Why you need a VPN for gaming

A Virtual Private Network is a multi-purpose service which can be used by anyone even gamers due to its multiple functionalities. One may wonder why a gamer would need a VPN but below are reasons which might make you use a VPN from today henceforth when you think about gaming, especially online gaming.

Unblock geo-restricted

Similar to streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer, games are also geo-restricted. There are certain games which you can’t access if you are not located in the specified countries. For instance, some popular videos games are banned in some countries such as China, Iran, Brazil, and in other many countries due to reasons such as the games contain violence, they are X-rated, and others are seen as a cultural invasion.

In other places such as institutions, the games are not banned but are blocked in the network by either a NAT firewall or by port blocking. Whichever the case, you cannot access your favorite game if you move to some countries or the institutions. In this case what you need is a VPN. VPNs are known for bypassing port blocking, censorships, and even firewalls. Like when streaming, you’ll be able to unlock and play your favorite game.

Access games before their global Release Date

Like movies, games are also launched earlier in some countries, and other countries may wait for even a week or a month for the official release date. Nothing hurts a gamer much like waiting for a game for about a year, and then you hear that some people are already playing it, but it’s not yet available in your country. Those days are gone now, and that’s why you are going to need a VPN. A VPN can take you to countries where the game is launched. First, all you need to do is connect to a server available in that country, and you’ll get a good head start before everyone else.

Avoid DDoS attacks

A DDoS attack or a Denial of Service Attack (DoS) is a situation in which an attacker tries to make certain services unusable by either overloading the server or by using other methods. These attacks are easy to execute and are very common in gaming. Other gamers may have malicious intents, and since they cannot hack the server, they execute DDoS attackers. These attackers can be very annoying as they make the game unavailable to other users and also bring other injustices to the game. To avoid these DDoS attacks, you will need to use a VPN to connect to the server. Since VPNs have un-hackable encryption mechanisms, attackers will rarely smite you with DoS attacks.

Beat lag while using a VPN

Given that VPNs reduce your internet speed, you might think this is a daft reason why a gamer should use a VPN other than the other reasons. But it has proven that a VPN can help you avoid lags in your online game in some other instances. For example you can use online checkers if your ISP is throttling your connection, a VPN will help you reclaim your speed without a hassle.

Also, in gaming, ping is very important. Some VPN servers are known to increase the ping and hence make online gaming to be smooth and stable. The problem is that you have to find the right VPN servers that provide less latency for the ping.

In order to get the above benefits when gaming, there’s one thing to consider, not all VPNs are meant for gaming. The guide below will help point out some important factors that a gaming VPN should have.

Choosing the Right VPN for Gaming

As always, if there’s no one to give you a head start, you’ll have a hard time when picking the right VPN for your tasks. Instead of trying all the VPNs by using some sort of filters such as top ten best VPNs, below are factors that can enable you to narrow down your research even further.

• Speed

One thing you should consider which is paramount for a VPN to be liable for gaming is speed. Online gaming requires both download and upload speeds to be optimum. To improve the experience, look for VPNs which indicate their server latency and throughput. This will enable you to get into the game faster without having to test every VPN server available. The more the speed, the less the lag.

• Server Locations

In order to access games earlier or to unblock geo-restricted games, a VPN should have several servers distributed evenly across the globe. The more the servers, the more chances of unblocking and accessing games restricted in your locale. Also, more servers will mean that there’s no overloading and hence higher response time which translates to no lagging.

• Security and Encryption

Apart from high-speed servers, a gaming VPN should also sport unbeatable security and encryption protocols. These will ensure you are protected from DDoS attacks and other related online threats.

With these tips, your gaming is about to change.