Does gaming use a lot of data?

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Many people have come to the conclusion that internet browsing is the biggest culprit when it comes to consuming data, however, the truth is quite the opposite.

Most of us know that mobile phone users are hit the hardest by data caps, and it seems that this is also the case with video games. There are some games that use up a ridiculous amount of data – so much so, that the only way to play them is to turn off your mobile data, and instead use wifi.

What is the biggest game using data right now?

Fortnite.

There is a new generation of consoles on the market, namely the Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro. Both feature much-improved graphics. If you play on these, there is a possibility that your data could be affected.

This may not seem like much compared to the data usage from smartphones, but it is.

If you look at the Fortnite servers, you’ll see that they’re around 3GB – which, when converted, equates to around 15,000 MB per second.

For those of you who don’t know, that is a massive amount of data usage – so, if you play on the PS4, the new X, or even the PS5, you may find that your data cap increases to an almost unbelievable amount.

In fact, the only reason that this hasn’t happened yet is that they’re still testing.

There are some things that you can do to help, such as using wifi.

The biggest problem here is that the internet speeds can vary depending on the time of day and the location of your router.

How Much Data Do I Use?

This might sound like a strange question, but you might be surprised at how much data you use when you’re playing games. Depending on the game, you can rack up between 1 GB and 10 GB in a single session.

This can make you wonder whether you need to make sure you’re using the right plan. While you should be conscious of the amount of data you use, you don’t necessarily need to have unlimited data.

What Data Limits Exist for Your Plan?

Some carriers include data limits when you sign up for a specific plan. If you exceed your monthly limit, the carrier may reduce the amount of data you have for the remainder of the month. In some cases, you could be billed an overage fee.

This also means that the data you use while you’re on the phone can also affect the amount of data you have. If you play a lot of games, you’ll often be charged extra data for that activity.

Here are some of the best tips for keeping your bill down when you’re gaming:

1. Turn Off the Data

If you’re a mobile gamer who tends to stream video games through the cloud rather than download them to your device, then it’s a good idea to turn off 3G or 4G data when you’re not playing.

2. Reduce the Speed of Your Wi-Fi Connection

Wi-Fi connections are built for sharing data rather than transmitting large amounts of information, so if you play a game online and want to download your files or chat with friends, try reducing the speed of your connection to save data.

3. Choose Your Games Wisely

Choosing a title that doesn’t take up a lot of space on your device could be beneficial for your mobile data usage. It’s also good to look at what you download, whether it’s videos, music, or even other apps that might need internet connectivity. Choose titles that don’t use a lot of data or are designed to be played offline to ensure that your mobile bill isn’t as high as it could be.

4. Delete Unused Apps

Apps such as Angry Birds and Candy Crush Soda are free to play and can use a lot of data, but once you’ve finished them, you can delete them from your device. This frees up space and makes it easier to browse the web, play a different game, or even delete an unwanted app altogether.

5. Use Data Saver

If you’re in a location where data is very expensive, you can also make use of the Data Saver setting on most devices. It reduces data consumption by reducing your connection speed. If you do have access to data, you’ll get a notification on your phone saying that you’re using more data than you were when you turned Data Saver on.