5 Gaming VPN Best Online Gamers Can’t Do Without

A VPN, short of virtual private network allows a user to create a secure connection to another network over the internet. The most common uses of a VPN is to secure data, getting access to torrents and other restricted services. Today we will discuss the best gaming VPN used by the best online gamers.

Online gamers want the fastest connection to the game servers they can access. Since VPN slows the connection, gamers rarely use it.

Over the past few years gaming has evolved which made gaming VPNs very popular.

Most of the VPN providers grew large and reliable Tier-1 networks which means that they provide faster connection speed. On top of that they have also came up with ways to shorten the route between the users and the gaming servers.

This has greatly improved the experience of using gaming VPNs since they also protect a user from DDoS attacks.

How Does A Gaming VPN Work?

A gaming VPN encrypts all the traffic of a device and directs it through an intermediary server (VPN server).  It ensures the user gets a secure gaming experience.

The encryption and re-direction generally slows down the connection and tend to increase lag.

Why Use A VPN For Gaming?

Although gaming using VPNs has its limitations, gamers can find numerous ways to utilize VPNs. The following are the benefits that a VPN offer gamers:

1. Accessing geo-blocked games: Some games are blocked from your region residence. For example if the game you love is restricted within Europe, using a VPN you can bypass the geographical restrictions easily if you are in Asia or any other region. A VPN can modify your IP address and so the IP geo-location. A VPN gives you access to all blocked servers in your region and the freedom to change from one server to another anytime.
2. Protection from DDoS attacks: Sometimes gaming competitors may use dirty tricks like targeting your IP with Denial-of-service attacks. The attacks make the connection slow preventing you from playing the game. Most VPN servers have an anti-DDoS, you can play online games without the fear of getting attacked. A gaming VPN secures all the interactions between your device and the server.
3. Dodging IP bans: Gamers sometimes get unreasonably from their favourite games. When using a VPN, you can easily get back into action as the VPN will change your IP address.
4. Encryption: Hackers have a variety of ways they can use to get into gamers accounts. It is therefore recommended to set up a security measure to protect yourself. A gaming VPN provides end-to-end encryption which can secure your account.
5. Lowering Ping and less lags: Most online gamers worry about the connection speed while using a VPN. There are many aspects that could affect the connection speed, among them is when the ISP have congestion which increases the ping. A VPN can improve the time latency in such a case, it will choose a VPN server that is closest to your location to ensure you stay connected.

Features That Describe The Best VPN For Gaming

1. The number and location of servers. It is important to identify exactly the number of servers a VPN has and also their locations. A top-end VPN for gaming should have a number of servers in several countries. Having multiple servers to choose from around the world gives you access to several games and also improves latency.

2. The connection Speed and Reliability. Lag is the consequence of low speed VPNs. A great gaming VPN should have a good bandwidth and a stable connection for you remain competitive in a game.

3. Access to Dedicated gaming servers. Gaming VPNs are characterized by highly optimized servers precisely for online gamers.

4. Tier-1 Network. A Tier-1 network is the network with the fastest speeds possible. If a VPN has a Tier-1 network it means that it never experiences low speeds. Such a VPN is ideal for gaming.

5. High-end Support. Waiting for a support reply for hours or days can be very frustrating. It is important to ensure that your VPN of choice has live chat support is available. Also, setup guides and posts with answers with common questions is an advantage.

6. Have an Internet kill switch. A VPN could fail, it is therefore important to have a feature that can automatically cut the connection to the internet when the VPN fails. This will disable your device from sending and receiving unencrypted packets of data. This feature ensures that whenever you are connected you are secure.

5 Best VPNs For Gaming

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is considered as the best VPN for gaming in the market. The server selection is very wide. You can choose from 145 cities in 94 countries across the world.

ExpressVPN offers users with unlimited speeds and unlimited server switches, you can connect from anywhere in the world.

Being one of the largest VPN provider in the market, ExpressVPN has everything an online gamer would wish for.

ExpressVPN apps are easy to use and compatible with all modern platforms. The VPN software is regularly updated for Windows PC, Linux, iOS, Mac and Android devices.

The network they offer is SSL secured and brags 256-bit encryption that is sure to allow you fully anonymity while online.

ExpressVPN set up guides and information articles are available at the support center. The guides contain screenshots which make them easy to follow and understand. Live chat, contact form and email are well managed by the ExpressVPN customer care team.

Despite of having a simple design, ExpressVPN incorporates the most important features for online gaming. The features include:

• A DNS leak protection that is fully firewall-based.
• A kill switch
• WebRTC protection
• OpenVPN encryption suite.

Pros

The following are the plusses of using ExpressVPN for gaming:

• User friendly apps for all modern platforms.
• Servers nearly in 100 countries across the world.
• Availability of Custom VPN routers.
• 30-Days Money Back Guarantee.

Cons

• A bit expensive (but the best VPN for gaming after all!!)

ExpressVPN offer you with three pricing plans demonstrated below.

The payment methods allowed by ExpressVPN include:

• Paypal.
• Credit cards.
• Bitcoin.
• WebMoney.

Visit ExpressVPN

 

VyprVPN

VyprVPn is arguably the fastest VPN in the market. They run 700 plus servers in over 60 countries.

It uses Tier-1 network and they operate on their own server infrastructure across the world. Due to the high connection speeds there is very minimal lag which makes this gaming VPN ideal for online gamers.

VyprVPN servers are located near the main gaming servers and redirecting through their high speeds servers they manage to low ping and an awesome gaming experience.

Once you are connected with the VyprVPN, your IP address is hidden thus protecting your device from DDoS attacks. In addition Vypr gives to you a free NAT firewall that blocks all unwanted traffic from your device.

Gamers should take advantage of the 3-day free trial provided by VyprVpN. 3 days is enough time to test their servers and make a decision.

Pros

• Very speedy.
• 3-day free trial.
• Chameleon encryption.

Cons

• Not very secure.

VyprVPN has two models – the Vypr VPN and Vypr VPN Premium.  The Vypr VPN will cost you $9.95 per month and Premium goes for $12.95 per month.

The payment methods available for VyprVPN:

• Credit cards.
• Alipay.
• Paypal.

Visit VyprVPN

IPVanish

Just like VyprVPN, IPVanish uses Tier-1 VPN network which is so optimized that eliminates stream buffering when playing videos or online gaming.

This company claims to be using Top Tier Virtual Private Network provider, self-satisfied by over 500 servers in more than 60 different countries.

IPVanish provides its users with more than 40,000 unique IP addresses. This way a gamer can be sure of being secure from DDoS attacks.

The IPVanish VPN software is updated regularly to ensure that they keep improving their service to customers. This gaming VPN is an excellent choice for a gamer since, besides from the high speed, the connection is exceptionally stable thus delivering a no lag gaming experience. The IPVanish service also include a NAT firewall.

In addition to the excellent service, IPVanish keeps no logs of the users activities. The company utilizes a decent level of encryption being 128- and 254-bit.

Every gamer gets time to test the software before making a decision. IPVanish has a 7-day money back guarantee.

Pros

The following facts make IPVanish a good choice for gaming:

• Speedy connection.
• Encryption.
• 7-day money back guarantee
• More than 500 Tier-1 servers.
• Free trial time allowed.

Cons

• No live chat.

The IPVanish pricing plans are demonstrated below:

The payment methods available for IPVanish VPN:

• Paypal.
• Paysafecard.
• Giropay.
• IDEAL
• AliPay.
• CashU
• Mister Cash.
• Poli.
• SOFORT Banking.

Visit IPVanish

NordVPN

 

NordVPN is one of the best VPNs in the market. It is based in Panama which is a great advantage since it’s outside the direct reach of NSA and GCHQ.

The VPN boasts a big number of servers with 780+ locations in 58 countries across all the continents excluding the Antarctica.

NordVPN is the only VPN that has the ‘double encryption’ feature. This a second level encryption of data which reinforces the security of your data.

Other features offered by NordVPN include:

• Automatic Internet kill switch.
• Support for Tor over VPN.
• P2P
• Smartplay.

When using NordVPN as a gaming VPN, It allows you up to six simultaneous connections, has a DNS leak protection and double VPN option.

Also, it has a strictly no logs policy meaning NordVPN stores no infoamtion about the users activities.

Pros

Advantages of using NordVPN:

• Internet kill switch.
• Availabilty of P2P.
• It is based in Panama.
• Allows 6 simulteneous connections.
• Double encryption.

Cons

• NordVPN has low connection speeds.

Pricing plans offered by NordVPN.

The payment options available for NordVPN:

• Credit Card.
• Paypal.
• Bitcoin.
• Paysera.
• Paymentwall.
• WebMoney.

Visit NordVPN

Iron Socket VPN

Iron Socket VPN has extremely optimized their security measures. The VPN provides its users with AES 256-bit encryption with 2048 key certificate.

Today the 4096 bit key certificate is also available. Besides their enhanced encryption technology they also provide fast connection speeds plus they have a strictly no logs policy. These plusses make the VPN ideal for an online gamer.

Iron Socket VPN operate more than 50 servers across 36 countries in the world. This might sound as a very little number but the servers are sufficient for most gamers.

Iron Socket VPN is relatively cheap as compared to other VPN providers, but their service is incredibly of good quality. Unlike other providers, Iron Socket VPN does not allow free trial time, instead they have a 7-day money back guarantee. Sound good, right?

Here are a few of the outstanding features of Iron Socket VPN:

• They allow 3 simultaneous connections.
• L2TP and PPTP configurations are available.
• Smart DNS proxy.
• HTTP/SOCKS5 proxy.
• OpenVPN.

Pros

The following facts make the Iron Socket VPN ultimate for a gamer:

• Unlimited bandwidth.
• Supreme encryption.
• Based in Hong Kong.
• Accepts bit coin.
• Uses shared IP.
• Supports all major gaming consoles
• No log policy.

Cons

• No free trial time

Below is an illustration of how much the Iron Socket VPN service will cost you.

Iron Socket VPN accepts the following payment methods:

• Paypal.
• Credit cards.
• Bitcoin.
• Gift cards.

Conclusions On Gaming VPN

The number of threats to all online activities including online gaming is extremely high, especially the very common DDoS attacks.

It is therefore extremely important that online gamers should consider the use of a VPN service. As outlined before a VPN not only secures your traffic but also improves your gaming experience by providing you with high connection speed. On top of that a gaming VPN lowers the ping and reduces the amount of lags.

It is the nature of life that everything is not good enough for everybody. Different VPN provider will promise top connection speed, others ultimate security.

For this reason we recommend you to weigh the pros and cons for each VPN from the list before making a final decision. All the VPNs either have free trial time or money back guarantee, it’s important to test them all before purchasing.