Based on our years of experience in the VPN field and our understanding of what online gamers need from a VPN, these are the most important factors to consider when selecting the best gaming VPN.
Speed
VPN speeds are the No. 1 factor to consider when choosing the best gaming VPN, because slow speeds and high latency can ruin your gaming experience. Generally, we find an internet download speed loss of 25% or less perfectly acceptable, but for gaming, you’ll want as low as possible, particularly if your base internet connection isn’t the fastest. Your VPN needs to be fast enough to deliver the speeds necessary to keep you in the game, especially in competitive settings.
A fast VPN can even help you potentially lower your ping, depending on the VPN server you’re connecting to and the network you’re on. If you’re experiencing high ping, a VPN could help bypass ISP throttling or connect more efficiently to a geographically distant game server. For instance, if you’re gaming on a far-from-you online server, using a VPN server based in that region could potentially reduce ping — but that’s not a guarantee. And if you’re experiencing inadequate speeds for gaming, there are things you can try to speed up your VPN connection.
However, VPNs often introduce more ping, so before gaming with a VPN, make sure you actually need one. Be aware that connecting to VPN servers that are geographically distant from you is likely to cause connection speed slowdowns that cancel out any boosts you’ll get from evading ISP throttling.
VPN speed test data compared
| ExperssVPN | NordVPN | Surfshark | Proton VPN | |
| Windows WireGuard or equivalent | 17% | 11% | 23% | 25% |
| MacOS WireGuard or equivalent | 8% | -16% | 17% | 5% |
| Windows OpenVPN | 18% | 21% | 23% | 21% |
| MacOS OpenVPN or equivalent | 29% | -4% | 25% | 10% |
| Total | 18% | 3% | 21% | 16% |
Streaming content unblocking
Many folks use a VPN for unblocking streaming service content. You can connect to a server from a different country to circumvent geographical restrictions, such as accessing foreign Netflix and Amazon Prime Video libraries or streaming BBC iPlayer videos from outside of the UK. Make sure the VPN you select has servers in the countries that you want to stream from, a large server network of at least 100 countries and excellent geo-unblocking capabilities. You may even be able to save money by using a VPN for streaming.
Privacy
A major consideration for any VPN, regardless of the activity, is privacy. It’s important to have a VPN that can provide the necessary privacy protections to ensure your activity remains hidden and you’re safe from DDoS attacks and other threats from malicious actors while gaming. Make sure the VPN you choose has strong encryption standards and essential privacy features such as DNS leak protection, a kill switch and an audited no-logs policy. At a minimum, your VPN should offer AES-256-bit encryption over the OpenVPN protocol, or ChaCha20 over WireGuard (and its equivalents).
You may want obfuscation, which attempts to hide your VPN traffic as standard web traffic, for situations where VPNs may cause issues, such as on school Wi-Fi. Many VPN providers offer obfuscated servers or even proprietary obfuscation-focused VPN protocols, including NordVPN’s NordWhisper or Proton VPN’s Stealth.
Some game services expose your public IP address while connected, especially if you’re using P2P matchmaking. Although it’s rare, you can end up encountering another player who wants an unfair advantage by DDoSing your public IP address (flooding you with traffic), knocking you offline and potentially keeping your whole household’s internet connection down for hours at a time. Because your public IP address remains hidden while using a VPN, virtual private networks can guard against DDoS attacks.
Server network
If you want to fully optimize your gaming experience, you’ll want a VPN that has servers in a wide selection of regions around the world. This will help ensure you have a speedy, stable connection regardless of where you are in the world. At the very least, you should make sure that the VPN you choose has servers located near your physical location and close to the servers of any games you play online. Look for thousands of servers spread across around 100 or more countries for comprehensive coverage — which is useful for streaming or travel — but make sure your VPN has servers in your country, and in the countries of the game servers you regularly use.
Device compatibility
You want to make sure that the VPN is compatible with the platform(s) you’re gaming on. Many folks will use a VPN for PC gaming on Linux, Windows and MacOS. That said, nearly all VPN providers offer Android and iOS apps for mobile gaming. You’ll even find support for streaming boxes and apps, including Apple TV, Android TV and the Amazon Fire Stick. Consoles like the Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch don’t usually come with their own VPN apps — instead, you’ll need to use a host PC or configure your internet setup for a whole-home VPN.
The VPNs picked are compatible with and work well on all major platforms, so any one is a solid option whether you’re gaming on your PC, Mac or mobile device. Most VPNs support Android and iOS, so you can install a VPN on your gaming phone, tablet or a handheld Android game console such as the Razer Edge. You can easily run a VPN on Windows handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally X thanks to prevalent VPN Windows apps. For the Steam Deck, you’ll need to use a Linux app or manually configure VPN protocols such as WireGuard and OpenVPN.
If you’re a console gamer, you’ll need to make sure that your VPN works well on a router setup because gaming consoles don’t natively support VPN apps. With consoles such as the PS5, Xbox Series S/X and Nintendo Switch, you can either use a router or run a VPN on your computer as a makeshift router. Bear in mind that installing a VPN on your router may void its warranty. Luckily, ExpressVPN offers its Aircove and Aircove Go VPN routers, or you can buy a VPN router from FlashRouters that supports other VPN providers, including NordVPN, Surfshark or Proton VPN.
Game store and game compatibility
While you’ll need to make sure your VPN supports the devices you want to play on, you’ll also want to check if you’re violating the terms of service of the video games you want to play and the game store you’re using. Massively popular gaming platform Steam lets you use a VPN to access game servers, play games, download games and generally protect your privacy while playing. But you’re prohibited from using a VPN to change your game store region to purchase titles at a lower price.
Similarly, VPNs do not violate the Epic Games Store ToS so long as you’re using a VPN to improve privacy, access game servers or play games. But you could get banned if you’re trying to change regions using a VPN to purchase games at a lower price, for instance. Check each specific game or gaming platform’s terms of service to ensure you’re not violating subscriber agreements.
Help guides/customer support
If you’re having trouble with your VPN or have questions on how to optimize your VPN connection for gaming, it’s helpful to have a VPN that offers a robust help section along with accessible and knowledgeable customer support. Look for a VPN that has easy-to-follow setup guides for multiple platforms (including routers) and 24/7 customer support via live chat. Make sure that you have the appropriate help on hand when you need it, because responsive customer support and helpful guides can help ensure that your gaming session is not unnecessarily interrupted.
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