX92U: The little router that could
The Asus RT-AX92U is an interesting case. At launched it was a bit of a controversy due to the odd hardware specs and shoddy firmware. Later on, though, Asus managed to improve it a great deal via updates.
As of now, this is one of the best tri-band Wi-Fi 6 router you can buy and in many ways, it’s like the mini version of the ultimate gaming router that is the GT-AX11000 below.
ASUS RT-AX92U AX6100 Tri-Band WiFi 6 Router
$219.98
Pros
- Compact design, tri-band specs
- Good performance, large coverage
- Excellent set of features, including online protection, WTFast VPN for gamers, and system-wide Guest network when working as a mesh
- Link Aggregation and Dual-WAN support, wall-mountable
- Comparatively affordable
Cons
- No Wi-Fi 6 when working as a wireless mesh
- No Multi-Gig port
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
- The single Multi-gig port caps at 2.5 Gbps
3. TP-Link Archer AX11000: A chicken who thinks it’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
Best gaming routers of 2021: Hardware specifications and Wi-Fi performance
I tested all of these routers the way I do all Wi-Fi broadcaster. I also tried their gaming features via wired and wireless connections, without a retail or mesh extender.
It’s best to use game a console (or PC) via a wired connection as a rule. If you have to use Wi-Fi, make sure the device connects directly to the very first broadcaster of your home if you have more than one Wi-Fi hub.
Best gaming routers: Wi-Fi performance
I got the 5GHz numbers below via a 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 160MHz client and a 4×4 Wi-Fi 5 client.
On the 2.4GHz, I use the same 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 160MHz client and a 3×3 Wi-Fi 4 client.
Best gaming routers: Hardware specifications
Looking to compare these routers side by side, the table of hardware specifications below will help.
| Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 Wi-Fi 6E Gaming Router | Asus RT-AX92U AX6100 Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 Router | Netgear XR1000 Nighthawk Wi-Fi 6 Pro Gaming Router | Asus RT-AX82U AX5400 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router | Asus RT-AX86U AX5700 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router | TP-Link Archer AX11000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router | Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router | Netgear XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Wi-Fi 5 Router | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | GT-AXE11000 | RT-AX92U | XR1000 | RT-AX82U | RT-AX86U | Archer AX11000 | GT-AX11000 | XR500 |
| Wi-Fi Technology | Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E AX11000 | Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 AX6100 | Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 AX5400 | Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 AX5400 | Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 AX5700 | Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 AX11000 | Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 AX11000 | Dual-Band Wi-Fi 5 AC2600 |
| First Band | 2.4GHz 4×4 AX Up to 1148Mbps | 2.4Ghz 2×2 Wi-Fi 4 Up to 400Mbps | 2.4GHz 2×2 AX Up to 574Mbps | 2.4GHz 2×2 AX Up to 574Mbps | 2.4Ghz 3×3 AX Up to 861Mbps | 2.4GHz 4×4 AX Up to 1148Mbps | 2.4GHz 4×4 AX Up to 1148Mbps | 2.4GHz 4×4 AC Up to 800Mbps |
| Second Band | 5GHz 4×4 AX Up to 4804Mbps | 5GHz 2×2 AC Up to 867Mbps (low band) | 5GHz 4×4 AX Up to 4804Mbps | 5GHz 4×4 AX Up to 4804Mbps | 5GHz 4×4 AX Up to 4804Mbps | 5GHz 4×4 AX 6 Up to 4804Mbps | 5GHz 4×4 AX 6 Up to 4804Mbps | 5GHz 4×4 AC Up to 1733Mbps |
| Third Band | 6GHz 4×4 Wi-Fi 6E Up to 4804Mbps | 5GHz 4×4 AX Up to 4804Mbps | None | None | None | 5GHz 4×4 AX 6 Up to 4804Mbps | 5GHz 4×4 AX Up to 4804Mbps | None |
| Backward Compatibility | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n |
| Wi-Fi 6E (6GHz) Support | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| AP Mode | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mesh-ready | Yes (AiMesh 2.0) | Yes (AiMesh 2.0) | No | Yes (AiMesh 2.0) | Yes (AiMesh 2.0) | Yes (OneMesh) | Yes (AiMesh 2.0) | No |
| 160MHz Channel Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Number of 160MHz Channels | 7x on one 6GHz band 2x on one 5GHz band | 1x one 5GHz band | 2x on one 5GHz band | 2x on one 5GHz band | 2x on one 5GHz band | 2x on two 5GHz bands | 2x on two 5GHz bands | None |
| Gigabit Port | 4x LAN, 1x WAN | 4x LAN, 1x WAN | 4x LAN, 1x WAN | 4x LAN, 1x WAN | 4x LAN, 1x WAN | 8× LAN | 4x LAN, 1x WAN | 4x LAN, 1x WAN |
| Multi-Gig Port | 1x 2.5Gbps LAN/WAN | None | None | None | 1x 2.5Gbps LAN/WAN | 1× 2.5Gbps WAN | 1x 2.5Gbps LAN/WAN | None |
| LAN Link Aggregation | Yes (LAN ports 1 and 2) | Yes (LAN1 + LAN2) | None | Yes (LAN 1 and LAN 2) | Yes (LAN ports 1 and 2) | Yes (LAN 2 + LAN 3) | Yes (LAN ports 1 and 2) | None |
| WAN Link Aggregation | Yes (WAN + LAN4) | Yes (WAN + LAN4) | None | Yes (WAN + LAN4) | Yes (WAN + LAN4) | No | Yes (WAN + LAN4) | None |
| Dual-WAN | Yes (WAN + USB or LAN4 or 2.5Gbps) | Yes (WAN + LAN 1, or WAN + USB) | None | Yes (WAN + LAN4 or USB) | Yes (WAN + LAN4 or USB) | No | Yes (WAN + USB or LAN4 or 2.5Gbps) | None |
| USB | 2x USB 3.0 | 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0 | 1x USB 3.0 | 1x USB 3.0 | 2x USB 3.0 | 1× USB-C 3.0, 1× USB-A 3.0 | 2x USB 3.0 | 2x USB 3.0 |
| Mobile App | Asus Router | Asus Router | Netgear Nighthawk | Asus Router | Asus Router | TP-Link Tether | Asus Router | None |
| Gaming Features | Dedicated Game Port OutFox Game Boost Open NAT Mobile Game Mode QoS Aura Lighting | WTFast VPN Game Boost Open NAT Mobile Game Mode QoS | DumaOS 2.0 Geo-Filter Ping Heatmap QoS | Dedicated Game Port Game Boost Open NAT Mobile Game Mode QoS Aura Lighting | Dedicated Game Port Game Boost Open NAT Mobile Game Mode QoS | Fancy Web interface QoS | WTFast VPN Game Boost Open NAT Mobile Game Mode QoS Aura Lighting | DumaOS Geo-Filter QoS |
| Processing Power | 1.8 GHz quad-core CPU, 256MB Flash, 1GB RAM | 1.8Ghz dual-core CPU, 512 MB RAM, 256 MB Flash | 1.5 GHz tri-core CPU, 256 MB Flash, 512 MB RAM | 1.5 GHz tri-core CPU, 256 MB Flash, 512 MB RAM | 1.8 GHz quad-core CPU, 256 MB Flash, 1 GB RAM | 1.8 GHz 64 bit quad-core CPU, 512 MB Flash, 1 GB RAM | 1.8 GHz quad-core CPU, 256MB Flash, 1GB RAM | 1.7GHz dual-core CPU, 256MB Flash, 512MB RAM |
| Dimensions (no antennas) | 10.4 x 10.4 x 2.9 in (26.4 x 26.4x 7.4 cm) | 6.1 x 6.1 x 2.07 in (15.5 x 15.5 x 5.26 cm) | 11.61 x 7.87 x 2.51 in (29.5 x 20 x 6.4 cm) | 10.83 x 7.26 x 6.5 in (27.5 x 18.4 x 16.5 cm) | 9.52 x 3.93 x 12.79 inc. (24.2 x 10 x 32.5 cm) | 9.5 x 9.5 x 2.2 in (24.1 x 24.1 x 5.5 cm) | 9.5 x 9.5 x 2.4 in (24.1 x 24.1 x 6.1 cm) | 12.7 x 9.6 x 2.2 in (32.2 x 24.4x 5.5 cm) |
| Weight | 3.94 lbs (1.79 kg) | 1.43 lbs (651 g) | 1.32 lb (.6 kg) | 1.63 lbs (740 g) | 1.8 lbs (814.5 g) | 3.5 lbs (1.6 kg) | 3.8 lbs (1.73 kg) | 1.77lbs (801g) |
| Price (as of post’s date) | $550 | $210 | $300 | $230 | $250 | $350 | $450 | $250 |
I currently have the TPLink Archer AX6000. While it’s not gaming centric, it does have slighter faster speeds than the RT-AX86U. Which router do you like better between the TPLink and Asus?
I’d go with the Asus for sure.
Hey Dong,
Now I have a tp-link ax6000, what do you think if I buy an ax86u? Do you think there will be a difference on the gaming side?
The Asus RT-AX86U is better overall, Clone. How much better it is (for gaming) depends on your games and expectations.
Hi Dong,
I have an R7000 that seems to have issues with ping spikes that I cannot fix and do not have when wired directly into the modem.
Looking to upgrade to a newer gaming router. Price is not an issue at all and I only game hardwired. I am only semi-network savvy so ease of use is a priority for me.
I am leaning towards the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Gaming Router. What do you think?
That one will work well, Adam, but it’s quite huge compared to the R7000. You can also consider one out of this pair. Any on this list, by the way, is better than your current router.
Thanks! Appreciate the site.
Dong,
Great list of routers. As a PC Gamer, I’m hard wired into my current router. It’s an older Nighthawk (R6700) and performance is poor, even at wired speeds. Wireless is 2nd priority at this point. I recently subscribed to Gig Internet and my router can’t keep up. Is there a top 2-3 routers from this list that would shine as far as hardware and ethernet performance?
I’d go with one of the Asus ones, Rory. Pick one that fits your budget and home size. They are kinda all the same in the gaming department.
Thank you!
I’ve been tossing and turning deciding between the Asus AX86u and the Asus AX88u. Which would offer a gamer a better experience? Currently using the Asus AC3100. Most a console gamer hardwired.
Either is fine, Amanda, considering you’re all wired. I’d go with the former.
Hi Mr. Dong,
first sorry so much for my poor english and my low level in this area…
I need to buy a new single router and my question is, can you tell me between ax92, ax86 and ax82 (215€, 250€ and 113€) which one is better for a family use (3 person with wifi use, 1 xbox and 1 PC gamers). My home 100m2. Its enough the ax82u or is better go for other… take care a lot, thanks and Greetings from Spain.
Tu ingles es muy bueno, Sergio, major que mi español, eso es seguro! Go with the RT-AX82U. That’s enough for your place. Place it as close to the center of the house as possible.
Ok Mr. Dong The space shuttle is coming! 🤣
Have fun with it! 🙂
Hey Dong,
I am curious of your opinion of the RT-AX89X as a gaming router. I realize it is not marketed as such, but given the hardware, I would expect it to perform very well with regards to low latency and high bandwidth. I need to upgrade my current router, just not sure if I want to go with the 89X or wait on the GT-AXE11000 to be available and stable. Of if the RT-AX86U might work just as well for less money? I have 3 gamers in my household, and occasionally 2 more that stop by. My current overclocked R7000 on FreshTomato just can’t keep up when everyone starts gaming and streaming.
I’d go with the RT-AX86U, Man. The R7000 is a bit too old.
This article is a joke. Your a JOKER!
Thanks, Ben. I take that as a compliment. 🙂
Why the hate ben x, if you do not like then don’t comment…move on, pft