For many Filipino gamers, mobile gaming isn’t just a pastime. So much so that we have teams dedicated to training and winning gold in esports locally and internationally. Competition is particularly intense within game genres that require split-second decisions and team-based play, like first-person shooters (FPS) and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games.
To keep up with the competitiveness of such genres, players like you should subscribe to the best mobile data plans for gaming in the Philippines. In doing so, you reduce issues such as lag, disconnections, and unstable speeds, and increase the chances of improving your game performance. Who knows, you might be the next World Cup holder!
Wondering which mobile data plan best suits your needs? DITO Telecommunity has the answers. Read the rest of the article to learn more about game-centric promos that can accommodate your requirements and budget.
When choosing the best mobile data plan for gaming in the Philippines, you need to understand the available options. Below are the types of promos that support competitive online gaming in the country:
Unlimited mobile data plans offer uncapped data access so that you can play games to your heart’s content. The main advantage of these plans is that you no longer have to constantly check your remaining data every login, except when the plan is nearing the end of its validity period. For perspective, most unlimited promos, like those from DITO, are valid for 15 days or 30 days.
An unlimited data promo is also helpful if you use your mobile phone as a gaming hotspot. Such situations arise when you’re playing Mobile Legends with the team in person, and one member has insufficient data. If you’re subscribed to an unlimited data plan, you can share your internet without worrying about your mobile load running out.
Mobile games consume a lot of data, which means you need plans with high data caps. Often, telcos offer bundles that include 50 GB of data or more, accounting for varying average data usage across games. For context, here are the average data usage per hour when you play the following titles:
It’s not often that you limit your gaming sessions to one hour, so these averages can easily add up to 10-30 GB per day, depending on how persistent and focused you are. That said, capped data plans are perfect if you only play occasionally and can pace yourself. The data rollover feature will also ensure that you can carry over unused data to your next reload, helping you maximize your subscriptions.
Game-specific promos are mobile data plans that prioritize gaming traffic for users who regularly play. The data allocation is either exclusive to a specific mobile game (like DITO’s MLBB promos) or usable across different platforms, but not for other online tasks. This limit ensures that you won’t inadvertently use up your load for non-gaming activities.
Such plans may also be prioritized during peak hours, helping you experience optimized connections and reducing interruptions caused by lag and unstable internet.
Data boosters are great for stacking promos and increasing your data allocation and speed. You will need them when your game requires more bandwidth during ranking seasons, major updates, and tournaments. For the best results, you can pair these boosters with your game-specific promos and never worry about running out of data again.
Of course, for this strategy to work, you should be located gaming stations within network coverage.
Say you’ve chosen a game-specific plan, what’s next? You need to test whether the promo lives up to your expectations. To easily gauge whether the mobile data plan adds value to your gaming, assess its performance based on the following criteria:
Lower latency or ping means data travels faster between your device and the game server. But, more importantly, that speed should be consistent. You can have real quick response times, but it will only matter if that ping stays the same during decisive battles and action-packed encounters. If latency doesn’t hold up during the most crucial moments, your winning streak can quickly devolve into a losing one.
A 5G-capable promo has a good chance of maintaining a consistent ping, as the next-generation network is more efficient at sending and receiving internet traffic.
Similar to consistent latency, your internet speed needs to be constant as well. Fluctuating upload and download times may delay crucial matches or break your momentum. Worse, it can subject you to endless wait times, which can be really frustrating when you’re in the thick of gameplay.
Do a test to see whether your mobile data has a consistent speed by playing in a dedicated location for fixed periods, interchanging schedules to determine which parts of the day show fluctuations. List down times and places where the speed is stable, and do your best to designate those hours and locations as your gaming period.
Mobile games are meant to be played anytime, anywhere. That means you need to choose a mobile data plan that can work in different locations. Network coverage will ultimately depend on the carrier you subscribe to, so check their coverage area list before making your choice.
This consideration is particularly important if you’re connecting to 5G. Given the network’s limited reach, you should plan carefully where you play to avoid interruptions and disconnections caused by a weak signal.
The best mobile data for gaming in the Philippines is the one that meets your needs as a gamer, whatever your usage habits and temperaments are. For competitive gaming, special attention should be given not only to your mobile plan’s data allocation, but also to its technical performance, including ping, speed, and coverage.
For gamers exploring options, DITO offers a wide range of prepaid and postpaid promos with generous data allocations and 5G support. Check out our complete list of plans on the DITO App, or get a gaming SIM bundle from the eShop if you’re a new subscriber!