Are you sure your display is not in kb/ps? There is a toggle in Steam settings to change that.

Just ask Google about it. :)

Originally posted by Eagle_of_Fire:

Are you sure your display is not in kb/ps? There is a toggle in Steam settings to change that.

It is Mbps. If it was Kbps it'd be slow as hell XD

Originally posted by NakiBest:

Just ask Google about it. :)

Completely useless answer but thanks anyway,.

multithreaded downloads and nearby cdn servers (also caches in ur local isp in alot of cases)

Also some providers allow burst speeds depending on load on the service.

Some game depots are uncompressed for performance reasons, Steam will still compress those files when sending them to you, so this can cause the downloads to be faster than your bandwidth, but the amount can vary massively from game to game (and even patch to patch for the same game, depending on what is being patched).

This is the first time I see a thread asking "Why fast" instead of the usual "Why slow".

Your max speed is determined by your Internet Access Provider. (Note: lots of IAPs call themselves ISPs, even though they only offer internet access, no webhosting, no webaddress, no cloud storage, etc..-- )
It's best to try a speed test with their own service to see what you can get, and then see what it is in practise with other services. Perhaps Steam's servers have a better optimized connection with your IAP than Google does.

I think as such, that you may have misread. Perhaps you paid for 250Mbits at some point, but now your package upgraded and you have 500Mbits. Internet Access Providers tend to automatically offer costumers more speed over time----- they also increase the monthly cost over time, even though you didn't ask for any of this indeed.

Another reason may be because part of the game you just downloaded was already installed on your local network. Both Windows 11 and Steam by default try to look for nearby computers to grab the same update or package from. Steam only does this through your local network.

Your connection is probably capable of far more and your ISP is selling you a certain amount of bandwidth which is enforced by delays somewhere in the computers managing the traffic. There's a lot of inputs to that process, and sometimes they don't always enforce it to what is on the tin.

Originally posted by Mr.Lux:

Originally posted by Eagle_of_Fire:

Are you sure your display is not in kb/ps? There is a toggle in Steam settings to change that.

It is Mbps. If it was Kbps it'd be slow as hell XD

Originally posted by NakiBest:

Just ask Google about it. :)

Completely useless answer but thanks anyway,.

Sorry for the confusion! :)

I did not mean ask Google search engine about it, I meant ask Google as your ISP (Internet provider). Surely they cannot afford to not have a customer service department?
Usually, they should respond to you but if they will give a satisfactory reply, it depends.
Still I think it is worth a try. :)

( I am located in a country in Europe that does not have any Google Fiber here. )

Originally posted by Mr.Lux:

I'd like to understand how it is possible

Peering and colocation arrangements.
CDNs holding Valve's assets having more direct lines to the backbone of major ISPs, or cache servers directly installed with the major ISPs. Internet eubscriptions are handled on a fair use scheme in many places, and are only actively capped when going out to the open internet (where exhausting more bandwidth can actually be more expensive for an ISP to a noticeable degree). They tend to simply allow faster traffic within their own network, at least up to a much higher degree, since comparatively it doesn't cost them much; and it gives end-users a better experience with the company's service. So it's a PR win for them.

Basically, you are saying Google will meet or exceed the expected speeds, as they see fit. :)
Seems like a nice policy.
Too bad these Internet services exist only in the USA for now. :(