How to use a VPN for online gaming

Staying safe while you enjoy your hobby is of vital importance, but a lot of gamers still don’t use a VPN for online gaming.

You may wonder why you should use one of the best VPNs, but there are a ton of benefits, ranging from increased privacy and security to getting past pesky throttling that your ISP imposes on gaming traffic.

It’s also an essential tool in your gaming arsenal if you’re planning to game on public Wi-Fi, such as in a hotel.

In this guide, we’re going to explore why you may want to use a VPN for online gaming, as well as how to pick a VPN and any risks you need to look out for.

Why use a VPN for online gaming?

Gaming likely isn’t your first thought when you think about VPNs. You’re more likely to associate them with work, or the way that they’re used to get around censorship.

However, there are a lot of benefits to connecting to one while you game. Here, we’ll take a look at them in more detail.

You can stay safe on public Wi-Fi

One of the chief benefits, which doesn’t only apply to VPNs for gaming, is that using a VPN keeps you safe on public Wi-Fi.

An unsecured network, like you often find in hotels, cafes, or on public transport, is a potential treasure trove for a hacker, as your data will be easier to uncover.

Using a VPN creates a secure tunnel between your PC and the VPN server, ensuring that even if someone intercepts it, it’s not of any use to them.

Extra privacy and protection from doxxing

Depending on how the game in question works, it can be quite easy to pull someone’s IP address, with peer-to-peer online gaming particularly susceptible to this.

This could then theoretically be used to doxx you, particularly if the attacker uses it as part of social engineering.

If you connect via a VPN, the only IP address that would be visible to an attacker is the VPN server’s, making you considerably safer and keeping your machine safe from a DDOS attack.

Get around ISP throttling

Some internet service providers (ISPs) use traffic throttling to manage their networks at peak capacity. They may separate out different traffic and slow some of it down to speed up others, and gaming traffic can be one such casualty.

Thankfully, using a VPN can get around this, as it prevents your ISP from knowing what kind of traffic it is.

This means that, unless your ISP is specifically throttling a VPN, your traffic won’t suffer the same dips in speed.

How to use a VPN for online gaming

Using a VPN for gaming is easy, and all you need to do is subscribe to your VPN, download the client, install it, and turn it on. It’s a very easy process, but that’s not the whole story.

There are certain things that you should look for in a VPN for gaming. Let’s take a closer look at some features you may want to be on the lookout for and why:

• A large server network. Network speed is essential for online gaming, and if too many people are connected to one VPN server, traffic can slow quite sharply. A larger server network means that there’s a lower chance of your server being overpopulated, letting you maintain a strong connection speed.
• Strong connection speeds. Of course, you can be the only person using a server, and if the VPN service itself is slow, you’re out of luck. You may want to check out our VPN reviews to see which VPN services generally offer the best speeds. You should also consider trying out a VPN for a trial period and seeing if the speeds are up to your standards.
• Split tunnelling options. You may wish to use a VPN that supports split tunnelling. This is a technique that splits your traffic, only using your VPN for certain apps or certain kinds of traffic. This can be useful if you only want your gaming traffic to go through your VPN, such as if you want to access content from your home country while gaming via another country’s servers.
• Device compatibility. Before you subscribe to a particular VPN, you should make sure that it is compatible with your gaming devices. This is simple for PC, but some VPN providers also offer apps for Xbox, which makes it easier, while PS5 and Switch 2 players will have to find another way to keep their online gaming secure. It is possible, and you can check out our guide to using a VPN with your PS5 to find out more, but it’s a little more fiddly.

Are there any risks to using a VPN for online gaming?

Sadly, using a VPN while gaming is not entirely risk-free. There are problems that can arise if you game while using a VPN, ranging in severity from annoyances to serious issues.

One common issue is that a VPN can slow your connection down. Some speed loss is, unfortunately, inevitable, but choosing the right gaming VPN can make the speed loss minimal.

Another potential problem is that not every game allows you to use a VPN, with some even listing VPN usage as a bannable offence, while using a VPN to buy games at a cheaper price can see you banned from Steam.

However, in most circumstances, using a VPN while gaming is safe and offers a ton of benefits. Be sure to check out our VPN guides to help you find the best gaming VPN for your needs.