A VPN (virtual private network) client protects your identity and provides many other benefits, but the one “gotcha” is that they tend to add extra bandwidth delays. The encryption can increase bandwidth usage by 10-15% in some cases or more. That’s why these VPN providers are a special breed. They provide a lower ping rate than most—as low as only four milliseconds. We put together a list of the best VPNs for gaming that offer a high number of servers and locations so you can game from anywhere. Second to this: the security factors. Gaming is one of those activities where it is possible to get hacked when you are on a remote server. You might try a new game and not know you are vulnerable to a data compromise. CyberGhost is one of the best VPN clients for protecting your connection with high-end 256-bit AES encryption. Gamers also like flexibility. There’s a client for just about any device you might want to use, including iOS and Android for phones, Windows and Mac for computers, and even Linux (for all three of the gamers left using that platform—just kidding!). Another huge perk is that this VPN app supports up to 10 devices. Most VPN apps only let you use about 5 or 6 gadgets at one time. If you are a dedicated gamer, you might need a VPN for all of your phones, laptops, and tablets. There’s a VPN client for all of those so you won’t run out of device allocations. Gamers on a budget will appreciate the slightly lower price, too. IPVanish saves you $2 or $3 per month off the price of ExpressVPN and other top tier VPN apps. For security, gamers mostly want to focus on the actual grudge match in Fortnite, not on protecting your credit card and other personal info. Surfshark encrypts your connection on the fly. Camouflage Mode means you can trick your ISP into thinking you are not even on a VPN. You can choose either IKEv2/IPsec or OpenVPN encryption to see which one gives you that speed advantage that’s so needed in an online shooter campaign. The main benefit to using Surfshark (and this is quite surprising): there are no limits to how many devices you can protect with one account. You can use multiple smartphones, laptops, desktop computers, and tablets for your gaming jaunts without compromise. NordVPN offers a complete It might be your best choice if you want a VPN for more than just gaming. You will pay a little bit extra per month, though. For flexible gaming options, NordVPN is loaded to the gills. You can choose to play on smartphones using the iOS or Android client, on laptops using Windows or MacOS, and even protecting your smart television in case you have downloaded a game for that platform (say, Android TV). For even more protection, we really like this unique feature for gamers: most VPN apps let you change your IP address once. NordVPN lets you do that twice, which means you are even harder to trace and track down. It’s like using a mask and a face shield during the pandemic. Apart from the speed advantages (which help you connect, download, and play online faster), VyperVPN has a kill switch which is not as common as you might think. It means, as you are gaming, if the VPN fails, then it will automatically block online access in real-time so you can’t be hacked. In terms of gaming on a variety of devices, VyperVPN is top tier. It works on Windows, Mac, the iPhone, Android, and even various router models. For the casual gamer, it means you can connect reliably and won’t experience lag that can ruin the experience. The VPN will add encryption to your Internet connection, but you likely won’t even notice. For competitive online gaming, a VPN provides the security and anonymity you need without slowing down your gaming experience. Gamers also tend to use messaging apps like Discord and others where you could meet other gamers. Some of them could become friends for life, others are not so friendly. There’s always an inherent risk when communicating and interacting online. Another privacy issue has to do with your personal data. Once you start gaming, you are revealing your location to the world, sometimes right down to an IP address that can tell everyone else in Fortnite or Call of Duty where you live. However, it’s much more disconcerting for gamers since you are revealing much more than your location. An unprotected Internet feed without a VPN could be transmitting your cell phone number, credit card info, date of birth, social security number (if you use one to confirm your identity), banking details (if you use them with an online game), and much more. Speed and reliability are paramount to gamers, but so is security and identity protection. In the end, the goal is to focus on the game itself. A VPN is working in the background, securing the connection, making sure your personal info is safe, and making sure the connection is reliable. All you have to do is survive on an alien planet.
CyberGhost: Highest number of servers available IPVanish: Extremely low ping time of 4 milliseconds Surfshark: Animated characters match the gaming aesthetic NordVPN: High-quality VPN that’s top-rated and has a high number of servers VyprVPN: A VPN that is a good match for gamers with a low ping time
