If you’re an avid gamer, you know the importance of having a fast and reliable connection. A VPN can enhance your gaming experience by lowering latency and offering security protections against online dangers.
Moreover, premium VPNs are designed for gamers and offer features like malware blockers, breach detectors, and more to ensure your safety while gaming.
Access Geo-Restricted Content
While gaming over a VPN does slow your connection slightly due to the added layer of encryption, it’s worth it for several reasons. For one, it protects your data from hackers who might snoop on your online activities while on public networks. It is a pervasive risk when playing games over unsecure WiFi. To prevent losing your whole Steam collection and, worse, a VPN encrypts all of your data, making it nearly impossible for anyone to eavesdrop on or hijack your gameplay.
Another significant advantages of a VPN is that it helps you bypass geo-blocks. Ever wanted to try out a new game only to find it was unavailable in your country? It is due to licensing agreements, time zones, and other factors, but it’s still frustrating — especially for competitive gamers. With a gaming VPN, you can easily connect to a server in the region where the game is available to enjoy immediately.
Finally, a VPN will help you stay safe from salty online players who resort to “swatting” – calling in fake police emergencies (like bomb scares) just to get a rise out of you after a loser match. A VPN hides your IP address, so these players won’t be able to track down where you live to call the cops on you.
Keep Your Data Safe
From the latest Candy Crush game on your phone to multiplayer MMORPGs and even virtual and augmented reality gaming, any online game that connects to the internet involves sending data from your device to a server. With a premium VPN, this data is encrypted, meaning no one can see your personal information or use it against you. It is crucial when gaming over public networks, such as hotels or airports, where hackers could intercept your info.
Additionally, a VPN protects your connection from DDoS attacks that can slow down your gaming experience by flooding servers with too much data. This type of attack can even cause the game to stop working entirely. A good gaming VPN can ward off DDoS attacks and other types of cybercrime while helping you avoid bandwidth throttling and unlocking global lobbies and exclusive DLC.
Some games also use your real-world location to customize the in-game experience by adjusting prices based on local sales taxes and currency exchange rates. A VPN can help you get around this by allowing you to connect to a server in a different country, making the games you play appear as if they were located in another region. Many premium VPNs come with apps for desktop and mobile devices, while others work with routers to automatically protect all connected devices over a home WiFi network.
Boost Your Game Performance
Long ping times are one of the biggest causes of gaming lag, and connecting to a VPN server closer to the game servers could help reduce them. A reasonable premium VPN will have servers in many locations, so finding a site close to your gaming device is easy and doesn’t cause extra latency.
If you’re a competitive gamer, having as smooth a connection as possible is essential. A VPN can also help by concealing your IP address and encrypting your data. It helps to prevent hackers from being able to hijack your gaming session and take control of your character. It is called a man-in-the-middle attack and can have some nasty consequences.
A VPN can also reduce the strain on your connection, especially if you play high-end LAN games. Some games use your location to tailor your in-game experience, such as MMOs that place players in different groups based on region. A VPN allows you to spoof your site in these games, and some premium services even let you switch between multiple areas to get the best gaming experience possible. It can also be helpful if you’re playing on public networks, as it protects you from man-in-the-middle attacks that can ruin your gameplay on public WiFi.
Get a New IP Address
The benefits of a VPN are well-known, but many gamers need to realize that the technology can help them in other ways. It can protect them from DDoS attacks, keep them safe while playing on public WiFi, avoid bandwidth throttling, make it easier to access geo-blocked games, and even improve their gaming experience by reducing lag and shortening ping times.
Data throttling is a problem for gamers because it can severely limit how much they can play before they hit their data cap. By encrypting your gaming data, a VPN can prevent throttling by making it hard for your ISP to tell you that you’re using it for gaming or other purposes. Many premium VPNs also have options that allow you to choose which port your connection uses, further improving your ability to bypass throttling.
Another issue some gamers face is being banned from a game for breaking its terms of service or other rules. If this happens, a VPN can help by instantly assigning you a new IP address. Some premium VPNs, like ExpressVPN, even replace flagged IP addresses regularly, preventing you from ever being blocked again.
Finally, some games use your location to customize your in-game experiences, such as by displaying different language options or the prices of your in-game items. A VPN can solve this problem by allowing you to change your virtual location with a few clicks. It is conducive for gamers who are excited about a new release but will be able to play it once it launches in their country.
