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Best VPNs for Gaming

Best VPNs for Gaming

By Richárd Z.Richárd Z. — Verified by Mary P.Mary P. — Last updated: September 1, 2024 — (0)
Table of contents

Tennis for Two was introduced in 1958 and is widely considered the world’s first video game. Since then, an entire industry has emerged. Today, most games are bought through distribution services like Steam, Epic Games, or Good Old Games, not to mention their console-specific variants. In order to play through these distributors, gamers require a constant online connection. Therefore, extra attention must be paid to cyberthreats to maintain online security.

In addition to improving privacy, VPNs are generally considered the best solution for circumventing severe network regulations, such as geo-restrictions or bandwidth throttling by internet service providers (ISPs).

Luckily, there are numerous VPN services on the market. That said, these companies offer relatively similar features, so choosing one can prove challenging. Due to this, you must base your purchase on your needs, like if you’re seeking access to foreign servers or regularly using public Wi-Fi.

Why is a VPN good for gaming?

Internet security is crucial and everything you do online must be protected. Unfortunately, hackers are everywhere, and they can find you through online gaming as well. They’re usually players who react aggressively to losing and overload a player’s IP server with requests to slow it down. These are called denial of service (DoS) attacks; they send your server’s latency (also known as ‘ping’) to the sky. However, a reliable VPN protects you from cyberattacks like these.

 

Nevertheless, DoS attacks are just one side of the coin, as your latency can be disturbed in multiple ways. For example, you may experience serious issues in gaming when your ISP limits your bandwidth to regulate traffic. A VPN offers protection against this as well, letting you prevent ISP throttling, which reduces your ping.

While playing a few rounds in your favorite video game is best done at home, you may sometimes access it through public Wi-Fi. However, schools, universities, and workplaces usually block gaming on their network.

A VPN circumvents this issue in no time by allowing you to connect to an encrypted server, changing your IP address and letting you get back to the game. Plus, in general, using public Wi-Fi is much more secure with a VPN.

Recommended VPN services for gaming

ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN
Editor's rating:
Reviews
  • Extensive device support
  • Exceptional speed
  • Intuitive apps
  • Convenient extras
  • 7-day free trial for mobile devices
  • Higher prices than competitors
  • Only 8 simultaneous connections
  • No multi-hop
Main features
# countries
100
Countries
US, UK, CA, DE, RU, FR, NL, ES...
# connected devices
8
OpenVPN
Kill switch
Starting price: $6.67/mo Visit ExpressVPN
Screenshots
Offers
49% off ExpressVPN
30 days free with ExpressVPN's referral program
Three months free with ExpressVPN's yearly subscription
7-day free trial for android and iOS
30-day money-back guarantee with ExpressVPN
Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access
Editor's rating:
Reviews
  • Unlimited devices
  • DNS leak protection
  • Suitable for all users
  • Completely customizable
  • Attractive pricing
  • Slow servers
  • Lack of a free version
Main features
# countries
90
Countries
US, UK, CA, AU, JP, ZA, DE, RO, AE…
# connected devices
Unlimited
OpenVPN
Kill switch
Starting price: $2.19/mo Visit Private Internet Access
Screenshots
Offers
Only $2.19 per month for Private Internet Access
30 days free with PIA's referral program
500GB of cloud storage with PIA
7-day free trial of Private Internet Access
30-day money back guarantee with Private Internet Access
ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN
Editor's rating:
Reviews
  • Modern, attractive and easy to use
  • Secure Core and customizable profiles
  • Trustworthy security features
  • Good, consistent speeds
  • P2P and TOR supported
  • Pricing is a bit exaggerated
Main features
# countries
36
Countries
US, UK, AU, CN, DE, CA, FR, ES
# connected devices
10
OpenVPN
Kill switch
Starting price: $4/mo Visit ProtonVPN
Screenshots
Offers
$8 per month for the best ProtonVPN plan
$72 discount on Visionary
7-day free trial of ProtonVPN
Forever free ProtonVPN plan
30-day risk-free trial ProtonVPN

Free vs paid gaming VPN services

Many companies provide free VPNs, but their functions are often limited. For instance, some only offer a few local servers that can easily overload, causing frequent crashes.

You may also experience severe DNS leaks that reveal your actual location and pose a significant threat to your privacy. Worst of all, some free VPNs cover their expenses by filling their apps with ads or selling users’ data to third parties.

Alternatively, paid VPN services don’t have to rely on such methods. In addition to being entirely ad-free, they’re also more secure and many can be used to conduct DNS leak tests as well – which happens far less frequently anyway. Furthermore, even the cheapest solutions offer a reasonable number of servers.

 

They use the latest protocols to boost server speeds and strengthen encryption, ensuring your privacy. To top it all off, they typically allow you to try out the service for yourself through generous money-back guarantees and free trials.

Errors and bans with VPN usage

At this point, it’s easy to believe that using a VPN is an excellent way to buy games at reduced prices or take advantage of coupons available in a specific country.

While it’s technically possible and not considered illegal, buying games through a VPN is best avoided since you risk breaking the terms of service of either the distributor or the game’s developer and publisher.

 

 

This will almost always result in an account ban and the loss of your entire game library since the distributor may consider this as taking advantage of the system’s loopholes. Steam has a notoriously strict policy in this regard, but other providers don’t shy away from such serious punishments either.

Fortunately, it’s unlikely to be in danger of getting banned when using a VPN to play free online games. This can include popular titles like Fortnite and MMORPGs, alongside other games that are unavailable in your country. Still, using a reliable VPN that has no DNS leaks is crucial for whatever you play. This is because the more hidden your activities are, the less likely it is that you’re kicked off a game that’s otherwise unavailable.

Best VPN guides for games and gaming platforms

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