Difference Between Game Servers & Web Servers

Difference Between Game Servers & Web Servers, The game servers are similar and at the same time different from the normal web servers. Read along to know more!

Updated: 14 Dec, 21 by Susith Nonis 5 Min

Online gaming is a big thing now and loads of people are getting onto the bandwagon. Gaming has evolved so much since it started and is becoming a very close part of our daily lives (for quite a lot of people).

While we used to play in the comfort of our homes a while back, now we have the opportunity to connect with people all over the globe and play our favorite games together. Well this became a possibility due to the things that doesn’t get much (or any) credit. The game servers.

So in this article we will go through all the details about:

  • What a game server is
  • What’s the difference between game servers
  • What to look for when getting a game server

Let’s get to it!

Difference Between Game Servers & Web Servers

What is a game server?

The best answer is that a game server is pretty much similar to any other server. However the biggest difference between a game server and a traditional server is that these type of servers are much more powerful.

The popularity of Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) gaming has made its way for extreme advances in broadband technology and the games themselves. This results in games placing heavy demands on the servers.

gamer

In order to handle high loads, servers had to become stronger by having higher CPU power, storage and bandwidth which resulted in the creation of game servers. Again one thing you should keep in mind is that no matter how strong the server is, if there is a high latency then there’s no point.

The key to good game servers are higher server performance and lower latency.

What’s different about game servers?

The main difference is that the server performance should be top notch to handle the load from gamers playing around the world. There will be players from all over the world playing on these servers 24/7 so downtime should not be an option.

gaming server

A CPU-intensive and IO-intensive server can process tens of thousands of connections at the same time is suitable for a gaming server. With high performance plus a high stability will be the ideal option for gamers. If a server keeps on going down then no one would want to play anymore.

The gaming server should also have a sound data carrying capacity and processing capacity. While general servers are comparatively balanced in various aspects. When looking for gaming server providers, you should select those with outstanding CPU performance.

Usually, gaming servers are more powerful as compared to the general servers because of the graphical load that games carry. Gaming server’s configurations are more advanced like the cores, RAM, SSD disks, grid-power, etc.

What you should keep in mind!

  1. High performance server
  2. High stability
  3. Physically closest server to you
  4. High bandwidth
  5. Setup of firewalls
  6. System updates
  7. Optimizations

So by now you have an idea of what the game servers are. However here are some more info that will be useful for you. When you’re picking the game server try to find a server with DDOS protection included.

Since gaming servers are filled with traffic all the time, the chance of being a targeted for a DDOS attack is very high. So it’s better to consider that if the server provider has this security measure in place. You don’t want to go down in the middle of the game.

Due to ping, it’s better to pick a server that is closest to you. For shooting games the optimum circumstance would be to have the ping less than 50ms. However up to 100ms will be good. If your game server doesn’t have this then better to choose a different one.

shooting games

Traditional hosting services does not need low latency and fast pings as game servers because most of the websites work perfectly fine under the latency of 350 milliseconds.

When it comes to MMORPG games the best would be if it will be under 150ms.

mmorpg

Gamers would rather play than administer the server so the game server host should offer features like automatic updates, a choice of control panels for administration, software for 1-click installations, and KernelCare, which automates necessary updates to the operating system’s kernel without rebooting the server, as is usually required.

Leading hosting companies make their services easy to use with support from professional staff. Gamers should look for an established provider that monitors its services and offers support 24 hours a day, seven days a week if games are going to run at night or on weekends.

On final note

Your choice of a game server should take several factors into account,

  • The resource requirements of the games you intend to host
  • The number of concurrent users
  • Your budget
  • Stability of the server

Generally speaking, a dedicated server is the best solution but a high-end virtual private server might be good enough, depending on the game and the number of users.

Susith Nonis

Susith Nonis

I'm fascinated by the IT world and how the 1's and 0's work. While I venture into the world of Technology, I try to share what I know in the simplest way with you. Not a fan of coffee, a travel addict, and a self-accredited 'master chef'.

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Kaelyn Denesik

2024, Jul, 24

Wow, this article dives deep into what makes game servers tick! It's fascinating to see how much has evolved to support our online gaming experiences. The emphasis on low latency and high performance is spot-on; nothing ruins a game faster than lag. Also, the tips on DDOS protection and picking a server close to you are super practical. This will definitely help anyone looking to set up a game server or just understand the tech behind their favorite games better. Great read!

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Shemar Monahan

2024, Nov, 24

This article does a fantastic job of highlighting the unsung heroes behind online gaming—game servers! It's fascinating to see how these powerful servers keep our favorite online games running smoothly, allowing us to connect with players worldwide. The insights on server performance and latency are particularly useful for anyone looking to enhance their gaming experience. Looking forward to diving into the specifics and choosing the best server for my needs!