A VPN for gaming Surely thats a daft idea, you might well think to yourself, given that using even one of the best VPNs encrypting traffic and routing it through a server can potentially affect performance, with the danger of a higher ping time and a slower connection in general.And were not going to argue with you in terms of these possible pitfalls, but that said, there are a number of good reasons why you might want to use a VPN for playing games online.One of the more obvious ones is unrestricted access.
A VPN allows you to unblock games that are geo-restricted, access servers locked to other regions and play anything freely from any part of the world.Theres also the ever-present consideration of security.
Using a VPN can increase your protection against DDoS attacks, and its not unheard of for these to be used as a weapon against online opponents, particularly when it comes to competitive gaming.And theres always a chance that the VPN connection will actually reduce your ping time and improve download/upload speeds, which all affect the responsiveness of your game (although ping is by far the most important consideration).
Of course, its difficult to state this categorically, and everyones mileage will vary, but in some of our VPN testing, weve actually found our connection to be faster with the VPN turned on compared to our standard rates.Best VPN for gaming in 20181.
IPVanishBest all-round VPN for gamingNumber of servers: 1000+ | Server locations: 60+ | IP addresses: 40000+ | Maximum devices supported: 10Great server coverageExcellent performanceSlightly pricier than othersNo free trialIPVanish runs its own network and infrastructure, and this shows in terms of performance in our testing, we found this service up to five times faster than some rivals over short hops, with excellent download speeds all-round.This provider also offers a good number of servers in over 60 countries, and its easy to find a solid server indeed you can sort by ping time, and usage options which allow you to hunt specifically for servers tailored for gaming.The drawback here is pricing, as IPVanish is a bit more expensive than your average VPN.
Theres no free trial either, but subscriptions do come with a 7-day money-back guarantee.
Out of the three available plans, the 1-year plan offers the best value-for-money.
The packages available are:2.
VyprVPNNumber of servers: 700+ | Server locations: 70+ | IP addresses: 200,000+ | Maximum devices supported: 3-5Superfast speedsFree trialExpensive monthly billingNo refunds[Save 40%] Until July 31st 2018, get 40% off VyprVPN's annual plans, just in time to boost up your coverage of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
VyprVPN is a fast, highly secure VPN without third parties, all for as little as $36.00 for the first year.
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VyprVPN is a fast, highly secure VPN without third parties.
Get VyprVPN here.VyprVPN is also a tier-1 network with its own servers and infrastructure, offering some impressive performance levels as a result.
Indeed, in our tests we found our download rates increased by a factor of 2.5 with this VPN.The service features a worldwide server network with plenty of locations and 200,000+ IP addresses, plus theres a NAT firewall to block unrequested inbound traffic and a host of easy-to-use apps for almost every device.One point to bear in mind is that VyprVPN doesnt do refunds on any grounds, but you can test the service with a free three-day trial.There are only two subscription plans to choose from: Basic or Premium, and you can subscribe on either a monthly or annual basis.
The Basic plan offers three connections while Premium gives you five and is generally the better option.
The packages available are:3.
ExpressVPNBest VPN for mobile gamingNumber of servers: 2000 | Server locations: 148 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 3Good choice of servers and locationsQuality mobile appsAbove-average pricesNo free trialWith 148 different locations across 94 countries, ExpressVPN should allow you to find a swift server from anywhere in the world.
The service excels in the mobile department by offering intuitive custom apps, in particular for Android and iOS.
Naturally, all of that means nothing without solid speeds and this VPN certainly delivers in that regard with very good performance levels overall.ExpressVPN costs more than most VPNs and theres no free trial available to get a sneak preview.
If you opt to sign up, the 1-year plan is the most affordable choice, plus you get a bonus three months.
However, if you're not satisfied with the service, you can contact customer support within 30 days of your purchase and get a full refund, no questions asked.
The packages available are:4.
NordVPNNumber of servers: 4440 | Server locations: 62 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 6Extensive server networkTight securityMonthly billing is expensiveWe found that this Panama-based VPN service delivered impressive performance levels in our testing, with speeds nearly matching our regular (non-VPN) rates.
Doubtless the fact that NordVPN boasts some 4,440 servers in 62 cities globally helps when hunting for a fast and stable connection.Gamers have a wide range of smart native clients at their disposal Windows, Mac, iOS and Android with tutorials for a variety of other devices and platforms.This provider is particularly strong on the security front, offering double VPN functionality (where traffic is sent through two separate VPN servers), the option of a dedicated IP, and DDoS protection on selected servers.
NordVPN operates a no logs policy.The service offers a free trial but you wouldnt know it from NordVPNs homepage.
While monthly billing is expensive, things get far more affordable if you commit for longer, and indeed the three-year subscription represents very good value for money.
The packages available are:5.
Buffered VPNNumber of servers: N/A | Server locations: 44 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 5Impressive low latencyGood refund policyOne of the pricier VPNsWith servers in 44 locations, Buffered VPN offers decent global coverage, but its the performance which is of most interest here specifically the low latency offered.
In our tests, this provider actually gave us slightly lower ping times than our normal connection, with fast upload speeds to boot (although download speeds werent so hot).That said, if youre into mobile gaming, you have both Android and iOS as an option.
iOS client is fairly recent so it might not be as polished as other clients.
Also, setup instructions are given for manually configuring smartphones and tablets for the more tech-savvy.Buffered VPN is among the pricier providers, even if you opt for a 13-month plan which is the best option.
At least theres a sterling refund policy here, allowing you to get your money back as long as you havent gone over any of the following limits: 10 hours, 100 sessions or 10GB of bandwidth.
The packages available are:How to choose the best VPN service for gamingThere are a couple of things you need to pay attention to if you want to muster the best gaming experience from a VPN service.
The more servers the firm has available, the better, as this will increase your chances of finding a fast connection.Speedy performance levels are obviously important, as is having a stable and reliable connection.
Finally, be on the lookout for handy bonus features like DDoS protection and dedicated gaming servers.e7a473cba51d28a87a59ecd39522955c.jpg#