If you’ve ever dug into your internet settings or tried to optimize your online gaming setup, you’ve probably stumbled across the terms “IPv4 vs IPv6 in gaming.”
And like many, you might’ve wondered: Does one give me better ping? Fewer disconnections? Faster speeds? Today, we’re going to explore this head-on in a way that’s easy to understand, even if you don’t consider yourself super tech-savvy.
Let’s break it all down and figure out if switching to IPv6 is actually going to level up your gaming experience or if IPv4 is still holding the high score.
What Are IPv4 and IPv6? What’s Their Difference?
Alright, let’s start with the basics.
Both IPv4 and IPv6 are types of IP (Internet Protocol) addresses. Think of them like mailing addresses for your devices.
Every device that connects to the internet—your PC, Xbox, PlayStation, phone, fridge (yeah, that’s a thing now)—needs an IP address so it can send and receive data.
IPv4
IPv4 is the fourth version of the Internet Protocol, and it’s the one most of the internet has been using since the early days. These addresses look something like this:
192.168.0.1
IPv4 addresses are made up of four sets of numbers (each between 0–255), which gives us about 4.3 billion possible unique addresses.
That was more than enough back in the day, but with billions of people now using multiple internet-connected devices, we started to run out of space.
IPv6
Enter IPv6, the sixth version of the protocol. Instead of four sets of numbers, IPv6 uses eight groups of hexadecimal digits, like this:
2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334
This upgrade gives us a staggering number of unique addresses: around 340 undecillion (that’s 340 followed by 36 zeros). Basically, we’re not running out of IPs again anytime soon.
But IPv6 isn’t just about quantity. It also brings changes in how devices connect, how data is handled, and how secure connections are.
So now that we’ve got that cleared up, what does it all mean for gaming?
Source: AVG
The History of IPv4 And The Rise of IPv6
IPv4 dates back to the 1980s. At that time, the internet was still mostly a government and academic thing, not the massive gaming, streaming, meme-sharing playground we have today.
As more people got online, especially with the rise of mobile devices and smart tech, we hit a wall. That wall was the limited number of IPv4 addresses.
To delay the problem, we got creative. Techniques like NAT (Network Address Translation) allowed multiple devices in a home to share one public IPv4 address. But it was a patch, not a fix.
IPv6 started rolling out in the early 2000s, but adoption has been slow. Why? Well, it requires infrastructure changes. And not all ISPs, routers, or even games are fully ready to support IPv6 yet. In fact, as of now, IPv4 is still the default for most devices and services, including many online games.
But that’s slowly changing. Major platforms like Xbox, PlayStation, and some PC games are beginning to support IPv6.
Is IPv6 Faster Than IPv4 For Gaming?
Let’s get to the question that probably brought you here: Is IPv6 actually faster than IPv4 when it comes to gaming?
The short answer? It depends.
Here’s the deal: IPv6 was designed to be more efficient. In theory, it should offer:
- Shorter routing paths, since there’s no need for NAT.
- Better peer-to-peer connections, because devices can talk directly without needing to go through a shared public IP.
So yeah, IPv6 can be faster, but only if:
- Your ISP supports IPv6 and has optimized routing.
- Your home network is fully IPv6-ready.
- The game servers you’re connecting to actually use IPv6.
If any of those pieces are missing, you’re probably still using IPv4. And even if everything is in place, the real-world performance difference is often so small that most players won’t notice.
In some cases, IPv6 might actually introduce issues, like higher ping or packet loss, if your ISP’s implementation isn’t great or your router handles IPv6 poorly.
So while IPv6 has the potential to be faster, IPv4 isn’t necessarily the villain here.
What About Speed and Security?
Let’s look at speed and security separately for a moment, because both matter when you’re gaming online.
Speed
As mentioned, IPv6 can offer more direct connections, especially in peer-to-peer games like Call of Duty or GTA Online. Without NAT getting in the way, devices can find each other faster and more efficiently.
That said, most multiplayer games today still use dedicated servers, and many of those run on IPv4. So any speed benefits might be canceled out if the game or server doesn’t support IPv6.
Bottom line: IPv6 might shave off a few milliseconds, but it’s not a guaranteed game-changer.
Security
This is where IPv6 does bring some advantages. On paper, at least.
IPv6 was built with IPsec (a security protocol) in mind, which can offer better end-to-end encryption. It also avoids some of the messy NAT-related vulnerabilities that come with IPv4.
But here’s the catch: most gaming consoles and games don’t use those advanced IPv6 security features. They often rely on their own layers of security, like encrypted connections through the game client or platform.
So while IPv6 is “more secure” by design, you’re not necessarily more protected when gaming online, unless the game and your system are actually using those IPv6 features.
Should You Use IPv4 or IPv6 For Gaming?
Now for the big question: Which one should you use?
Here’s the honest answer: whichever works best for your setup.
If your ISP, router, and gaming platform all support IPv6, and you’re not having any connection issues, go for it. IPv6 might give you slightly faster peer-to-peer performance and could be more future-proof as more games adopt it.
But if you’re on a stable IPv4 connection and not having lag spikes or dropped games, there’s no urgent reason to switch.
In fact, some gamers actually force their systems to use IPv4 on purpose because IPv6 sometimes causes unexpected problems, like strict NAT types or trouble connecting to certain players.
So, here’s a simple guide:
Stick with IPv4 if:
- Your games work fine and you don’t have lag or connection issues.
- You’re unsure whether your router or ISP supports IPv6.
- You’ve had problems with NAT types or disconnections using IPv6.
Try IPv6 if:
- Your whole setup is IPv6-capable.
- You play a lot of peer-to-peer games.
- You want to experiment with newer networking features and test performance.
The whole “IPv4 vs IPv6 in gaming” debate isn’t really about picking a winner. It’s about understanding how your internet works and what actually affects your online gameplay.
How to Guarantee a Fast Connection for Gaming?
Whether you’re rocking IPv4 or IPv6, there are a few universal truths in online gaming: lag is the enemy, and stable connections win matches.
So no matter what IP version you’re using, here are some tips to help you keep your connection fast and your gaming experience smooth.
1. Use NoPing
NoPing is a service designed specifically to reduce latency and improve routing in online games.
It finds the best possible paths between your device and the game servers, cutting down your ping and avoiding lag spikes. It’s also great for bypassing poor ISP routing and avoiding unnecessary hops that slow you down. If you play competitive games like League of Legends, Valorant, CS2, or MMOs with international servers, NoPing can make a noticeable difference.
Here’s how to use NoPing to stabilize your connection in games:
- Sign-up through the website and download NoPing (you can test it for free).
- Open NoPing and search for your game inside the software
- Once you find it, click on it and, on the next screen, select “Choose automatic” or “Choose manual” and click “Continue”. We recommend choosing automatic, as NoPing’s technology analyzes all routes on a global scale and automatically selects the best option for you.
- On the next screen, click on “Optimize Game”.
- And that’s it, you can start playing with optimized ping!
You can test different servers within NoPing to see which gives you the lowest latency.
2. Use a Wired Connection
Yes, Wi-Fi is convenient. But it’s also unpredictable. Interference from walls, microwaves, or even your neighbor’s Wi-Fi can mess with your signal. If you want the most stable and fastest connection, plug your gaming rig or console directly into your router using an Ethernet cable. The difference in ping and consistency can be huge, especially during competitive matches.
3. Optimize Your Router Settings
Most people never touch their router settings, but a few tweaks can improve your gaming connection. Look for things like:
- Quality of Service (QoS): This prioritizes gaming traffic over streaming or downloads.
- UPnP (Universal Plug and Play): Helps your console or PC get the best NAT type automatically.
- Firmware updates: An outdated router can cause weird issues, so make sure yours is current.
Also, consider restarting your router every now and then. It sounds basic, but it clears up memory and can solve weird connection problems.
4. Limit Background Usage
Gaming while someone’s streaming 4K Netflix or downloading massive files? That’s asking for trouble.
Background apps, especially ones that sync to the cloud, like Google Drive or Dropbox, can quietly eat up bandwidth and ruin your ping. Make it a habit to close unnecessary apps and ask others on the network to chill with the bandwidth during your game time.
IPv6 has a lot of potential. It’s modern, scalable, and avoids some of the bottlenecks that come with IPv4.
But at the end of the day, your gaming experience depends more on your overall internet setup, like your router quality, ISP speed, latency to game servers, and even what time of day you’re playing.
Guarantee a fast, stable connection every time you play. Use NoPing and game without limits!
