The best gaming routers in 2025 from ASUS and ROG

Rock-solid networking elevates every part of your gaming world. From downloading new games to competing online, from streaming your latest exploits to diving into an online co-op adventure, your gaming router is an invaluable member of your squad. Even when you’re not gaming, your router keeps on working, connecting all your devices, holding a firm line on security, intelligently maintaining separate networks for different device categories, and smartly managing network resources to ensure that every device gets the connection it needs.  

At least, your gaming router could do all that, if it were a modern WiFi 7 router from ASUS or ROG. If you’re overdue for an upgrade, you have a lot to gain from adopting the next generation of wireless tech. WiFi 7 tech stands ready to sweep aside latency, dropped connections, and slowdowns. You could level up your wireless connections with performance comparable to what you expect from running an Ethernet cable. You could beef up your security, manage your network with multiple SSIDs, and extend your network to the far corners of your property with ASUS AiMesh technology. And you’ll finally be able to take full advantage of the capabilities of your next-gen PCs, smartphones, consoles, and more, most of which arrived at your doorstep with WiFi 7 support.  

Ten reasons why 2025 is the year to upgrade your gaming router 

You might be wondering what it is about 2025 that makes today such a good time to be looking at a gaming router upgrade. Simply put, a lot has changed in recent years on the networking front. Internet plans are getting faster. People are asking their routers to do more. New security challenges are cropping up. Exciting new technologies are opening up new possibilities. And WiFi 7 routers are readily available at a wide range of price points.  

You have a lot to gain from upgrading your gaming router to a new model from ASUS and ROG:  

1. An undeniable speed boost thanks to WiFi 7. Meaning no offense to WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E, which introduced valuable congestion-busting tech and the low-interference 6GHz band, but WiFi 7 is in a league of its own. Offering an out-of-the-box speed boost through 4K QAM and 320MHz channels, WiFi 7 is up to 4.8x faster than WiFi 6 and offers up to 5X the capacity, all with ultra-low latency. 
2. The experience that you paid for when you bought your latest devices. If you bought a laptop, smartphone, or game console in the last year, or if you built a new PC recently, odds are very good that it supports WiFi 7. If you’re connecting these devices to a last-gen router, you're not getting the most out of your investment. A new WiFi 7 router will knock down the roadblocks that are holding these devices back. 
3. Modern solutions to modern security problems. Cybersecurity is an arms race between you and the threat actors of the world. If you’ve fallen behind — especially if you’re using an end-of-life router — your data and devices could be vulnerable. For peace of mind, you need the latest network security features. 
4. Easy opportunities to scale up your network as needed. Traditional routers weren’t built to scale up along with your networking needs, leaving you with little choice but to scrap your old model when it runs out of gas. ASUS extendable routers give you easy options for boosting the coverage range, bandwidth, security, and management options for your home network, all while keeping your older extendable router in the mix as a valuable part of your upgraded network. 
5. Access to today’s multi-gigabit world. For many users, multi-gigabit internet plans aren’t just available, but a standard option on their ISP’s menu. Your current devices might be ready for a multi-gig world, too, as many of today’s PCs and network-attached storage (NAS) devices have 2.5G or 10G ports. A router with a rich selection of Ethernet ports helps you get the most out of your connection and devices. 
6. Options to establish an always-on connection. If your internet connection drops, your smart home can be disrupted from top to bottom. Modern ASUS WiFi 7 gaming routers support backup internet options. The high-end options allow for a dual WAN setup, but don’t sleep on USB 4G LTE or 5G mobile tethering, available with all the routers listed below.  
7. The power to intelligently subdivide your network. For too long, connecting a device to your home network meant giving it the keys to your full networking kingdom: 24/7 connections, visibility to all your devices, access to premium connection speeds, and, of course, your password. All that changes with Smart Home Master, an easy tool for creating multiple SSIDs, each with their own rules. You can set up and manage all your IoT and smart home devices under one secure SSID to ensure enhanced commercial-grade protection, connect to your preferred VPN service through a dedicated subnetwork with just one click, and more.  
8. Convenient and versatile VPN features. For many gamers, hybrid workers, and everyday users, VPNs are an increasingly important tool for maintaining privacy and security. The latest gaming routers from ASUS and ROG give you exceptional VPN support right out of the box, including VPN network support, VPN Fusion, site-to-site VPN, and more.  
9. Easy and robust parental controls for all your kids’ devices. If you have kids with an enthusiasm for tech, you know what a pain it can be to set up every single device with reasonable content restrictions and a common-sense bedtime. Smart Home Master lets you create a kids’ network with a pre-defined bedtime and advanced parental controls for any connected device, even ones without built-in parental controls.  
10. Access to an unleashed 6GHz band through AFC support. The 6GHz band offers stunning bandwidth, but it has a higher gear that you can access through a router with support for Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC). WiFi 7 routers with AFC can operate with more broadcasting power for greatly increased range.  

Ready to move on from your last-gen router? Let’s find the right model for your needs and budget. 

Model	Data Rate	Antennas / Coverage	Ethernet	Best for
ROG Rapture GT-BE98	Quad-band  Up to 25Gbps	8 external  Up to 4,000 sq. ft	2 x 10G  4 x 2.5G  1 x 1G	Hardcore gamers  Large homes  AiMesh networks
ROG Rapture GT-BE19000	Tri-band  Up to 19Gbps	8 external  Up to 3,500 sq. ft.	2 x 10G  4 x 2.5G  1 x 1G	Enthusiast gamers
ROG Strix GS-BE18000	Tri-band   Up to 18Gbps	8 internal  Up to 3,300 sq. ft.	8 x 2.5G	Enthusiast gamers  Smart homes
RT-BE88U	Dual-band  Up to 7.2Gbps	4 external  Up to 3,000 sq. ft.	2 x 10G  4 x 2.5G  4 x 1G	Studios  Esports teams  Advanced wired networks
RT-BE86U	Dual-band  Up to 6.8Gbps	3 external  1 internal  Up to 2,750 sq. ft.	1 x 10G  4 x 2.5G	Ethernet-first networks  Apartments
TUF Gaming BE6500	Tri-band  Up to 6.5Gbps	6 external  Up to 2,500 sq. ft.	4 x 2.5G	Budget gamers
TUF Gaming BE3600	Dual-band  Up to 3.6Gbps	4 external  Up to 2,000 sq. ft.	1 x 2.5G  3 x 1G	Casual gamers

The best WiFi 7 gaming router for most users: the ROG Strix GS-BE18000 

ROG routers were among the first pioneers in the WiFi 7 space, catering to PC enthusiasts chasing bleeding-edge network tech. If you’re looking for a flagship router, keep reading — we’ll explore a couple top-of-the-line models in a moment. But now that WiFi 7 support has proliferated across gaming devices of all kinds, it’s time for mainstream audiences to get in on the action, too. We think the all-new ROG Strix GS-BE18000 makes the most sense for gamers seeking access to the latest technology while balancing performance and budget. 

There’s a lot to cover with this new WiFi 7 gaming router. Click here for a full rundown, but here are the highlights. This tri-band router offers a full slate of WiFi 7 features, including support for the 6GHz band and AFC. With ultra-wide 320 MHz channels and 4K-QAM modulation, it can deliver up to 18,000 Mbps of aggregate throughput. Multi-Link Operation (MLO) technology enables simultaneous data transmission across multiple bands, ensuring stability and responsiveness like never before. Under the hood, serious hardware including a quad-core processor and 2GB of DDR4 makes these advanced networking features effortless. Eight high-gain internal antennas with independent power amplifiers allow the GS-BE18000 to offer wide-ranging coverage up to 3,300 square feet, and it supports up to 150 connected devices without sacrificing speed or stability.  

For best performance, your gaming router shouldn’t be tucked away in a closet or laundry room. But for too many people, the aesthetic design or physical layout of their router keeps them from placing it for optimal networking performance. To make sure that you won’t even want to hide the ROG Strix GS-BE18000 in a closet, we designed it with a striking vertical form factor that offers a significantly reduced footprint compared to our large-and-in-charge ROG Rapture gaming routers. Second, it pulls the antennas inside for a sleek, modern look. For a bit of fun and personalization, an iridescent ROG Eye logo on the front panel lets you customize the router’s look with Aura RGB lighting. 

Even in the era of WiFi 7, wired connections play an important role in many households. The ROG Strix GS-BE18000's extensive selection of ports gives your network plenty of room to grow with its 20G of wired capacity across eight 2.5G Ethernet ports, two of which are dedicated gaming ports ready to prioritize the traffic of connected devices without the need for any configuration. Whether you’re connecting lots of PCs for a LAN party, hooking up multiple access points for a whole-home mesh WiFi network, or giving all your devices easy access to a vast storage archive with your NAS, you’re likely to have all the ports you need without installing a switch. Additionally, its 2.5G WAN port lets you take advantage of a next-level internet connection, and the router gives you a backup internet option through its USB 5Gbps port with support for mobile tethering. 

Add in a dual dedicated gaming ports, commercial-grade security with AiProtection, multiple SSID support through Smart Home Master, an easy way to put your gaming traffic at the front of the line with the ROG Exclusive Gaming Network, and robust VPN functionality, and you have a WiFi 7 router that’s ready to go the distance. There’s no reason to settle for a sub-par, last-gen networking experience any longer. Grab an ROG Strix GS-BE18000 to elevate your network today.  

The best WiFi 7 gaming router for network enthusiasts and large homes: the ROG Rapture GT-BE98  

With every generation of WiFi, we introduce a boundary-pushing ROG router that shatters all expectations. For our WiFi 7 lineup, that’s the ROG Rapture GT-BE98. 

This quad-band router goes all-in on WiFi 7 tech. Between its 6GHz band, dual 5GHz bands, and legacy 2.4GHz band, this router offers up to 25GBps of wireless bandwidth. Its speeds are boosted by WiFi 7 tech including 4K QAM, 320MHz bandwidth, and Multi-Link Operation. The ROG Rapture GT-BE98 gives you nearly unbounded wired networking options. Dual 10G ports unleash the power of 10 Gbps networking for gaming, streaming, and other data-intensive applications. Four 2.5G ports ensure high-bandwidth connections to a wide range of devices, while the dedicated 10G gaming port ensures that your gaming PC always gets to the front of the bandwidth line. 

The ROG Rapture GT-BE98 can use AiMesh to create a seamless mesh network with any compatible ASUS router, letting you expand your network coverage across nearly as many square feet as you want, or throughout every floor of a multi-story home. You can take full advantage of the quad-band advancements to get the best whole-home seamless roaming experience. And you can enjoy the confidence that all your devices are compatible, even the ones from different WiFi generations. 

The best tri-band WiFi 7 gaming router: the ROG Rapture GT-BE19000   

Perhaps you love the bold gamer style of ROG Rapture routers with their tall external antennas, and you’re looking for a high-performance tri-band WiFi 7 gaming router. Your choice is simple: the ROG Rapture GT-BE19000 is your premium pick. This router takes a giant leap forward compared to last-gen tech, offering transfer rates up to 2.4x faster than WiFi 6 with up to twice the bandwidth.  

The GT-BE19000 achieves this gen-over-gen boost with a rich set of WiFi 7 technologies: 320MHz channels, 4K-QAM, MLO, and more. The result is doubled data transmission capacity, making lag all but nonexistent and allowing more simultaneous transmissions at the fastest-possible speeds. 

The wired networking options on the ROG Rapture GT-BE19000 deserve some attention, too. With dual 10G ports, four 2.5G ports, and one Gigabit port that combine for up to 31G of blistering WAN and LAN capacity, this router allows for stunning network options. The 10G LAN port even serves as a dedicated gaming port so that you can prioritize the traffic of your most important gaming device without any configuration.   

A quad-core 2.6 GHz CPU and 2 GB of RAM provide more than enough performance to handle these demanding scenarios. Gaming Network gives you a dedicated SSID for gaming that’s ready to accelerate the traffic of your favorite games and devices. You can go even further with network segmentation with dedicated SSIDs for IoT devices, a kids’ network, a guest portal, or a VPN network.  

The best gaming router for apartments: the ASUS RT-BE86U 

WiFi may have changed the world and simplified home networking, but many people still take advantage of the reliability and performance offered by wired ethernet connections. That’s especially true for gamers who live in an apartment or condo, where the distance between their PC and their router can often be measured in feet if not inches, and running an Ethernet cable really isn’t a burden. 

In this scenario, you might not get as much play from the advanced features of WiFi 7 — but you'll absolutely benefit from bulked-up wired networking options. That’s what you’ll get with the ASUS RT-BE86U. While this dual-band router is no slouch in the wireless department, as it provides a speed boost over most comparable WiFi 6 units with its 6800Mbps bandwidth, dual-band MLO, and 4K QAM, its claim to fame lies in its Ethernet options. 

Its 20G total wired capacity makes it a standout option in its price tier. With a 10G WAN/LAN port and four additional 2.5G LAN ports, you’ll have high-bandwidth options for a dedicated gaming port, an Ethernet backhaul, and advanced network configurations. 

With a wired workstation at the center of the network, you can also build out the ideal home studio or next-gen entertainment palace. Whether it’s time for console gaming, movie night, or team sports with a roomful of friends, the RT-BE86U has your back. Connect as many devices as you like, knowing that the monster 20G combined network capacity will cover everything. 

The RT-BE86U should also be a very tempting choice for folks who currently use our popular ASUS RT-AX86U Pro router. Since they’re both extendable routers, you can easily use them to create a mesh network. And since they both offer up to seven streams for enhanced throughput, you’ll make efficient use of both routers’ resources in such a network. 

The best gaming router for esports teams and studios: the ASUS RT-BE88U 

Some common scenarios provide call for even more advanced wired networking. Studios are certainly one example. Esports teams are another, where multiple teammates demand ultra-reliable, blazing-fast connections to keep up with their finely honed reflexes and maintain the accuracy they have practiced many hours to perfect. Streamers also tend to have many devices directly plugged into their routers. These scenarios call for the ASUS RT-BE88U performance router, which bolsters your wired network capacity up to an incredible 34G. 

With this gaming router, there are more than enough wired connections to go around. It’s a bit like having a router bundled with a multi-gig switch. The roll call of ports includes one cutting-edge 10G SFP+ port and another standard 10G WAN/LAN. Then come eight more LAN ports, four of them 2.5G and the other four Gigabit, to guarantee each and every teammate gets a seat at the lightning-fast-connectivity table. For everyone else, the RT-BE88U leaps forward with WiFi 7, offering exceptional speed, extremely low latency, and enhanced reliability. The resulting performance for gaming is unparalleled, of course, but it works just as well for streaming, smart home devices, and more. 

The best budget WiFi 7 gaming router: The TUF Gaming BE6500  

Even if your budget for a new router is limited, you still have options that give you an undeniable boost over last-gen tech. One of our favorite recommendations right now for budget-conscious gamers is the TUF Gaming BE6500. This dual-band WiFi 7 router is loaded with more features than you might expect, given its mainstream price tag.  

The TUF Gaming BE6500 gives you beefed-up networking, both wireless and wired. Wielding WiFi 7 tech like 4K QAM and Multi-Link Operation, it gives you a speed boost right out of the box for your wireless devices. Four 2.5Gb Ethernet ports are perfect for establishing high-bandwidth connections to your primary gaming devices, and one is a dedicated gaming port that automatically prioritizes the gaming traffic of any device you plug into it. Your mobile devices can get the same premium treatment, too, just by activating Mobile Game Mode in the ASUS Router app.  

The visual design of this gaming router makes it perfect for many battle stations. The hollow cutouts on either side give it an aesthetic inspired by the wings of drones while also boosting the unit with advanced cooling efficiency. This gives it the heat dissipation it needs for stable, all-day operation.  

On top of all that, the TUF Gaming BE6500 gives you access to a very modern feature set. Included triple-level protection keeps your data and devices secure, Smart Home Master allows for easy network segmentation, and ASUS AiMesh technology lets you use this router in conjunction with other ASUS extendable routers to scale up your home network.  

The best WiFi 7 gaming router for casual gamers: the TUF Gaming BE3600 

For anyone looking for a budget-friendly upgrade to WiFi 7, the TUF Gaming BE3600 might be the perfect play. This more-affordable option gives you access to many of the advantages of WiFi 7 along with a great set of next-gen conveniences. 

Starting with its wireless networking credentials, the dual-band TUF Gaming BE3600 offers a speed boost over comparable last-gen models with WiFi 7 tech including 4K-QAM and Multi-Link Operation. You'll enjoy versatile and ultra-fast multi-gig gaming networking thanks to its 2.5G Ethernet port and flexible network port configuration. These modern networking features need bolstered processing performance, so we equipped the BE3600 with a new quad-core CPU capable of 20K DMIPS for efficient multitasking. A dedicated gaming port makes it easy to prioritize the data transmission of your most important gaming device, no setup required. 

You'll get many quality-of-life upgrades with the TUF Gaming BE3600's modern network management features. Smart Home Master makes it easy to establish multiple SSIDs so that you can segment your devices into groups with different settings, like an IoT Network or a VPN Network. Mobile Game Mode prioritizes the network traffic of your favorite mobile games. Using Open NAT on the BE3600 is an easy, three-step process that gets you connected to online game servers without fuss. And high-end security tools shield your router and devices.