When we were at PAX Australia this year, we got the chance to take a look at the new Linksys WRT32X gaming router which was announced at the event.
The new router is designed using the Killer Prioritisation Engine (KPE), making it the only router optimised for high-speed gaming for users with Killer-enabled gaming PCs. The KPE optimises traffic for low latency and less lag and ensures that the Killer-enabled PC’s gaming, audio, and video is fast and smooth, while simultaneously managing other online traffic in the home to ensure other devices and activities are not compromised. The new firmware and graphical user interface (GUI) was also custom-built from the ground up with a focus on monitoring and controlling gaming network traffic.
We also had a chat with the Global Product Manager of Linksys, Vince La Duca, who mentioned that the WRT32X “provides advantages that no other routers have – and that is the Killer Prioritisation Engine. The router, when paired with a Killer-enabled PC – from makers such as Alienware, Gigabyte, MSI, or Razer and others, provides a powerful end-to-end connection to prioritise gaming traffic to reduce peak ping times up to 77%, providing a real advantage for faster kills over opponents that use regular “so-called” gaming routers”.
Vince also explained further about how Linksys came to designing a gaming router.
“When exploring how online gaming enthusiasts used their internet connections and the networking technology in their home, we witnessed use of what others called “gaming routers”, but on deeper investigation, all we found were standard consumer routers but with some “gamer-bait” visual accents coupled with some smart marketing, but no real technical substance or innovation. This drove us to create a true gaming-focused router that delivers the best networking experience for online gaming with low latency and the fastest speeds. The WRT32X utilises enterprise-grade hardware DNA found in the WRT line of routers, but the WRT32X takes on a unique persona from both a visual standpoint as well as a firmware/software perspective. The new stealth livery informs this is not the WRT router you know, but WRT as a performance networking platform built to deliver the best online gaming experience.”
The Linksys WRT32X is now available for RRP $449.95 AUD. Here’s some photos of the router from PAX Australia below.
