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.
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.
With an extensive server network spanning 105 countries, apps for all major platforms, and even extra security tools like an ad blocker, ExpressVPN delivers all you need for a private and secure online experience.
The software is easy to use across all devices, and the speed trumps many of its competitors, making it one of the fastest VPNs on the market. Android and iOS customers can make the most of a 7-day free trial with unlimited bandwidth and everyone can enjoy three months for free when opting for annual billing.
Part of the London Trust Media group, Private Internet Access (PIA) has long been a benchmark VPN solution. The service has undergone diverse changes to keep up with competitors since its launch in 2010, ensuring its high quality hasn’t changed.
The Private Internet Access VPN allows users to browse the internet anonymously using several encryption and privacy tools to guarantee total security on unlimited devices. Suitable for users of any ability, PIA offers an abundance of servers in over 90 countries and even reserves special servers for streaming. Plus, the service’s platform has a unique and simplified design, making its extensive customization as easy as pie.
The VPN service rewards committed clients who opt for longer plans while also letting newcomers get a risk-free taster of the product with its 7-day free trial (on the mobile app) and 30-day money-back guarantee.
Proton VPN was originally created to protect journalists and activists from repressive governments and allow them to communicate safely, but it quickly rose in popularity among a broader audience. Launched by the Swiss company Proton AG in 2017, Proton VPN has everything required to let you browse the internet anonymously without worrying about privacy issues.
This multi-platform and open source VPN boasts above-average speeds, stable connections, no DNS leaks, P2P and streaming support, custom connection profiles, and best-in-class protocols like WireGuard. In addition, Proton VPN offers an unlimited free version and discounts of up to 70% on its paid plans.
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.
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.
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