Do VPNs Improve Gaming?

VPN services are becoming increasingly popular, but how can they be used for gaming?

By Jean-Luc Seipke and Richard Li
March 2, 2021

If you're a regular YouTube video and Twitch stream viewer or podcast listener, you've likely heard the term "VPN" a few times--ExpressVPN is a popular sponsor. But what exactly is a VPN, and what are they for?

In a video made by Jean-Luc Seipke, he discusses the ins and outs of a VPN, as well as why you might want to pay for one. Standing for virtual private network, a VPN is designed to both secure and encrypt a connection between two networks. That opens up personal benefits for their users, especially when it comes to video streaming.

In terms of gaming, a VPN's usefulness will fluctuate case to case. It won't improve your internet connection beyond what you currently pay for, but a VPN can be especially helpful if you're playing online video games that rely on a peer to peer connection. With a VPN, you can protect yourself from DDoS attacks, which you really only need to care about in online games that rely on a peer to peer connection.

You'll have to watch the full video for a breakdown on VPNs in generation. If you do decide that a VPN is right for you, we recommend ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or IPVanish if you're a gamer.

Video Transcript

The first time I heard about VPNs was from the many sponsorships from my favorite Youtubers, and chances are you have as well. But what are VPNs, and more importantly, how can they benefit gaming? I should clarify at front that we are not sponsored by VPN for this video. However, if you are interested in one, you can check out a couple of our favourites in the description below. A VPN stands for Virtual private network. They are private, more secure connections that allow users to send encrypted data safely.

Whether it's sending important files over a secure line or browsing websites without being tracked, a VPN is a safer way to use the Internet. They keep websites and applications from tracking you and encrypting your traffic. Something that is particularly useful if you're browsing on public Wi-Fi. There's also the more recreational purpose, such as changing your IP address so you can watch anime not available in your country's version of Netflix VPN service, such as Express VPN are commercialized. VPNs that let users tunnel their Internet traffic.

Into the VPN server. This changes your IP address, shielding your real IP address from others. Now VPNs have long been used by companies to move sensitive files, but thanks to commercial VPNs the average person can take advantage of them as well. Now when it comes to gaming with VPNs, the advantages are a little more niche, but still there for starters. Just like with streaming services, VPNs can be used to download games not available in your region. For example, before Fortnite was officially released in China.

Chinese players would use VPNs to access the game. If you live in North America where we have access to most games, this isn't going to be as high of a necessity, but there still are region specific games you won't be able to get access to unless you use a VPN. There are a wealth of games not made available yet, such as last year's beta for the MMORPG Blue protocol, which American players could check out thanks to VPNs, but please keep in mind that while using a VPN this way is legal.

It may violate the terms and services of a particular platform. For example, Steam subscriber agreement states that you will not use IP proxying or other methods to disguise the place of your residence, whether to circumvent geographical restrictions on game content, to purchase at pricing not applicable to your geography, or for any other purpose. If you do, this valve may terminate your access to your account. So the prospect of playing foreign games is exciting, but potentially risky, so make sure to do your homework beforehand.

Now, where VPNs can really come in handy is in the world of online gaming, thanks to a VPN you can connect to a server you don't normally have access to, which allows you to play with people in other countries with the understanding that your connection is going to take a hit as a result. Now you might be wondering if VPNs can lead to a more stable connection. Keep in mind that a VPN isn't a replacement for your Internet service provider, but one you use on top of it. If you already have a fast connection of VPN.

He isn't gonna do much to help boost you. It may, however, cause less strain when playing a game that uses a peer to peer connection, peer to peer or P2P is when there is no dedicated server that players connect to. Instead, they connect directly to each other. As a result, if you or the people you are playing with have rough connections, this will lead to laggy experiences. Powerful VPN's with high speeds can potentially help reduce ping and smooth everything out.

But there's another very important reason to use a VPN with a P2P game, and that is for security. Using a VPN can help prevent against DDoS attacks, which is essentially when a server or network is jammed up, preventing its use. Somebody can easily target an individual as long as they have their IP address. This has been a tried and true tactic to mess up game servers, streamers, or players in persistent online games such as Eve Ace Solid prevention strategy is using a VPN to hide your IP address.

You might be thinking to yourself that no one is going to bother attacking you. The average player. That's mostly true. Most games rely on dedicated servers, and the idea that you'll be attacked just isn't likely gonna happen, but you are significantly more risk if you play games that use P2P, such as the insanely popular GTA Online, as well as its counterpart Red Dead Online. These games are well documented for their poor security, and it's really easy for a cheater to use DDoS attacks on other players because they were.

Upset at a loss or just wanted to be * ****? If you're somebody that likes playing P2P games like GTA Online regularly, a VPN can be a valuable prevention tool to help keep you safe. Now these are all great ways to use a VPN for gaming, but it's up to you to decide if it's worth the cost. After all, VPN services can run anywhere from 5 to $12.00 a month. Free VPNs do exist, but they are truly free. You're instead paying with your.

Info that they collect and then sell to third parties, which to me kind defeats the point of using one VPN services also have different priorities in what they offer. For gaming, you'll want one that emphasizes speed and doesn't offer any data caps. Express VPN, Nord, VPN and IP vanish are some of the top offers currently available. As mentioned before, we have links in the description if you're interested, but that's about going to do it for me and this video.

Hopefully you guys learn something about VPNs. I don't think they're necessary for gaming, but I do think they have their advantages, especially when it comes to playing P2P games. Now, if you enjoy it, explanation videos like this one I've done a couple I did a great one on HDMI 2.1, and you know whether it's worth investing in that whole nonsense ecosystem. Buying cables and TV's and all that. We also have a. Is it worth it? Series where we talk about expensive versus inexpensive hardware? Dave did a great one on gaming mice, so if you're interested in that please go check that out. My name is Jean-Luc. Thanks for watching and I'll see you all next time.

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

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