VPN for gaming: no DDoS, no throttling, just frags
The best VPN for gaming will shut up that kid in that chat who swears he hacked your PC.
- Hide your IP on Discord and other chats
- Protect yourself from DDoS attacks
- Bypass bandwidth throttling
- 30-day money-back guarantee (beat that, Valve)
Why do you need a VPN for gaming?
Enjoy awesome speed
Do you have questions like “how to get better ping in Fortnite?” One way to do this is to stop Internet Service Providers (ISP) from throttling your data. They analyze your data and limit your bandwidth when you’re engaged in intense activities, such as playing online multiplayer games. Stop them with Surfshark and enjoy the speed you deserve!
Get early access to games by switching time zones
Pre-loading is nice, but what if you could pre-load the pre-load? Switch your VPN server to one in the timezone that’s getting the pre-load (or just the release) the earliest. Get that day-one streaming advantage!
Get Distributed Denial of Service protection
You don’t want to lose a match because your internet connection was intentionally crashed, do you? To DDoS you (“execute a distributed denial of service attack”), some cheater has to know your IP address. But when you’re connecting via a VPN service, they can only get the VPN server’s IP. Let them try their tricks on that - we will be ready.
Play with friends worldwide
So, are your friends playing on some regional server you can’t access? Are there some geographical matchmaking shenanigans getting in the way? Hop on a server close to them and get into the same matches as your buds.
Overcome game censorship
They don’t ban games as much these days… but some countries still do! Is the Platinum GOTY title of your dreams barred access into your land? Connect via a VPN service and break through all the blockades!
We prohibit using Surfshark services for any unlawful purposes as it is against our Terms of Service. Please be sure to act in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations of streaming service providers.
How to choose the best gaming VPN
Enough servers for online gaming
The closer a VPN server is to you, the lesser the impact the VPN has on connection speed. So a VPN like Surfshark with more than 3200 VPN servers is likely to have one close to you.
No bandwidth limitations
A free VPN will hit you with bandwidth limitations harder than a free-to-play game with suggestions to buy premium currency. A good VPN has enough server or good server infrastructure and no speed limits - just like Surfshark.
All the device compatibility
A VPN that supports only Macs does nothing good for a PC gamer - and vice versa. With Surfshark VPN, you can expect to have an easy time installing the VPN client on any system that can support it.
A gaming VPN for all your gaming consoles and devices
There are so many platforms for gaming out there – we got you covered no matter what. Download our easy-to-use virtual private network apps or set up smart DNS for devices that don’t support apps and get back to gaming.
Remember: you get unlimited simultaneous connections with a single account – secure all your devices!
How to set up Surfshark VPN for gaming
STEP 1
Pick a plan that suits your needs.
STEP 2
Download the app that suits your device.
STEP 3
Log in & game on!
FAQ
Does using a VPN affect gaming?
No, a VPN will not affect gaming. Just make sure you’re not connected to a far-off server! There are two ways you could do this:
- Use the Quick Connect feature on our apps. It will automatically select the server closest to you with the lowest load. This way, you will get the best speed.
- Use smart DNS for devices that do not support VPN apps – such as Apple TV, Xbox, or PlayStation. Smart DNS, however, doesn’t offer the same security and privacy benefits as a VPN. But if you only want to change your location while also benefiting from the best speed, it’s a great option!
If you’re worried about the VPN’s impact on system resources, you shouldn’t. A VPN uses a negligible amount of computer juice to do what it needs to do.
Does a VPN help with ping?
In very specific circumstances, a VPN can reduce ping. That is, if your internet service provider engages in bandwidth throttling, using a VPN will improve your online gaming speed.
Why? Because an ISP needs to check your traffic to see if you’re gaming and slow down your connection. A VPN encrypts your traffic, making it unreadable to the ISP. And if it doesn’t know that you’re gaming, it can’t throttle the connection!
Otherwise, a VPN can cause some lag. A VPN connection routes your data via a VPN server, and this adds another stop between your device and the game’s server. And the more steps there are, the more lag there will be. Of course, if you connect to the server nearest to your location, the lag should be negligible.
Do pro gamers use a VPN?
Some pro gamers use a VPN. They have various reasons for this: preventing high ping that comes from bandwidth throttling, preventing DDoS attacks, and stopping possible SWATing attempts. Not all cases apply to all of them, but VPNs do have uses in the pro gaming circuit.
Is it legal to use a VPN for gaming?
Yes, it is! Of course, it’s still illegal to commit crimes while doing so.
How does a VPN affect gaming?
A VPN introduces some latency (lag) because of two things: the encryption overhead (the bit of bandwidth needed to sort encryption) and routing through the VPN server (as it’s another stop between you and the game service).
Those drawbacks are barely noticeable on a good VPN (like Surfshark).
Which VPN protocol is best for gaming?
WireGuard is essentially the best VPN protocol for gaming on any platform.
What is the best no-lag VPN?
“No lag” is either a marketing term or an outright lie because all VPNs take up some of your bandwidth. However, if your ISP is throttling bandwidth or something, a VPN can decrease the lag by overcoming such measures. In that case, Surfshark is the best no-lag VPN.
Try out a VPN risk-free
Unlike on Steam, the money-back guarantee lasts more than 2 hours - 30 days more!