Can you even imagine your life without online gaming? They offer immersive experiences and unlimited entertainment. You can carry your favourite games in your pocket and play a round or two whenever possible. It could be between your classes, work meetings, lunch breaks, or even when you are standing in a queue at the bank or at Starbucks. For example, with the Rummy app download, you can carry your favourite Rummy game wherever you go. Whenever you are bored, simply tap on the Rummy game app, and entertainment will be at your fingertips.
While gaming on your mobile phone is a lot of fun, and it lets you stay connected with your friends across the globe, the joy can quickly turn sour when you realize your mobile data is on the brink of exhaustion. Although online gaming doesn’t consume as much mobile data as streaming your favourite TV shows or movies, it makes sense to keep your mobile data usage in check. You wouldn’t want to be left without mobile data while travelling or even go overboard with your monthly mobile bill payment budget.
In This Article
How Much Data Does Online Gaming Consume?
The amount of mobile data consumed while gaming differs based on the following factors:
- The type of game you are playing. Action-packed games like battle royales or first-person shooters feature high-quality graphics, and they tend to be data-hungry. On the other hand, strategy or skill-based games like Rummy may consume less data. Depending on your data pack, you can choose which game to download.
- The graphics setting on your device can significantly affect mobile data consumption. To reduce data usage, you can lower the graphics quality.
- Updating games regularly consumes substantial data, especially if the game file is too large.
On average, you can expect to use 50MB to 200MB of mobile data per hour for online gaming. However, please note that this can fluctuate depending on the factors above.
Tips to Keep Your Mobile Data Usage in Check While Gaming
● Connect to Wi-Fi Whenever you can
Connect to a Wi-Fi network whenever possible. This is the most effective way to save mobile data.
It is easy to forget to connect to an available Wi-Fi network manually. So, you can set up auto-connect where you spend the most time – the office, at home, or your go-to coffee shop.
However, please be cautious when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks. To avoid being a scam victim, don’t use banking applications or make any transactions online. You can also use a reliable VPN service to encrypt your Internet traffic.
● Optimize the Game Settings
Most games you install on your device will let you adjust the graphics settings. You can lower the texture quality, resolution, and other visual effects that increase mobile data usage. Reducing these settings won’t impact gameplay but will help reduce data consumption.
● Watch Out for Background Apps Consuming Data
If you are wondering why your mobile data is being consumed so fast, it might be because your phone is using data in the background. You might not even know these apps are running in the background and draining your mobile data. You try to tweak the game settings and connect to Wi-Fi for most of your playtime, but to no avail.
Your phone constantly updates applications in the background to ensure they run correctly, even when you are not using them. For instance, your email or messaging apps like WhatsApp keep updating in the background and searching for new messages or messages.
You must close background apps and turn off data fetching to reduce mobile data consumption.
Here’s How You Can Turn Off Background Apps –
- Android – Go to Settings > click Connections > choose Data Usage > click Data Saver.
- iPhone – Go to Settings > General > Turn off Background App Refresh.
Staying alert of what’s happening in the background can help reduce mobile data usage.
● Disable Auto-Updates
When games are allowed to update automatically, they do it whenever there’s a new update, and this consumes precious data. Turn off auto-updates and manually update the gaming apps when connected to Wi-Fi.
You can also tweak the settings on your device to only download and update apps when connected to the Wi-Fi.
● Limit in-Game Features
Video streaming, voice chat, and downloading in-game content are some of the in-game features that can consume a lot of data. Make sure to use these features judiciously or only when connected to Wi-Fi.
● Consider Offline Gaming
If you are worried about using too much mobile data, you can download games offering offline modes. Take advantage of such games when you are low on data and there’s no option for Wi-Fi.
● Set Data Limits
Most smartphones allow users to set data limits to prevent unexpected overages.
● Upgrade your Data Plan
Are you a heavy gamer? If so, the best solution would be to upgrade your data plan or opt for unlimited data options. Then, you would never have to worry about draining your mobile data.
Through the implementation of the aforementioned tips, you can enjoy your favourite games without worrying about draining your mobile data plan.
Remember, a little awareness and planning can go a long way in optimizing your gaming experience.
Read Also: How To Transfer LINE from Android to iPhone
Bonus Tip: Which Internet Plan is Best for Online Gaming?
If you plan to take full advantage of gaming on your mobile devices, make sure to choose the right Internet plan. Consider the following factors:
- Low Latency – A low latency or ping is critical for smooth online gaming. Choose data plans with low latency.
- Stability – A consistent, reliable Internet connection is crucial to avoid interruptions during gaming sessions.
- Unlimited or High Data – As mentioned, online gaming can consume vast amounts of data. If you are a prolific gamer, unlimited data plans are the best option.
- High Speed – 5G has entered the market. If your device supports it, nothing can be better than 5G connectivity because good speed is required for playing multiplayer games.
So, don’t be afraid of playing online games using your mobile data. Just keep the tips mentioned here in mind and have fun.
