Gaming is one of the areas where we “collide” with other players. And you would like to be prepared for many of them by using gaming VPNs.

You may say – why use a gaming VPN? After all, these apps are known to slow down internet speeds and consume CPU resources.

In this article, we’ll mention the main reasons why plenty of PC gamers trust VPN providers, and which are the best VPNs for gaming.

Should you use a gaming VPN?

Gaming VPNs are one of the most controversial topics, as many popular gamers are pointing out their strong advantages, but others are trying to neglect them by claiming VPNs are slowing them down.

While the latter might have some rights, it’s not the case with the best gaming VPNs on the market. In fact, you can benefit in many terms.Let’s see how.

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Access geo-restricted games

A huge benefit of using a VPN for gaming is that it can give you access to geo-restricted content. For example, if you want to play a game that is only available in another country, you can use a VPN to connect to a server in that country and access the game.

Lineage II, PUBG, and Rift are some of the big names that don’t give global access to their game. 

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Protect your identity

A VPN can also help to protect your identity and personal information. When you connect to a gaming server through a public network, your IP address is visible to everyone. However, when you use a VPN, your IP address is hidden. You can stay anonymous and avoid being targeted by hackers or other malicious players.

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Get better in-game prices

In-game purchases are a great way to get better prices on items and content in games. However, if you’re not careful, you can spend more than you intended. One way to avoid this is to use a VPN for gaming.

A VPN for gaming can help you get better prices by masking your IP address and location. This means that game developers and publishers won’t be able to see where you’re from and charge you more accordingly.

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Avoid throttling

It’s no secret that video games are some of the most bandwidth-intensive activities on the internet. From streaming live gameplay to downloading huge patches, gaming can easily consume a lot of web traffic. This can often lead to Internet service providers (ISPs) throttling your speeds in an attempt to conserve bandwidth.

One way to avoid this is by using a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a server in another location. This can help to mask your gaming activity from your ISP, and potentially avoid throttling.

How we selected our best VPNs for gaming?

The Best Gaming VPNs on the market

PrivateVPN is the best VPN for gaming you can find on the market. It allows ultimate security, great user experience, and fast speeds which guarantee low latency.

Speaking of security, we can’t forget the “Stealth Mode,” which makes PrivateVPN among the hardest VPNs to detect – which is excellent news for players who want to find games in other countries and avoid getting spotted.

Despite the small number of servers, their distribution is splendid – with more than 60 countries supported, including the US, Japan, and South Korea.

PrivateVPN receives amazing scores in TrustPilot, as it scores 4.9 out of 5 stars. On top of that, it is the best VPN for Windows another piece of great news for gaming fans.

NordVPN is a top-tier VPN for PC gaming that really goes the distance – you won’t notice high latency, and the supported speeds are more than enough to make it look “invisible”.

Apart from that, the Panama-based service provider offers great security, and cross-platform capabilities, and it doesn’t surprise us that the NordVPN gaming experience can be described with 1 word – supreme

If you want to play video games on your phone, we can’t skip the fact that NordVPN ranks among the best iPhone VPNs.

For solo gamers, NordVPN will be a good choice, although we would like to see at least 10 supported devices per account, so more family members could use this great app.

ExpressVPN is another marvelous gaming VPN that doesn’t sacrifice performance and speed, but still offers best-in-class security.

Loved by customers (4.7/5 rating in TrustPilot), ExpressVPN is the perfect VPN for many cautious gamers who want to protect themselves from being attacked or banned during the games.

What we loved here is that you don’t witness lag issues, which means ExpressVPN will be embedded smoothly into your gaming experience.

Our team would expect more from it – the prices are quite steep compared to rivals, and the maximum number of devices per account is 5 – the lowest from our gaming VPNs list.

Surfshark is a good VPN for gamers that comes at a very attractive price, and it really shines in mobile gaming. In fact, it’s one of the best VPNs for Android gamers.

Apart from its quick speeds, there is low latency and a variety of security features that outshine many other tools – like rotating IP addresses, which ensure you won’t get banned when playing games.

A big win for Surfshark is that it works on all types of devices, and you can connect it to as many as you wish. The attractive price is another reason why this VPN is worth your attention.

We wish the user interface were a bit more user-friendly, but we can confirm that it’s sleek and unique in many ways.

CyberGhost is one of the best gaming VPNs and it has proven its worth for many years now. It’s one of the legacy apps on the market, so it’s quite popular with gamers.

Тhe Romanian VPN provider offers one of the most extensive server networks in the world, as it has almost 9,000 servers in 90+ countries globally – this guarantees high speeds and good proximity wherever you live

The user interface is decent, and the maximum number of devices per account is 7, which is not ideal, but it might be enough for streamers and small families.

With 4.5 rating from 15,600 reviews it is already a solid name in the VPN gaming industry, so you won’t make a mistake if you pick it blindly.

Private Internet Access is another top-tier VPN for PC gamers, as it offers high speeds, robust security, and insanely low prices.

It’s PIA that can boast the most servers around the world, so you should expect high speeds, especially in North America since it’s based in the US.

PIA is also very secure, as it offers military-grade encryption and a variety of VPN protocols which ensure you will be safe when playing Call of Duty or League of Legends against toxic players.

The number of supported devices per account is 10, which is just enough. The user interface is good enough, and a 4.6 user rating in TrustPilot is another reason why this gaming VPN won’t disappoint.

Gaming VPN FAQs

There are many reasons why free VPNs are not a good idea for gaming. First and foremost, free VPNs generally have lower data caps than paid VPNs. This means that you will likely run into issues with your free VPN very quickly if you’re trying to game on a regular basis.

Additionally, free VPNs often have slower speeds than paid VPNs, which can be extremely frustrating when you’re in the middle of a gaming session. Finally, free VPNs are often supported by advertising which is a red flag – as it might be a good indicator your private data is being sold.

The answer to this question is a bit complicated, as it depends on a number of factors. First and foremost, it’s important to note that not all VPNs are created equal. Some VPNs are designed specifically for gaming, while others are more general purpose. That said, even the best VPNs can impact your gaming experience.

One of the primary ways a VPN can impact your gaming is by introducing latency. This is because a VPN introduces an additional step in your connection – all data must be encrypted and re-routed through the VPN server. This can add a noticeable delay, particularly if you’re connecting to a server that’s located far away from the VPN server.

Additionally, some ISPs throttle gaming traffic, and a VPN can help avoid this. So, yes, using a VPN can slow down your gaming experience. However, there are ways to mitigate this impact by selecting a high-quality option.

There are a few factors to consider when choosing the best VPN for gaming. The most important factor is speed. A VPN can slow down your internet connection, so you want to make sure that the VPN you choose has fast servers.

Another factor to consider is security. Some VPNs are not as secure as others, so you’ll want to make sure that the VPN you choose has strong security features. PrivateVPN is a great option for both speed and security. It has fast servers and uses military-grade encryption to keep your data safe.

Yes, streaming gamers are using VPNs to protect themselves from DDoS attacks. Gaming can be a competitive and intense activity, and many gamers take their hobby very seriously. Because of this, they want to ensure that they have the best possible gaming experience and connection. A VPN can help to protect a gamer’s identity and online presence.

The best VPN location for gaming depends on some factors, including which games you want to play, where you want to play them, and how important latency is to you. That said, a few general tips can help you choose the best VPN location for gaming.

First, if you’re looking to play games that are only available in certain regions, like Japan-only RPGs or South Korea-only MMOs, then you’ll need to connect to a VPN server in that region to access the game.

Second, if you’re concerned about latency (the amount of time it takes for data to travel from your computer to the game server and back), you’ll want to connect to a VPN server that’s as close to the game server as possible.

And finally, if you’re worried about being banned from online games for using a VPN (a not very uncommon occurrence), then you’ll want to choose a VPN with robust anti-detection features and an extensive network of servers in different locations.