Best VPNs for Gaming

In a world where more people are staying home and seeking entertainment online, gaming continues to grow in popularity. And being a savvy gamer, you are probably here looking for the best VPN for gaming.

Gamers have requirements that are very different than those of the typical VPN user. And gamers are sensitive to network characteristics like ping, which most other VPN users ignore. We think that a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work for gamers. While there are benefits you can get from using a VPN for gaming, figuring out exactly which VPN to use can require some research and tweaking.

Of course, if you are serious about your games, you know all about tweaking and testing to get that little edge that makes all the difference.

So here’s what we’re going to cover in this gaming VPN guide:

1. Discuss VPN gaming basics so everyone is on the same page.
2. Review the three best VPNs for gaming, with particular attention to the characteristics that are most important for gamers.
3. Discuss tips for selecting the best gaming VPN for your specific needs.
4. Get out of your way (and return to gaming).

So let’s start with the basics of using a VPN service for gaming.

The basics of VPNs for gaming

Putting VPNs and games together is kind of an odd matchup. Let’s start by talking about why a gamer might want to use a VPN. That way, if we’re not talking about you, we won’t waste any more of your time.

Here are the main reasons why you need a VPN for gaming (in no particular order):

1. To protect against DDoS attacks

Some gamers out there seem to have an attitude of: If you can’t beat them, then cheat. One of the weapons that someone can use to cheat you out of your victory is to hit your IP address with a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack.

And will DDoS attacks are growing exponentially, regular gamers probably don’t have to worry about this, but if it is a concern, a VPN can save your butt. If you use a VPN to log into a game, any DDoS attack will hit their big, high-capacity VPN servers, rather than your personal gaming rig. It could make all the difference between winning or going down in flames.

2. To get around a game’s ban

If you somehow get banned from a game, they will probably do it by blocking your personal IP address. Using a VPN will give you hundreds (or more likely thousands) of different IP addresses to use. This will allow you to easily get around any ban.

3. To get into games in other countries

Got gaming buddies in a different country, or on the road and need to log in to your account back home? Or maybe you are hot to try out a new game that hasn’t been released in your country yet…

In all of these cases, a VPN’s ability to hide your IP address and change virtual locations makes it easy to get past all of these issues.

4. To buy games for less

Just like Netflix prices, game prices also vary from country to country. We’ve seen reports that the prices can vary as much as 30% from country to country. Using a VPN to make it look like you are located where a game is cheaper could save you big bucks.

5. To keep hackers and snoops at bay

Being a gamer means long, frequent connections to game servers. Hackers and snoops of all sorts know this, making gamers a particularly good target for their attacks.

Because a VPN shifts your IP address, and also encrypts the connection between your device and the VPN server, using a VPN makes gaming much safer from this kind of problem.

6. Your ISP is throttling your connection

Some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) will throttle connections to game servers. That is, they will slow down your connection to the server to prevent you from using too much of their network’s capacity. Using a VPN to game should get you around this, as your ISP will have no way to tell you are playing a game.

7. You game on public WiFi

Public WiFi hotspots are everywhere, and the temptation to do a little quick gaming while hanging out at the local coffee shop can be intense. But public WiFi is like the happy hunting grounds for hackers and comes with some serious risks if you aren’t using a VPN.

These networks are notoriously insecure, and there is no way to tell whether that scruffy guy in the corner with the old laptop is checking the help wanted ads, or trying to gain access to your private data through an unsecured network.

Using a VPN while gaming on public WiFi will make sure that Mr. Scruffy only sees an encrypted stream of data.

8. You sometimes game over P2P

Not all games are good about maintaining security over P2P connections. We’ve heard that games ranging from Minecraft to old versions of Call of Duty, inadvertently left player IP addresses accessible to other players. Malicious players could use a packet sniffer to discover the actual IP address of other players.

We’re not sure how widespread the problem is, but using a VPN when playing is an easy way to eliminate the risk.

Do any of these apply to you?

If any of the issues we just covered applies to you, a VPN is probably in your future. Keep reading.

If none of the above applies to you, you probably can stop reading now and check out some other good guides on the Restore Privacy homepage.

Ranking the best VPNs for gaming

These are the criteria we looked for when selecting the best VPNs for gaming:

1. Low latency (ping), which allows you to respond fast
2. A fast network, to keep the data flowing
3. A big, reliable network to keep you connected anywhere in the world
4. Apps that work with your gaming hardware or router
5. The ability to evade geo-blocking so you can play games that may otherwise be locked
6. The ability to work as a high-quality VPN when you aren’t blowing stuff up
7. 24/7 tech support so you can get back in the game (or back to work) fast

All three of the VPNs we recommend meet these criteria. In the interest of saving everyone’s time, we’re keeping these mini-reviews short and specifically focused on gaming. You can find links to full reviews of each VPN at the end of the respective mini-review.

1. NordVPN – Best all-around gaming VPN

With its huge network of reliable, super-fast servers, NordVPN also ticks all the boxes for a great gaming VPN. It automatically protects you against DDoS attacks and does an excellent job getting around any kind of blocks or geo-restrictions. It also comes packed with an impressive list of features, while still being very affordable.

NordVPN boasts a network of 5,200+ servers spread across 59 countries. This gives you more than enough servers to find an ideal location for your gaming needs. Another benefit of the NordVPN network is that all servers run in RAM-disk mode, without any hard drives. This makes it impossible for any server to store data, which improves privacy and security for NordVPN users.

NordVPN doesn’t cut any corners with security and privacy. They have completed third-party audits of their network confirming their security, while also passing two separate no-logs audits that validated their privacy policy. NordVPN is based in Panama, which is a great jurisdiction for privacy. All NordVPN apps come with built-in leak protection (kill switch) settings to keep traffic secure.

And if you want a VPN that delivers on advanced privacy and security features, NordVPN has you covered. For example:

• Double-VPN servers that encrypt traffic over two different locations.
• Tor-over-VPN servers that add an additional layer of encryption with the Tor network.
• Obfuscated servers to conceal VPN traffic as regular HTTPS encryption (a good option if you need a VPN for China)
• CyberSec feature that blocks ads, trackers, malware, and phishing domains.
• Leak protection settings (kill switch) that are built into all NordVPN apps.

Fastest VPN for gaming

If you are looking for the best VPN for gaming, then speed is a big consideration. NordVPN now supports the WireGuard VPN protocol, which delivers the fastest speeds along with cutting-edge security. In our tests, we were able to hit speeds of 445 Mbps using a nearby NordVPN server and the WireGuard (NordLynx) protocol.

And like our other top-recommended VPNs for gaming, NordVPN gives you 24/7 live chat support and a 30 day money-back guarantee.

Want to learn more? Check out our full NordVPN review for more details.

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2. Surfshark – A fast and affordable VPN for gaming

Surfshark has a lot in common with NordVPN and is a strong contender for the best VPN for gaming. It offers excellent speeds, a large server network, secure apps, and lots of great features. One of the biggest advantages of Surfshark is the price. It is truly a cheap VPN for gaming, at only $2.49 per month, while also not sacrificing on quality.

Surfshark has a large VPN network that will work well for gaming. This includes over 3,200 servers distributed across 65 countries. And like NordVPN above, Surfshark also supports the WireGuard VPN protocol directly in their VPN apps. This provides blazing fast VPN speeds for gaming, while even outperforming other leading VPNs. Below is a speed test from our ExpressVPN vs Surfshark comparison, where we hit 397 Mbps.

When it comes to security and privacy, defeating geo-blocks, even 24/7 support and a 30 day money-back guarantee, Surfshark swims with the rest of the pack. We found many similarities in our NordVPN vs Surfshark comparison, with NordVPN coming out slightly ahead.

Here are some other reasons that Surfshark is an ideal VPN for online gaming:

• Surfshark supports a wide variety of hardware, operating systems and platforms. They even have apps that work with gaming consoles as well as Smart TVs.
• Surfshark offers some good privacy features, including double-VPN servers and also obfuscated servers.
• Surfshark’s CleanWeb feature blocks ads, trackers, and also malware domains.
• Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous connections, meaning you never need to worry about how many people in the house are gaming with your VPN subscription.
• With a 24-month subscription and the coupon below, Surfshark is really inexpensive (one of the cheapest VPNs on the market)

Overall, Surfshark is a solid VPN for gaming worthy of consideration. Even though it has a smaller network than NordVPN and ExpressVPN, there are still plenty of locations to choose from. And while the biggest discount is only available with a two-year plan, this is still the cheapest VPN for gaming that we’d recommend.

/surf

Want to learn more? See our full Surfshark VPN review.

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3. ExpressVPN for gaming

ExpressVPN is one of the most popular VPNs on the market — and it’s another great gaming VPN to consider. This service has a well-deserved reputation for performance and reliability across virtually every aspect of normal VPN use. It performed very well in our tests with speeds, features, and reliability.

Like our other top gaming VPNs, ExpressVPN has a fast, low-latency network of over 3,000 servers in 160 locations spread across 94 countries. With so many countries covered, ExpressVPN is a natural for anyone who likes to play games from various locations around the world. Our recent speed tests found ExpressVPN to perform well, getting over 200 Mbps with most US server locations:

One key difference between ExpressVPN and the other gaming VPNs is that it does not support WireGuard. Instead, they offer the Lightway protocol, which is also fast and secure. However, as we see in the ExpressVPN vs NordVPN report, NordVPN with WireGuard still outperforms ExpressVPN with Lightway — by a large margin.

When it comes to apps, ExpressVPN has user-friendly and secure apps for all major computer operating systems and devices. And as we noted in the ExpressVPN vs IPVanish comparison, ExpressVPN also supports all key gaming platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, and more. Below is the ExpressVPN Windows app we tested out for this gaming VPN review:

Additionally, ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer feature could come in handy if your internet connection (or your ancient PlayStation) is too slow to get the job done with a full VPN. Or if you just want to protect your browser, ExpressVPN has a lineup of browser extensions and is rated one of the best VPNs for Chrome.

Third-party audits confirm the security and privacy of the service. ExpressVPN is a verified no logs VPN that also runs their entire server network in RAM-disk mode. All VPN apps also have a kill switch, called Network Lock, which ensures traffic remains encrypted at all times.

ExpressVPN offers 24/7 live chat support and a 30 day money-back guarantee. And while it is a very polished and reliable service, it does not have as many features as its competitors, as noted in the Surfshark vs ExpressVPN comparison. You can grab the coupon below for three months free.

Want to learn more? Check out our full ExpressVPN review for additional test results and analysis.

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Typical VPN users and gamers have different requirements

Because so much of gaming is about real-time action, typical VPN users and gamers are kind of an odd couple.

VPN users are often looking for privacy and security while doing things online. Secondary goals are things like being fast enough to stream HD video without buffering, remaining protected if the VPN connection drops, and being able to unblock websites that are locked by geo-restrictions.

Low latency (ping) is generally not an important thing for a typical VPN user.

Online gamers are primarily looking for a fast ping and a reliable connection for playing games that require split-second reactions and not losing the connection at a critical moment.

Beyond that, most gamers are interested in things like privacy, security, and streaming videos, but these are secondary concerns. And depending on circumstances, the ability to evade geo-blocking, avoid being throttled, and get around game bans could be priorities.

Now add in the fact that ping will vary depending on which game (and perhaps region) you want to play on, the performance of your ISP, and even the locations of specific VPN servers.

While there is definite overlap between the needs of the two groups, the differences in requirements means you are going to have to assign some priorities and make some tradeoffs.

Tradeoffs when gaming with a VPN

The biggest tradeoff you have to deal with when using a VPN for gaming, is privacy vs performance. Performance is a big concern, whether you are using a VPN for torrenting or one for gaming. There are several reasons for this.

First, it takes a bit of time to encrypt and decrypt messages that flow back and forth through the VPN. This adds a tiny delay when preparing messages to send, and when decrypting messages coming back.

Aside from buying a computer with a more powerful CPU, there isn’t much you can do about this source of delay. And if you are running good hardware, it won’t even be noticeable.

Second, adding a VPN server into the path between your device and the game server increases the physical distance the messages must travel. While messages travel across the physical internet very quickly, the farther they must travel, the greater the time it will take them.

You have greater control over this component of the performance problem. By selecting a VPN that has servers near the game servers you want to connect to, you can greatly minimize this problem.

Imagine for a minute you are in Southern California, and you want to log in a game server in Washington state. Also imagine that you signed up for a VPN that has two servers: one in Oregon (between your location and the game servers), and another server in New York (several thousand miles East of where you are now).

If you log into the game server using the VPN server located in Oregon, you won’t increase the distance that your messages must by very much.

If you log into the game server using the New York VPN server, you are adding thousands of miles to the distance messages must travel.

Those thousands of extra miles between you and the game will significantly add to the ping time, possibly making the game unplayable.

Another possible tradeoff comes when you have multiple games you want to use your VPN with. You might find that one game works best with Surfshark, while another works best with ExpressVPN, and a third works best with NordVPN.

The various possibilities multiply quickly from here, particularly if you are into several different games hosted in different countries.

How to choose your best VPN for gaming

Okay. We now know why you probably want to use a VPN while gaming. We know about three VPNs that are great for gaming and offer 30 day money-back guarantees. So all we have left is to figure out how to choose your best VPN for gaming.

The process isn’t complicated, but could take some time. Here’s what to do:

1. Download and install one of the recommended VPNs. If the short descriptions we included here aren’t enough to let you choose which VPN to try first, hit the links to the full reviews that appear below each shortie.
2. Decide which game server region you want to play in. Let’s say you decided on California, USA.
3. In the VPN client, look for a server that’s located within the game server region and connect to that server.
4. Now it is time to do some pinging. Check the documentation for the game you are interested in to see if it has its own Ping tester. If not, do an online search for one. For example, if you are into League of Legends, search for League of Legends Ping in your web browser and test the ping times you get. Record this info. You want to see ping times as low as possible of course, but as long as you are getting results under 150ms, you should be fine.
5. Repeat the process for each server the VPN offers in the region you want to connect to.
6. With the VPN connected to the best server (lowest ping) in the region, log into the game and play.
7. If the gameplay is good, you have found yourself a VPN! If not, adjust variables to optimize performance, such as trying different servers.

Like we said, the process isn’t complicated, but it could be time-consuming.

Take advantage of the risk-free 30 day trial

Notice above that all three VPNs we recommend for gaming come with a risk-free 30 day trial window. This allows you to use the VPN, cancel it within 30 days, and then get a full refund without any hassle. For example, below is from NordVPN:

Basically, you can use this 30-day refund window like a free trial VPN. Simply try the VPNs to find the best fit, and then cancel within the trial window to get a full refund.

Best VPNs for Gaming FAQs

Here is a collection of common questions people have related to gaming while using a VPN.

What about the best VPN for mobile gaming?

Mobile gaming is the fastest growing sector of the gaming world. It only makes sense that all the reasons we discussed for using a VPN for desktop or console gaming also apply to mobile gaming.

Yes, you should probably be using a VPN for mobile gaming. And yes, our recommended VPN services are all good options for a mobile gaming VPN. You’ll need to install the correct VPN app on your phone and select the right server, just as you would on your computer or console. We’ve even reviewed some of the best VPNs for Android here.

Use WireGuard when gaming on mobile devices with a VPN

When using VPNs on mobile devices, we’d strongly recommend using the WireGuard protocol. This offers many benefits for mobile users:

• Much faster speeds
• Seamless transition between networks, such as going from Wi-Fi to 4G, without dropping your VPN connection
• Faster to establish a connection (faster handshake)
• Better battery performance than OpenVPN

For the best mobile gaming results, you will also want to follow the process we describe in the section, How to choose your best VPN for gaming. Fortnite and other games include a built-in ping tester, that you can use for testing. If the game you are interested in testing doesn’t have its own ping tester, you can find a ping testing app to use on the playstore for your device.

How does a VPN make a game think I am in a different country?

Good question. To answer it, we have to take one step back and talk about how your location is represented on the internet. The one universal way to find out where anything is on the internet is to look at its IP address.

An IP address works very much like a combination of mailing address and phone number for devices connected to the internet. The IP address shows (approximately) where in the physical world a device is located, and identifies the device so other stuff connected to the internet can send messages to it.

It also gives games a way to figure out what country you are in. Every message a device sends across the internet includes a copy of its IP address in the header of the message. If a game cares about what country you are in (many do), it can simply check the IP address of messages from your device.

Now, if the IP address indicates you are not in an acceptable location (from the game’s perspective–we’re not criticizing where you live), it simply ignores your messages, preventing you from logging into the game.

Finally, if the IP address indicates that you are in an acceptable location, your messages are not blocked, meaning you can log into the game normally.

Now on to the meat of your question…

Things don’t quite happen the same way when you use a VPN to connect to a game site. What you want to do is use a VPN server that is located in the same geographic region as the game servers you want to use.

For the sake of argument, let’s say you are located in Peru, and want to connect to a Fortnite server located in Frankfurt, Germany to play with some friends. You would want to log your device into a VPN server close to Frankfurt.

When you try to log into Fortnite, messages from your computer go to the VPN server. The VPN server replaces your IP address with its own IP address, then sends it on to the nearest Fortnite server. Because the VPN server is located near Frankfurt, its IP address says it is located near Frankfurt. The game then thinks that you are located near Frankfurt, and assigns you to the Frankfurt server.

Messages passing from the game to you go through a similar process, where they first travel to the VPN server, which then passes them along to your device. Once the connection is set up, you don’t see any of this. All you see is that you are connected to the Fortnite server you want to use. The VPN does the rest.

What features make a VPN good for gaming?

The features that make a VPN good for gaming, are different than those people typically look for in a VPN. We go into a lot more detail in the body of this guide, but here are the features we think are most important to look for in a gaming VPN:

1. Low latency (ping) – This is the amount of time (in milliseconds) that it takes for a message to pass from your device, to the game server you are using, and back again. Low latency is super important if you are playing a first-person shooter, or any other kind of game that requires quick responses.

2. Fast server network – While keeping your ping time as low as possible is the #1 necessity for gaming, you’re also going to want a VPN that’s fast. As you play, you are going to need to be downloading masses of data from time to time. If your connection can’t keep up, you’ll start lagging. Normally, this won’t be a problem with any kind of broadband internet connection. But why take chances with a slow VPN? Besides, would you expect a slow VPN to have a fast ping? We didn’t think so.

3. Large, reliable network – You never know where in the world the next hot game is going to appear. A VPN with a big, reliable network will increase the odds that you can log into that game when it appears and minimizes the chance that you’ll lose your connection in the middle of an important match.

All three of our recommended gaming VPNs offer large and reliable server networks.

4. Compatible apps – Having a great gaming VPN is of no use if you can’t use it with your gaming hardware. Depending on the devices you have, it might make sense to install the VPN on your router, or invest in something like the Vilfo router, which is custom designed to work with VPNs while keeping your connection as fast as possible. It works with all VPN services, and has support for ExpressVPN and NordVPN built in.

5. Unblocking power – Some games restrict access to people who are located in specific regions of the world. While any VPN can give you an IP address in the same geographic region as the game servers, sometimes that isn’t enough. Big streaming media companies like Netflix are in a constant battle against VPNs to prevent VPN users from connecting to their sites. Fortunately, there are still some great VPNs for Netflix, although many are blocked.

It is only a matter of time before the combat escalates to this level in the online gaming world. Using a VPN that has a solid reputation for beating various geo-blocking restrictions is the best way we know to be prepared for more and ‘better’ geo-clocking in the gaming world.

Can you use a free VPN for gaming?

Unfortunately, a free gaming VPN is not the answer.  While there are free VPNs out there, most of them are dangerous and insecure, and are often in the news for bad reasons. Even the best free VPNs have problems and restrictions. Therefore we recommend going with a paid VPN for gaming.

To be of any use, a free gaming VPN would need to protect your privacy, be secure against outsiders stealing your data. It would also have to be fast, with a low ping, and thousands of high-quality servers spread around the world. Only a few paid VPNs have these characteristics.

Free VPNs tend to be slow, with a high ping, and few servers. Worse, the business model of most free VPNs is collecting and selling data about you, the user. A free gaming VPN that meets all the requirements just doesn’t exist.

Is it legal to use a VPN for gaming?

We are not lawyers, and are certainly not up on the nuances of the laws in the approximately 200 countries of the world. That said, except for a few particularly repressive places like Russia, China, and some Middle Eastern countries, we understand that using a VPN for gaming is legal.

However, it might be against the Terms of Service (ToS) of some games, perhaps due to licensing agreements. We’ve even heard rumors that some games may block VPN users, but have not noticed this ourselves.

Conclusion on using a VPN for gaming

While the typical VPN user and the typical gamer may place different demands on their systems, there are many good reasons for gamers to use a VPN while playing games. And with online games growing in popularity, what better time to sign up for a good VPN to get the most out of the hobby.

In this guide we looked at the reasons why you as a gamer should consider using a VPN while playing. Then we looked at the criteria for choosing a VPN for use during gaming, with a primary focus on low latency (ping) and high reliability. Those two criteria are vital for you to stay connected to the game, and to surviving while you are in the game.

Then we did short looks at the three VPNs we recommend for gamers. Each of them fulfills all the criteria we listed at the top of the guide, making them excellent general-purpose gaming VPNs. They also work great for specific use cases, such as if you need a good VPN for PUBG (Player Unknown Battleground).

Then we put you to work. We gave you a simple (but possibly time-consuming) process you can use to see which of these three VPNs is the best choice for your particular situation: where you live, which games you play, which geographic regions you connect to, and so on.

We wrapped it up with an FAQ section for any gaming VPN questions you might still have.

And that’s it. We hope you understand why we dumped some work in your lap, instead of simply telling you, “buy this VPN.” We assume you are looking for not just good results, but the best results for your particular situation.

So good luck, and happy hunting!

Gaming VPN Comparison Table

Below is a comparison table of the top VPNs for gaming.

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Last updated with new information on July 5, 2021.