Gaming and VPNs aren’t words that went together in years gone by but things have changed and VPN services have become essential for any serious games fan around the world.
Regardless if you’re a gamer or a streamer on services like Twitch then having a gaming VPN at your disposal can mitigate plenty of different circumstances that could ruin your enjoyment.
If you’re streaming it can make the difference between being a professional and being an amateur who gets knocked offline with a pesky DDOS attack.
Thankfully gaming VPN services have become more reliable in recent years and rather than adding lag to your connection they can in circumstances improve your connection.
Most importantly they’ll let you stay online and keep playing when nefarious hacker types try to knock you offline for scoring too highly.
Below I’m taking a look at best VPNs for Gaming and comparing 5 providers who are all suitable for the job.
Beneath the comparison, I’ll take a look at a few of the top reasons why a VPN service is essential if you’re a serious player and even if you only play occasionally you can find out the benefits a VPN will bring to your game.
So let’s dive straight in.
Top VPNs for Gaming
| RANK | PROVIDER | PRICE | COUNTRY LOCATIONS | SIMULTANEOUS CONNECTIONS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | $6.67 /mo | 94 | 5 | VISIT |
| 2 |  | $6.49 /mo | 60 | ∞ | VISIT |
| 3 |  | $2.99 /mo | 62 | 6 | VISIT |
| 4 |  | $5.83 /mo | 21 | 12 | VISIT |
| 5 |  | $3.75 /mo | 21 | 6 | VISIT |
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is an easy-to-use gaming VPN service with a large selection of servers and five simultaneous connections per license. It’s one of the fastest services out there which is great for low latency and reduced lag.
ExpressVPN has servers in over 94 different countries which means you can access games and servers from almost every region on the planet.
One of the things I liked best about ExpressVPN is due to their large selection of countries it’s possible to activate some releases early on PC platforms like Steam.
For example, you can connect to Australia and activate a game that doesn’t come out for another 24 hours in the US and vice versa.
Another good feature of this gaming VPN is they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee so it allows you to test it regularly with the games that you play to ensure it doesn’t introduce too much lag or affect your bandwidth considerably.
The VPN offers a large set-up guide for routers, Playstation, and Xbox devices, which means if you’re a console user then you’ll also be able to stream geographically blocked content and protect your IP Address from DDOS attack.
ExpressVPN is a bit more expensive VPN than some VPNs so it makes sense to take their 12-month package which is the cheapest option.
At $6.67 per month on their annual package and with three months free it’s competitive to what else is out there.
All in all, it is one of the best VPNs for gaming you will find, and it is also useful for unblocking streaming services, like Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Netflix, and more.
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2. IPVanish VPN
If you want to gain an advantage and stay connected then IPVanish is without a doubt one of the top VPNs for gaming.
I’ve been using IPVanish VPN for well over 2 years and connection speeds testing their service on a monthly basis found they are one of the fastest gaming VPN provider overall. This is great news if you play FPS games because the impact on your ping and any lag will be minimal to non-existent.
If you’re more of an MMORPG fan and like to play on foreign servers or even access games that aren’t available in your region then IPVanish definitely have you covered. With over 60 countries worldwide with VPN servers in every major gaming country, the choice is wide and varied.
It offers VPN servers in North America and Europe and throughout Asia, and it will make sure that you’ll be able to spoof your online location and offer a fast enough connection to access any game server and games from other regions.
IPVanish is easy to use, and it has software for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and more, allowing you to hide your real IP Address both on a desktop or while mobile.
If you’re regularly being knocked offline by DDOS or you’re a streamer who wants to ensure you stay connected while streaming or shout casting then the IPVanish software will keep you secure. It also offers unlimited simultaneous connections for each user license.
They’re also one of the cheapest VPN providers so while you get the best VPN for gaming it’s also only going to cost $6.49 a month when taking an annual package. Follow the link below to visit their site, find out more, and sign-up.
3. NordVPN
The third virtual private network on our list is NordVPN, which is a great choice for a gaming VPN.
Not only is it a very reliable VPN service, but it is also extremely fast, and fast internet connection speeds are crucial for gaming.
ordVPN also deserves to be on the best gaming VPNs list due to its massive server network, which spans through 60 different countries. It has over 5535 servers, with server locations around the world, which is very good for gaming.
By connecting to servers that are close by, your connection speed and download speeds will be better, so your gaming session will not be annoying and constantly interrupted by lag.
Other than being one of the best gaming VPNs, you can also use it to unblock streaming services such as the BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and more, for when you need a break from online gaming.
It also has plenty of security features, such as the kill switch, encryption, security protocols, and more, to keep your identity from exposure if you are connecting to a server across the globe because the game you wish to play is not available in your region.
Lastly, NordVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you can use it on Windows if you are a PC gamer, or on consoles, Android, iOS, Mac, and even as one of your browser extensions. Each user license offers six simultaneous connections.
4. StrongVPN
StrongVPN is another gaming VPN suitable for gamers although they don’t have quite as many locations as the two providers above so they’ll be less suitable for all gamers depending on your location.
On offer are servers in 35 different countries and if you’re in one of those locations then they should be good for your gaming needs. It also lets you achieve up to 12 simultaneous connections per user license.
Servers are available in the United States and a handful of European locations including the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands amongst others.
Asian servers are available in Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore. There’s also servers across Australia which is great if you’re in that part of the world.
With less choice, it means less access to foreign servers or even foreign releases but if you’re an MMORPG player then the Japanese and Korean servers could be enough for your needs.
StrongVPN won’t be suitable for everyone in every region or for every purpose but if the country list is suitable for you then you’ll be rewarded with one of the cheapest VPN services on offer. An annual package will set you back just $2.91 a month making them one of the cheaper available options.
With software and apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and more they have you covered no matter what type of player you are, from the pro-FPS gamer all the way through to the occasional mobile app player.
Although they’re certainly not the best gaming VPN, they’re not half bad. Take a look at their 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. VPN.ac
VPN.ac is one of the fastest VPN providers for gaming with excellent connection speeds, which is why I’ve included them here in 5th place.
They certainly won’t be suitable for all gaming needs because of their limited server selection but if they do have servers in locations that you need then their speeds are some of the best in the industry.
VPN servers are available in North America, with a good selection of European countries, and Singapore, Japan, and Hong Kong in Asia. VPN.ac also offers VPN server locations in Australia so a good selection that may be suitable for your gaming needs.
Two things I like most about VPN.ac is their VPN servers are very underutilized which means you get great bandwidth as there aren’t lots of other users making use of the same servers.
They’re also one of the cheapest VPN providers available costing as little as $3.75 a month when you take an annual package.
VPN.ac also allows simultaneous connections on up to 12 devices so if you have more than one gaming computer, console, or mobile device then you’ll be able to connect them all.
Below I’ll take a look at some of the uses of a VPN for Gaming showing you why having a VPN is essential.
Why you need a best gaming VPN
Stop DDOS attacks
Unfortunately, not all is fair in love and war and when you’re ahead of the competition it’s often the case that sore losers will want to push you offline.
DDOS attacks against gamers have increased dramatically in recent years and if you’re an above-average player then you’ve probably suffered your fair share of DDOS attacks both crashing you off servers and ruining your gaming experience in the process.
No stranger to DDOS attacks are streamers on services like TwichTV.
If you’ve got a good number of viewers then you’ve probably been subject to a DDOS attack too. Being knocked offline in the middle of a live stream can not only affect your viewer numbers but if you’re earning money from the stream then it could start to affect your bank balance too.
A VPN, with its security features, is an ideal solution to protecting yourself from a DDOS attack.
Usually, those who carry out the attacks look to gather your IP Address, this is a unique address to your internet connection. It’s easy to pick up from servers or when you connect to services such as Teamspeak.
A VPN will disguise your IP Address so rather than your home connection receives the DDOS attack it will be the VPN server you’re connected to. As most large VPN providers have measures in place to mitigate against DDOS attacks you’ll be free to continue playing or streaming until your heart is content.
Access games early
Games release much like movies on specific launch dates. These are often staggered around the world and in extreme cases, certain regions such as the USA can get access to them months before others like Japan.
Blockbuster releases usually come out on the same date across the world but with a 19 hour time difference between New Zealand and California, it means kiwis often get to play big-name releases nearly a day before those on the west coast of the United States.
With Windows gaming services such as Steam, you can use a VPN with good server locations to connect to New Zealand.
Using VPNs in this way allows you to unlock games earlier by tricking Steam into thinking you’re in New Zealand. Once the game is unlocked you will no longer need VPNs to access it and play earlier than all your other local friends.
For those who are worried about being blocked, there have been no reports of any games being blocked or revoked for unlocking early with VPNs. The only rare occasion this has happened is when users have used VPNs to purchase from cheaper regions.
Access games from other countries
Often games are released in certain regions only. In the case of online, this tends to be specific regions that have large gaming populations such as North America, Europe, or parts of Australasia.
If you’re outside those regions then you can often be locked out, using a VPN will let you appear in one of those regions and join in the action.
In other cases, especially anime-type or Asian MMORPG they are released in specific regions of Asia only such as Japan or South Korea because they assume there will be little interest in those types outside of those regions. As a result, you need a VPN to access those too.
In recent years such games have boomed but they have been kept restricted to their originally intended audiences, so VPNs have been necessary for everyone else who wanted to access them.
Using a VPN, you can connect to Japan, South Korea, or other Asian countries and bypass blocks to play those types of games.
Conclusion
ExpressVPN is without question the best VPN for gaming both in terms of value for money and the services it can enable.
With a good selection of servers worldwide and fast connection and download speeds, it covers most needs for gaming purposes. Even if you get tired of a game, you can use a VPN to access foreign Netflix and take a break.
Not only do they offer a complete service but their prices are also competitive and beat other VPNs who often offer less.
If ExpressVPN doesn’t suit your needs, then it’s worth taking a look at the other VPNs, too, and deciding what features are most important for your personal gaming needs.
Just make sure to avoid any free VPN, as free VPNs are not only slow and overcrowded, but can also be dangerous to your privacy and security alike.
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Recap on the options below.
| RANK | PROVIDER | PRICE | COUNTRY LOCATIONS | SIMULTANEOUS CONNECTIONS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | $6.67 /mo | 94 | 5 | VISIT |
| 2 | | $6.49 /mo | 60 | ∞ | VISIT |
| 3 | | $2.99 /mo | 62 | 6 | VISIT |
| 4 | | $5.83 /mo | 21 | 12 | VISIT |
| 5 | | $3.75 /mo | 21 | 6 | VISIT |
