Things You Can Do With a VPS: Create a Gaming Server

If you’ve been a participant in a game like Minecraft or World of Warcraft, you may be drawn to the idea of creating your own game with your own rules.

Awesome! We love it, and HostGator is here to support you on your quest.

As you dive into setting up your own gaming server, you’re probably looking at dedicated servers and VPS hosting options. Both are great options, but what you end up selecting will depend on what you want to do with your game, your technical proficiency, and your budget.

This article will take a look at everything you need to know about creating a gaming server with a VPS.

Is a VPS a good choice for gaming?

The short answer is “Yes!” VPS hosting offers enhanced security, full root access, and control of your virtual private server, all for a fraction of the cost of a dedicated server. Let’s take a closer look.

What is a VPS?

As a quick review, VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. VPS hosting means that you get your own virtual container on a shared server, but you have your own private operating system, tons of storage, and unlimited bandwidth.

But, what does a VPS mean for people wondering if it’s a good choice for building a gaming server?

A VPS for gamers means you have full root access, so you can fully customize your game. VPS also allows you to choose between Linux and Windows—whatever suits your fancy. And, your virtual compartment is completely private, so you don’t have to worry about intruders poking around in your game. 

Let’s dig a little deeper into why a VPS should appeal to people who are ready for a next-level gaming experience.

What can gamers do with a VPS?

If you’re trying to decide what type of server you want to use to build your gaming server, the first question to ask yourself is what you want your gaming server to do.

Here is what you can do with a VPS:

• Host gaming sessions for any game (e.g., Minecraft, World of Warcraft, Runescape) with your own rules.
• Host the connection of other players, so there are no lags in your game.
• Cut the game publisher out of the equation, so you have more control and increased privacy.
• Create games that don’t experience those frustrating dropped connections.
• Gain access to the best hardware and only pay a fraction of the price of a dedicated server.
• Instantly acquire root access to set up and manage your game server however you want.

Now that you know what you can do with a VPS, let’s take a closer look at the advantages of a VPS over a dedicated server.

What are the advantages of a VPS over a dedicated server?

All this talk about a VPS for gaming begs the question, “what about dedicated servers?” Isn’t that the way to go if you’re a serious gamer?

Well, it depends.

If you have the technical proficiency and the cash flow to support a dedicated gaming experience, then go for it! You’ll have full control over your server, you won’t have to share server power with anyone (i.e., tons of storage), and be able to design the game exactly as you want.

With a VPS, you still get full root access so that you can modify the system according to your requirements. The main difference is you don’t need the technical prowess required to handle a server’s upkeep; your VPS provider will do all of the hard work.

Since you’re sharing server power with other VPS users, you also don’t have to fork up a sizable amount of cash to get similar benefits. However, the thing to keep in mind is to make sure you have enough RAM to support a gaming server. For this, we recommend the Snappy 8000 VPS hosting plan.

What are the requirements for a game server?

If you’re ready to take the plunge and set up a gaming server, here’s a quick checklist of the requirements to set up a custom gaming server on VPS.

A gaming server needs:

• A strong internet connection. The foundation of playing a game with other players online is the strength of your internet connection. You need a strong and stable connection, so you don’t risk losing any critical game data.

• Enough storage. To support a multi-player game on a gaming server, you need around 8GB of RAM. This will give you enough power to store large amounts of data during your games.

• A quick processor. Imagine playing a game where you make a move, your computer stalls, and you have to wait to see the result of your move. Multiple lags don’t make for an enjoyable game. A good gaming server requires a quick processor and enough memory to react to requests immediately.

• High computing power. Another requirement for a gaming server is high computing power, especially since multiple people will be joining your game. You need enough computing power to handle a high level of requests from more than one player.

So, how does a VPS meet these gaming server requirements? This is where things get fun for the team here at HostGator. We love telling our gamers that we have the perfect VPS hosting plan to provide everything you need to create a stellar gaming experience.

The Snappy 8000 plan offers:

• 8BG of RAM. This is enough storage to allow multiple players to join in on the fun.
• 4 cores CPU. Remember how you need a quick processor and a lot of memory to support your games? The Snappy 8000 plan comes with 4 cores CPU, so you can rest assured your server will recognize requests and respond in time.
• Unmetered bandwidth. This means the amount of data transferred during your games is unlimited.
• Full root access. Want to customize your game? A HostGator VPS gives you full root access, so you can do what you want with your games.

Create your gaming server with HostGator today!

What are you waiting for? HostGator is a reliable web hosting company with 24/7 customer support, excellent security, and reliable hosting. Check out our VPS hosting plans today and start your game server now.