The best gaming VPN can revolutionize your experience during online games like CS2, EA Sports FC, and League of Legends. They can help to reduce ping, give you access to easier lobbies, improve download speeds, protect you from DDoS attacks, give you access to regional exclusive content, and much more.
While VPNs are thought to slightly lower download speeds, that’s not always the case. Internet service providers often throttle your speeds when you engage in bandwidth-heavy activities such as gaming, but as VPNs mask your activity and data, your connection remains fast and stable.
Not all VPNs are built equally, but we’re here to help you find the best VPN for gaming. I have tried and tested seven VPNs suitable for gamers, judging them on features, speed, price, and some other factors. Each VPN in our list has been tested on a 70 MB fiber connection on a Windows PC running TK.
The speed has been measured in terms of latency and jitter, using the free test at www.nperf.com. Keep in mind that anything below 50 ms is ideal gaming territory, whereas latency of 150 ms and above will ruin games. But anyway – to our selections.
Why you can trust our advice ✔ At PCGamesN, our experts spend hours testing hardware and reviewing games and VPNs. We share honest, unbiased opinions to help you buy the best. Find out how we test.
Best gaming VPN 2024:
ExpressVPN specifications:
Server range |
105+ countries |
Compatible games |
Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, Dead by Daylight, FIFA, Minecraft, Apex Legends, GTA Online, PUBG, and more |
Free trial |
No free trial |
Money-back guarantee |
30 days |
Simultaneous connections |
8 |
Router support |
Yes |
Average latency (ping) |
34.81ms |
Average jitter |
44ms |
Reasons to buy
- Servers available in 94 countries
- IP addresses refreshed regularly
- Lightspeed protocol delivers speedy performance
Reasons to avoid
- A little pricier than other providers
- Fewer individual servers than other providers
It’s hard to say which of the VPNs on this list is the most well-known, but ExpressVPN is probably in the top 3. Highly regarded among VPN experts for its speed and simplicity, Express VPN is also one of the few VPN services to offer reliable streaming access to overseas Netflix libraries.
But how does it handle online gaming? Speed-wise, our test resulted in a latency average of 34.81 ms, but the jitter was higher than expected. You can enjoy smooth gaming with this VPN, but with higher-than-expected jitter, it may be on the brink of choppiness.
Other than this, ExpressVPN does not offer any gaming-specific features. But then again, it’s fast enough not to have to. ExpressVPN is the ultimate all-rounder VPN service, as useful to streamers and torrenters as it is to gamers. It also has the benefit of being compatible with pretty much every major game or service – perhaps in part due to the frequency with which it refreshes its servers’ IP addresses. Even if it does get blocked somewhere, it’ll soon worm its way back in.
It may be one of the pricier options, so if you need a cheaper one, it’s not going to be for you, but it does justify its price in several ways. Not only does it have a reliable 24/7 customer support team, but it’s consistently being grown and expanded with, for example, the addition of extra simultaneous connections or new servers in previously uncovered regions.
Read our ExpressVPN review.
NordVPN specifications:
Server range |
111+ countries |
Compatible games |
Dota 2, World of Warcraft, Call of Duty: Warzone, GTA Online, League of Legends, Overwatch, PUBG, and more |
Free trial |
No free trial |
Money-back guarantee |
30 days |
Simultaneous connections |
10 |
Router support |
Yes |
Average latency (ping) |
24.94ms |
Average jitter |
15ms |
Reasons to buy
- Fastest VPN
- NordLynx encrypts data more quickly than other protocols
Reasons to avoid
- On the more expensive end of the pricing spectrum
- Fewer simultaneous connections than others
Over the past decade, I’ve used or tested pretty much every VPN service available. During that time, the one consistently fast service has been NordVPN. I’ve had it set up on PCs and laptops running Windows and Linux, on a MacBook Air, and on mobile devices. I even have it installed on my router.
Although the number of servers will prove useful for picking the perfect online gaming experience, you have another option. If you prefer to host online games with family and friends, NordVPN’s Meshnet LAN is particularly suited to the creation of a fast, secure network, whether the devices are local, or elsewhere in the world.
As my VPN of choice, I’m inclined to be favorable towards NordVPN. While it is far from being one of the cheapest VPNs, it’s not enormously expensive and I find it easy enough to justify the cost. The WireGuard protocol (dubbed NordLynx) encrypts data much more quickly than much of the competition and comes with less performance tax than the likes of OpenVPN and other protocols.
All in all, it’ll always be my top choice. Over the last few years, it’s almost doubled the number of countries you can access through it and its limit on simultaneous connections.
Read our NordVPN review.
Best gaming VPN for unlimited connections
Surfshark specifications:
Server range |
100+ countries |
Compatible games |
Fortnite, League of Legends, Counter Strike: GO, Overwatch, Valorant, and more |
Free trial |
One week (mobile and Mac only) |
Money-back guarantee |
30 days |
Simultaneous connections |
Unlimited |
Router support |
Yes |
Average latency (ping) |
32.44ms |
Average jitter |
31ms |
Reasons to buy
- Allows unlimited simultaneous connections
- Offers a week-long free trial
Reasons to avoid
- Slightly slower than bigger choices
- Fewer server locations available
Surfshark offers various pieces of privacy and security software. While its other products are good, Surfshark VPN stands out as being a strong competitor in any list of the best VPNs, gaming or otherwise.
Our test found that Surfshark VPN is a good choice for online games. The latency is under 50ms, as is the jitter rate, which promises a good gaming experience. Incidentally, Surfshark VPN is easy to set up and supports sign-in through Google and other methods. This saves you having to go through convoluted set-up processes if you’re new to VPNs
If you have a large household and need a VPN on multiple devices, the scope to install Surfshark VPN on everything is accommodated with its unlimited connections. This is notably more than the likes of NordVPN or Expressvpn, but while having no cap is increasingly more common these days, Surfshark deserves credit for being one of the first to do this.
It’s notably cheaper than quite a lot of the big providers on this list, and it even has the courtesy of offering customers a free trial – well, on mobile that is. If you’re on a PC, you’ll have to get it on your phone and then use it to create a hotspot and connect your PC through the phone, but it won’t give you the same experience as having it directly on your PC. There’s always the 30-day money-back guarantee to fall back on, at least, though it has been known for Surfshark to make it a little more difficult to get that refund by insistently pushing for you to wait until the last day.
Its strengths outweigh its flaws though and if you want a cheap way to give your whole household an extra layer of privacy online, this is probably the best way to do it.
Read our Surfshark review.
The gaming VPN with the best money-back guarantee
CyberGhost specifications:
Server totals |
100+ countries |
Compatible games |
FIFA, PUBG, Minecraft, Fortnite, League of Legends, Overwatch, Dota 2, GTA Online, and more |
Free trial |
24 hours |
Money-back guarantee |
45 days |
Simultaneous connection |
7 |
Router support |
Yes |
Average latency (ping) |
45.19 |
Average jitter |
16 |
Reasons to buy
- 45-day money-back guarantee
- Lower price
- Broad streaming service compatibility
Reasons to avoid
- Slower than other top providers
- Middling simultaneous connection allowance
CyberGhost is one of the most well-known brands in the VPN market, with a cute ghost personifying the brand in the logo. One of its most appealing features for gamers, in particular, is that it has a number of servers that have been specifically optimized for running videogames.
Naturally, we put them to the test to see how they did, and the results were promising. Although the jitter average was higher than expected, they’re still more than capable of providing a smooth gaming experience that would satisfy everyone except for perhaps super competitive pro gamers.
If you’re one of those pro-gamers and you’re feeling doubtful consider this: it has an incredible 45-day money-back guarantee. This gives it a strong advantage, because you probably won’t use the refund – but if you do, it’s there. My experiences with CyberGhost over the years have been good, and I know people who rely on it exclusively.
The one area that I’d like to see some improvement is with its cap on simultaneous connections. CyberGhost can be used on seven devices at once, and while that was one of the higher caps a few years ago, most of its competitors have pushed it up a little bit, leaving CyberGhost in the dust. Indeed, unlike most other VPNs have changed a fair bit over the years, whereas CyberGhost is much more static.
Nonetheless, even in an unchanged form – it’s a pretty decent offering. It offers compatibility with all major online games and services too, so you can be confident that you’ll have an easy and smooth experience with it.
Read our CyberGhost review.
PureVPN
The most private gaming VPN
PureVPN specifications:
Server range |
65+ countries |
Compatible games |
New World, Counter Strike: GO, League of Legends, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and more |
Free trial |
$0.99 seven-day paid trial |
Money-back guarantee |
31 days |
Simultaneous connections |
10 |
Router support |
Yes |
Average latency (ping) |
51ms |
Average jitter |
8ms |
Reasons to buy
- Allows ten simultaneous connections
- Third-party privacy audits
- Decent server range
Reasons to avoid
- Worse performance than others
- Can cause a bit of latency on Windows
PureVPN lives up to its ‘pure’ name by subjecting itself to regular third-party privacy audits. This isn’t a case of making everything look good for inspection day, then being reckless with customer data the rest of the year either, as these audits are carried out at random points throughout the year. There would be no time to cover its tracks, even if it wanted to.
In addition to the above-average dedication to protecting privacy, PureVPN has one of the widest selections of device support. In total, you can use on desktop operating systems, mobiles, smart TVs and media sticks, and browser extensions.
But how does this help if you’re looking for the best gaming VPN?
PureVPN lists gaming-optimized servers among its features. The first server we tried came back with poor results (59.56 ms latency, 26.00 ms jitter), resulting in switching. The new results were an improvement, but still not great.
In short, PureVPN, while fast, doesn’t appear to offer any particular advantages in performance for gamers. You can add useful add-ons to your package (Port Forwarding and Dedicated IP) which can potentially improve online gaming performance, but most other ISPs offer these as well.
Still, we don’t want to give the impression that this is a bad choice. For the extra privacy-conscious among you, it may even be the very best choice. It also has a fairly decent allowance for simultaneous connections (10), and while it’s not infinite, that’s still more than a lot of others offer.
ProtonVPN
Best free gaming VPN
ProtonVPN specifications:
Server range |
100+ countries |
Compatible games/services |
Roblox, GTA Online, Call of Duty: Warzone, League of Legends, Fortnite, and more |
Free trial |
No (capped free plan available) |
Money-back guarantee |
30 days |
Simultaneous connections |
10 |
Router support |
Yes |
Average latency (ping) |
45.94 |
Average jitter |
10 |
Reasons to buy
- Fantastic free plan
- Located in privacy-friendly Switzerland
Reasons to avoid
- Notably slower than others
Proton VPN operates a range of servers optimized for different VPN activities. While it offers a free option, the highest speeds and P2P support are available only with the Plus plan.
However, my tests revealed that Proton VPN might do the job. Using the exact same test as the other VPNs, I found its average latency was 45.94 ms – just below the 50 ms mark. The jitter average, however, was excellent (10 ms), which is perhaps where the VPN Accelerator feature comes into play. This all
While on paper this makes Proton VPN the best free gaming VPN, realistically you will need a full subscription to get the most out of it.
How to choose the best gaming VPN
When deciding which VPN will be the best to use for gaming, there are several important factors to consider. First and foremost, you’ll want to make sure the VPN you’re choosing is compatible with the game you want to play. We’ve listed a few examples of which services are compatible with which games, but we appreciate that there are quite a lot of other games out there.
Once you know it’s compatible, then it’s important to look closely at the price. VPN prices are always displayed as a monthly total, but you’re almost always paying in bulk for a year or more in one go. With this in mind, a cheaper monthly total might come with a large up-front payment if it covers a larger period. Cross-check this closely against your budget.
Next up, think about what country you’re planning to connect through. For example, are you hoping to access a game that is a Korean regional exclusive? Well, in addition to checking the game’s compatibility with the VPN, you’ll want to ensure that your provider of choice has servers in that region. All the VPNs on this list are very open about which region their servers are located in.
These steps will help you narrow the field somewhat, and then you can look at the features that each provider has to offer. For example, if you’re conscious of privacy and don’t want anyone to know what you’ve been Googling, then ExpressVPN’s TrustedServer system is going to be appealing, because it prevents the servers from writing any data about your online activities. Meanwhile, if you prefer speed above everything else, then you may be drawn to NordVPN with its speedy NordLynx protocol.
One last thing to think about is the number of simultaneous connections. Do you just want a VPN to use on your gaming PC or laptop? Or do you foresee yourself using it on all of your devices? And is the VPN just for you, or your whole family/household? A service like Surfshark lets you keep the VPN on an unlimited number of devices at once, whereas something like NordVPN has a stricter cap.
FAQs
What is a VPN?
A virtual private network is a privacy tool that grants you anonymity by feeding your connection through an encrypted tunnel and masking your IP address with one belonging to the VPN company. This makes you appear as though you’re in another country and allows you to unblock geo-restricted services like Google Stadia and platforms that are sometimes banned like Discord. Only the best VPNs regularly refresh IP addresses so you can continue unblocking services that endeavor to prevent this kind of spoofing, like Hulu and Netflix. Read our longer what is a VPN article for more about this.
What makes the best VPN for gaming?
There are plenty of factors to consider when choosing the best VPN for gaming, but none are more important than a speedy and stable connection. All our suggestions are fast VPNs that should produce a connection that’s just as quick as when you’re disconnected.
You’ll also want lots of countries to choose from so you can find the best servers and hunt for cheaper games. And while it might not be the highest feature on your priority list, you’ll also want to ensure the service you use is private. We only suggest no-logs VPNs so you don’t leave behind a record of your activities while connected.
Can I use a free VPN?
No VPN is truly free. If you’re not asked for money, you’ll pay with your data instead, as most free VPN services collect and sell your information. Fortunately, the best free VPN doesn’t collect data. It instead imposes bandwidth caps that aren’t suitable for gaming, but it’s pretty good for protecting yourself on public WiFi.
Some of the VPNs on this list offer free trials, with no restrictions on bandwidth or server selection, so you can try them out first if you’re not convinced.
What is split tunneling?
Most VPNs on this list offer split tunneling, which gives you granular control over what apps use the VPN while it’s active, and what apps are exempt. This means you can pick and choose what games use the secure connection, or keep using regional Netflix libraries without slowing the rest of your gaming PC down.
Can you use a VPN on PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch?
Yes, although you won’t be able to download a VPN app onto them directly as you would with a PC or laptop. Instead, you have to rely on other methods. The Loadout (our sister site) outlines these methods in the following guides:
Generally speaking, the process for consoles includes hooking your console up to the best gaming laptop or PC, using Smart DNS, or using a VPN router. We recommend the latter, as it covers all your devices, but they don’t come cheap.
Is it legal to use a VPN for gaming?
VPNs are legal in most countries, with the only exceptions being Belarus, Iraq, and North Korea. Other countries such as China, Turkey, and Russia heavily restrict VPNs and see their use as a sign of suspicion, so use them with caution in these locations.
Will a VPN increase my ping?
There’s a chance a VPN can lower your ping by sending packets through a more direct route, and you’re more likely to achieve this if you use one of the VPNs recommended in this article, rather than another, lesser-known provider.
How much is a gaming VPN?
When you pay for a VPN, you’re almost always paying for several years of use in one go (it’s not cost-effective to pay monthly, as it’s a lot more expensive).
Is it bad to keep your VPN on all the time?
If you want to keep your VPN on at all times, and not just while you’re gaming, there’s no serious reason not to. You might encounter issues when trying to access things exclusive to your home region, or with things like internet banking services which will view connections to your account via international servers as suspicious, but that’s about the full extent of the issues.
If you’re after a bargain, look at our VPN deals page, where we list the best prices on all the big brands.