Xbox Live provides features like social networking in addition to multi-player gaming.
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images News/Getty Images
Xbox Live is the online gaming service associated with the Xbox 360 gaming console produced by Microsoft. You can connect to this service using your Internet connection. From there, you can play multi-player games, use social features and otherwise keep up with your friends. If you have a 360 console, Verizon high-speed Internet should be enough to satisfy Microsoft's system requirements for Xbox Live.
Xbox Live Requirements
Microsoft doesn't set any specific requirements with regard to Internet connection speed. To use its Xbox Live online service for the Xbox 360 gaming console, Microsoft states only that a broadband Internet connection is required. Its most specific comment with regard to any high-speed Internet requirements is that it classifies a high-speed connection as one operating through either DSL or cable service. That leaves a very broad range of acceptable connections.
Verizon High Speed
One of Verizon's products is its High-Speed Internet service. This service operates through DSL-based connections, which in turn operate over a standard phone line. Verizon's first DSL plan, High Speed Internet, provides speeds rated at 0.5Mbps to 1Mbps. The Enhanced plan offers speeds in different tiers, ranging from 1Mbps at the slowest to 15Mbps at the fastest. The first plan outlined costs $25 per month, while the enhanced plans start at $40 per month, as of June 2011.
Comparing Requirements to Speeds
Since Microsoft requires a broadband connection for Xbox live, which means DSL or cable, and Verizon's High Speed Internet set of connection plans are based on its DSL service, Verizon passes the test. As far as your Xbox 360 console and Microsoft are concerned, the answer is Verizon's service is fast enough for Xbox Live.
Enhancing Xbox Live Experience
Despite passing the minimum requirement test of having or considering a DSL-based broadband Internet service, you can take other measures to improve your Xbox Live experience. For example, if you can afford it, purchase one of the faster available speeds from Verizon. This ensures a fast enough connection. Next, if possible, connect your console directly to the modem. This removes other possible drains on the connection, like other computers performing operations on the Internet. Finally, use a wired connection to your router or modem. This gives you the most stable connection to your Internet service.
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Photo Credits
- Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images News/Getty Images
