If you are wondering whether 50 Mbps is fast enough for gaming and streaming, then read on – we have put together a guide on this very subject.
Now, 50 Mbps is quite a common choice among people, as it is a good balance of price and speed. Plus, it is accessible – most Internet Service Providers have a 50 Mbps plan, and even the most budget routers will support it. In fact, in 2024, the average global internet speed is 50 Mbps. So, while it may not be as fast as a 300 Mbps connection, it does give you enough speed for online gaming and streaming… but there’s a slight catch.
In this guide, we will explain how fast 50 Mbps is and whether it is suitable for tasks like streaming, gaming, and working from home.
Quick Answer
A 50 Mbps speed is fast and is likely enough for most users. With a 50 Mbps connection, you can keep 1 to 2 devices connected, streaming 4K content, and play online games. However, downloading large files will take up a lot of time.
How fast is 50 Mbps, and what can you do with it?
A 50 Mbps connection is fast enough nowadays to carry out most online activity. Whether it relates to personal or professional work, a 50 Mbps internet speed can suffice most needs easily. Here are some activities that you can perform smoothly with a 50 Mbps connection.
- Streaming 4K content without any buffering or lag
- Play online games
- Download and upload files quickly
- Conduct online video meetings
To give you a bit more clarity, here is how fast a 50 Mbps connection will download files-
| File type | The time it will take to download |
| 250 MB file | 40 seconds |
| 500 MB file | 1 minute 20 seconds |
| 1 GB | 2 minutes 40 seconds |
| 5 GB | 13 minutes 20 seconds |
| 8GB | 21 minutes 20 seconds |
Is 50 Mbps good for streaming?
When trying to use a streaming service such as Netflix to watch movies, you should run into little to no issues. It is recommended that you have a minimum download speed of at least 3 Mbps for HD streaming. This means that 50 Mbps is plenty enough to stream HD content. On top of that, YouTube videos require around 20 Mbps to stream high-definition content, so you can do this without constant buffering.
As per Netflix, you need to have a 15 Mbps speed to stream 4K content, so technically, 50 Mbps should be enough. However, you might find there may be some issues with buffering, especially when multiple devices are sharing the bandwidth.
Is 50 Mbps good for gaming?
Most ISPs recommend having at least 3 to 6 Mbps of internet speed for any kind of game. So, gamers will find that 50 Mbps should be enough to play their favorite games online with low latency and minimal lag.
While the gaming experience will be smooth, you might issues with large files that need to be downloaded. For instance, if an AAA game has a 100GB file, the download can take up to 5 hours, which can be frustrating. The same goes with large updates rolled out for games, which often have a large file size and can become a hassle to keep on top of.
So, if you are planning to download large games or you’re expecting large DLCs, then you might be better off with a 100 Mbps connection.
Is 50 Mbps good for working from home?
If you work from home and require high speeds to ensure all work is completed, then an internet connection speed of 50 Mbps should be enough. For video calls such as Zoom or Skype, you will find that the upload speeds will allow for a smooth experience. If your work is mostly related to sending emails, creating presentations, and filling in spreadsheets, then a 50 Mbps speed is more than enough.
However, you may find that downloading larger files will be a slight hassle and start to reduce your workflow. Additionally, sending files can take quite a while due to the lower upload speeds associated with a 50 Mbps internet plan.
Is 50 Mbps good for multiple devices?
A 50 Mbps connection can be shared among 3-4 users or devices simultaneously. There should be enough bandwidth to support a small household whilst doing light browsing. You will start to run into difficulties when multiple users start to do demanding activities simultaneously.
If you require multiple devices to be connected at the same time, then check out our guide to the best routers for multiple devices to ensure that they all get a good connection.
Conclusion
To sum up, a 50 Mbps internet connection is good enough for streaming and gaming, but there is a catch – you will have to wait a bit for large files (like 100 MB games, for instance) to download. So, while it can give you a lag-free experience, the download times can be a hassle. Other than this, 50 Mbps is a perfectly fine speed for day-to-day browsing activities, working from home, and usage on multiple devices as long as you don’t connect too many devices.
