Summary
Using a VPN while gaming comes with plenty of benefits, especially because it makes your session more secure. It also gives you more freedom when it comes to server choice. However, the drawbacks, if they apply to you, can be serious enough that you may want to skip using any gaming VPN altogether.
The Pros of Using a VPN While Gaming
First, let’s go over why using a VPN is a good idea for you when gaming.
Security
First and foremost is security. Theway VPNs workis that they reroute your connection through an offsite server and then encrypt the connection through a so-calledVPN tunnel. This limits tracking by any site or service you’re connected to, increasing your privacy.
Rerouting also adds a layer of security. For example, if you fall victim to aDDoS attack, your VPN provider will handle it—you won’t need to worry about it.
Server Location
Even if you’re not worried about security while gaming online, VPNs offer another advantage to you—namely the ability to make it appear like you’re anywhere your service of choice hasVPN servers. With a click of a button, you’re able to make it appear like you’re in another part of the world.
This means you can find servers in other parts of the globe that have more or fewer players as you desire. It also makes it easier to play with faraway friends. A VPN can make the game a lot more fun this way.
Reduced Ads
As an added bonus, many VPN services (read ourProton VPN reviewandExpressVPN reviewfor two good examples) have built-in ad blockers. If you use your browser or mobile device to game, this means that you will see fewer ads, without the gaming service blocking you from playing.
The Cons of Using a VPN While Gaming
As good as these advantages are, they do come with some issues that may be game-breaking.
Performance and Speed
The biggest issue with using a VPN is that it will hurt your performance bylowering your speedand raising your latency (or ping). This is the delay between you clicking your mouse or pressing a controller button and the action occurring on screen.
While there are cases where aVPN will improve your ping, these are rare and really shouldn’t be counted on. This means that even if you find a great server on the other side of the world, your performance may be so bad you end up fragged every few seconds anyway.
The news isn’t all bad, though, as thebest VPNswill be able to mitigate the damage by usinggood VPN protocolsand using state-of-the-art servers. However, expect some issues from time to time, as no VPN will negate slowdown entirely.
Provider Issues
The best advice we can give in this case is that you look through the terms of service of whichever platform you’re gaming with before using your VPN, to verify you’re not breaking any rules.
Should You Use a VPN While Gaming?
Using a VPN is a good idea if you have the money to pay for a good VPN that can minimize performance issues, assuming the game you’re playing doesn’t have a VPN ban in place.
However, if all you’re able to afford is afree VPN and their many issues(such as reduced speeds and the risk of data gathering), then you may want to consider not bothering. After all, not having a VPN won’t prevent you from playing, which is what it’s all about.
