NETGEAR’s
Game Booster is a feature-packed service that provides Orbi customers the tools
found on Nighthawk Pro Gaming routers to enhance network performance and
minimise lag for the ultimate gaming experience.
There are many regular video games
users, and the pandemic and related lockdowns have spurred these numbers to
even greater heights as shown by the associated growth in game streaming
platforms such as Twitch.
“NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming
routers, which are purpose-built with game-enhancing software, have long been a
mainstay of the pro or hard-core gamer, but recent research among Orbi users
has shown that greater than 60% of surveyed households have at least one gamer,
with a significant number of those gamers playing on a console or PC. For these
players, NETGEAR’s Game Booster service can help provide a winning advantage,”
says Tobie van Schalkwyk, product
manager for NETGEAR at Duxbury Networking.
Gamers know that timing is
everything, and now along with a powerful PC or premium game console, quality
Wi-Fi is an equally important part of the experience and can mean the
difference between winning and losing, even by a fraction of a second. This is
why NETGEAR Game Booster, powered by DumaOS, includes three core components all
easily controlled from the Orbi App, that directly influence gamers’ number one
pain point – lag.
“With a Ping Heatmap and Geo-Filter,
the service gives players the power to identify and choose the fastest game
servers for their preferred games, thereby reducing ping by up to 93%. It also
helps prioritise network bandwidth to gaming devices and applications with a
Network Priority feature,” says Van Schalkwyk.
Game Booster also includes
Adblocker, a new feature on the router, benefiting any device on the network,
not just the gaming console or PC. Not only does Adblocker block unwanted ads,
but it also limits tracking from various web sites. The blocklist is updated
regularly and users can customise both the domains to be blocked and the
devices it is active on through the Orbi app.
Key benefits of NETGEAR Game Booster include:
·
Ping
heatmap: View ping rates of servers for your preferred games, create
a ping schedule for them, and see servers’ historical data to better strategise
your Game server pick.
·
Geo-filter:
Dramatically reduce lag by controlling the server that you connect to. Choose
servers based on distance and ping rate in Geo-Filter or Geo-Fencing mode.
Outline boundaries on a map to save the best-performing servers and block
undesirable ones.
·
Network
priority: With multiple devices needing bandwidth, congestion slows
you down. Now, you can eliminate lag, by allocating and prioritising bandwidth
usage across your home, and move your game apps to the front of the line.
·
Bandwidth
allocation: Control bandwidth across all applications and connected
devices. Control the amount of bandwidth each receives, as well as setting
download and upload speeds.
·
Traffic
prioritisation: Gaming traffic is automatically
detected and prioritised. Apply rules to services and ports based on data
usage.
“NETGEAR
Game Booster will be available initially to Orbi Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems
(series 750 and 850). The service launches in Q1 2022 and a 30-day free trial
will be offered,” says Van Schalkwyk.