Game servers are becoming more popular with every passing day. As more and more people enter the gaming world, the demand for game servers only increases.
So, hosting a game server and allowing people to play on it for a specific fee can be quite a lucrative business for you, especially if you live in an area where gaming is big. All you’ll need to do is find a game people want to play, create your game server, and promote it online.
Also, a game server can be used for non-monetary purposes, such as playing your favorite games with friends without being bothered by bots or other annoying players.
The creation process is the same regardless of what you want to use your game server for. But before we get into that, we want to give a valuable tip you need to know before creating your game server. Namely, choosing the right web hosting is one of the most important things that will influence the success of your game server. And in this case, we recommend you choose VPS hosting.
It’s excellent for gaming, offers much better privacy and security than shared hosting, and is much cheaper than dedicated hosting. You can find some good VPS hosting providers and consider your options carefully before deciding. And once you’re sure that you’ve picked the right provider, you can start creating your game server.
Set up a Game Server in 4 Steps
Buying a suitable hosting plan is the first step to creating a game server. You must host your game server so people can connect and play games. We already recommended VPS hosting, but you can also consider specialized hosting options. Namely, there are many providers out there that offer game-optimized hosting. For example, you can get special hosting for Minecraft, CS: GO, ARK, and games.
Once you do that, you’ll need to install the appropriate mods, software, or other requirements for your game. Of course, some games don’t have any, but if the game you want to host does, ensure you have everything ready.
Next, you’ll need to configure your game server. This involves setting up the number of players allowed, adding accounts that have permission to access it (if you’re using it privately to play with friends), and other similar tasks.
Lastly, you should test your game server before you release it in the wild. This is even more important for those who want to use the game server to make money by allowing others to play. So, do a test run with some of your friends to ensure everything runs as it should.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Game Server
Now that you know how to set up a game server, let’s go through some tips that’ll enable you to get the most out of it. Since you’ll be getting your game server from a hosting provider, you must ensure that the provider offers good value for money and has the appropriate features.
So, to get the most out of your game server and hosting provider, you’ll first need to check what kind of security and privacy features you’ll get. This is imperative because gamers face many security threats daily, and you wouldn’t want your players to be easy targets.
Some features you should look for include DDoS attack protection, anti-malware, frequent updates (which you can do yourself or let your hosting provider do it for you), etc.
Next, check out what kind of hardware your game server provider uses. Also, ensure that the provider offers processors capable of running multiple game server instances. That way, you can host multiple games and make even more money. Look for processors like the Intel Xeon E-series CPUs or the AMD Ryzen 5.
RAM is also critical for game servers, even though it is frequently overlooked. So, ensure you have enough RAM for the game you want to host and some extra, just in case. For example, if you run a Minecraft server with up to ten players and ten mods, you’ll need at least 2GB of RAM.
Conclusion
Setting up a game server is not as difficult as it sounds. It’s pretty easy. Most people don’t know how important it is to choose the right web hosting to set up game servers.
So, when creating your server, pay extra attention to which hosting service and provider you select. If you choose correctly, you’ll ensure that your server runs appropriately and provides a good gaming experience to all players.
