Best VPN for gaming in 2024 (2024)

A VPN is a handy bit of kit that'll boost your digital privacy as you navigate the web—and can even put a stop to DDoS attacks, hacking attempts, and malware. They'll also assign you a new, temporary IP address (based on the server you choose), which allows you to fool sites into thinking you're physically located elsewhere. This is an awesome way to bypass geo-restrictions and access streaming content and social media platforms, and even snag region-exclusive deals on new titles.

There are a ton of VPNs on the market, however, but only a handful cater to PC gamers' need for security and speed. I've shortlisted some of the best VPNs in the business that do—and all without disrupting your gaming experience.

I've been putting VPNs to the test for years, now, and constantly put providers through their paces to figure out which offer the best value for money, performance, and privacy-boosting tools. For this guide, I've highlighted VPNs that won't strain your budget or your CPU, and come with stellar desktop apps. So, let's dive into my top PC VPN picks for 2024.

You may be thinking that a free VPN is your best option - after all, you won't have to pay for it. However, I would say just to be wary of free VPNs unless you're absolutely sure how your data is being processed and where it will end up. They can be a handy alternative for just getting a quick look at how something looks from a different region but will generally also have the biggest impact on just how fast your connection is. Also, with providers like NordVPN and Surfshark offering plans from as low as $2.99 and $1.99 a month apiece, you really don't have to break the bank to get a good VPN.

Surfshark is my boy. For me, it's the best VPN for gaming that we've tested, offering a great combination of lower ping than my non-VPN connection and a relatively minor hit on overall download speeds. It's ever so slightly taxing on the uploads than NordVPN, which comes out top on that score, but not by enough to put me off. You'll probably want to prioritize that upload speed for streamers, making NordVPN the go-to option. But then, as a streamer, you'd probably rather have the total bandwidth available to you at all times…

The app is straightforward. There are neat features such as an optional kill switch (disabling your internet connection if the VPN drops for any reason) and an allowlist to allow banking apps through the VPN block. The company offers a strict no-logs policy and seems to be reliable on that front.

Surfshark is also the only service tested that offers access to unlimited devices from a single account. That's pretty impressive, considering the relatively low cost compared to some of its peers.

The only issue I've encountered is that it doesn't seem like a comfortable fit for torrenting. I struggled to get anything to function, so if that's a deal-breaker for you, you'll probably want to look at Nord instead.

It's close between Surfshark and NordVPN, but the toothy one just about wins out thanks to its unlimited devices, lower price, and lower ping. NordVPN is the high-performance option of download and upload speeds are the be-all and end-all for your PC experience. It delivers one of the highest relative download speeds in my testing compared to an untouched connection and the highest upload speed.

That seems to be where many VPN services fall in just how much they tank your upload connection. My upload speed is already 10x slower than my downloads, so I can ill afford to lose any more. But NordVPN still delivers around 85% of that connection, while Private Internet Access dropped down to 35%.

It's also your best option if you find torrenting your go-to method of accessing content online. Surfshark seems to block everything, in my experience, making Nord the next best thing.

The service also delivers an impressive ping performance, getting close to my unfettered ping score and consistently beating my game ping scores too. NordVPN uses the latest WireGuard VPN protocol, which it's called NordLynx. It's reportedly the fastest around and does seem to help it run consistently well.

IPVanish is one of the most affordable VPN services we've tested, but that doesn't mean you're missing out. It might not have the full feature set of Surfshark or NordVPN, but you do get 250GB of SugarSync encrypted storage and backup for free with a new subscription, which could give you a little extra peace of mind over your more sensitive documents.

It performs well too. The impact on my upload and download speed is impressively minimal, and it also manages, for the most part, to drop down the in-game ping when gaming online. There was a little spike in CS: GO, but nothing worrying, and still with fewer packet drops than with my standard connection.

If you're after a quality VPN service to run on your gaming machine, and potentially on nine other devices simultaneously, but don't want to spend big, then IPVanish is a great alternative to the top two on our list.

Our list's second most expensive service is also the broadest reach globally. With servers in a staggering 105 countries, if you're looking to play with friends abroad, or find yourself traveling a lot, then ExpressVPN could be your best bet for a solid, secure, and relatively speedy connection.

ExpressVPN isn't bad in my testing for in-game ping performance, regularly giving me a lower millisecond count than my standard connection in Battlefield 5. Still, it sometimes struggled in CS: GO. However, it was the weakest when it came to downloading speeds—not that 94% of my regular connection is bad—but the upload hit was second only to the dreadful performance of Private Internet Access.

Of the top four, it also has the fewest number of simultaneous devices allowed, though, at five devices, you can still share the load across PC, laptop, phone, and significant other. But ExpressVPN is still a quality, reliable service that may not have the top-level performance I've measured from some others, but it is still a decent option for PC gamers.

Other VPNs tested

VyprVPN

Private Internet Access

CyberGhost

The best VPN FAQ

It may sound like we're pulling your chain. But it's true; a good VPN service can keep you safe and secure behind the scenes and improve your ping results in-game. Now, it's not a case of some fancy wizardry that will suddenly turn a slow internet connection into a lightning-quick one. But the best VPNs for gaming will often boast superior routing compared to your current internet service provider (ISP). That means you could get less packet loss via a VPN, and you might even see a lower ping, making your connection more responsive in-game.

I run a generally reliable, 100Mbit+ fiber connection at home, yet I still experience packet loss when I've got boots on the ground in Battlefield 5. My ping isn't bad, but it could always be better, right? Running a VPN does, however, take a bit of a chunk out of your overall download and upload speeds, but maybe not as much as you might think. Picking the best VPN for gaming will minimize that impact.

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