How and Why to Use a VPN When Gaming - Article
by Craig S , posted on 11 January 2022 / 5,853 Views
The following is a guest editorial.
How important are VPNs? Do you really need one when gaming? And if so, how do you use it? We'll try to answer these questions and more in this article.
What is a VPN for Gaming?
A VPN is, in short, a virtual private network (hence the name), that makes it possible to connect two or more computers to the internet and make them work as if they're on the same local network.
For gamers, this is important because the traffic then goes via a server located elsewhere in the world, which protects your computer from both tracking and intrusion attempts. Gamers' internet connections can, for instance, be attacked via DDoS to slow down their connection, which can be devastating during a game. The risk of DDoS attacks is, however, drastically reduced with a VPN.
With a VPN for gaming, gamers can also get around geo-blocking - that is games (and other media) restricted to certain parts of the world. This means that you don't have to wait a whole year for a new title from South Korea to be available in your region if you're connected to a VPN server.
Thanks to a VPN and a shorter connection path between the gamer and the game servers, it can also lower the gamer’s ping and lag in general. This, in turn, reduces the delay between the gamer's commands and the actions within the game itself.
How to Install a Gaming VPN
First thing's first, you need to download the chosen VPN to your gaming device. You can see a selection of good VPN services for gaming as well as read more about how to use a VPN when gaming online at VPNpro.net.
Most big VPN service providers have various apps for all major platforms, so you can easily download the VPN to your computer, laptop, mobile device, or new video game console like a PS5 or Xbox Series X.
Secondly, you should install the VPN on your Wi-Fi router, and all devices connected to it. This is to create bulletproof encryption and ensure you stay safe while gaming. However, some VPN services offer the possibility to use your computer as a virtual router instead.
Four Reasons Why Gamers Need a VPN
Powerful Protection
With the help of a VPN, you can avoid DDoS attacks by masking your IP. Some VPNs also offer leakage protection, network switches, and split tunneling, which give another layer of protection.
Better Connection
With a good VPN service, you can get unlimited bandwidth as well as minimize ping and lag.
Bypass Bandwidth Throttling
Most internet service providers (ISPs) restrict users' internet bandwidth without telling them, which of course can ruin the experience for gamers. With a VPN, this can be prevented.
Access Region-Blocked Games
With a VPN you can access games from countries with early release dates, and even play games and other media that is censored where you live.
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I don't wish to claim that VPN services are completely useless, but to someone who knows 'a bit' about networking but just the basics of VPN, a lot of these claims seem quite bold and, truthfully, misleading. Here we go!
With the help of a VPN, you can avoid DDoS attacks by masking your IP.
Excuse me? Have DDoS attacks against individual people become extremely common at some point or is this reducing an extremely marginal risk to an even smaller one?
With a good VPN service, you can get unlimited bandwidth as well as minimize ping and lag.
I'd like to someone explain how routing traffic through a third party can minimize ping and lag? Common sense and basic network knowledge both imply that this should increase ping and lag. If there's some practical merit to this, I'd sure like to hear it. And what does 'unlimited bandwidth' mean in this context?
Most internet service providers (ISPs) restrict users' internet bandwidth without telling them, which of course can ruin the experience for gamers. With a VPN, this can be prevented.
I don't live in the US so perhaps my reality is different, but what kind of restrictions exactly are there, and how would games, which generally require fairly little bandwidth (or at least did, the last time I checked), be very susceptible this?
With a VPN you can access games from countries with early release dates, and even play games and other media that is censored where you live.
This is... at least ideally true. Is it currently common for services (including games) to restrict access via VPN services just to prevent this?
