Choosing the right game server hosting is all about understanding the needs and preferences of your customers to provide them with the best possible experience. If you select the wrong game server infrastructure, your game will consistently underperform, leading to player attrition. Finding the best game server hosting for your specific requirements can deliver an exceptional experience that keeps players engaged.
When it comes to choosing a game server, there are three key questions you need to answer. Let’s dive into each one:
Consideration #1: What type of game are you hosting?
There are three main types of games: single-player, synchronous multiplayer, and asynchronous multiplayer.
Single-player games are the least demanding on your server resources. While they can be incredibly immersive with stunning graphics and expansive worlds, they don’t require low-latency connections like multiplayer games. Apart from the occasional in-game purchase or leaderboard record, minimal data is exchanged with the server.
Asynchronous multiplayer games require a bit more from the game server infrastructure. These are turn-based games where you interact with other players, but the actions don’t happen in real time. Although the actions aren’t as timesensitive as quick-fire shooting games, the server must relay each player’s action to the next.
Synchronous multiplayer games heavily rely on your game hosting servers. When two or more players engage in real-time action, utilizing a powerful server is crucial to ensure low-latency network connections for seamless gameplay. Famous examples include Fortnite and CS:GO.
The type of game you’re developing significantly impacts your choice of game server infrastructure. You may not need a dedicated game hosting server if your game supports peer-to-peer networking. Your players can directly connect to each other’s computers without relying on game server hosting for support.
However, if you’re hosting games like Minecraft or CS:GO, a dedicated game server will provide the necessary computing resources to run the game efficiently and deliver an exceptional experience to your players.
Now that we’ve explored the three main types of games let’s delve into the next consideration – location.
Consideration #2: Where are your players located?
Are they mostly in one or two countries? Or spread across the world? Knowing the location of your players is crucial for selecting the best game server hosting option. In gaming, speed is extremely important. For optimal performance, game servers should maintain latency below 60-100ms when players engage in real-time gameplay together.
Latency refers to the time data travels from the game hosting server to your players. Lower latency in gaming translates to a better experience because game information is transmitted more quickly. When players complain about “lag,” it indicates that they have high latency due to the setup of the game hosting server, impacting their experience.
Reducing latency can be achieved by locating game server infrastructure closer to your players. Even with fiber optic cables transmitting data at the speed of light, every additional mile increases latency. Sending data from London to Paris is much faster than sending it from London to New York because it’s a much shorter distance.
For an optimal experience, players should be as close as possible to the game server infrastructure hosting their game. If you have a truly global player base, you should choose gaming server hosts with an international network of data centers.
Consideration #3: Hardware specifications for game server hosting
It’s essential to determine the hardware specifications required for your game.
To optimize your game server hosting setup, leveraging the potential of multi-core CPUs is essential. Theoretically, you can run multiple instances of the game server application on the same hardware or dedicated server. However, it’s crucial to allocate sufficient RAM for each core.
Choosing the correct game server hosting partner becomes even more critical at this stage. A reliable hosting provider will assist you in configuring and testing various game hosting server options to find the optimal setup for your game. If a provider is unwilling to support you during this crucial specification step, they may not be the best partner for you.
Finding the best game server hosting solution
These three factors will help you identify the best game server hosting solution for your game and its players. If you find a gaming server host that meets these criteria, chances are you’ve found your ideal hosting partner.
