The Best Gaming VPN in 2023

The best gaming VPN could be just what your ultimate gaming setup is missing.

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) aren’t just tools for businesses looking to protect their online data, or individuals hoping to hide what they’re looking at online. The right VPN can also do wonders for your game live, allowing you to play online without worrying about compromising your privacy.

VPNs can offer access to region-locked content, and even help to protect you from shady people on the web (you never know who you might meet in a game of COD).

Unfortunately, not every VPN is built to handle the high-performance demands of a serious gamer. To get the best possible experience, you’ll need a service that protects you, without damaging download speeds or performance power.

Here’s your guide to the best gaming VPN.

Why Gamers Need a VPN

Since the best gaming VPN requires a strong focus on both performance and security, you may need to pay a little extra to get the right results. This means you’ll probably want to know the benefits of a gaming VPN in advance, so you can justify the price.

A virtual VPN can benefit you in a number of different ways.

For instance, if you usually see your internet connection fluctuating when you’re exploring online Minecraft servers, this could be a sign your ISP is throttling your connection. A VPN can help you to avoid this, by anonymizing your activity. A VPN will also provide:

• Privacy: The most commonly cited benefit of a VPN is privacy. While anyone is vulnerable to an attack online, gamers regularly experience DDoS attacks and hacking attempts. A VPN can protect you from a host of common risks on the web. You can even protect your smartphone data by accessing a VPN for your smartphone gaming strategy too.
• Location spoofing: As games continue to implement more “geographical” features into their operation, your location can directly influence your mobile experience. Take a look at Pokemon Go, for instance. This popular game hosts specific, location-based events in certain parts of the world which you need to visit to access. Location spoofing means you can make your phone think you’re in a different location, giving you access to content you wouldn’t be able to access otherwise. While third-party tools do exist to help with location spoofing, VPNs are far more reliable, and offer the option to change your location with ease.
• Content access: Notably, certain games and content within those games are also only available in certain parts of the world. You may even struggle to access certain cloud gaming experiences, like PlayStation Now, Or Google Stadia, depending on where you live. Using a VPN, you can still access and pay for services around the world, using an international payment method. This opens the door for a much broader gaming experience.
• Early access: Similarly, to restricting content to a specific location, a lot of game vendors are also beginning to provide early access to content in certain parts of the world. For instance, certain countries might be able to play a game before anyone else. A VPN allows you to create an account with your app store or gaming environment anywhere in the world, so you can access region-locked content at the same time as other countries.

What Makes the Best Gaming VPN in 2022?

Once you’re familiar with the benefits the best gaming VPN can offer, there’s a good chance you’ll be keen to jump in and start taking advantage as quickly as possible. However, as mentioned above, not all VPNs are built alike.

You’ll need to access a VPN with a high level of speed. Many common VPNs are associated with slower network connections in many parts of the world. This can be very problematic if you’re playing online games where lag can throttle your performance.

Look for a VPN with low ping times, and excellent speeds, as well as powerful privacy features, and the ability to play and access regional servers easily. The more countries you can access, the better, as this will ensure you can find region-locked content all over the world.

Since picking the perfect gaming VPN is notoriously tough, we’ve picked some of the top options on the market to get you started.

1.    NordVPN

Best overall VPN for Gaming

• Speed (based on a US 1GBPS line): 750MBPs
• Simultaneous connections: 6
• Router support: Yes
• Countries: 59

NordVPN is easily one of the better-known VPNs in the world, with excellent speeds and fantastic access to unblocked streaming services. NordVPN is a Panama-based provider of VPN services offering some of the fastest speeds on the market, for both uploading and downloading.

The service has more than 5,200 servers, giving you infinite freedom to adjust your connections according to your needs. You can also connect to around 60 countries. No matter where you are, you’re almost guaranteed to get a great connection.

Although NordVPN hasn’t always had the best reputation for speed in the past, it recently kicked its performance up a notch, to deliver a far more reliable experience. Nord’s apps are also very stable, and you can connect to your router to cover all of your consoles at once.

NordVPN is also excellent if you like to switch between gaming and torrenting, as it’s one of the top services on the market for accessing region-locked content from streamers like Netflix.

NordVPN also has a proprietary patched version of WireGuard, known as NordLynx, which delivers faster data encryption than most other services, with a minimal performance task. You can run it on the background of 6 devices at the same time, and essentially forget all about it.

Pricing: Starts at £2.49 per month on a 2-year subscription

Pros:

• Excellent download and upload speeds
• Great Ping performance
• Fantastic encryption from NordLynx
• Good customer support
• Privacy-focused experience

Cons:

• App can be a little clunky and requires regular updates

Read our full NordVPN review.

2.    Surfshark

Best Value Gaming VPN

• Speed (based on a US 1GBPS line): 790MBPs
• Simultaneous connections: Unlimited
• Router support: Yes
• Countries: 63

Surfshark is one of the top contenders in the market for the best gaming VPN. This powerful tool is a top choice for a lot of gamers around the world, because of its blazing fast speeds and its affordability. Surfshark offers phenomenal speed with a low Ping, and a network of more than 3,200 servers to keep everything running smoothly.

The Surfshark ecosystem also comes with unlimited simultaneous connections. This means you can easily create as many connections as you like from a single device, without having to worry about incurring extra fees.

The apps included with Surfshark might not have the same degree of configuration options as some alternatives, but don’t let that put you off. There are some excellent features available, including the ability to rapidly change your location on your mobile device without relying on third-party apps.

The upload speeds for Surfshark are comparable to NordVPN, and you can also access a number of streaming services if you feel like taking a break from gaming with access to Netflix and Hulu. Nord Security and Surfshark also merged recently, which means the two services can share knowledge and technology, even while operating autonomously.

Surfshark is excellent for managing your connections in no time. You can whitelist apps, and blacklist connections you don’t want to go through. The biggest issue for most people is it might not be the best solution for torrenting, as it’s slightly more taxing on uploads than NordVPN.

Pricing: Pricing starts at £1.69 per month for a 2-year contract.

Pros:

• Support for unlimited device connections
• Great speed and Ping performance
• Excellent for location spoofing
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• Access to a wide range of streaming services

Cons:

• Slightly slower upload than NordVPN
• App can have a few limitations in terms of configuration

Read our full Surfshark review.

3.    ExpressVPN

Best Gaming VPN for Global Connectivity

• Speed (based on a US 1GBPS line): 630Mbps
• Simultaneous connections: 5
• Router support: Yes
• Countries: 94

ExpressVPN is another of the most popular gaming VPNs on the market today. The speed doesn’t quite add up to the performance you’ll get from Nord or Surfshark, but you still get an excellent performance for most games. You’ll also have access to a much wider range of potential geographical connections, so you’ll be able to access more region-locked content.

This could be the top VPN for you if you want to join the “global community” and connect with friends in different locations. You’ll also have access to a powerful router VPN app, which makes it easier to manage the connections through your VPN, and stay away from throttling issues.

You’ll have 24/7 support if anything does go wrong with your service, and it’s worth noting there’s no other VPN on the market that refreshes its IP addresses as often as this service. You can unlock virtually any regional Netflix library, and access all kinds of restricted sites.

There’s no encryption on ExpressVPN, but you do get a MediaStreamer Smart DNS tool, which allows you to switch locations on Xbox and PlayStation consoles easily. The biggest downside for a lot of people is you can only access the VPN from 5 devices at once. Plus, it’s definitely a lot pricier than most VPN connections.

Pricing: Costs start at £5.09 per month if you pay for a 12-month contract.

Pros:

• Excellent access to servers around the globe
• Reliable speeds for your connections
• Great router setup application
• Good for streaming from multiple countries
• Chrome plugin available

Cons:

• Not the most simultaneous connections
• Can be quite expensive

Read our full ExpressVPN review.

4.    IPVanish

Best Gaming VPN for Beginners

• Speed (based on a US 1GBPS line): 700Mbps
• Simultaneous connections: Unlimited
• Router support: Yes
• Countries: 51

A great pick for those in search of a simple and user-friendly VPN experience, IPVanish is one of the more affordable services on the market, and it’s great for speed too. If you’re looking for a good all-rounder, IPVanish will give you access to dozens of countries, and more than 1,400 servers.

Although it’s not quite as fully-featured as some of the VPN options on the market, IPVanish still has a lot to offer. It runs on its own private infrastructure and network, and it can sort through servers available to you via Ping. This means you can guarantee the fastest possible connections.

The IPVanish VPN is also one of the few on the market to offer an unlimited option for simultaneous device connections. This is something most other vendors simply can’t provide. You’ll be able to connect all of your devices at the same time, and there’s plenty of streaming services available too. You can unlock channels like Netflix, and Disney+.

IPVanish has an audited no-log policy, so it’s great if you’re particularly worried about privacy. It’s also widely regarded as one of the easiest VPNs to use, although most VPN solutions won’t require a lot of complicated setup.

Pricing: Pricing starts at $3.75 per month for a 12-year contract

Pros:

• Decent value
• Good speed for gaming connections
• Unblocks access to a range of streaming services
• Audited no log policy
• Unlimited simultaneous connections

Cons:

• Not the fastest service available

5.    Windscribe

Best for Android location spoofing

• Speed (based on a US 1GBPS line): 270Mbps
• Simultaneous connections: Unlimited
• Router support: Yes
• Countries: 60

Windscribe definitely isn’t the best gaming VPN for intense games which require specifically high speeds. The service is quite a bit slower than many of the other top VPNs on the market, which means it could cause some serious lag. However, it does have benefits for specific kinds of gaming.

Windscribe offers a feature-rich service with tons of advanced features for protecting your connections. You’ll have access to a host of torrent-friendly proxy options, and WireGuard connectivity, so you can ensure you’re getting the protection you need.

There are also unlimited simultaneous downloads, so you can connect as many devices as you like to your VPN without having to worry about being throttled. There’s even a free service available, which gives you access to 11 locations.

The best thing about Windscribe is it’s location spoofing features which you can access quickly and easily on an Android device. This makes it ideal for changing your position in apps like Pokemon Go, for instance. However, you probably won’t use this app for the majority of your gaming.

Pricing: Prices start at around $4.08 per month for a 12-month subscription

Pros:

• Lots of global connections
• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• Wide range of control features
• Lots of data access available
• Good for location spoofing

Cons:

• Quite slow
• Not the cheapest service

6.    CyberGhost

Best for Fast Global Connections

• Speed (based on a US 1GBPS line): 850Mbps
• Simultaneous connections: 7
• Router support: Yes
• Countries: 88

Compared to most of the gaming VPNs we’ve looked at so far, CyberGhost is a little lesser-known. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s not an excellent choice for gamers. The Romanian provider comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee, so it’s great for peace of mind. It’s also one of the speediest VPNs on the market.

Powerful and efficient, CyberGhost isn’t just ideal for speed, it’s also fantastic for privacy. There are tons of tools to keep you safe and untraceable online. You’ll also get access to unique in-app features, like server load (for finding the fastest server). Plus, you can set up smart rules which allow the VPN to launch automatically when you start a specific app.

From a global connectivity perspective, you’ll have plenty of options with more than 88 to choose from. However, there are some limitations with the simultaneous connections. For instance, you can link up to 7 devices to your VPN on a single plan, but you’ll need to register each and de-register apps when you want to add something new.

Pricing: Pricing starts at only £1.75 per month when you choose a 3-year plan.

Pros:

• Excellent speed and low latency
• Lots of global connection options
• Specialist tools great for gamers
• Convenient range of safety and privacy options
• Access to a range of streaming services

Cons:

• Some usability issues with simultaneous connections
• Not the best app experience

7.    ProtonVPN

Secure VPN with a Free Version

• Speed (based on a US 1GBPS line): 670Mbps
• Simultaneous connections: 10
• Router support: Yes
• Countries: 40+

Proton is a reasonably popular VPN service for gamers, individuals, and business leaders alike. The Swiss VPN provider doesn’t log any user activity or share information with third parties, which isn’t always the case with every VPN. The anonymous service means you have complete freedom to explore the internet without being watched.

ProtonVPN excels at delivering consistent connection speeds on WireGuard and OpenVPN, no matter what you need to be doing online. While this service isn’t the fastest on the market, it’s still speedy enough to give you the experience you need when you’re gaming.

When you’re taking a break from gaming for a quick streaming session, ProtonVPN is excellent here too. There are few other services with the same wide range of streaming connections. Plus, most people who use ProtonVPN say it’s easy to use, with a convenient interface where you can control everything, including the VPN Accelerator for boosted speeds.

Pricing: There’s a free package for access to 3 countries and medium speed. Basic speeds and services start at a price of $4 per month.

Pros:

• Great for streaming services
• Fast performance with Accelerator access
• Fantastic privacy and security
• Convenient interface for ease-of-use
• Good privacy credentials

Cons:

• Can be fairly expensive
• Free package is very basic

Best Gaming VPN: FAQ

Choosing the Best Gaming VPN

A great gaming VPN can be one of the most useful tools you invest in if you’re a dedicated gamer. VPNs aren’t just there to keep your internet connection safe and private – they’re also an essential tool for accessing geo-locked services, and protecting against ISP throttling.

Just remember, not just any VPN will do when you’re a dedicated gamer. You’ll need to make sure you have the best VPN specifically for your gaming needs.