Editor’s Note: This article is written in partnership with ASUS and ROG. But based on my personal experience, I can say that ASUS and ROG are some of the best gaming router brands in the market.
Several things must come together for you to enjoy stable, high-bandwidth, low-latency networking for all your devices throughout your home. It starts with a great internet connection, and you’ll get a better experience with modern devices equipped with the latest WiFi tech. But at the center of it all is your wireless router. If you’re struggling with dropped connections, slowdowns, and dead zones, it’s time to reassess this vital piece of kit. The latest and best gaming routers from ASUS and ROG use the latest WiFi technologies, an intuitive and easy-to-use app, and comprehensive security — and they’re effortless to set up, too.
We offer wireless routers and mesh WiFi systems for a wide range of scenarios— everything from dorm rooms and apartments to multistory homes. Here, we’ll break down our best choices for gamers. Whether you need an affordable entry-level model to get yourself started or a premium model packed with high-end features, you’ll find what you’re looking for in this guide.
The best gaming router for active gamers with multiple devices: the ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro or ROG Rapture GT6
The architects of legacy WiFi standards planned for households where folks had, at most, one device per person. That paradigm just doesn’t cut it for today’s connected households. If your current router isn’t keeping up with the bandwidth demands of the smartphones, laptops, smart TVs, gaming consoles, smart home devices, and tablets in your home, take a look at the ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro.
The ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro is designed for gamers who want to keep multiple devices connected and still get incredible gaming performance. Enjoy up to eight simultaneous WiFi streams for more video streaming, gaming, and browsing for everyone in your home. WiFi 6 helps ensure an ultra-fast, stable connection for all game devices.
You can buy the ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro on the links below:
ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro
Lazada – https://bit.ly/3GswCwV
Shopee – https://bit.ly/47YVI2q
In many homes, you can find a centralized location for your wireless router and enjoy great networking in every room. Some homes pose a bit more of a challenge. If you live in a multistory home, a building with dense construction materials like stone or brick, or a home where you spend plenty of time in a finished basement or backyard patio, a mesh WiFi system might be a better pick for you than a traditional router.
ROG’s first tri-band mesh WiFi system, the ROG Rapture GT6, sizzles with great gamer style. It offers massive network capacity, and it’s built inside and out for gamers. WiFi 6 tech makes it well-equipped to handle a full household of connected devices, and as a mesh system with two nodes, it can provide excellent coverage to larger, multi-floor homes.
You can buy the ROG Rapture GT6 on the links below:
ROG Rapture GT6
Lazada – https://bit.ly/418vyIe
Shopee – https://bit.ly/47RGtIu
The best performance router for gaming: the ASUS RT-AX82U
Here’s a pick at the sweet spot of performance and price for most gamers: the ASUS RT-AX82U Pro. While they can’t quite go toe-to-toe with our cutting-edge ROG Rapture routers, they offer an enviable feature set that’ll deliver high-performance networking for years to come. They should be especially tempting to anyone who’s still paying their ISP a monthly “rental fee” for the privilege of using a company-provided router — these units are cheaper than a few years of paying those fees.
These models feature high-efficiency WiFi 6, with the RT-AX82U checking in with more bandwidth than its younger brother. You get access to a full suite of network security features, advanced parental controls, AiMesh, and VPN support, all without a paid subscription.
You can buy the ASUS RT-AX82U on the links below:
ASUS RT-AX82U
Lazada – https://ph.asus.click/AX82ULAZ
Shopee – https://ph.asus.click/AX82USHP
The best budget gaming router for casual gamers: the TUF Gaming AX6000 and TUF Gaming AX4200
Finally, here are our recommendations for casual gamers — or any shopper for whom budget is the top priority. The TUF Gaming AX6000 and TUF Gaming AX4200 don’t cost a lot, and they’ll get your home wireless network up and running so that you can start gaming.
You might be surprised at what you get with these routers, even though they both cost less than $200 (USD). Both offer WiFi 6 tech for fast network transfer speeds and excellent network efficiency. The TUF Gaming AX4200 can unlock up to 2Gbps of internet bandwidth with its 2.5Gb Ethernet port, or you can aggregate two separate 1G internet services using the LAN1 and LAN2 ports. It offers AiMesh support, and like all TUF Gaming devices, it’s extensively tested to ensure durability and stable operation for years to come.
Take a modest step up to the TUF Gaming AX6000 and you’ll not only enjoy increased bandwidth, but also dual 2.5Gb Ethernet ports with flexible WAN/LAN port configuration, AiMesh support, and a dash of style from the Aura RGB lighting. You’ll even find a dedicated gaming port that automatically prioritizes traffic to any device connected to it.
An exceptional feature set with the latest firmware
The enhanced web graphical user interface (GUI) and the ASUS router app give you easy access to the 30-second, 3-step web-based installation process. Our latest firmware gives you access to powerful and versatile features. With one of our routers that’s equipped with a USB port, you can enjoy plug-and-play mobile tethering. This means that even if the connection from your ISP is down, you can maintain internet access through the 4G LTE/5G connection of a device like your smartphone. After an easy setup, all you’ll have to do is connect your device to the port for instant internet access.
Additionally, you’ll get intuitive security tools, either through the web GUI or our easy-to-use ASUS Router app. AiProtection works behind the scenes to protect your networks, devices, and data, and you can use Instant Guard to get one-tap safe browsing for your mobile devices when you’re using a public WiFi network. Our latest routers also support a variety of VPN protocols, including Wireguard, to help ensure that your data is transferred safely between routers located on different networks.
You can buy the TUF Gaming AX4200 and TUF Gaming AX6000 on the links below:
TUF Gaming AX4200
Lazada – https://ph.asus.click/TUFAX4200LAZ
Shopee – https://ph.asus.click/TUFAX4200SHP
TUF Gaming AX6000
Lazada – https://ph.asus.click/TUFAX6KLZD
Shopee – https://ph.asus.click/TUFAX6KSHP
On the horizon: WiFi 7 beckons
Early in 2023, we announced our very first WiFi 7 routers. Ultrafast WiFi 7 (802.11be) shatters all boundaries to give you exceptional networking speeds for gaming, entertainment, and more. You asked for more speed, and WiFi 7 delivers. While WiFi 6 focused on congestion-busting tech designed for crowded networks, WiFi 7 kicks into high gear with new features that deliver faster wireless speeds than ever, all while retaining or refining the advantages of WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E.**
To take full advantage of the latest wireless standard, you’ll need both a WiFi 7 router and some WiFi 7 devices. For your router, look no further than the all-new quad-band ROG Rapture GT-BE98. Our latest ROG Maximus and ROG Strix Z790 motherboards will be among our very first WiFi 7 motherboards. Look to the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero for the very best wireless networking experience. Offering link speeds up to 5.76Gbps, this motherboard is perfect for users with a multi-gigabit internet connection, or those who want a high-speed wireless connection to a network-attached storage (NAS) unit.
** WiFi 7 features require WiFi routers and client devices with WiFi 7-supported operating systems to support the corresponding features.
***The 320Mhz in the 6 GHz band may be unavailable in some regions/countries due to regulatory restrictions.
****MLO (Multi-link Operation) full functions support will be ready in Windows 11 2024 Platform (Windows 11 24H2) or later.
