Online gaming can be a fascinating experience. For years we grew up playing on our Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo, Play Station, Sega, Dreamcast, Gamecube, Wii, or any other known console. However, the Internet appeared, and it all changed.
Nowadays, people of all ages are playing video games, but they are doing it mostly online. For that, they don’t necessarily need a console, although they are coming with network connectivity available to keep up with recent times. To play online, you need a good Internet connection and a proper platform: a PC, a laptop, a tablet, a console, or even a smartphone can work.
Here’s why you should you use a VPN while playing games online
Playing games online comes with several caveats. You are subject to lose performance due to lags and slow connection speeds, which may mean that you miss your target, receive a goal, or get shot depending on what you are playing, of course.
Another possible scenario is being the target of a DDoS attack. It means “Distributed Denial of Service,” and it is when people or entities intentionally attempt to overload another person’s system by sending several simultaneous requests or increasing traffic with the intention of congesting the victim’s network and affecting performance. Such an offence can have consequences in the gaming world.
If you are a gamer, you will want to reduce latency or ping times. To do it with a VPN, it has to be a very good one. Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs, are content encryption tools that hide your IP address (the one element that can make your location public around the web) and traffic, rerouting them to remote servers to protect them from hackers, DDoS attacks, malware developers, government surveillance, censorship, and other unwanted threats or scenarios.
In this article, we will refer to the best free VPN for gamers around the world. If you are planning to play online games, you will want your Virtual Private Network provider to at least maintain or even reduce your ping/latency times, avoid DDoS attacks, to be compatible with most consoles, devices, and operating systems, and to have a broad server network.
3 Best free VPN for gamers
Here’s our pick for the Best Free VPN for gamers:
1. ProtonVPN
It is easy to use, highly compatible, and the features’ quality increases with the plans and prices. Overall, it is a perfectly usable option that has some limitations (especially the free version, but that is to be expected,) but is one of the fast-risers of the industry.
Pros:
- Freemium service that isn’t lacking in features
- Has a built-in kill switch
- Has the multi-hoping capability with the Secure Core
- Provides OpenVPN and IKEv2
- Has Tor servers
Free version limitations:
- The free service does not offer torrenting feature and only lets people connect to three countries
- There is, as of now, no custom app for Linux and iOS
- The number of nation-states available for connections is three
- There is no P2P activity allowed in the free version
- No Secure Core
- No Tor servers
- No Secure streaming
- No ProtonMail Visionary included
▶︎For no limitations, use one of these VPNs
2. SaferVPN
It has automatic secure Wi-Fi, unlimited bandwidth and speeds, a Google Chrome browser extension, easy to use apps, and other features that will enhance your gaming experience.
Pros:
- It allows users to connect five simultaneous devices
- A Google Chrome extension
- 24/7 live chat support
- It has a 24-hour free trial
- It implements a kill switch
Free Plan Limitations:
- Being based in Israel, it doesn’t operate in the best of jurisdictions
- Speeds are not extraordinary
- A very short (24-hour) free trial
▶︎For no limitations, use one of these VPNs
3. HotSpot Shield VPN
Pros:
- Browsing speed is fast.
- Bandwidth is unlimited.
- Excellent chat support.
Free Plan Limitations:
- Privacy Policy is not good.
- Not able to unblock Netflix in free version.
- Only US server is available.
- Limited number of serves.
▶︎For no limitations, use one of these VPNs
Best paid options ⚡️
1. CyberGhost VPN
Pros:
- All the features you want: automatic kill switch, OpenVPN, DNS leak protection and more
- Excellent speeds
- A huge server network
- Seven simultaneous connections
- Effective protection of your IP address from DDoS attacks
- A no logging policy
- No leaks
45-Days Money-Back Guarantee
2. IPVanish VPN
IPVanish prevents deep packet inspections by Internet Service Providers, secure your access to public Wi-Fi hotspots, and protects your IP address with a 256-bit encryption.
Pros:
- Excellent speeds
- Lots of security features
- A big server network
- No traffic logs
- Robust 256-bit encryption
Conclusion
In conclusion, online gaming is a popular activity that is trending up, so in a world of hacking and DDoS attacks, you will be better off securing your connection and digital assets with one of the best free VPN for gamers.