The need for online hosting solutions is only getting bigger by the day. As more and more services move to the internet in an effort to reach a wider audience and attract more customers, they require the aid of hosting providers. The more complex the thing they work with, the better the hosting has to be in order to support it and allow the users to optimally access it.
Among the leading branches of entertainment is the video game industry. If you think about it, things have been like this for a few decades. Gaming was however not as mainstream as it is not, which has resulted in everyone knowing, playing, watching, or following the industry.
So what do gaming and hosting have in common? Well, not a lot on their own, but once you realize that every modern game requires strong servers for their multiplayer modes, it becomes obvious how they can benefit from each other. The global hosting market has been growing steadily, but it is the gaming industry’s entrance that truly elevated things to a whole new level. If you are in the market for a new game hosting provider that is going to be handle your servers and everything else around it, you are in for a major decision.
In this article we discuss how you should choose a reliable game hosting provider. More accurately, you need to know what to look for so it is tips that you require. Lucky for you, we have just the thing right here and now. Keep reading to get informed about what you actually need when browsing through various hosting providers, and be sure to check out best game server hosting review on Sitechecker.
1. Low Latency
If you want your users to have a good experience with your gaming content, there should be no latency involved. The game server host and the gamers share a network, and the content they access through it gets fed through them at certain speeds and response times. Three factors influence this latency, mainly physical distance, network distance, and the capacity of the bandwidth.
Highly-optimized network routes mean less data jumps, and a reduced latency. For a gameplay free of lags, the gamers need to be as close to the server host as possible. You also need to be close to it, so look for a hosting company that has more locations throughout the world. If they have more than one provider, that is a plus too as they will be able to deal with more traffic.
2. Customer Support
It is all about efficient customer support in the 21st century business. No matter what you need and whom you contact, you have to be able to reach them. Moreover, they have to respond in a timely manner. Not being able to solve an issue quickly means a lot of downtime, and downtime in the IT world means losing customers. Gamers are infamously impatient and used to optimal speeds and optimization.
Therefore, do not collaborate with a host that you hardly feel comfortable with. Their customer service solutions need to be up to date and modern. Having an email and a phone number is hardly enough. What you need is a 24/7 automated chat and a line that is always open for you. Response time is key, as you need to hear back from them, not only reach them. If something as crucial as customer support is off, other things will be too.
3. Powerful Hardware
Not only does the actual hardware the hosting service uses need to be powerful, but it must also be the latest and they need to have enough of it to go around. Chances are you are not their only client, so if they have a lot of hardware it means they are more capable and serious about their work. Sadly, customers like you cannot really pick and choose what hardware they want to have for their servers.
Quicker loading and less wait times are how you ensure there is no frustration among your gamers. You will know that the hosting company has powerful hardware if they use NVMe Drives, Enterprise, DDR4, and Xeon CPUs. High frequency and speeds guarantee stable and optimal performance, so do not settle for less while determining the right hosting service for your needs. The absolute minimum is core i7, 8 GB RAM, and 200 GB SSD.
4. Check the Reviews and Ratings
One of the best and most useful things about the internet is the amount of information we can quickly generate regardless of what we need. A simple Google search can give you all the info you need about a hosting service and how good or bad they are. Reading reviews from past customers and checking their ratings in the industry can tell you a lot about them. Having any insight is better than going in blind. Complaints as well as recommendations can be found with a little bit of research. You can also read about the company itself and check their timeline and development. By learning their history, you can make a more educated decision and truly determine whether or not they are a good fit for your game hosting service needs.
5. The Cost and What You Get
Paying for a service in the IT sector has more than one side to it. There is rarely a one and done type of payment where you pay, shake hands, and complete the partnership. Since you will require maintenance of the servers and a constant presence of performance and speed, it is far more likely that monthly or yearly payments will be what you work with.
Subscriptions is how hosting providers operate, so be sure to calculate how much you are willing or able to spend. Ask what is included in the package, whether they have some benefits for subscribing for a certain number of months, perks, special options, etc. You have to be able to afford it then and there, as well as for the next six or so months. Scaling up and introducing new features will not be a problem if you experience a sudden growth. It is a good problem to have!
