Imagine you are playing a multiplayer game online. You are about to finally make the last jump to finish the game with flying colors, but suddenly, the game freezes, and you are stuck there with nothing but frustration.
You wouldn’t want that to happen to your players when hosting an online game, right?
To provide an unmatched gaming experience, choosing an ideal dedicated game server is essential. Not having the right gaming server can lead to a bad gaming experience, resulting in players leaving.
Online games usually suffer from lag, slow loading time, instability, crashes, lost saves, and dropped games. To eliminate all these problems, dedicated game servers come into play (pun intended, obviously).
What are dedicated game servers?
A dedicated gaming server focuses on running one game, unlike shared servers, which host and share multiple applications with other users. Dedicated gaming servers give you complete control over the hardware and software, thus ensuring high performance and stability for a smooth online gaming experience.
Why dedicated game servers are better?
- Improved performance and stability: Dedicated servers provide more reliability and performance and can handle high traffic demands.
- Lower latency and reduced lag: Since dedicated servers are placed carefully in data centers with robust network connectivity, they have low latency and minimal lag.
- Customization and control: You have complete control over the server, including – game settings, configurations, and modifications. You have the freedom to change the game’s settings and regulations or add specific plugins or changes.
- Improved security and protection: Since dedicated game servers are not shared by any other games, there is less of a risk of security breach. They give you complete access and control over the server. You can choose who can and cannot enter it.
However, before choosing a dedicated gaming server, you must consider a few things:
What is the type of game you’re hosting?
There are three main types of games: single-player games, synchronous multiplayer games, and asynchronous multiplayer games.
- Single-player games: These types of games involve only one player, like Candy Crush and Red Dead Redemption. They use very few resources, as very little information is sent back to the server to process.
- Synchronous multiplayer games: This type of gaming involves multiple players engaging in real-time, such as CS:GO and Fortnite. It is the most resource-intensive and requires a low-latency and high-performance server.
- Asynchronous multiplayer games: This type of gaming involves multiple players, similar to synchronous multiplayer games. However, the catch is that the players do not engage with each other in real time, like in chess or Words With Friends. These require slightly more hosting input than that of single-player games.
Where are your players located?
Understanding your players’ location is very important when choosing the best gaming server hosting. Gaming servers are latency-sensitive, as every mile between a server and a player counts. It is essential to know if your players are spread across one or two countries or all across the globe. To ensure a consistently good gaming experience for your players, players must be located as close as possible to the game hosting server.
But, if you have a global player base, you should opt for gaming servers or rent from a hosting company that operates an international network of data centers.
What hardware specifications do you need?
A dedicated server with high-performance hardware components is required for online gaming. CPU power, RAM capacity, and storage speed are some factors to focus on. A high-powered CPU will reduce server lag, handle traffic, process game logic, manage multiplayer interactions, and deliver smooth gameplay.
Does your game require high security?
Suppose you intend to collect information like personal and payment details from the players. In that case, you should opt for a dedicated server provider with a good firewall and DDoS protection to ensure the security measures are top-notch.
How important is uptime for you?
A reliable gaming server is the best one as it provides the players with consistent access to the gaming platform. Choose a provider that guarantees proper uptime to avoid game crashes and minimize downtime. Make sure your provider also offers 24/7 customer support to address any issues that may arise.
Conclusion
Selecting the appropriate game server hosting ensures a smooth and enjoyable gaming experience. Whether you’re an avid gamer looking to host private games or a developer launching a new game, the right server solution can make all the difference.
