Best VPNs for Gaming

Using a VPN for gaming is a strategic choice because it optimizes performance and protects against potential threats, such as DDoS attacks.

In this article, we will explore the best gaming VPNs available on the market, chosen for their speed, low latency, and number of servers optimized for online gaming worldwide, at a competitive or amateur level.

We will also analyze in detail the security and privacy functions of the various virtual private networks, considering the protection of personal data when playing online.

Top-rated VPN for gaming 2024

Editor's Choice
NordVPN
9.6 / 10
Start from $3.99 /mo + 3 EXTRA months
  • The quickest on the market
  • Exceptional security toolkit
  • Avoid downloading malware
Best for Netflix
CyberGhost
9.5 / 10
2 years for 2.19 €/mo + 2 months free
  • Free ID guard monitoring
  • Secure up to 7 devices
  • Good 24/7 customer support
Best for Gaming
Private Internet Access
9.5 / 10
2 Years 1.99€/mo+ 2 Months FREE
  • Unrestricted world access
  • Technical support on call 24/7
  • Blazing-fast speeds
Surfshark
9.5 / 10
Start from EUR 2.79 /mo. +3 EXTRA months
  • Lightning-fast speeds
  • Unblock content worldwide
  • Exceptional security toolkit
TotalVPN
9.4 / 10
Was $119 Now Only $29 / Year
  • Encrypt your connection
  • Built-in ad & malware blocking
  • Stay private on-the-go
ProtonVPN
9.4 / 10
30-month plan $3.59/month
  • Multi-faceted security
  • Malware blocker included
  • Interruption-free connections
Norton
9.4 / 10
Pay $39.99 today for a 1 year subscription
  • Bank-grade encryption
  • Real-time protection
  • Mobile & Desktop protection
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Best VPNs for playing online games

To draw up this ranking, we used a 5-point method :

We have selected the best gaming VPNs based on speed and performance for this ranking. Below, we will analyze each service in detail, highlighting its pros and cons.

1. NordVPN

NordVPN’s speed makes it ideal for gamers who want to use it in the background during their games.

Since the introduction of its exclusive NordLynx protocol, based on WireGuard, the provider has seen a notable increase in performance, placing it almost on par with the fastest VPNs on the market. The average download speed now reaches 369 Mbps. The data relating to ping and jitter are also particularly significant, crucial aspects for those who dedicate themselves to online gaming: a low ping value denotes prompt reactivity of the server, while jitter represents the variability or instability in the response time during data transmission. With NordVPN, the average ping found when playing games like League of Legends online is 31.8 ms, with a jitter of just 1.2 ms and very promising results.

While it’s not protective against DDoS attacks (but all virtual private networks aren’t immune), NordVPN is committed to throttling traffic to prevent it from exceeding the capacity of your broadband connection.

This service also boasts a remarkable number of servers: more than 6,200 worldwide, covering countries such as Costa Rica and North Macedonia. New servers in Milan are equipped with dedicated IP addresses (with greater privacy and customization), and servers in Rome have recently been added to the network.

Its applications were recently made available in Italian, improving accessibility and ease of use for PC and mobile device users.

It should also be noted that NordVPN’s Meshnet feature is now offered at no additional cost. This feature allows you to establish a private and protected network, enabling the connection of up to 60 devices through encrypted VPNs. Therefore, it makes it possible to organize virtual LAN parties, allowing you to play with your friends safely.

Advantages

  • Excellent connection speeds worldwide.
  • A large selection of servers and locations are available.
  • The quality app is also for smartphones.
  • Efficient assistance service active 24 hours a day.

Disadvantages

  • It has a slightly higher cost than the average of other VPNs available.

2. Surfshark

SurfShark is a gaming VPN with a simple and basic interface. Its interface includes only the “Connect Quickly” and “All Locations” options and the settings icon.

This virtual private network guarantees a high-speed connection, even when accessing servers located on other continents. The average speed recorded is 324 Mbps, a figure which, although lower than that offered by NordVPN, remains competitive compared to most providers. The results in terms of ping are excellent: lag problems are eliminated while maintaining the high graphic quality of video games.

One of Surfshark VPN’s strengths is that it can be used on unlimited devices and services with a single subscription: laptops, desktops (compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux), tablets, and smartphones (iOS or Android). Surfshark offers a 30-day full refund guarantee and annual plans at very affordable prices.

Advantages

  • Excellent value for money.
  • Unlimited device support.
  • Intuitive interface.

Disadvantages

  • For some, it will be too simple.
    Does not offer a dedicated IP address.

3. CyberGhost VPN

We continue our ranking of the best gaming VPNs by presenting CyberGhost. It is a virtual private network capable of protecting against DDoS attacks. It has several useful features to increase security, such as automatically connecting to your preferred server when the app is launched.

This virtual private network stands out for its gaming-optimized servers, 90 in four countries (USA, United Kingdom, Germany and France), which achieve faster download and gaming speeds than standard servers.

In terms of performance, CyberGhost shows excellent results, reaching an average of 80% of the actual download speed. It positions itself among the best options for those who use servers close (in Italy and Europe) and distant (such as in the USA and Japan, where it has many servers to choose from). The average ping is around 6 ms.

The speeds offered are top-notch, with the WireGuard protocol implemented across all of the company’s apps, ensuring a lag-free gaming experience. Thanks to the vast network of servers in over 90 countries, with over 7,000 options, playing will be a simple and pleasant experience.

CyberGhost is compatible with routers and allows you to change DNS settings to facilitate installation on consoles such as Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo.

Advantages

  • Options designed for consoles.
  • High speeds.
  • WireGuard protocol.

Disadvantages

  • Do not unblock Netflix.
  • Tutorial guides need improvement.

4. PrivateVPN

Despite not being one of the most renowned gaming VPNs, PrivateVPN offers a decent service at an affordable price. It offers a wide range of features at a very affordable price for subscriptions that last more than one year. Furthermore, for passionate gamers, there are some very interesting additional options.

Private is one of the simplest and most intuitive VPNs. This applies to all stages, from installation to device and application use. With over 200 servers in more than 86 locations, users can overcome geo-restrictions. Therefore, it can be very useful for early access to games released in other parts of the world or unavailable in some geographical regions.

Private servers have been proven to offer a stable and fast connection while keeping in mind that actual speed may vary based on the distance from the selected server and the traffic load at the time of connection. However, typically, there is a decrease in speed that rarely exceeds 20-30% of the original bandwidth.

PrivateVPN allows you to enjoy fast download and upload speeds and reasonable pings under all network conditions. It is important to underline that it is also an excellent solution for online gaming because it reduces latency and protects against DDoS attacks.

With its Stealth VPN feature, Private can overcome strict censorship, such as those imposed by China, thus offering a seamless and complete gaming experience.

Additionally, we appreciate that it offers players the option to purchase a dedicated IP address (for an additional fee). This feature provides the same IP address every time you log in without sharing it with other users, thus reducing the possibility of ending up on block lists and CAPTCHAs. It also makes gaming sessions more stable when using the virtual private network.

Advantages

  • Easy to use.
  • Affordable prices.
  • Possibility of purchasing dedicated IP.

Disadvantages

  • Speeds are not as competitive as other VPNs.
  • The kill switch is only available on the Windows app.

5. ExpressVPN

Express VPN should be included in any selection of VPNs for gaming. This tool has a remarkable network of servers in 94 countries, with 148 geographical locations, granting you access to a wide choice of fast servers worldwide.

Express VPN is committed to offering the fastest service available on the market, ensuring a smooth online browsing experience without compromising connection speed.

The emphasis on speed is underlined by the presence of a speed test incorporated into the desktop application, which allows you to check the efficiency of the connection. Using it, browsing speeds average between 400 and 490 Mbps, making Express VPN an excellent option for gaming. During testing, we saw a ping time of just 8ms on a local server, faster than most other VPNs we tested. It also supports cloud gaming services, allowing you to stream video games to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Cloud gaming services compatible with Express VPN include Stadia, Xbox Game Pass, Amazon Luna, and many others.

The price is slightly higher than the market average, and a free trial period to evaluate the service before purchasing it is unavailable. However, once you choose the plan, you can request a refund within 30 days without any explanation. At the time of writing, Express VPN’s cheapest offer is the annual one, which includes 3 additional free months.

Advantages

  • High speed in every area of ​​the world.
  • Wide choice of servers.
  • Refund within 30 days.

Disadvantages

  • It’s not cheap price.
  • There is no free trial period.

6. PureVPN

We conclude our list of gaming VPNs with PureVPN, a convenient virtual private network with excellent performance. The price is undoubtedly one of its strong points. Despite the affordable price, it guarantees an excellent connection with speeds of up to 20 Gbps and the ability to connect 10 devices simultaneously. Pure’s network infrastructure is among the largest in the industry, with 6,500 servers in 78 countries worldwide, giving users access to more than 300,000 IP addresses.

Using PureVPN does not significantly impact connection speed, with an average reduction of around 20%, a small drop compared to similar services. This applies to traditional servers, as virtual servers could lead to greater difficulties, especially regarding ping in online gaming. Servers nearby offer good speeds, even if you experience higher-than-normal ping.

Therefore, it is recommended to opt for Pur for multiplayer online gaming, mainly when you need to evade player ban systems, benefiting from the wide choice of servers available to mask your identity and connection.

Some slowdowns are to be noted during peak hours or on the busiest servers. The speed of the servers near our location is good, but the ping tends to be higher than usual.

The company policy is extremely transparent and follows the 100% no-log philosophy. The app is available for major devices and systems and an extension for the most popular browsers.

Advantages

  • Advanced protection.
  • Good server network.
  • Competitive price.

Disadvantages

  • Unblocking swing streaming sites.
  • Some slow servers at peak times.

Why use a VPN for gaming?

VPNs for gaming are increasingly popular thanks to the numerous advantages of security, privacy and gaming performance: they create a secure tunnel between the user’s device and the servers, encrypting the transmitted data. This not only protects the player’s identity and online activities but can also improve the gaming experience in various ways:

Using a gaming VPN can significantly transform your online gaming experience. It offers greater security and access to a wider variety of gaming content while improving connection quality.

List of video games to play with a VPN

Now that we have seen why use a VPN for gaming, let’s look at some examples of games to test it on. With a virtual private network, you can access specific servers and select the region of the world in which you want to play.

VPNs for free gaming: are they worth it?

Many wonder about the opportunity to opt for a free gaming VPN rather than a paid one to save on costs. However, the differences between these two categories are not only related to the price; the choice depends on how you intend to use this tool.

In some situations, a free virtual private network may be sufficient to secure the connection and allow access to services that would otherwise be unavailable.

A free option may not be enough for those needing more functionality (such as the ability to choose the server to connect to, multiple connection protocols, double encryption, the mix of VPN/Tor networks, quick disconnect, or OpenVPN connections).

In these cases, you can take advantage of trial versions or special refunds offered by paid providers to try the services and decide later whether to proceed with the subscription.

It would help to opt for a paid VPN for guaranteed data protection, maximum network security, and connection speed.

In contrast, free networks often have significant limitations: a monthly data cap, which can quickly be exhausted during extended gaming sessions, slow connection speeds due to the large number of users sharing few available servers, and a smaller choice of servers.

Best no-lag VPNs

At this point in the guide to the best VPNs for gaming, we have selected 3 providers that guarantee a lag-free gaming experience, combining exceptional speeds with high standards of security and privacy:

How do we rate the best VPN services for online gaming?

An excellent VPN for gaming must satisfy some fundamental factors; we have identified 5 of them for our analysis method.

Size and variety of the server network

The first element concerns the number of servers available, increasing the chances of finding a high-performance connection. A vast network of globally distributed servers allows you to connect to servers closer to your geographic location or the game server, reducing ping and improving connection quality. Additionally, various server locations offer greater flexibility in unlocking content and games only available in certain regions. The largest networks are CyberGhost and PureVPN.

Connection speed and stability

The second factor, however, is represented by the reliability and stability of the connection, which is decisive above all in online games, especially competitive ones. A fast VPN minimizes lag and latency, making the gaming experience smooth and responsive. It is important to look for providers that offer fast servers and that use modern, efficient connection protocols. From this point of view, Express VPN seems to be the most recommended option.

Bandwidth limits

Another aspect to consider is bandwidth limits. For extended gaming sessions, it’s important to select a VPN with no bandwidth caps. Some free providers limit the amount of data you can transfer, negatively impacting your gaming experience, especially when downloading game updates or streaming in high definition. The subscription gaming VPNs presented in this guide do not have any limits.

Security and protection from DDoS attacks

Of course, security is also crucial to protecting your personal data and gaming sessions from DDoS attacks and other online threats. To ensure maximum privacy and security, choosing a VPN with strong encryption, DNS/IP leak protection, an automatic kill switch, and zero-log policies is essential.

Servers optimized for gaming

Furthermore, any bonus features, such as dedicated gaming servers, should be considered. Some VPNs offer servers specifically optimized for gaming, which can provide a more stable connection and better speeds. These servers are configured to handle high traffic loads and reduce latency, thus giving you a competitive advantage when gaming. CyberGhost offers many of these types.

Online gaming: how to protect children?

Online gaming has become a popular pastime among children and teenagers, thanks to the accessibility of gaming consoles, PCs, and mobile devices and the availability of games that cater to various interests and age groups. This trend is fueled by the ability to connect and play with friends and players worldwide, creating virtual communities and shared experiences that transcend physical barriers. However, the growing online presence of children raises important questions regarding their safety and privacy. Here are some tips to keep kids safe while playing online:

  1. Supervision and dialogue: Maintain an open dialogue with children about their gaming experiences and who they meet online. Supervising their playtime and discussing potential threats they may encounter online is crucial.
  2. Privacy and Security Settings: Set privacy and security settings on your devices and gaming platforms to limit who can communicate with children and what personal information is visible.
  3. Using parental controls: Use the parental controls offered by game consoles, operating systems, and gaming platforms to limit access to age-inappropriate content and manage your playtime.
  4. Digital safety education: Teach children the basics of digital safety, such as not sharing personal information online, recognizing phishing attempts, and using strong passwords.
  5. Using a VPN: A gaming VPN can increase privacy and security when playing online by hiding the player’s real IP address, thus protecting their identity and location. It can also safeguard data from eavesdropping on insecure networks, such as public Wi-Fi.
  6. Check games and platforms: Learn about them before allowing children to play them by checking reviews and age ratings.
  7. Promote responsible gaming: Encourage children to take regular breaks, limit play time, and maintain a balanced lifestyle with other activities outside the virtual world.

Final thoughts on best VPNs for gaming

We have reached the end of our guide on the best VPNs for gaming. Whichever virtual private network you choose, you will ensure adequate protection for all network connections, both when connecting to your home Wi-Fi network and when away from home using unknown networks (such as public hotspots or networks of friends and relatives). By choosing the solution best suited to your needs among the VPNs analyzed in this guide, you will navigate in total anonymity and security and with unparalleled connection stability.

FAQ

☑️ What does it mean to play on a VPN?

It means that you are playing using a VPN, which is a virtual private network. This is a service that allows you to create a secure connection between devices connected to the Internet. This type of connection is used to send data anonymously and securely over public networks. In fact, by hiding the user's IP address and encrypting the data, it is guaranteed that only authorized people can access the information transmitted and that the latter remains safe from possible intruders.

☑️ Is it legal to use a VPN for gaming?

For much of the world, VPNs are completely legal and unrestricted, even in the gaming space. However, there are several nations where the use of VPNs is banned or limited only to certain government-approved providers. These include Russia, Iraq, China, the United Arab Emirates and North Korea. Another reason why the legality of VPNs can be ambiguous is linked to their use; since they mask the identity of users, they are often used for less-than-legitimate activities.

☑️ Why do you need a VPN for gaming?

It serves to improve the entire gaming experience. In fact, VPN servers guarantee higher connection speeds and greater stability. Furthermore, they provide a security sector that is unparalleled, thanks to services such as encryption, completely anonymous data and privacy. The unlimited bandwidth of VPN servers should also be considered, which is particularly advantageous for gaming since it guarantees a powerful, stable, and buffer-free data flow.

5/5 - 3 votes
Updated: May 25th, 2024