Engaging in any form of online activity has its fair share of security risks, and while a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is most known for providing a secure connection when using the internet, it can offer other benefits that many people don’t know about.
No matter what type of game you enjoy playing, if it connects to the internet, you can use a VPN to ensure security and privacy, while improving your gaming experience at the same time.
Here are our top five reasons why you should use a VPN when gaming.
Avoid bandwidth throttling
Many internet service providers (ISPs) slow down bandwidth automatically if they detect certain traffic on the network – particularly gaming or streaming.
A VPN allows you to avoid this, as it can encrypt your data and switch the ports you use, making it hard for ISPs to figure out whether you are gaming, streaming, or just surfing the internet.
Reduce lag and ping
If you’ve played Fortnite or Apex Legends, for example, you will be all too familiar with the frustration of high ping and lag that often leads to your death.
While 180ms may not seem to be substantial, it can be the difference between making or missing a shot – especially when your enemy is unlikely to be playing with the same issue.
This can be avoided by using a VPN to connect to a server closer to the game server which can reduce ping times and therefore lag.
IP blocking
Many games use IP bans to keep users who have violated the terms of service or other rules out of the game.
Some bans are temporary and serve as a “time-out” while others are permanent.
Although many permanent bans are for good reason, there are players out there who might report you just because they can, which could result in a temporary ban for no reason.
This type of inconvenience can be avoided by connecting to a VPN that masks your IP address.
Additionally, if your IP address ban is not your doing, you can also use the VPN to bypass the ban as it generates a new IP address.
Play games that are not available in your region
It is disappointing when an exciting new game comes out, but it’s not coming to your region right away.
However, a VPN offers you access to a wide range of servers around the world, which means you can connect to a server location where the game has been released and play it as soon as it’s available.
Prevent DDoS attacks
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are quite common these days and involve someone sending a large volume of requests to a single system like a website or server to force it offline.
If you stream on Twitch, for example, a disgruntled opponent may try to bring your channel down using a DDoS attack.
However, by masking your IP address, a VPN prevents such attacks.
It is worth noting that while there are many free VPNs available, they’re not sufficient for improving your gaming experience due to the limited server variety, and slow server speeds.
We’d recommend premium VPNs like the ones listed below which are affordable, fast, secure, and won’t interfere with your gameplay.
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