What Are the Best Mobile Hotspots for Gaming?
The way mobile gaming looks has changed over the last few decades. It used to be defined by the brick: AKA, the comparatively massive, clunky, nostalgic, classic GameBoy. The original GameBoy was powered by AA batteries, predating the era when rechargeable onboard batteries were the norm.
Now, mobile gaming can be done on any number of devices and not just dedicated handheld consoles. When in private, home internet can satisfy all the needs of your devices. When you’re out and about, you need wi-fi that moves with you.
One of the most essential gadgets any gamer can have is a mobile wi-fi hotspot. You can gain internet access nearly anywhere with these handy tools. Mobile hotspots utilize the data your providers give to provide a streamlined, on-the-go gaming experience.
Just as no two machines are built alike, no two mobile hotspots are the same. These hotspots aren’t simply ways to gain an efficient internet connection in public. They can improve your gaming experience exponentially.
Below, we’re going to highlight what makes these hotspots the best around, and how a hotspot can improve your gaming.
WTFast provides gaming expertise on all topics related to PC and mobile gaming. Today, we turn that earned wisdom into ways to enjoy gaming when leaving your usual router behind.
Verizon Jetpack 8800L
As far as older hotspots go, the Verizon Jetpack is an effective model. We will warn you: This router doesn’t support 5G, meaning it won’t necessarily be the fastest around.
With a high speed for 4G and compatibility with a wide number of devices, it can still enhance your gaming experience. Qualcomm’s X20 modem makes for an at-the-time major upgrade from 4GH, using 5Ghz waves to improve speeds.
The 8800L is the most advanced hotspot of its generation, and can now easily be found in the mid-double digits. If you just want a casual entry point, that price can’t be beat. It won’t give you internet speed comparable to new ones, but it will still help you enough.
Two USB ports offer multiple direct connections to the hotspot. Up to fifteen devices supported at a time means you’ll have a wide variety of options for playing with friends.
OpenVPN allows your data to be encrypted slightly, which can be a protective measure compared to public wi-fi. At the same time, there are reasons you may not want to use a VPN.
The piece is also intensely portable. The piece sits at roughly four and a half inches by under three inches and is just under an inch thick. The end result is a hotspot that may very well be even smaller than your phone.
Nighthawk M1 LTE Mobile Hotspot Router
When the Nighthawk LTE was initially released, it was the best gaming router on the market. Netgear’s offering still remains viable as a mobile hotspot router.
To begin, this hotspot can support up to 20 devices at once. Dual-band functionality allows for either 2.4GHz or 5GHz connections. This results in enhanced download speeds and upload speeds as well. It’s too bulky for pocket use, but it can still fit easily in bags.
You can enable short or long-range wi-fi for faster data speeds, and you can connect to public wi-fi to reduce data usage. Through versatility, speed, and ease of use with its related app, the Nighthawk earns our approval.
Inseego 5G Mifi2000
T-Mobile took a while to enter the world of the 5G hotspot. When they did, they prioritized the essential features. Both 4G and 5G speeds are supported in this entry on the MiFi name.
The mobile hotspot device is meant to be an affordable, effective way to get on the internet. A $50/month data plan with 100GB makes it useful all month long, save for the heaviest data usage. A touchscreen makes it easy to interact with, so you can get on with your online gaming.
For device connectivity, it only offers one USB-C port for charging. For the majority of gamers, this won’t be an issue. If you need to, though, you can use the USB connection for two-way charging. Whether using a power bank or using the hotspot as a power bank, you’ll be protected.
The battery is just over 5000 mAH, lasting a bit over 10 hours when in use. This won’t last you for ages, but can effectively sustain a marathon session.
Alcatel Linkzone 2
The Alcatel Linkzone 2 is a budget option that trades internet speed for a low entry price and hotspot plans. In truth, there’s little exceptional about it, but it does have USB-A and C support. This option works well if you are fine operating on 4G, and simply want an inexpensive hotspot.
Nommi Power
Traveling can be a wonderful time. However, if you’re going international, you’ll also have to deal with adjustment pains. This can include needing to use special SIM cards to be able to travel across countries. Nommi Power uses fast LTE networks to provide unlimited data anywhere.
Nommi connects to public wi-fi Networks to aid you in saving your own data. It also lasts longer than most other hotspots, in both battery life and range. A 10,000 mAH battery keeps it going for days on end, while an extender increases its effective range.
Pay-as-you-go data can be far more cost-efficient than most traditional monthly data plans. Prepaid data can also save you if you only want to temporarily use your hotspot.
The Nommi Power isn’t as fast an LTE router as some of the other best hotspots. Despite this, its long battery life and versatility make it an impressive addition to your setup. Nommi Power is significant enough that its cofounder, Alyona Tkachenko, made it on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.
Skyroam Solis X
The Skyroam Solis X is another hotspot that’s essential for international travelers. It makes quick pairing easy with a QR code against its orange, circular frame. It has wide support across a variety of networks, without ever throttling your Mbps.
You can buy monthly or daily data packets. Once your data has run out, you can buy additional gigabytes. This can be a pricier option if you use a lot of data. If you just want an hour or two somewhere to play, it can be a generous amount of data.
Glocalme G4 Pro
The Glocalme has a large touchscreen that takes up most of the front face of the hotspot. You’d probably be forgiven for thinking it was a smartphone at first glance. It can connect up to 10 devices as well, with an impressive 30mbps download speed and 20mbps speed.
This can help you with gaming or streaming alike. That speed isn’t the best around, but it is comparable to that of the average household wi-fi. It also has an ethernet slot for the fastest connection possible.
Thanks to the speed of ethernet compared to wi-fi, you can get the fastest speeds on your phone or laptop.
Orbic Speed 5G
Our next offering is a powerhouse device meant for those who need the best wireless speed for the maximum number of devices. The Orbic Speed 5G connects to the 5G network to support the fastest connection on the market. It supports 5G Ultra-Wideband, LTE, and wi-fi 6 among other formats.
It follows Verizon’s plans, meaning the data you do use may be somewhat expensive. Still, financing the device can be done monthly, allowing for a more fiscally accessible approach to the device.
ZTE Velocity
We’re going to close out our guide by listing yet another budget-friendly mobile hotspot. The ZTE is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand or even in smaller pockets. Its touch screen is also sizable relative to the overall scale of the device at 2.4 inches. Initial setup is done entirely on the hotspot itself and doesn’t require the use of apps or external features.
The ZTE utilizes 802.11 n speeds, which are orders of magnitude faster than 4G. This provides a theoretical maximum speed of 300 Mbps, though real speeds will be far below this. The essential is this: It can manage streaming movies and games alike at the highest available quality.
It can support 2.4Ghz connections and 5.0Ghz connections. Still, unlike true wi-fi routers, it cannot do both at once. The speeds it does provide still make it competitively alluring for the connection you choose to use.
How To Get the Best Mobile Gaming Experience
A high-quality hotspot provides a stable connection and can even rival routers (in the case of ethernet). However, it’s not the only way that you can enhance your mobile gaming. This is especially the case when gaming on mobile devices, where latency can be an issue.
WTFast is here to solve all tech needs. This starts with providing detailed and accessible guides to everything from hotspots and chipsets to game troubleshooting. It ends with our personal Gamers Private Network.
This network — available for mobile and PC alike — serves to lower ping and improve your accuracy by controlling your data’s route to and from the server. It’s the secret weapon you never knew you needed.
Sources:
Understanding the Difference Between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz | CableAmerica Support Center
