Best Gaming VPN 2023: What Is Your Best Option?

There are countless VPN options out there, but as you can guess, not all of them are best for your gaming experience.

So, what are the best VPNs for gaming? Here are some recommendations for top-notch VPN services that not only protect your online privacy and let you access lots of servers worldwide but also guarantee a stable and responsive connection. But first, let’s find out what to look for in the best gaming VPN.

How to choose your best VPN for gaming?

If you are planning on using a VPN service as your gaming VPN, speed should definitely be a top priority. Of course, security, privacy, the number of available server locations, and more are also key factors that you can’t ignore.

So, when choosing a VPN service for gaming, please take your time considering carefully at least the 05 following things:

• Speeds

First and foremost, you should be sure that you are getting a service that won’t slow down your connection. It’s a good idea to opt for VPNs that support WireGuard—one of the fastest protocols available these days.

• Security

Security and privacy are also the biggest reasons to install a VPN on your device, right? In terms of gaming, security is also a priority when choosing a VPN. So, look for services that offer robust encryption protocols and are able to shield you from DDoS attacks.

• Large server fleet

If a VPN has an inadequate number of VPN servers in just a few locations, chances are that they will be overcrowded, causing high latency and slow speeds. For this reason, it’s always best to look for VPNs that have lots of server options worldwide.

• Compatibility

Obviously, a good VPN for gaming should be compatible with different devices and operating systems. If you are using a gaming console or any devices that do not support a VPN connection, make sure you pick a VPN service offering SmartDNS or having an application for your router.

• Extra features

It’s also recommended to look for additional features such as split tunneling, proxy servers, P2P connections, and more. In addition, you should choose a VPN that is easy to use and user-friendly with an intuitive interface.

Best Gaming VPN 2023

Here are a few recommendations for the best gaming VPN options that you can take into consideration when choosing a VPN for gaming.

1. NordVPN

If you are looking for the best VPN for gaming with light-fast speeds and decent ping performance, then NordVPN should be one of your very first choices.

Features:

• Fast connections: Yes (very fast)
• Number of servers: More than 5,700 servers in 60 countries
• Simultaneous connections: 6
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, Chrome, Firefox, etc.
• Router support: Yes
• Free trial: No
• Money-back guarantee: 30 days
• Price: From $3.99/month

It’s not a coincidence that NordVPN is the best gaming VPN. It has really fast download and upload speeds and features impressive ping performance. NordVPN uses multiple tunneling protocols, such as OpenVPN, IKEv2, and NordLynx. It also provides an extremely large server network with almost 6,000 servers in 60 countries, and you can easily pick one of them with a simple click.

Of course, not only is NordVPN fast, but it also possesses excellent features like Threat Protection (which keeps intrusive ads away from you) and Double VPN (which adds an extra layer of encryption to your internet connection).

P2P file sharing, the Meshnet feature, SOCKS5 proxy, a kill switch, and more are also supported in this best gaming VPN. With NordVPN, users can avoid bandwidth throttling and, as a result, experience less lag when gaming.

In terms of privacy, NordVPN has a very clear, detailed, and independently audited privacy policy.

RELATED: How Much Does A VPN Cost?

2. Surfshark

Are you looking for an affordable best gaming VPN that supports unlimited devices at once? If so, Surfshare is your choice.

Features:

• Fast connections: Yes
• Number of servers: More than 3,200 servers in over 100 countries
• Simultaneous connections: Unlimited
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, Chrome, Firefox, etc.
• Router support: Yes
• Free trial: 01 week
• Money-back guarantee: 30 days
• Price: From $2.49 per month

If your household has multiple gamers, Surfshark can be a perfect choice. With just one account, from PC to smartphone or gaming console, every compatible device in your house can use a VPN.

Surfshark also has a wide variety of tunneling protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN, ShadowSocks, and IKEv2, guaranteeing good connection speeds. The latency performance is pretty fine, especially when you are picking a nearby VPN server. Note that the service offers more than 3,200 servers worldwide for you to choose from.

Surfshark’s VPN is absolutely straightforward and easy to use, with an intuitive interface. There are also a bunch of advanced features found in this excellent VPN service, including an optional kill switch, a handy Whitelister function, the GPS spoofing feature (which helps you change your location on games like Pokemon Go), and more.

Of course, Surfshark has a strict no-logging policy, and it also features strong AES-256 encryption.

RELATED: Top Free VPN For Chrome To Make Web Surfing Safe

3. ExpressVPN

Thanks to its top-notch security and privacy, efficient speed, and many other impressive features, ExpressVPN perfectly deserves a spot on the list of the best VPNs for gaming.

Features:

• Fast connections: Yes
• Number of servers: More than 3,000 servers in 94 countries
• Simultaneous connections: 5
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, PlayStation, Xbox, etc.
• Router support: Yes
• Free trial: No
• Money-back guarantee: 30 days
• Price: From $6.67 per month

ExpressVPN features three different protocols, including OpenVPN, IKEv2, and Lightway (of which ExpressVPN’s in-house Lightway protocol is the fastest).

Notably, this VPN service offers more than 3,000 servers in nearly 100 countries around the world, guaranteeing a low ping rate and a more stable connection. Thanks to the plentiful number of servers, slowing down speeds caused by overcrowded traffic never appears to be an issue.

In addition to good connection speeds and a larger server network, ExpressVPN also has robust security tools, powerful AES 256-bit encryption, and a strict privacy policy.

Plus, a brilliant user interface, split tunneling, a kill switch, an exclusive MediaStreamer service, and more are also featured in ExpressVPN, which does boost your experience while using the service.

Well, the downsides of this VPN seem to lie in its pretty high prices and the fact that only 05 devices can connect to the service at once.

Other best gaming VPN options

Along with the three best VPN services listed recently, there are, of course, many other quality options well worth taking into consideration. Here are some other recommendations for you to consider:

• IPVanish

IPVanish has more than 2,000 servers in 50 countries and supports unlimited simultaneous connections, with prices starting at $3.33 a month.

• CyberGhost

CyberGhost features more than 9,700 servers in over 90 countries and supports up to 07 simultaneous connections, with prices starting at $2.19/month.

• PureVPN

PureVPN provides more than 6,500 servers in over 78 countries. It supports up to 10 simultaneous connections, with prices starting at $2.08/month.

• Private Internet Access

PIA offers more than 10,000 servers in over 100 locations to choose from. The service supports unlimited simultaneous connections. Price: From $2.19/month.

• ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN has more than 18,000 servers in 66 countries. The service supports up to 10 connections simultaneously. Importantly, ProtonVPN has a free version, which means you can experience the service without spending a buck.

FAQs Answered

Are VPNs good for online gaming?

It depends on various factors, including whether or not you pick a good-quality VPN service.

If you opt for a poor, unreliable VPN service, for example, chances are that your connection will slow down or that you will encounter high latency and maybe other issues. Of course, poor VPNs can’t provide you with enough security and privacy.

On the other hand, choosing an excellent gaming VPN will help prevent DDoS attacks, fix lagging issues caused by throttling, access games that are geo-blocked, and more.

Can a VPN reduce ping for gaming?

The answer is yes, especially in situations when your connection speeds are being throttled.

Plus, if you pick a great-quality VPN for gaming, your internet speeds will not be impacted a lot. And thanks to the plentiful server options that your best gaming VPN offers, you can connect to the closest server to your physical location. This way, you can avoid increases in your ping rate.

Should I get a free gaming VPN?

There are tons of free VPNs out there; however, it’s not a good idea to pick free VPNs for gaming.

First, not all free VPNs are reliable. Lots of them even pose threats rather than protecting your online privacy and security. So, if you want a free VPN, opt for free service from premium VPN providers like ProtonVPN, Windscribe, etc.

Second, even the best free VPNs for gaming also have limitations such as data caps, slow speeds, a lack of servers, and more, which all affect your gaming experiences a lot.

So, we don’t recommend free VPNs for gaming if you are looking for the best online gaming experience.

RELATED: Best Free VPN For 2023: Everything You Need To Know

Wrapping up

Above are some of the great options that you should consider when looking for your best gaming VPN. Of course, each of these options comes with unique and exclusive features as well as certain pros and cons. So, it’s always a great idea to find out what a gaming VPN does offer, what makes it stand out, and how well it suits your needs, right? Also, don’t forget to read reviews from other users to find out how good the service actually is.