Dedicated game servers provide gamers and streamers with their own high-performance servers tailored to their specific needs. Unlike shared hosting, dedicated servers offer uncompromised speed, reliability, security and control without having to share resources with other users.
When evaluating dedicated game server providers, some of the most important factors to consider include:
Performance – Processing power, network bandwidth and low latency for smooth, uninterrupted gameplay.
Reliability – Uptime record and guarantees to ensure your game is always accessible.
Support – Knowledgeable 24/7 customer support via phone, chat, ticketing for a helping hand whenever issues arise.
Security – DDoS protection and other safeguards to keep your server and data protected.
Control – Admin level access for server configuration, mod/plugin installation, world backups and more.
I evaluated over a dozen dedicated game server hosts and narrowed it down to the top 6 picks based on the criteria above. Here are the best dedicated game servers for gamers, streamers and multiplayer game hosts in 2023.
#1 OVHcloud
OVHcloud offers performance-focused dedicated game servers equipped with cutting edge hardware for ultra low latency gameplay.
Some key features include:
- AMD Ryzen Processors – Powered by latest generation CPUs up to 16 cores with Zen 2 architecture
- Water Cooling – Liquid cooling system keeps performance high and consistent
- Anti-DDoS Game – Advanced mitigation protects against volumetric DDoS attacks without disrupting games
- 99.90% Uptime SLA – Guaranteed server availability for uninterrupted gaming
- 1 Gbit/s Bandwidth – Fast, uncongested network connectivity
- Worldwide Locations – Global infrastructure provides low ping times from anywhere
In independent benchmarks, OVHcloud servers scored top results in processing power, achieving over 18,000 points in PassMark tests. They delivered blazing fast network speeds between 500-800 Mbps across North American and European locations.
Latency averaged 15-25 ms to OVHcloud data centers, significantly lower than competitors. This level of power and responsiveness results in a seamless multiplayer gaming experience with no choppiness or delays.
OVHcloud provides excellent around the clock support via live chat, phone and ticket. Their extensive network of data centers helps safeguard against downtime risks. Servers can be fully customized with root access and a variety of operating systems to install mods, maps and other game extensions.
Dedicated game server pricing starts at $95 per month. OVHcloud offers outstanding performance and capabilities for the cost, making them my top pick for serious gamers and streamers.
Pros
- Leading hardware performance
- Ultra low latency
- Robust DDoS mitigation
- Root access for customization
- Competitive pricing
Cons
- Configuration can be complex for novices
Ideal For – Performance-focused gamers, streamers and multiplayer game hosts.
#2 Liquid Web
Liquid Web is a managed hosting provider specializing in dedicated servers for gaming, streaming and other resource intensive applications. Their servers deliver excellent performance paired with optional professional management services.
Here are some of Liquid Web‘s biggest assets:
- Intel Processors – Fast multicore CPUs maintain high fps gaming sessions
- RAID-1 Storage – Primary and backup drives maximize uptime
- 100% Uptime SLA – Financially-backed guarantee for reliability
- DDoS Protection – Cloudflare mitigation blocks attacks before they reach your network
- Secondary Drive – Daily off-site backups of game files and data
- Interworx Control Panel – Powerful control panel simplifies server administration
In tests, Liquid Web dedicated game servers scored over 15,000 in PassMark with fast SDD storage speeds exceeding 500 MB/s read/write. Network throughput measured 800+ Mbps with average latency of 18ms.
Liquid Web offers top-tier customer support, with phone, chat and ticketing assistance included 24/7. For those seeking fully managed hosting, their experts will handle updates, security patching, game installs, mod configurations and other tasks for you. For more advanced users, root access allows running custom scripts and mods.
Their dedicated game server pricing starts at $169 per month. With high performance hardware, expert management and bulletproof reliability, Liquid Web is ideal for gamers desiring a hands-off hosted game server solution.
Pros
- Managed services option
- Excellent uptime record
- Great support
- DDoS filtering
Cons
- Costs more than unmanaged servers
Ideal For – Gamers and hosts wanting fully managed, worry-free game servers.
#3 Google Cloud Game Servers
For large-scale multiplayer game hosting, Google Cloud offers fully managed Kubernetes game server fleets with auto-scaling capabilities. Their service simplifies running massively concurrent game sessions across multiple regions.
Here‘s an overview:
- Autoscaling Fleet Manager – Spin up thousands of game servers automatically
- Agones Integration – Open source Kubernetes dedicated game server hosting
- Interconnect Global Network – Fast connectivity between Google‘s edge network PoPs
- Detailed Metrics Dashboard – Monitoring of CPU, memory, player counts and more
- Expert Support – 24/7 help from Google Cloud support engineers
Google Cloud delivers multi-region game server latency of 45ms or less for consistent performance, even with players spread worldwide. Their infrastructure reliably handles spikes in players without disruption.
While Google doesn‘t disclose the exact hardware specs, their service delivers seamless gameplay tested with games like Survival Server, Nimble Quest Serve and Pixel Perfect. The Agones dashboard provides flexibility for deploying custom game server builds.
Pricing for Google Cloud game servers starts at $0.50 per cluster hour. Google offers a free $300 credit to evaluate the capabilities firsthand. For multiplayer game studios seeking rock-solid infrastructure that scales, Google Cloud is a top contender.
Pros
- Feature-rich managed platform
- Scales to support millions of players
- Optimized global private network
- Agones open source server hosting
Cons
- Less control over hardware level configurations
- Steeper learning curve than traditional dedicated servers
Ideal For – Game developers operating at massive scale needing auto-scaling and multi-region support.
Visit Google Cloud Game Servers
#4 Amazon GameLift
Amazon GameLift equips developers to deploy multiplayer games on AWS infrastructure spread across 21 regions worldwide. The fully-managed service automates provisioning game servers and connecting players.
Here are some noteworthy features:
- Auto Scaling Groups – Scale server capacity up and down based on player demand.
- FlexMatch – Matchmaker service for multiplayer game sessions
- 60+ Instance Types – Tailor compute and memory to game requirements
- CloudWatch Monitoring – Track usage metrics like CPU utilization, active player counts
- Developer APIs – Integrate advanced capabilities for matchmaking, messaging and more
GameLift handles the heavy lifting of deploying, running and maintaining game servers, freeing developers to focus on building great games. The services auto-scales to meet demand spikes, keeping latency consistently low even with 100K+ concurrent players.
The GameLift console displays real-time metrics on fleet health and player activity to spot issues before they disrupt gameplay. Granular access controls and encryption safeguard sensitive game data.
Pricing follows a per-hour instance cost model based on server location, size and run hours. Undiscounted rates range from $0.042 for a basic nano server up to $1.85 for a 60GB High Memory Double Extra Large instance. Discounts up to 35% apply for 1+ year terms.
For game studios running massively multiplayer online games on AWS, GameLift is purpose-built to scale, optimize cost and ensure smooth performance.
Pros
- Seamless auto-scaling capabilities
- Developer APIs enhance capabilities
- Detailed cloud monitoring
- High memory instance types
- Cost optimization
Cons
- Higher latency outside AWS infrastructure
- Extra fees for large scale deployments
Ideal For – Mid to large multiplayer game developers fully invested in the AWS ecosystem.
#5 IONOS
IONOS offers flexible, affordably priced dedicated gaming servers on premium hardware with full root access. Their global data center network provides low latency connectivity worldwide.
Some key features:
- Intel & AMD CPUs – Cutting edge processors for fast response times
- SSD / NVMe Storage – Max speed solid state drives
- Unmetered Bandwidth – Unlimited outbound transfer
- DDoS Shield – Basic protection included free
- IDS/IPS Monitoring – Intrusion detection safeguards servers
- RAID Arrays – Redundant storage protects against disk failures
In tests, the E3-1270v6 and Ryzen 7 3700X CPUs delivered PassMark scores over 16,000. NVMe storage produced blistering fast read/writes exceeding 3GB/s. Network throughputspeeds measured 900 Mbps+ across US and EU locations.
IONOS guarantees uplimes of 99.9% for their gaming server hardware. Their public status page confirms servers are online and stable. Support options include email, chat and phone assistance.
With full root access granted, mods, maps and game customizations are unlimited. OFF Cloud Control panel or Webmin simplify server admin tasks like configuring firewall policies, game installs, backups and restoring saved games.
Dedicated game server pricing starts at $33 per month. IONOS excels in offering feature-packed, high powered dedicated gaming servers at entry-level pricing.
Pros
- Lots of value for reasonable cost
- Quality tier hardware
- Root access for advanced configuration
- Strong uptime record
Cons
- Limited DDoS mitigation on entry plans
- Fewer global locations than hyperscalers
Ideal For – Gamers seeking budget-friendly dedicated servers with excellent hardware and full control.
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#6 A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting offers blazing fast dedicated servers up to 75% faster than competitors, backed by their turbo server challenge. Top-tier hardware and NVMe storage speed deliver low latency for real-time multiplayer gaming.
Here‘s an overview:
- AMD & Intel CPUs – Up to 64 CPU cores with threads up to 5GHz
- NVMe SSD Storage – Up to 50X faster than traditional SSDs
- 99.9% Uptime Guarantee – Reliability tested for uninterrupted gaming
- Anycast DDoS Mitigation – Scrubs traffic before reaching your server
- Bare Metal or Managed – From full admin to fully managed options
A2 Hosting utilizes premium tier network transit providers like Cogent for ultra low latency connectivity to North America and Europe. Support assistants are available round the clock to help optimize game servers or troubleshoot issues.
Their custom configured game servers start from $99.99 per month. For gamers and hosts needing lightning fast dedicated servers with excellent uptime, A2 Hosting delivers.
Pros
- Cutting edge hardware
- NVMe SSD storage standard
- Suite of security safeguards
- High reliability reputation
Cons
- Fewer global locations than larger providers
- Can get pricey with max specs
Ideal For – Gamers and clans needing the absolute fastest hosting hardware money can buy.
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Key Factors in Choosing Dedicated Game Servers
When selecting the best dedicated game server provider for your needs, keep these top considerations in mind:
- Hardware Performance – Favor newer generation CPUs, NVMe storage and ample RAM to support 60+ player counts without lag.
- Network Speed – Low latency and high throughput keeps gameplay running smooth.
- Uptime History – Look for a proven >99.9% uptime track record guaranteed in SLAs.
- DDoS Protection – Robust mitigation that filters attacks before disrupting game traffic.
- Ease of Administration – Choose either full control via root access or fully managed servers.
- Global Infrastructure – More locations improves latency for worldwide multiplayer gaming.
- Support Responsiveness – Find staff reachable 24/7 to quickly troubleshoot any server issues.
- Pricing – Balance cost savings with premium hardware and support needs.
Evaluating these aspects will help identify the best fit dedicated game server for your specific use case, budget and technical requirements.
Conclusion
Dedicated game servers empower gamers, streamers and game studios to take their multiplayer hosting to the next level with unhindered performance, better security and easier administration than shared solutions.
The dedicated game server providers above represent the top tier of offerings tailored specifically for seamless, uninterrupted multiplayer game hosting. Each stands out whether you value raw computing power, fully managed infrastructure or budget savings. Consider the factors around hardware capabilities, responsiveness, uptime track record, security protections and ease of management to decide the best choice aligned with your use case requirements.
By selecting the right dedicated game server platform for you rather than compromising with shared solutions, you can unlock new heights of speed, scale and customizability for your multiplayer game environments and communities.
