WIRED's latest gaming router roundup puts Asus at the top, with the ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro as the overall winner. The quad-band Wi-Fi 7 router delivered the highest raw speeds the reviewer has ever tested, and it adds a second 6-GHz band, two 10-Gbps LAN ports, and bundled security and parental controls. It is also large and pricey, with a list price around $700, and its 6-GHz range struggles to penetrate walls.
The reviewer suggests that the extra cost makes sense mainly for households with multiple gaming streams or a NAS. For those who don't need that, WIRED points to the cheaper RT-BE96U or the ROG Strix GS-BE12000 as better value. Asus is still the recommended brand overall, thanks to its fast, highly configurable routers and free software suite, despite occasionally buggy firmware and a need to tweak settings for best results.
Perhaps the most practical takeaway is that a gaming router is not strictly required. WIRED notes that a good standard router or simply running an Ethernet cable to a gaming PC can solve many lag problems. For gamers who do want traffic prioritization and low latency, the Asus ROG line offers the best tested combination of speed and features, but it comes at a premium.